The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-09-26
TMenfY.fi Years ARO.

tIlC tlht DldlOC, anu IL ptOplG
not learn to accustom themselves to new
circumstances and surroundings the jar
ring and crashing Of the machinery of
life would be uncomfortable. Yet these
mutations so constantly taking place, so
easily become part of our every day life
and experience that it is only by exercise of
memory that we can realize that ''the
thing that is is not ''the thing that hath
BEEN
To the person who has lived in our pleas
ant town for number of years. the changes
in population and buildings have been
so quiet and gradual, that it seems almost
as though the place were the same in every
particular now as when he first knew it,
but we imagine that one who left Woods
town before the war and had not returned
until now. would require considerable in
formation and guidance. and if he were
suddenly transported hither not knowing
his destination he would probably regard
several guesses before hitting on the name
of the town. Twenty-Five years ago the
writer came to Woodstown to live for the
first time, boy of twelve years, and then
resided in North Woodstown. OF all the
families known to him living there, be-
tween the r. r. bridge and the Friends
meeting house only one, that of Sheppard
Taylor, still occupies the same house and
has suffered no loss by death. OF thirty
five heads of families residing at that time
in the bounds above mentioned including
Auburn and Elm streets, twenty-five are
dead, three are still living in Woodstown,
the rest are scattered abroad.
If, as is likely, the same proportion of
change has taken place as to the remaining
portion of the town, it brings to mind, with
startling significance, the transitory nature
of things earthly.
At the time written of, that portion of
the town above the present railroad bridge
was much the same as at present. The
Catholic church and the residence of James
Quirk are the only new buildings erected,
the former ON the site of the old church
blown down about 1857, although the
houses of Cornelius Mulvehill and Jo-
seph Kahn have been much improved
and changed. The buildings at the point
then owned by Charles Baker, are still
standing, in but little more advanced stage
OF dilapidation than formerly. Our older
readers will remember Mrs. Baker, whose
harmless lunacy made her an object of pity
with the old, and fear and wonder with the
young. Her poor disordered brain has
long since found the quiet of the tomb.
Entering the main street, the three
houses on the left next to Cole u Bros.
lumber yard, were standing, but from
there to the tannery only one building, the
Orthodox Friends meeting house, was to
be seen. all the ground between being pas
ture and farm land. The tannery. in those
days, was a busy place. James Woolman
had several hands employed, and, in the
spring, wagon after wagon loaded with
bark would drive in at the big doors, and
the pleasant fragrance of the freshly ground
tan would peryade the air; and in the long
summer days the drowsy, musical creaking
of the bark mill, as the old blind horse plod-
ded his monotonous way around the track,
and the thud. thud! of the mallet, as David
Jess broke up the bark on the edge of the
hopper, were heard all over the neighbor-
hood 1t brings sleepy feeling over us as
we write about it.
The dwelling house attached to the
property, somewhat modernized, still
remains. Adjoining it on the west,
where the dwelling of A. G. Norris
now is, then and until few years
since, stood a two-story frame house,
and next to it on the corner of Elm street
small house which we recollect as occupied
by Cynthia Powell, widow lady. The
larger house was occupied by our towns
man, jeremiah Smith, who then drove one
of the old-fashioned peddler wagons, upon
which in the olden times the country store
keepers depended largely for their supplies
of small notions; but the travelling sales
man, with his bag of samples, has long
since driven the old peddler wagon off the
road and its owner has gone into other pur
suits.
On the north side of the street from the
bridge to the Auburn road, but little out
ward change is visible. The Borton home
i e. 4;o1
then occupied by Morris Hall, who shortly
after removed to Salem. We remember
that one of Mr.. Halls hired men one night
staid out so late as to find the house locked
up on his return, and, endeavoring to climb
to his bedroom window by the grape arbor,
fell and broke his arm.
T. B. Parker's house is the only new one
on that side of the street. Next to the
Daniels house, ON the east, stood, until
few years ago, a small one-stOry house,
whose occupant then we cannot now re-
member, but later Joseph Bell, veteran
of the war of 1912, lived there for some
time. On the lot between VIM. F. Lippin-
colts residence and Joachim Laing's stood
an old house then occupied by Ephraim
Moore.
Who does not remember Samuel Hackett,
the venerable Quaker preacher, who lived
where VIM. +. Lippincott now lives?
'Uncle Sammy as he was affectionately
called. We can see now his gray hair and
placid countenance as he passed along on
way to meeting on First day or Fifth
day" morning, with kind word for the
little freckled-faced urchin who now pens
these lines. We heard it said of him that
so scrupulously honest was he that on
one occasion, having purchased load
of cornstalks for fodder, in unloading it
he found two or three ears of corn overlook
ed in husking time, and carried them back
to the farmer of whom he purchased the
load. The good old man, years ago, passed
to his reward The property now owned
by Charles Kuhn was then occupied by
Edwin Royal, now of Sharptown, who car
ried on shoemaking in the shop where Mr..
Kuhn now weaves his carpet.
The handsome ivy-grown brick house
where Sheppard Taylor lives is the same
as it was a quarter of a century back
and the black smith shop with the old
willow tree in front remains unchanged.
Many winter night We sat on the forge
toasting our toes by the bright fire and
watching Mr.. Taylor as he made the horse
shoes and nails for the next days work the
lurid flames as the blast of the bellows
sent the sparks showering up the chimney,
lighting up the dim recesses of the old
smithy and throwing their radiance through
the open doors across the snow covered
a. nd many a ,,inbt vbap cont RI had