The daily gazette., 1883-03-02
" ArTER MANY YEARS"
a Romance of tIis Brandyyvine = The
Christmas Present with which

I
a Romance of tie BrandyVvine = The
Christmas Present with which 4
Former DelawRrean Was Surprised.
1t was In the month Of August, 1884, that
Luther Martin, now one of Philadelphia's
respected business men, arrived In Whining
ton, In company with his elder brother
Robert, from their heme near Seaford,
Sussex county, for the purpose of attending
the well-known school at the southeast cor
ner OF Fourth and West streets, then taught
by John Bullock worthy citizen Of VIII
mingtOn and father of Dr. Wm. r. Bullock
-and his estimable wife, Rachel. Luther
Martin, then boy Of ten years, is brother
OF Hon. Edward l.. Martin, Representative
in Congress from this State, and of DR..
Hugh Martin, of Seaford.
The next day after their arrival, Mrs.
Bullock, in her kindly desire to make things
a!epleasant aspossibIe for her young charges,
sent them, In company with four other
pupils who were staying over the summer
vacation-Spanish boys from Havana-out
for trip along the Brandywine, and at her
suggestion the Sussex boys took
hammer and ehisei for the purpose of in
delibly inscribing their names upon some OF
the famous rocks that line our romantic and
beautiful stream. This task they duly
and laboriously accomplished, and while
Luther, becoming wearied by the heat of
the weather and disgusted at sundry unfor.
tunate blows with the hammer upon his
fingers, conteDted himself with simply in-
denting his initials, ''L. NJ" upon the hard
surface Of the rock, his brother perseyered
until the name "R. Martin" boldly stared
him in the face. The rock they selected for
their operations vas located on the south
side Of the stream, quite close 10 Rattle
snake Run. W.
Time passed on. Luther Martin remained
at John Bullock's school until 1888 or 1889,
and then left TO take upon himself the active
affairs Of business life, Robert Martin, In
1887, sailed from Baltimore for Bordeaux in
one of his fathers vessels, but the boat was
lost and not soul on board was ever heard
of again. .r
About 1859 Mr.. Luther Martin, then en-
gagged in business in Philadelphia, made
visit to Wilmington with his family, and
going out along the Brandywine searched
for and discovered the, stone bearing the let
ters he and his brother had carved 25 years
before. He next saw 1t on the 10th OF De-
cembef, 1879, the day that General Grant
had his memorable reception In Philadel.
phia, when, not desiring to participate in, or
even witness, the ovation rendered that dis
tinguished individual, Mr.. Martin, In COM
pany with bis daughter, came down 10 Will
his boyhood days was still standing, and to
his intense delight the letters had been un-
disturbed during all the 45 years that had
elapsed since they were cut, and were easily
discovered by clearing away the dead leaves
and decayed foliage that had naturally
covered the face of the the rock
This was Mr.. Martins last visit to VIII
mington for the purpose of gazing upon the
valued "Reminiscences Of his childhood.
Last Christmas morning Mr.. Martins
daughter came to him when he arose and
warned him to prepare for the greatest sur
prise of his life when he went down TO break
fast Wondering greatly at this unusual
caution he proceeded down stairs and dis
covered two bulky packages lying al his
place on the table. Taking up one of the
bundles he carefully removed the wrappings,
and there, nicely cut and set into frame of
rich mahogany, was square piece of good
old Brandywine blue rock, with his initials,
s'L. NJ" just as he had cut them that hot
day in August, nearly 50 years ago. The
other package contained a similar piece,
with the name "R. Martin" cut upon the,
face. There they stood before him, CHS
elled out of the identical rock by Rattle
snake Run upon which he and his brother
had labored so faithfully, and bringing TO
his mind with sudden and almost over
whelming force the varied memories of his
pleasant school boy days in Wilmington.
To say that Mr.. Martin was surprised
would not begin TO express his feelings.
He was completely overcome and it was
several minutes before he could recover
himself sufficiently to thank his children
for thus presenting him with such a pre-
eious memento Of his early youth. at
This welcome Christmas surprise was
planned and executed by Mr.. Martins chill
dren- two sons and a daughter-who came
to Wilmington and procuring the services
of a stone cutter proceeded to Rattlesnake
run, where they found the rock with the
name and initials still undisturbed. The
stone-cutter managed to cut out from the
face of the rock the sections bearing the
carving, which were afterwards carefully
dressed and framed In the manner above
described.
The precious presents occupy a conspicu-
Gus place upon a table in Mr.. Martins
library, ,and he is always happy to show them
to his friends and to relate many pleasing
"reminiscences of the days so happily spent
at school in Wilmington. He regards them
as the greatest treasures In the world, and
prizes them as priceless mementos connect.
ing his early childhood with his later years
--s<-Su-~-$S---
JUMPED THE TRACK.