The Wilmingtonian., 1886-12-25
A Long and Successful Career.

us Der of neighbors and other friends who ca
a ed to present their good wishes, and othe
ne wise express their pleasu on that occasio
le which was the eighty-third anniversary
ID Mr.. Fullmer's long and successful career.
The old gentleman is hale and hearty to
N remarkable degree and looks quite ten yeaI
d younger than his assigned age.
& Mr.. Fullmer for over half century ha
). been closely identified with Wilmington an
n its progress. He was born in 1903 in th
e small village of Ruth, near Bratep, in th
o Grand Duchy of Baden, the native place Q
d Melancthon. He left the Texel in 1919 Of
e board the sailing vessel, Dido, Captain Ma
e thew, and landed at Philadelphia. H
e quickly set to work as a shoemaker com
' mencing his trade at Millersville, near Ian
: caster; subsequently coming to Wilmington
in 1922 On July 9, 1880 he went into bust
, Tess for himself at the corner of Third and
! Market streets. He resided at the corner OF
Ninth AMI Orange Streets or more exactly
!he second house from the corner. His
house at that time was on the very limits of
the city, it was the farthest of any building,
north and west, from the centre of Whining
ton. The lot surrounding the house was
wheatfieid. MIR. Fullmer remarked that he
saw splendid crop there as fiue as ever
was harvested.
AT that early date he estimated the popu-
lation of the city to be about six or seven
thousand. Mr. Fullmer remembers perfect
ly well, in the spring of 1920. seeing Caesar
| A. Rodney, who had been appointed, by
President Monroe, United States Minister at
Buenos Ayres, embark with his family at
| Water street for New Castle where Mr.. Rod
neg took ship for his destination. He saw
Lafayette in Philadelphia in 1924. Mr.Full-
mer describes the great Frenchman as tall
erect, soldierly man, somewhat dark, and, he
judged, about it., 10 inches in height. He
says the statements about Belle McCloskey,
the Irishwomen, who is credited with nurs
ing Lafayette after his wounds received at
Chadd's Ford are historically exact. He
was intimately acquainted with the old lady, |
having boarded only two houses away from
her in the year 1929. She latterly kept lit |
tie cake shop on Front street between West |
an! Tatnall streets When the French gen. |
eral visited Wilmington Belle McCloskey sat |
beside Lafayette by invitation upon the oc-
easion of the banquet given him by Common
Council.
f5aiS 5aiS3 3SHfGs Years az Fled the shrxc6 suscets
When he removed to the store next Dough-
teu's, (n 1885 where he gaineda competence
after foi ty- three years of constant indu,try
lie says that Wilmington has changed SO
very much since his young days that it is
literally impossible TO locate the prominent
business places Of early days. The ship
builders of Wilmington of long ago were
John Harris and Thomas Young afterwards
mayor. Young's shipyard was on Water
street, now puilt up. The localities of the
yards were altogether different from the po-
stion of Harlan Il Hollingsworth's or that
of Pusey S Jones.
Mr. Fullmer's first vote. was cast for Gen.
eral Jackson in 1928.
81 could not vote in 1921 he added tbu
remember the presidential candidates that
year, John Quincy Adams, General jackson
Henry Clay, and a Mr.. Crawford. The last
withdrew from the contest. In that year the
political parties were called Federalists and
Democrats. Republicans had not been born.
In 1928 the parties were called Administra-
tionists and Jacksonites. In the campaign
of 1880 Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed
the "Fox," he was so sly and slippery.
In Delaware there was not much faith in
John NJ. Clayton's political speeches, the
jrdge had the name of of considering any
trick fair in the political field.
In 1928 at Red Lion he saw James A. Bay |
ard making stump speech. At that time
gold was very scarce. Delaware politicians
followed the political leadership of Tom
Benton of Missouri who was very strong for
large gold circulation. On the occasion
referred to, as Mr.. Bayard spoke he waved
before the assembled audience one OF the
old-fashioned long pocket like bead-stitched
purses ''said to contain (Mr. Fullmer face.
tiously emphasized) number Of gold coins
But Mr.. Fulmer nor any others of Mr. Bay
ards audience could assert they saw the
money. There was hardly any gold in the
country at the time, aud it is supposed that
what Mr.. BAyard did was simply the orators
trick for stage { feet William Seal, "a prom
nrnt Quaker Of those days and president Of
Brandywuc Bank, presided at the political
meeting. This action of Mr.. Seals CAV,
great umbrage at the time to his Quaker
brethren who were opposed TO General Jack
sons candidature for the presidency he be-
.