The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-12-08
AMONG THE SKATERS.
QUEER LIFE IN THE PINE BARRENs
OF LOWER DELAWARE.

OF LOWER DELAWARE.
A Trip Through tho Peach Region to
Iewes and Among tho Primitive People
Who Live Thero-wrcstling with "the
Agy''-Ciyilization.
Journcying southwark over the Delaware
division of the Philadelphia, Wilmington
and Baltimore railroad one gets fairly ill.,
telligent impression of tho magnitude of
peach cultivation in the Delaware peninsula
y few miles below New Castle all abundant
growth of trees and the large number of
wagons and men scattered here and there in
the open fields indicate the commencement
of the great peach belt, and as the train pcne-
1rates still further there is greater density
of trees hemrmins i'll the track upon either
sidc until they seem to expand into all inter-
minable wilderness of INTERVIEWING trunks.
bouSls and leaves, weighted down with
fruit. Long lines of cars are side tracked at
the different stations, loading with crates
and baskets for shipment TO Philadelphia,
New York and the eastern markets, the
fruit coming not only from the prolific
orchards skirtng the main stem, but from
the numerous feeders which ramify the
country.
Every mile the train covers YOU get deeper
and deeper into the region. 1t is peaches,
peaches every where. until You become al,s,,-
lutely surfcitcl. The very IL mosphcrc is
mprcgnatcd with the aroma that is waited
through the car windows from the depths of
the orchards Numerous little urchius al
most before the wheels have ceased to gy-
rate ave climbing ON the cars Ike pirates
boarding. an ocean prize. They impudently
thrust their baskets in your face and vocit-
crouSly importunc you TO buy of their stock
Every other man on the car is e grower, Il
buyer Il worker or Il spcculator, or i'll some
way interested in the business.
Harrington. Change cars for Lcwcs!'
shouts the brakeman.
At twilight he train comes tn Il halt at the
station ut lewc,, the historic old town of
Sussex county, with its antique, moss COW
cred houses, almost hidden from view in the
midst of Il grand old forest of oak and pino
trees. While looking about for Il suitable
conveyance n venerable looking negro, ,rv-
inc, a cadavcrouS OK attached to IL rrkctv old
blackboard, came along. found the oil
fellow to he quito communicative, and read
lily agreed to take me for Il consideration,
and in short time We We're off for the Capcs,
leaving crowd of people gazing curiollsly
/ after us.
/ AT lart we reached "pcn cou,:Sy and ar
rived at Cape Hcnlopcu light house Hero
4 for miles, stretching along the ocean front, i,
isl great pine forest inhabited by Il comn,.-
nifty of people whose manners and customs
are similar tu those of the '.crnckcrs' of
Georgia, Near the light tower the road di-
vcrycs to the right and runs parallel with
the ocean beach for :. long distance. We
followed it for Il milo and u half. when We
turned abruptly intoa by path and plunged
into the dismal looking place. Suddenly wc
were greetc'lb by the shouts of a troopof dirty.
ragged looking children, who seemed to have
sprung up out of the bushes The driver ex-
plaiucd that we had struck the '',Sarins,"
which | interpreted as meaning the clear
inss, and so they proved to be-
These cearings are located at short inter-
walls, and consist of from one-half to an aero
of arabic land i'll Il comparatively good state
of cultivation. Upon this ground is raised an
abundance of vegetables and cabbage; sweet
| and round potatoes are slowed away i'll largo
quantities for winter Use. There are cherry,
apple, peach, pear and plum trees, and somo
of tho more aesthetic and Intelligent delight
in loling in the shade of tho silver maple or
gathering exquisite bouquets from the luxu-
rious flower beds set off in one corner of the
clearing. The manner in which the houses
are constructed is from which the appcllation
of 'pinc shatter'' is derived, and indeed, it
is no misnomcr. Tho houses are one story
high, built Of pine slabs, some with and some
without the bark, and are put together sub
stantially. The roof is constructed of pine
shats. These shafts are the refuse from pine
trees, such as cones, leaves, twigs, etc, which
are mixed with composition of boiled sea
water and clav, which forms u compact mass
absolutely impcrvous to water. Tho CHM
ncy is of hard clay and asccnds from the out
| side of the house
These people are evidently great ccono-
MIXERS Of space, for here in one Of these small
rooms a whole family, frequently consisting
of six and seven persons, cat, sleep and cook. a
large open fire place, with u swinging crane,
from which is suspended tho old fashioned
iron dinner pot, an antique betlstca'l, two or
three chairs and an immense chest complete
the furniture. There is no sign of carpet and
no attempt is made at interior dccorat on,
except that the slabs have once upon timo
been wLitewashcl, for they aro notv 80 be-
griincd with SCOT and smoke it is hard to dis
tinguish the presence of the calcimner A
few pictures, cut from national newspapers,
their way into the dismal abode of the shat
ter, are pasted on the slabs, and fishing nets,
cobwcb, and herbs are mixed i'll apparent in
cxtricablc confusion overhead, clnging to
nails and wooden pegs. AT the end of tho
house the inevitable rain barrel to catch tie
drippiligs from the roof is used for washing
and drinking purposes, and besides the barrel
the ubiluitons 'gourd,' SO famous every
where in the southern country as drinking
utensIl.
Sitting in the shade Of n tree near ono Of
these houses, knitting seine and smoking a
| dirty clay pipe, was 4 thin, sallow faced man,
barcfooted and Larcheaded. He vas talka-
tive. He said that he had Leen ''nigh ONO
death, but was now ''feeln' right smart"
y ,.attcrnly looking woman, with n hoe in
licr hand, came up and entered at once IN, /,
conversation. Taking a rub Of snuff
they are all inveterate snuff taiers-she
replaced the paper carefully in her pocket
and began III most voluble tongue to cx-
patiatc upon the family misfortune: Ycs,
the old man over thar had the agy for morc'n
year
The community is diminishing, however,
for the encroachinents Of progressive civil
ization and the levef Ement of internal i'm
provements has somewhat scattered them
a great many have vacated the ccarings for
the near by towns. Thcyare, comparatively
speaking, an industrious people, and just at
th, season find plenty Of employment in tho
fruit orchards on drying houses, earning
from % to 90 cents per day, and yet they are
happy and cpntentcd and seem to thrive
upon this pittance. They enjoy all advan-
tage over tho poorly paid laborcr III tic
cities, because during the summer they cal.
make their clearing produce enough vese-
tables to last them through the winter. Be-
sides. ,ley have 10 house rent to pay, and
sti:A usuries as fish and oysters they get for
ip;hng. Few of the old residents can read
tl' write and iihteracy at one time predomi
mated toa great extent. The younger gen.
Grafton, however, have better facilities for
securing an education. and many Of ,h-
young attend the Lewes schools.-Philadcl
ILia Times.
4 Valuable Gold Mine.
The richest mine in Australia, and perhaps
in the world, is the Mt. Morgan, of Rock.
tluonncIop3 ,-,l,,, b,. J,oo,