The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-01-05
Wilmington Letter.



After holiday week noted for nothing
possibly excepting some abominably bad
weather, the first day of 1884 was well
coined in somewhat the same way as we
always do here-firing of guns, ringing
of bells and footing of tin horns, all of
which is great nuisance and should be
suppressed. Those religiously inclined
attended the watch meetings held at the
various churches, and with prayer and
praise, ushered in the baby year. Others,
with different iuclinations, held little
watch-msetings of their own,-in the var
ious saloons, watching each Other
through beer mugs and whiskey glasses,
until they were utterly unable to even
guess what year it was. What monu-
ment of good resolutions, better inten
tions. kinder thoughts, etc, we build ON
this first day. And then, when, posi-
bly,, before the light of day has faded in
the West, our monument falls We al
most invariably suspend any further oper
atoms on it until the next New Years
day, whom the same thing is repeated.
There seems to be tendency to OBJ
serve New Years day more than before,
and not a few of our fair maidens kept
open house, and in beautiful costumes,
with faces radiant in charming smiles,
dispensed the favors of the day. The
practice of sending beautiful cards, with
appropriate notices for the New Year, is
pretty one, and is rapidly becoming
more popular. Some of these cards are
really works of art, costing from FIVE
cents 10 fifty dollars.
Wilmington starts 1884 with a full crop
of now projects on hand, several of which
we hope to see in blooming existence be-
20, Nnuy Vaar'a
letter. We want all of them so bad do
not know which to put first, but I will
begin with o new posloffics. The one we
now have is entirely too small, and ill
suited to the requirements OF the case.
The citizens are making an earnest move
in the matter, and all of one accord
argue that 1t is time something was done
towards giving us better, larger and
more imposing ediics. Something on
the style of our court house. Petitions,
praying Congress to grant an appropria.
ton, are being circulated and signed, and
there is some talk of bringing the Post
MASTER General here to look into the mat
ter. The new site is matter of doubt,
but there is a general opinion that it will
be near the present locality.
We ought TO have new City Hall, as
the present building is inadequate, as by
the time you put the new and august
Municipal Court into the structure-well,
as the Sunday Critic observes, its like
forcing number nine foot into five
shoe. By the way. the Sunday Critic is
our new Sunday paper, and while not as
large or breezy as The Star, is well worth
place on your lat.
Another very crying necessity that is
rapidly forcing itself upon our well-mean-
ing and law-loving citizens, is the imme-
mediate need of some institution where
youthful thieves and offenders may be
placed, instead of being sent to the COM
mon Jail. You would be astonished at
the number Of little rascals who swarm
around this city, the nucleus OF a gang OF
petty thieves and burglars. Scarcely a
day passes without one or more being
brought before the police court, while
many are never arrested on account OF
their extreme youth. l am sorry to say
it, but Wilmington has tho reputation of
harboring pretty hard crowd of boys.
BY the will of the late John Ferris, DIR.
Harlan, his executor, has some $40, 900 in
trust, TO be applied towards some such
benevolent institution. Now, the Doctor
steps forward and offers TO give this
money towards founding 4 reformatory
home for youths, if the county will help
in the matter, and guarantee the support
of the home it, OF course, to be under
their control. Into this home the bad
boys aud girls of both Kent and Sussex
could be sent upon the payment Of rea.
sonable board. If the county will give a
plot of land on the Almshouse farm, and
guarantee tho suppor6 of the institution
have no doubt but that the people OF
the county would soon have suitable
buildings under roof. Which is better
to support this youthful population now
and try to make men and women Of then,
or be compelled to keep them as thieves
and criminals hereafter Charity begins
at home, and if the charitable eyes of our
people would only drop a little nearer
home, they would find fully as much use
for their spare funds as they now de
across distant seas.
Socially our people are rather quiet
"a Bunch of Keys" at the Opera Hous,
last Saturday night, was not bad. Bar
tholomew's trained horses are holding
forth this week to delighted audiences
1t is beautiful example of mans mine
over dumb brutes. Market street as il
Illuminated with the electric light. is tin'
sight, Council ought to take hold of thu
matter and light the street entirely witt
these lights Speaking of CoIncil; Will
mington will never be anything NOR
than what it now is,-an oyer-grown
one-horse-power village, until we 80
these old fashioned men out of powe
and their places supplied with live, enc
getic men. For the last six or eight year
we have been trying to get park estab
lished on the banks of and in the vale,
of the Brandywine, and although W
, have park commission, and prominen
J citizens have offered to donate the land
) under certain conditions, nothing ha
been done. In the meantime the covete
land is rapidly rising in price and bein
despoiled of its beauty. CARoLUs.