The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-25
FORTY YEARS AGO.

rhs Changes Wrought In . Com
munity In q Space OF Forty Years
The Experience of an Attache of the
Republican.
Forty years makes great change in
/ nelghborhood. IL Is considerable
more than q generation, and those
amongst the old folks. On Saturday
last Mr.. s. Hersey and his
son Walter took a trip on the Will
mington and Northern railroad up
tile delightful and romantic
valley and scenery OF the Blandywine
10 Waynesburg Junction, where they
railroads and passed through
up to the top OF the
Welsh Mountains to Churohtown road
station, getting there about 1880
o'clock.
This is little wayslde flag station
distant from Churchtown, the place OF
our destination Two miles. Talk about
romantic Views. hero is one In all its
natural and pristine beauty. On the
highest peak OF the mountain what a
grand panorama of beauty Is here
spread out before the eyes OF those
who love such views ana love to look
through nature up to natnra's God
On to the south lay Honeybrook val
ley. with the town of Honeybrook, q
busy bustliRg place Of some 1900 in
habltants nestled in and near the base
OF the mountain. Farther over in the
level plain lies the village of Cam
bridge partly in Lancaster and partly
in Chester County. ......
We taught public school there as
years ago. 1t was finished village
then and 1t is still finished village,
noted alone for the quietude that
Ireigus supreme and the moral simple.
Iity of the people. No matter how the
world joys along nothing disturbs
them. Away beyond this lies the gar
den spot OF Lancaster county, the
IPequa valley, and baycnd that Rtili
looms up the Gap Hills whore 45 years
ago the Clemson gang OF horse robbers
lrendezvoused and were the terror Ul
the ne.ghborhood. Here on top of the
Welsh mountain we are not far from
the nelghorhood OF the Buzzard gang
lof robbers, who keep the farmers un-
easy and make them keep n sharp
lookout over their horses and poultry.
Even now farmers are scoutlns
these mountain woods In search ol
robbers who few nights ago made IL
descent Into Conestoga valley and
carried Off Hooks OF turkeys, chickens
and horse blankets. A few rods from
this little station are a couple OF
springs, ono OF which is the source OF
the Brandywine and the other the
source of the Pequa Creek that winds
Its sluEgisg course to the Susquehanna
4 Looking nurtliward and away beneath
us lies the Conestoga valley not moro
than four miles wide.
Down ut the base OF the mountain,
Beartown, "a small village nestled, aud
farther over upon u nigh ground he
tween two branches OF the ConeStoga
Stands the village OF Churchtowu win
its 20 houses, 800 Inhabitants and three
churches with their spires rising above
the surrounding shade trees. over
beyond Churchtown loom mp the For
lest Hills the Sunshiny side dotted with
white hamlets and villages. Fairvillo
one of the principal of these villages
us u pro porous place and noted for
tobacco manufacturing, something
unknown In the vicinity forty year
ago.
Some eight or nine miles down the
valley lies the large town of New Hol-
land. and four miles up the COneStOEa
| in a settlement of Amisch and Mehon-
Titles, is the village of Morguntown
lCaarnarvon, the name OF this town
ship. is OF Welsh origin, the early set
Tiers OF which established forgos on
the Concstoga, which were kept in ac-
tive operation until few years ago,
when the old numbering trip-hammai
lforges had to succumb to tho general
.onward march OF iron-maiing machin'
cry and suspend operations.
These forges, three in number, wern
lin operation 40 years ago, and impart-
ed hustllng active life to Church
town, but only the sites are now to b.
seen and Il few of the humble abodes
/ lin which the operators dwelt.
There ale no manufactures now la
or around Churchtown. 1t stands Il
little queen OF beauty, rustic simpli.
lefty, the pleasant home of an honest
land contented people. Such Is a hasty
land imperfect pen and pencil pictur.
of tho surrounding country from
where we stand upon tho apex OF tho
Welsh Mountain.
From this little mountain station
1.-The road to Churchtowu is directly
} down the mountain side, meanderinG
: around knolls until gradually the
valley Is reached.
But how are We to gtet to Church
town. No coaches tlnvel hack mn
forth and the travellers arc but few
There would be more il tne Uutsiur
rlworld but knew the pleasurea few days
. soiourn in this extreme eastern end o,
lConestoga valley. Looking around
I'VE espied man Juggling Mt II wall TIL
ed mail bag that had been thrown FROM
the train. In answer to our inquiry II
lie could take two Of us over to church
town lie said he mad nothing nut g
! dog cart team which the mail bag autl
. himself lllled, but seeing that we wer,
an invalid he Thought he could crow'l
lus on, but Walter, our son would have
! to tramp 1t in.
Thus liked we started. Our com
panion was most agreeable. and tind
ing that forty years ago we were n
resident school teacher OF Churc't
town his information of all he know
about the place and those still living
proved most interesting. Merging
from the mountain to the valley br
low, we passed the ruins of a forge
I which forty years ago aroused the
Ineighhorhoud with its ponderous trip
1 hammer. The only thing with much
\ lille in IL left was the ever rolling, muir
muring. tumbling Conestoga. Cross
ling the stream we assembled the slUpt
to the village.
All, here is something interesting
There stands tue old brick sehou
house In which we taught school forty
two years ago. We We're there tw,
years. The old school house is abail
doned for school purpo5esand is occu
; pied now by a former pupil as dwell
ing house. Here we had had som,
i seventy five scholars. Where are thrl
o now? We cume to 500 them II AM
:. were to he seen. A drive of few rod
farther brought us out Oh the pike
and here WE were III the west emu %
lChurchtOwn.
All, yes there stands tho old Dr. Bum
mansion, there The Yoder home. ther,
the Edward Davis mansion. there TIN
jacobs mansion, over there is tlit
. Episcopal Church. remoleled, and u
the right there is the old lrlpplo nousp
i and over across the pike there is tin
T. old All right hotel. aud here we stop
I The hotel is kept by that prince o
i analOrds John Cox, whom We had
: not met for forty years. We knew hin
8 but he did not know us. Wien he
. found who We were no gave us II mos
I cordial greeting, aid the best that
/ could be provided was at our service
The old town had not changed mucl
ICumptOns, tho Valentines, the Whit
maits, tile Triples. the Me- Has, thu
ANS, the CovingtOns. the Rudolphs
the SPOTS, tho Met ormicks, and many
more families were missing, some
n moved away, but the most Of them
h dead.
!. Here and there a scattered remnant
!. remained. A shade OF sorrow passed
|; over our memory as We took Q
i, retrospect of forty years. OF all We
n knew then. and We knew everybody
fully one.half had died. Here and
thara remained "A aphnInr WIN IN ma