The Wilmingtonian., 1886-12-18

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down back alley, and rushed pan,c stricken
his little eyes dilated with terror, into the one
roomed house of an old Irishwomau, Bidd,
x, another well known character OF the 10
'ality, who made her hard living there as {
washerwoman.
"Oh Bridget !" cried the child beseechiug.
y, pat Flynn's after me -.
Without hesitation, the quick-w tied and
lirge-heaIttd old Irishwoman, pei ceiviup
Ehe situation and driven to her wits end H.
trategy, 18th by the piteous cry of the lit.
lie Gu Iker boy and the resounding threats,
'cholng down the alley as Pat Flyun's
sengeful feet brought him uearer the shauty
ioor; seeing at gla ce that the po1t
room offered no secure or quick refuge fo,
he child, hurliedly pulled aside her sea t,
kirt aud drew the trembling lad to secure
narborage under its capaciIus folds. Iu a
moment, without Knocking, in marched til
'reful Pat. "Wnere's that little dvvie P'
he roared, I'm going TO kill him ~
"Be off wild ye, Patrick Flynn, what ale
ye wanting here?' Stnutly replied the no.
BILE old matron, standing erect in the middle
Of the floor, d, dant and oroad-shouldeled,
acing the rate Pat!
trus sAi in taI lna
Examining every cupboard aud Granny in the
Ittle shanty, and making the complete Cit
cult OF Bridget who held the child in the
IL NEST g,ip, although not in her arms, be
retired muttering he saw the boy Ego in
sure"
"Git off wild ye now, ye little brat ~
quietly said Bridget who seemed suddenly
impressed, as the French would say with
the access Of new IDEA. For the BOY found
himself incontiuenty impelled fom his erst.
while secure harbor TO Bddy's font door,
accompanied by somewhat impllite has
tener from b, hostess weighty foot.
'fhe reader will be surpris d., if he ever
ioeS learn, who that leading citizen of Will
ningtOn is whowas only too thank Gul to find,
u direst strait, place of surest refuge
heath the capacious skirts of a good
Irshwoman But the tale is true and fully
authenticated. II happened here over sixty
years ago.
At the "Indian X NJ" tavern, where WIN
'harp's store is, Fourth aud Market streets.
tne U. $. mail coaches used to stop. 1t was
tiue Sight to see the bloIded horses cnme
round the 'ruer at a dead run to and from
the Post 0ffioe. l tell you we had to clear
the road ani get out bf the way of the Ken
lucky boods Sam Patch was famous
-'s,ser. ss, mi ..ss...-.....--sss.-.-.-
bort Pike hill wnh ~, mail team iac'og at /
their top speed. We schoolboys thoug hit
Sam the greatest man in the country The
p eSident of tue United States did not COM
pare with him in personal importance
Talking OF tile President, great sight in
hose old days was to see the IN s'enger from
Washington riding alorg with the P,es-
ient's message. lie was an august person.
lge too, second in Importance only to the
reat Sam Patch, You know, of course,
We are in the direct road from Washington
o Philadelphia and Now York. Well, they
ised to have relays of fast blooded horses
20 carry the Message, The horseman rode
night and day without intel mission. Each
'lder had to do SO or 40 miles. A relay was
always waiting at the Indian Q ,een," the
Clayton House. You can just imagine with
Tnat interest we schoolbuys watched that
horse. Crowds of US were around. Perhals
before the Southern horseman would come
III sight, the fact as known of his near ap-
Jroach by some method of local field tele.
,raphy. Then as he drew near his tagged
animal in lather of form, the messenger
would leap off, aud in trice had stradd ed
the fresh, difficult to-be.hed h, r.e and was
, ,attering up the Market street hill, aud out
Of sight again, within two minutes Of Iii,
il 81 appearance.
General Wolfe, whe commanded the Della
ware militia the day OF LIfIyette's visit to
Wilmington was the successor to Pat Flynn
IS host of the Lafayette Hotel, at ThiId aud
Market street. Samuel Aikeus succeeded
ieuerdl Wolfe The b. and o. T, legraph
Company now occupy the premises.
sssAlter the War of Rebellion Government
gents, suffers etc., made the Lafayette hn-
i, (Jhe modern one, at Ninth aud ShipleS
heii headqpa trrs ior the sale Of govern
nent mules and h rises. Many are the good
ann animals, that NV Ca tie County farm
rs bought at auction Ior tr II ng sums Of 81,
SO a, ur So One &c itle'nau told the ritter
hat he saw mnre than one good beast sold
u the Lafayette yards at fifty ceuts. He
added that it was common ia K at the time,
The year 1865, tnat mules aud hor.es were
bought Tor ten cents piece Auy mau who
,uud raise $j bill was sure OF a guod
mount either saddle or wIgpu animal.
Att,r selling out the L Itayette Hotel Pus-
~ Smith took the Clayton House, then the
Indian Queen. the fatal termination of his
= Al