The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-10

The Third Annual Reunion and Banquet
In the GroxiervilIe School House.

of men who attended the old school
house In Rockdale and Crozierville
prior to 1860. They held their third
annual reunion on Thursday evening
last. May 4th. Two large stages were
engaged from the well-known James
livery stable for the benefit of the
Boys of Chester and Wilmington,
while several went in their own pri-
vate conveyancss. The stages left
Chester about one O'Clock, their desti-
nation was Lenni depot. there to take
the train to tho well.known House of
Refuge. We went through Upland.
where halt was made to take aboard
go" was given and away went gay,
lively crowd OF mon.
We winded at Glen Mills where
we unloaded. and we fell in line, two
by two, and over the hill we went, and
when we got to the noted place we
were greeted by the House of Refuge
band composed of twenty-five high
school cadets under the leadership of
Professor s. s. Smith. The boys were
then taken In charge by Col. Hawley,
of the I24th regiment OF the late war, to
which several OF the Rockdale boys
perintendent F. ii. Nebeke and
these genuemen took rs first into
one OF the buildings, of which there
We're on the ground fifteen of them,
where the boys were making and
Intending clothes. (the tailor shop I'M
der the charge of Charles mckinley.
We then proceeded to the brush
chop. where the boys were making
brushes from the first part to the last.
There were one hundred and fifteen
boys here under the charge of Elmer
Miller; next we proceeded to the
shoemaking shop, where the boys
were making the footwear Of the
boys OF the institution, under the
charge OF Mr.. James Willis. We then
took in the school rooms, four depart
ments under the charge of four female
teachers, and this ended the visit to
the first two buildings. We then went
to the chapel, where the band dispens
ed some OF the best music.
We were shown the upper floor OF
the chapel, by Col. Hawley. and he
told us thut 1t would seat one thous
and persons. Services were held there
every Sunday Sunday school In the
morning. and preaching by volunteer
speakers. of ell denominations. The
chapel was donated, by gentleman
named Smith. as a mem orial to hie
wife Elizabeth Monroe Smith. There
Iare about 600 boys there, and $50 more
boys and girls In Philadelphia, who
Twill be brought out, as coon as the
Ctlh plCltu. HWY nave
jsplenhid beds to sleep in. grand wash
rooms, beautiful reading rooms, with
plenty of literature to read. The boys,
two or three hundred of them, on tine
outside were grading the grounds,
land hauling the stones and dirt, and
Filling up the low places.
1 The boys and girls work in the morn
ling. go to school in the afternoon
and the ones that work in the after
noon go to school In the morning. I'VE
were given a parting salute by the
lBund, and hid Col. Hawley and the
Iboys goodbye. In going down, M
usual, one OF the boys, DIR. Isaac Crow
Their said to us, IL thore had been 6
iplace Ike the House OF Refuge where
Ii Ia. when you were a boy. your father
would have had you In there, and you
would have gotten good education
We told him that was altogether like
ly, AS far as the first was concerned
but the latter, when we were boy. We
took In compulsion in our coffee. ano
even to this present day we can bt
lcoaxed to do almost everything. bui
when forced tc do anything we were
"a good bit multsh.
We soon arrived at the station. took
the cnrs, and from thence to Lenni
from there to the Crossierville school
house, which, when we were a boy. was
not there, but there WAS another
building; also one ON Mt. Misery, as
1T was then known. The same old bel
WIS rung. and the boys called into the
school house where the business oil
the past year was transacted and new
lofficers were elected. which were as
follows: President, jacob b, Black
burn; Vice. Presidents were Thomas
Houpt, both OF Wilmington. Delaware
Ambrose 3. Ottey, Giaymont, Della
ware; Secretary, q. Frank Worrilow
Treasurer. Atwood b. Hoskin. In The
future all reunions will be held in thu
iioid school house, Rockdale The next
will De held OF tho first Tuesday neal
the full moon la May.
| Sometime In the month OF August
OF September grand picnic will be
given by the boys. for their wives and
lchildren, Rev. Vim. Mcdowell, d, d,
iof Trinity Church being one of the
Rockdale bows. offered to preacL
them his second sermon In that plact
of worship, on the 2ist OF this present
month. A new badge was adopted
with the initials of Il. end b. ON each
Also a picture. nicely framed, of the
old school house was donated by
James Mccartney and Jacob Black.
burn OF Wilmington. Tho boys adj.
iourned to the upper room where an
Elegant supper WAS furnished by
Caterer batimer Paxson of Media.
After dining, Horace S. Griffith, toas
master, called on President Ii. b. Hos
lkins for the address OF welcome. DIR.
: Isaac Crowther of Chester, responded
lin grand speech. The toast5 were
+ he Director when we were boys
John ID. Rhodes; one of the oldest apd
: m ost jolly. and the weaithiest of al
the boys. He gave ar oid-fashioned
talk on old-fashloned school directors
The director of to-day, Harry Pyle.
gave his opinion In straightforward
kind OF way, measuring mems stat
lure not by the body, but by the soul.
flhe County Superintendent, A. q. q
Smith. VINO was only a few days age
$50 honorabiy elected the third tIune
for County SUPERINTENDENT OF Della
waro County. His Initials. you will
notice. stand for "a Good County
Superintendent" which Is the truth to
Ia letter.
He said the first director of Aston
TowLsifip was a Smith, the first Coun.
ity Superintendent WAS a Smith, and
the last was Q Smith. The writer has
Travelled over good part OF this coun.
try, and he never saw n land with no
Smiths In 1t. yet tho Bible says plainly
There is land where there was nc
smith" We would like the boys to
lind 1t.
Echoes from the Crozieryille
School, by W. Horace Hoskins, V. nj.
D.. made neat little speech. which
pleased tho boys wonderfully; next
was Chester Boys," c. Frank worri.
low. who had something to say OF
each Boy of that city, which was very
entertaining; Walter Batty gave a
recitation OF Twenty Years Ago.
an energetic style. The singing was
under the charge OF Fremont Crow.
Their. at the organ; Frank G. Griffith,
John b. Rhoads, John Standbridge
and John Rhoads.
Tho music was grand, especially the
singing of Marching Through
IlGeorgia." The roll was called AND
,Iabout one hundred of the boys an
swered to their names.
Well. boys, IL you could go back to tn,
forks of the road
Back the iot miles you have carried TIL,
load;
Back TO the place where you had to de
BY This way or that your life to abide.
Back of the sorrow and back Of TIL,
1 cares
Back 10 tho school days where the futur,
4 WIS fair
| If you were there now Boys decision
/ to make,
Ion, boys of sorrow, which road would 70,