Evening journal., 1892-07-12
CHERRY BOUNCE TRUCE
Unwritten History Concerning
the First Brandywine Dam.
CHESTER COUNTY FRIENDS KICK.


rhey 1iarch in Force to Remove the OBJ
struction u Prevented Delaware River
shad From Ascending the stream to
chadd's Ford Colonel Elliott Arms His
Men, Forces Pariey and wins His
Case ON the strength Of His Cherry
Bounce.
Among those interested in the pro-
posed bridge over the Brandywine none
are more intensely interested in the
upper site than the members of the
Jessup & Moore Paper Company, whose
Augustine Mills are just above the Balti-
more Ohio railroad bridge.
When Augustus Jessnp the founder Of
the firm, came here from New England
nearly fifty years ago, he bought the old
snuf mills that had formerly belonged to
Isaac Jones.
ln making this venture he was fnan
cially aided by Alfred Dupont who was "a
very warm friend of his When Mr.
Jessup objected to the location of the
mills because they were almost inaccessi
bic, Mr. DUPONT assured him that if he
erected his mills there and became q
large taxpayer he did not doubt
that the county would ultimately build %
bridge over the Brandywine near that
point. The founder of the mills died
many years ago and his counsellor has
also been numbered with his forefathers
Dming the recent agitation a member of
the Jessup family stated that two gen
erations had passed away without seeing
the long desired bridge notwithstanding
the fact that the assessed value of the
several plants of the firm runs up into
the millions
Colonel Elliott's Cherry Bounce.
An amusing story is told i'm connec-
tion with a dam across the stream at
this point Prior to the occupancy of
the mills by Isaac Jones for snuff max
ing purposes, they were owned by
Colonel William Elliott, whose relatives
still live in this city and neighborhood
About the year 1850 he established saw
mills there and ran them in connection
with his two farms In older TO get
running power he built a dam clear
across the stream, it being the irst one
that prevented large fish from
going up the stream. Before that time shad
went up the stream every spring to spawn
large, delicious Delaware river shad.
They followed the course of the stream
as far as Chadd' S Ford and spawned They
were so plentiful that the Quakers OF
Chadds Ford West Chester and Chester
county generally netted them in largo
quantities. and had many pleasant shad
bakcs. They enjoyed them immensely
end would have as soon thought of spring
without a swallow as without it, attend
ant shad
Alas for their gastronomic hopes A
/ spring came. i'm 1850 but the shad did
not, for the simple reason that Colonel
Elliott's dam was SO high that they could
not pass it,
The Quokers Of Chester county were
! dumbfounded They did not know
what they had done to the shad to in
duce such an unkind cut. Thinking that
possibly the stream was poisoned and
the shad all killed, they appointed an
agent TO 60 down the stream TO investi-
gate the matter He did his duty
thoroughly and as soon as he saw the
high dam across the stream he knew
that the jig was up for Chester county
shad balzes.
He returned to Chester county and re-
ported his discovery The Quakers called an
indignation meeting, passed resolutions
denouncing the dam obstruction as an
infringement of their rights az American
NAN-ttN|tAnf ANAN -NNANA ANANlAiA AaAAAUNN ~ a.
place where dams were more appropriate.
and decided to march down the Brandy
wine in a body and demollsh the obstruc-
tion.
The next day they started. They wcrs
their hroad-brimmed hats. lmickerbock.
ers long stocking low shoes with inn
mense buckles. and, by singular coin
cider ce shad-bellied coats This little
army marching under the banner Of
/ King Shad, was armed with pick axes.
crow bars, shovels and everything essen
tial for the work of removing from the
face OF the earth dam I'm tangible form
A courier informed Colonel Elliott that
the invaders We're coming and stated
their grievance and intentions. He had
q number of men working in his mills
and upon his two farms. These he
hastily called together. broke the news
TO them and placed I'm their hands his
available armament consisting of q
blunderbuss and two or three horse
pistols decidedly more dangerous to the
man behind them than to the man i'm
front of thcm He marshalled his host
and proceeded a short distance up the
stream tomeet the invaders. concealing
his men in the bushes along the road
Tie did not have long TO wait before
NAA tHiANl vi ANAhf men "a ItNNt tNllC
marching up. The colonel hailed them.
announced himself and asked:
"What do you mean by trespassing
upon my property
Friend Elliott the leader replied ad
yancing, IF that be thy name, we come
TO tear down the dam that thee has
erected over the stream, which prevents
The shad from ascending the stream
Colonel Elliott signailed for his troops
They appeared armed 10 the teath, SO to
speak. Addressing the Quakers he told
them that he would shoot down the first
man who drove a pick or crowbar into the
DAM The Quakers were not armed. and
this military display caused them TO stop
their onward march. This led 20 a parley
during which both sides argued their
} rights forcibly.
At last the colonels hospitality over
came his warlike feeling and pending an
adjustment of their differences he in-
viiod the entire party to his house 10
take dinner. They were very hungry
and it is said the colonel gave them their
iill of shod caught below the dam. To
supplement- this he Set out several bottles