Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-12-05
FISH AND MILL DAMS.

Major Elliott and His Punch Bowl
Played In the Contest.
MIR. A. q. Brinton, who might very
justly be called Wilmington's local his-
tcflg aPher, in delving among the old
| documents at the Court House, came
across petitions aud documents which
iormed tie basis OF the following inter
esting sketch, which will be read with In
terest by many;
seeing in your paper a few days ago an
account OF the death OF William Elliott.
grand sou of Major Elliott, n small
account OF tie part he took IN 1856 and
| 400, In relation to tho dams on the
Brandywinc may not be uninlerestiDg TO
many of your readers.
We are Informed In local history that
in very early times the BIaudywlne wasa
great stream for fish and oonse luently
many animals that lived on fish made
their homes on It's shores and tributaries,
they mostly being imr-bearing animals.
Inc Indiana also made their homes
along the shores On account OF the tish
aud animals they cou catch. One OF
their modes OF catching rock fish, shad
ard other tish was with the bush net or
zchquanumAn.
Ii was long, slim sapl'nz with the
limbs lett on the top euJ, and other
small switches were fastened to those
limbs. The plan was 10 stand at the shoal
places and sweep the SHE'D out as they
passed up over the shallow places.
In the spring of the year they passed
from the tide water up the stream some
twenty-five miles, aud long after the
while - ople came shad were caught up
tho Brandywine rs far as Downingtown.
| When the Sweies came, IN 1858, 1t did
not take Them long to tind out the great
| harvest oil llsh anil fur that could he
gathered along the Fishkill. One hun.
bred and eighteen years alterNard we
mud the people still ccntnilnK tor the
fish in the Brandy wine, and about one
hundred and ten years later we tint q few
Supplemented spottsmen trying to stock
the Braudywine with black base, a very
gamey fish that eats all other Dish, but
too cunning 10 DO caugh, by hook him
sell. The consequence IL that the poor
man, who has no time 10 spare in trying
TO Catch bass, has to do without mess
OF hsh. sixty years ago any one with
hook and line, and few graz hoppers for
bait, could in a short time caicl a fine
string OF sun or fall n,h; but such is not
the case at the present date, ms the black
bass have eaten up all the other fish, and
only tie porting gentry who have
plenty OF spare time aad plenty of spare
| cash to putchste live mitDows, caught
| 10 other rivers and streams fer bar.
siatds any chance OF getting fish OFT OF
the Bfandyw ne. Eels end catfish are
| stlll Inhabitants of the stream, and on
the sites of the old pounds are still to be
found the eel wirr, where erls we're
| cauI't In their passage down 10 tide
water In the fall OF the year.
| Bat TO return to the account If Major
| Elliott. He was with General B addsck
ard au associate Of ColOne Washington,
afterwards General. There is no doubt
that Major Elliott was a very brave mat,
for In 1871 when the British feet was on
| the river Delaware, trying tn work its
way up The RIVER to Philadelphia, the
| pto9'c Of WIN Dgton and surfouu ing
country fitted ont some barges or small,
gunboats to deeud the town and coast,
ard MAJOR Elliott had command OF one
OF them called the "Bullrrog." csrrym.
snial! swivel gun aud twelve m3u with
mu<kcis. The Major still carried the
bread sword with which he tried to sc re
the Chester County Quekers III 1885,
when trey were about to tear cut his saw
mill dam, the dams and mills at that
time beng Of as much importance to the
country as the fish were 10 the people Of
Chester county, as P.nlaIe'phia at thar
time depended upon the Hour aud mel
made on the BrandywinC aud tic triGu-
taries.
These dams became n srurce Of prcaf
cortention 10 many people and caused
them 10 petition the courts TO- redress
la nswcr 70 one OF these petitions in
100 the court appointed John Finn,y
william Patterson aud Benjamin Sweet,
TO view the Rrandywins Gni find out the
obstructious aud then older the sheriff,
William Goodiug, 10 have trem removed
or to make hfai Ches IN Il he dame.
The 10 lowing copy Of the proceedings
Will exflaln how thiugS were done In
Hose primitive timei:
Petition of February II, 1856, OF live.s
Inhabitants OF Chester county and CT r's
To tine Honorable Justices of the Court
OF Quarter Sc si0us 10 b held aud
kept at New Castle the I1lh day OF
February, A. D., 1905
The petition of divers of the inhabi- |
tants o. line county OF Chester aud others
humbly sle"Hih that yo.r petitioners
having been and now are great sufferers
By some oi the inhabitants Of the county
ol New Castle. by reasou OF their making
mill dams aud other distractions across
Brandy Inc creek to the drpriying OF The
Dish from running freely up he stream
aud contrary AS we conceive to ell the
good privileges aud laws heretofore mad
on that behalf, and we, your petitioners,
d sring not TO be deprived OF such a
privil, ge aud public beueht, therefore
beg that this court forthwith take these
premises under your consideration and |
take such measures thereon as seems
most requisite and we Tor the same shall. !
Nh In duty bound, gratefully acknowledge
your favor. Signed:
Jacob Way, Sam uel Wilson, Thomas |
llarlan, Samuel Osborn, William Lewis,
Thou.as Chandler, DR., Joel Bailey, |
Hugh People,, Philip Taylor, John
Nrwlin, Wlil'am Clark, Isaac Bailey,
John Chandler, Isasc Richards, Amos |
Harvey, james Trimble, Benjamin |
Way, james Pew, Lease Harvey, William
Seal, Humphrey Marshal, William
Harvey, Ebenczer spcakman, John
Bennett, jonathan Thatcher Stephen
Harlan, Peter Burlington, James Wig
ellsworth, William Cloud, John Pr.tchet, |
James Sheets, Moses Meudiunall, Philip |
Taylor, John Clayton, John Woodward, |
John Carter. james Miller, George Bal |
icy, John CEads, Daniel Goorey, John |
Davis, William Jones, William Jetleris,
George EntrkGn, Robert Porter, Ralph |
Pyle, Joseph Bentley, Thomas Houston, |
Anthony Baldwin, Thomas Welsh, VIII |
liam Cloud, samuel Painter, Benjamin |
Pring, William Jones, John MARTIN,
James Dilworth, Abram Davis, Abiam |
Ford, Caleb Way, Thomss Temple Jesse
Tay Tor, William Mcols, Edward Jones,
Samuel Grubb, Samuel TAYLOR, Add |