Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-01-08
THE ssGERbRAL" GUNE.
Death OF the Eccentric John sidney
Jones.

| JONES'
The death OF General John Sidne,
Jonss, one OF Phi.sdsl phiA's best know
cranks, Ia announced 10 the State Lunati
Asylum at Harrisburg. General Joue
was born In Philsdelphia In 1911, snt
despite his ecosntricitiss, succeeded IL
Amassing q comfortable competency IN tn,
Manufacture OF carpets. About 1845 he
organised his factory on the cooperative
plan, and hired . grove near FrADkford
where he had Sunday pionios, partioi.
pated In by his workmen and their fami-
lies. He was elected brigadier general Of
militia about this time, but never did any
fighting. About 1855 he branohed out
into new evAngel, known As the NoAohic
and Adamite gospel dispensAtioD, the be.
levers In which edited their souls By
ysohting and feet washing.
Having married Fanny Lee Townsend,
he purchased an old, worm eaten oyster
boat, In which they and their followers
sailed up and down the river. A band
Of e-thinkers held meetings at Second
and Pine streets, Philadelphia. General
Jones and his wife and followers invaded
these meetings, and finally took posses
sion Of them. Prof. jackson and his
friendP went to hay Hall, Sixth street
and Passyunk avenue. General Jones
went there one Sunday afternoon, and
being refused admittanoe, procured u
ladder and tried to climb In the window,
but q policeman appeared and looked
him up. A few days later the generals
carpet store on Second street Was burned
out, and he was arrested for setting the
place on fire. The evidence was CON-
elusive, but commission OF lunaoy found
him inaAne, and he was confined at Har-
risburg.
Ten to fifteen years ago the General
was Q familiar and entertaining feature
OF steamboat travel between this city AID
Philadelphia. he would board the Eel.
ton, generally at Marcus Hook, on her up
trip, calling out as he crossed the gang
plank for some one to look after his
Imaginary "little boat" Sometimes he
would be accompanied by his wife who
seemed every whit as cranky as her
lord, with the difference that che was
tsciturn while he was voluble.
Selecting . comfortable seat on the
boat, the "GenerAl' would lean back,
clasp his hands, half close his eyes and
proceed to pour forth, in mellifuous
voice aud with the cultured dioiion Of q
dne scholar, an uninterrupted stream Of
mixed sense and nonsense that was only
stopped By the arrival Of the boat al
;hestrus street wharf, when he would
ouse mp and diatribute to the gathered
,rowd circulars advert sing his carpet
store. A vein Of religion ran wild
srioklsd all through his conversation,
which was commonly embellished by dis
.ertaticns on Biblical history, the oaIser
II Nell Gwynne, William Penn aad the
IDiiaDe, saorilagiousness Of coal miuiDg,
"the line OF the great salvation" and
many other things. A sirg's sentence
culled tr' NJ two hours Of talb which he,
on oue OF these trips, direoisJ At the late
OK Treasurer Vincent will give faint
idea OF the Heterogeneous ra,ure OF his
conversation
"A,dermsp," said he, lyon are on
the wrong track. II You want t, write
true, reilIbls, unexeepti nabie AVID COM
plet- history of Delaware you must 60
down among the IS lstterdoCke, where the
tide ebhs and flows twice within "a hours
and there, removing your shoes of muir
dered csliskin-with butter at 90 csnts o
pound-ifom of your feet, plant your
bare fest upon the naked soil aud you
can writs history Of Delaware that will
rebound 10 your credit for innumsrabie
generations to come"
On another occasion the General" was
holding forth on "ths rainbow" He
began at the beginning, setting forth that
there were no rainbovs prior to the
Noaohian bow which the Almighty
established rs 8 pledge that he would
not again destroy the world by flood
and, sketching the history Of the rainbow
down to the present day, argued
that Of late years there had been
gradual falling of in the
symmetry and completeness Of this
natural phenomenon. He deduoed from
this the lesson that the world was drift.
ing farther away from God, aud that the
deterioration In the rainbow was warn
ing to the human race that II was forfeit
ing the Divine favor. 81 challenge any.
one here present 10 say that he has seen
q perfect rainbow on the Delaware river
for tie past rs years." said the
General" ..-...--
The "General's" wife slowly arse to
her feet and meekly remarked, 81 have"
"Madam," was his Immediate reply,
"that rainbow was gotten up for your
aanaaiaI .naa,,nno daf Iny, -