Smyrna times., 1893-03-08
For the Smyrna Times
Delaware and New Jersey.
EDITOR OF SMYRNA Tnfrs

EDITOR OF SMYRNA TINES:
S'r;-While paying quite a pro.
traGted visit TO my Delaware home
during the late fall aud early winter
met many friends and acquaintances
and as the leading interest is agricul-
turai, the natural drift Of conversation
would lead to farming. I was asked
by many, "hoW did your sweet potato
ana melon crop turn out this past sea-
son? :" When making declaration
that | never saw sweet potato or
melon grow till l came to Delaware
many seemed utterly surprised and
would ask, Are you not a Jersey.
man?" The answer would be invari-
ably YES" There seems to he a
prevailing impression among our Del
aware people that New JERSEY is a
level sandy section, only capable of
producing the two above. named crops.
This impression is gained largely from
visiting the extreme lower or southern
portion of the state. True, it is a Door
sandy section, very much like part of
Sussex county, Del New JERSEY is
the fifth smallest state in the Union.
still the three counties alluded to only
comprise about one-eighth of it's entire
area.
Mr.. Editor, without further prelimi-
nary | will lay the foundation Of this
and future communications, by making
what may seem to be very broad as
ssrtion, and that is this: that New
Jersey contains within her borders her
proportion of the three grand resources
on which everything depends, namely i:
agricultural, mineral and manufactur-
ing. 1t is in view of this fact that so
many OF our Delaware people have
such an inadequate idea of the re-
sources Of this state, as we'll as to de-
fehd my birthplace from unjust at
tacks, that prompted me to this effort. |
l don't wish anything l may say to be
construed as intended to detract in the
least from my adopted home. Far
from this. | love Delaware and more
especially her people, whom expect
tojoin again, barring any unforeseen
contingency that may arise, ere the
bloom of the May flower has passed.
That social quality that characterizes
our Delaware people is painfully con-
spicuOus for its absence among our
people here. This, however, Is to be
accounted for in measure from the
fact, that, lying contiguous to the
great metropolis and other large cities,
Rs we do, with the attractions that this
locality possesses in the way of high,
rolling land, good water, pure air, and
wide reputation for healthfulness. it
has become largely populated by the
business men of the various large cities /
who, in their mad pursuit of gain, rush {
1n, ohliYious to all surroundings, the |
natives Tor what few there is left of /
,hem) have in most cases become i'm I
Iued with the same characteristics: {
hen, coupled with this, has been the t
apid march of improvements that t
lave annihilated many of the old and Il
amlliar landmarks of my early life, I
which makes one feel, 50 to speak, p
ike a stranger in his own home. e
In close proximity, on the western s.
ide OF this town, stands a group of @
monuments erected by the hand Of Il
ature at the beginning of time, that ii
as as yet bafled the ingenuity and "
Kill of man to obliterate, Among this
roupis one higher than the rest, and
which has reached an altitude of 69l n
eet above the waters of New York p
iar6or. From its extreme summit y
here is n scene spread out before you Il
bat is indescribably grand and awe n
aspiring. The view is far reaching TO in
ny point of the compass you may W
'ok, When looking eastward you n
an gaze upon a scene that has no fC
qual on this continent. You can look y n
own on New York, Brooklyn, Jersey :
ity, Hoboken, Newark, Orange and L
lany other places, IS we'll as a broad
xtent of rural district, that is very
nickly populated, making in the ag- it
regate several millions of people. SC
Many of the prominent buildings W
nd structures of the metropolis are til
lAinly visible on clear day. notice a
BILE among which are the World th
uilding and the Brooklyn bridge, pI
lso the Statue of Liberty, with her N
lightly arm pointing heavenward, su
landing silent 0uard ovar tho oatav,a,, n