The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-10-03


the great resort of the school children for
confectionery, her molasses candy being
especially attractive. Out Elm street in
the rear of the store, was barn, which
about that time was struck by lightning
and entirely consumed, one night during a
thunder storm, with crop of oats stored
therein. This event was solemnly regard
ed by us boys as a judgment from heaven
upon the owner of the oats, for harvesting
them on Sunday. There was only one
house out this street (where Patrick Kirby
now lives) until the Clawson farm, then
occupied by John Pine, was reached Mr..
Pine also had a blacksmith shop on the
opposite side of the road, where he carried
on business for time. Near this place
occurred the first, last and only fight in
which the writer of this veracious chron-
icle ever engaged, and historical truth COM
pels us to admit that we were then and
there most successfully and soundly thrash
ed and we ever after held the other fellow
i'll wholesome reverence. He is in Con-
necticut now. We wished him furthur
then.
The old brown house next to the store
part of the school house property, was
occupied by Sarah Ann Allen, mother of
Mrs. Hannah A. Cawley, and Benjamin
Ballinger and his wife Elizabeth, a goodly
old Friend, whom we delighted to visit and
who humored our childish whims with
great good nature.
Then came the Academy, at that time in
the care of Miss Abbie r. Paul, than whom
more painstaking and conscientious teach
er was never known. In the light and
with the experience of maturer years we
can better appreciate her efforts to get
knowledge through our too thick skull.
She was succeeded by H. A. Madison, who
in fact, took charge of the male depart
ment of the school before she left. His
methods of imparting instruction and
maintaining discipline were unique, as
many of the mischievous ones who were
daily threatened with hanging and taken
out on the floor for exercise can bear
witness if they are here to do it. But
where are all the old time boys and girls
with whom we went to school twenty Five
years ago at old ''Bacon?'' The boy who
was regularly sent home for mischief and
as regularly came back the next day. The
boy down whose cheeks the big tears
would roll if he CHANGED to miss a word in
his spelling lesson. The boy who turned
the key on the master one day as he left
the school house on a sentence of banish-
ment and whom the master, jumping out
the window, chased down the road and
brought back by main strength. The boy
who used to call us ''shadbelly." The boy
who used to bring us big red apples. The
boy who always ''socked' so hard when
we played corner ball. If the roll could
be called so that each could hear, the ans
wers would come from manya far away
corner of the land. Many of them
are dead. Peace to their ashes! The
living are scattered wide, but wherever
they may be, an old schoolmate wishes
Them one and all, safe deliverance.
The school house and grounds with the
exception of the fences are i'll the same
shape as at the time this account refers to.
The boys and girls formerly had separate
play grounds, but they have since been
thrown into one.
Next the school house property, in the
house where Jehu /. Allen now lives, lived
Albertus Somers, Woodstown's only watch
maker. This shop was in the building
now occupied by Israel Nanneman as
fish market, and then stood on the corner
little further down town than the bank.
The large window strung across with rows
of tin dummies representing watches was a
scene of wild magnificenco to our eyes in
those days and would be an odd sight
contrasted with the display now seen in
our jewelers. windows. The dwelling is
the same externally as when Mr. Somers
lived there He was pleasant old gentle
man, noted for his precise and methodical
habits, everything belonging to him or on
his premises had its place and everything
was in its place. He died in the spring of
1868 just as he was arranging to remove
into the house further up town where
Charming Howey now lives, and which he
had purchased. His widow most estima-
4 Ia 4
died some four or five years later.
Below the Allen property the only house
on that side of the street until the corner
was turned was the residence of Dr. David
NJ. Davis, now occupied as double house,
by Lippincott Coles and d. w. Lippincott.
All between was vacant ground with no
suggestion of the handsome residences
since erected thereon. Between the Davis
house and the present residence of Omar
Borton, then occupied by Rev. A. j. Hires,
the only buildings were the matchmaker
shop of Mr.. Somers, small building adj
joining used by Noah Urion and John O.
Adams as broom mandatory and
frame carpenter shop which stood about
where Deanius Peterson house now stands
John Q. Adams was the son of Thomas
and Sarah Adams He was famous mu-
sician and choir leader, and if We mistake
not brought to Woodstown the first melo-
deon ever used here, a small one of the
Prince pattern, now owned by his brother
in-law d. F. Broadway.
From Mr.. Hires residence TO Nj. d.
Dickinson Office the buildings on that side
the street are as they were twenty five years
ago except the house where Josiah NJ.
Hewitt lives, which at that time was a
plain, old building, painted brown. 1t has
been modernized and portco added. All
the houses were fenced in also from the
sidewalk These fences have been relnov-
ed John Cook owned and lived in the
house now occupied by Hannah A. Cawley,
and Deanius Peterson in the house where
Elizabeth Flitcraft lives.
On the opposite side the street, but little
change is apparent beyond some altera-
lions in the residences The residence of
Samuel S. Dean was built about the time
we write of by Isaac V. Dickinson and occu-
pied by him as a residence and law office
until 1868.
DIR. |. ID. Clawson, who a little while be-
fore represented this District in Congress,
lived in the corner house now occupied by
his widow Mrs. NJ. w. Clawson, and VIM.
j. Shinn. afterward President of the First
National Bank, lived in the house adjoin-
ing In the house where Elizabeth b.
Cawley resides then lived Mrs. Lydia
White a widow lady. In the next house
David Jess resided. Jonathan Riley, faith
L Il