Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-01-25
AMONGST THE ROCKS.
A NEW HOUSE AND AN OLD
ONE.
Mrs. John Wier Have Their
Summer Home Grand
Springs of Water.

hhO hothNhbisg thc bchubiiufs LcDtClbIy
is this SO with Mrs. Wier. The romantic
charms of Albion's Hills, 10 Bonnie Scot
land, crossed the great waters with them
so far back as 1912, and In this country
the rugged, rock bound hills of the
Brandywine were ever q reminder of the
home they left behind them. And
neither are Mr.. and Mrs. Wier laggards
in business, as their well stocked grocery
stores will attest.
The citizen of Wilmington who has
gone through life here for the last twenty
years without noticing the store wagon
with the name Of Jahn Wier, grocer,
upon II, going in all directions and away
out In the suburbs, has moved around
with his eyes shut. They are enterpris-
Ing people, and their enterprise and
strict honesty has blessed them with
comfortable subsistence for the sere
autumn age Of life. To Mrs. Wier's
great energy and push much OF the sue
cess OF the family belongs, though by
this, no reflection Is meant to ba cast
upon the energy and business tact that
| haa always characterized the husband.
But 1t Il OF their summer home beyond
the "Skillpot" we would speak. Per-
| verted history has It "Shellpot," not
much improvement II must be admitted,
to be modern we must call 1t the "Shell-
pot" 1t is a romantic stream OF con-
siderable magnitude In rainy weather.
Rocky, grand, sublime, magnificent Is It.
as 1t rolls and foams, and roars down
over and am ngst the boulde that
break It up aud seem to lash II into fury.
What a grand amphitheatre OF rock
| bound hills recede eastward from Its
| banks.
II is rich In Indian "reminiscences, but
we cannot stop to dwell upon them.
| Philip p. Tyre, the veteran quarryman,
has found here the very best curb and
building stone In the country, and here
the musical ring of his stone hamme re
are heard. But Mr.. Tyre did not absor b
all the rocky hill beIond the creek.
Enough was left to make q beautiful and
romantic home for Mr.. aud Mrs. WIer.
There are tweLty acres OF It, one-half ou
either side OF tbs Philadelphia pike. Mrs.
Wier bought tbs property about three
years ago for IS, 100. The tine will come
IN the history OF Wilmington, and per-
haps not quarter of century distant
either, when 1t will bring IL ,00o per acre.
1t should even now have been secured for
a pubic park. With park on the Bran
dywine, one at Delam re, where Secretary
Bayard lives, and one here on the She'll
pot, Wilmington could laugh at Pbila-
delphIa with her Fairmount, New York
with her Central, and be excelle1 ooly
by the Yosemite, Ia the rocky West.
But here Mrs. Wier's romantic taste
led her In her selection Of q home. Size
has already erected beautiful frame
house, with modern conveniences, a sufii-
cient distance from the pike for curved
entrance and winding carriagewav. A
landscape gardener has lail out flower
plat designs. Everything is in an emhr o
state yet, but time will bring them from
The background to the front.
Old family relics meet with great de-
gree OF respect from Mr.. and Mrs. Wler.
Mr.. Wisr, with his own hands, though
80 years OF age, built the old-fashioned
fire place, capat lie OF receiving the old
time back log. Here is our forefather's
crane, aud andirons, tongs with brass.
knobbed handle, and away up where no
children eau reach Is the old-fashioned
tea pots, brass candlc-sticks, and many
other old-time relics. Beside the jamb
stands the old-time dough tray; 10 the
corner there Is dresser, with set of
drawers made from all apple tree that
grew where the Clayton House now
stands, and over there IL q solid hickory
settee over 100 years old. There are
relics everywhere; q email centre table In
the dining-room is ornameated with the
old fashioned candle snuiers and pfate,
and candle-stick with several prongs
stand on top. In the parlor is family
armchair far beyond century old, aud
other solid mahogany chairs, dating
back beyond King Georges attempt to
force British tea and stamped paper upon
the American eolonists.
In bed room is a solid mahogany
bedstead over 100 years Old brought from
over the sea; and there stands pretty
bureau, said to be the best ever built by
Dell Noblit. A shaving case made by
the same ornaments the top Of the bu-
reau.
But we must leave the house aud look
at the surroundings.
They are unique and romantic. A
semiclrcle of rocks rise back from the
house. Upon the largest is perched
rustic summer house. Amongst the
rocks grow ferns OF all kinds beautiful
and green even now In midwinter. Over
the ledge we reach a plateau with rocks
protruding from the surface.
81 want to show you George w.
Childs." said Mrs. Wler polo,ing to
huge long rock almost pTotrudlng from
the earth.
"Why do you ell 1T by that name?'
we asked.
"Because 1t "a solid," said the admirer
of the great publisher.
But up there on the hill along the pike
stands funny II tie house, built over
2lO years ago In a ledge OF rocks. For
all that time until recently it was the
farm house of this 20-acre tract. It'll
only one story high and is built of round
logs, notched at The corner and chinked
in with stone aud mortar. Huge round
joists ornament the ceiling, black and
hard with age. These logs are now said
to be almost as hard as iron and look as
though they might last through ages yet
to come.
Mrs. Wier has had the outside Of the
house weather. boarded 80 that 1t is now
in more presentable shape than when
the logs and chinking were visible on the
outside. A huge buttonwood tree stand
ing in front, If 1t could but speak would
tel of many stirring scenes In that old
houle evet so far back as when the Della
wares, the Lenapes, and Wawasett Tribes
os Indians held council lies of which we
shall hereafter speak. The tree is hollow
and makes a very Convenient dog kenuel
from which poodle aud mastiif with fire
in their eyes watched suTpicioas passers.
Tradition has it that away back during
the Revolution and aft, ,rwards 1t was q
tavern; also that David Penny one time
occupied 1t and there made all the collins
used In Wilmington In Its prim iiyte
days.
Above this snort distance Is where
Shellpot hill ends and where Penny Hill
com mences. To the rear OF this little
old house stands the primitive chimney