The Penn's Grove record., 1884-07-26

tina subject, tliSIG NOuiu iOt ~ ''
much fast driving OIL our streets.
OBSERVER.
Twenty-Five hundred people from the
four counties of Salem, Atlantic, G!ou
ccstcr and Cumberland gathered at the
Potter homestead Mt willow Grove, n.
j., on Friday Of last week, to celebrate
the one hundredth anniversary OF tic
birth Of hale old Michael Potter, Of
that township. Seated upon a raised
platform built upper the spreading
Gins and surrounded by II hundred
and eighty-fyc Of his direct descent
ants the why ]centcnarian stroked, with
= brown and weather-stained hand, tie
golden tresses of a blue.eycd little
maid pamed Cora, the eldest represent
attire Of his fifth generation.
On July Is, 1Ts4, within a stones
throw Of where he sat. Michael Potter
was born. lie was the younge! son Ct
an early Dutch settler, who bore the
name OF Ostenbacher. For forty years
the simple farmers of Salem county
struggled with the lengthy %patronymic,
until one day Joe Sh0lcs, the borough
wit, at the Corners wheelwright shop,
said to tie company, as the Old settler
refined up to have anut looked after:
'sIIere:s Osten- Osteu-Such name!
BOUNDS, he's y potter3 let's call hI7
Potter"
Aud Potter it t~henceforth was.
Eighty years ago the family acquhcd
legal riaht to the name by which their
neighbors called them.
Two hundred and torty-two kinsmcn
wore the di atiuguished badge Of the
Potter family for the days OCCASION
the auttering stars and stripes i'll mini
ature. The CID man wore a little silk
en- banner pinned to the lapel Of his
coat. The Potter family filled the lit
tie village church, and many faces
peered in ut the doors and windows a.
the old man, with his arm linked in
that of Bartholomew Coles, Of UArrIa-
onyille, who celebrated his ninety
ninth birthday a few days ago, walked
Up the narrow aisle TO listen to the ora
tor Of the day, Rev. Dr. Whitaker.
Through the windows Of the old church
in tho field beyond stand rows Of simple
tombstones, recording successive gtner
ations OF quiet country folk. One OF
these headstones, that Of Lydia, the
wife, bears the inscription:
"Born January %, 1898. Died June
%, 1868, aged seventy years and SIX
months, after 1fty-two years OF mar
ried life"
In the same little room to which he
took his bride in 1911 the centenariaIl
still sleeps. The quaint old furniture
yet remains. For his bride the sturdy
young potter built a story and a bail
cottage, containing two rooms. To
him last Friday the homely comfort,
the grass plot before the door, the trail
ing vines nf h~oneysuckle, the hedge OF
evergreen, all brought back memories
| Of her.
At the table SET out under the wide
spreading branches yesterday neafiy
two hundred descendants Of his eleven
! children sat down to dinner. The old
man asked q blessing upon his chill
dlen's children. A graBdchild Of fifty
years Of age, q great %grandcbill Of
! twenty-seyen years and q great. great
granddaughter Of nine years sat near
him. liter dinner tie old man chat.
ted pleasantly Of his boyhood. in an
poarance the oentcnaTian is under the
average height, being barely Gge feet.
His hair is OF an i~ron-gray,
81 have weighed IA pounds nigh
onto fifty years. said lie. 81 doa't
change much nowadays. Eighty years
ago / was heavier, but a sprier young
man there wasn't Ia the county. Why,
remember going 10 a jumping match
about that time that took place 81 Port
Elizabeth, where I was visiting.
! Iu.lled with q young man named .law
: --- 4A# u}t..l was % aga ,s.t9 tJsIJ