Democratic messenger., 1894-05-26
JOTTINGS ACROSS
WORCESTER COUNTY
How ID Strikes ~ Stranger who
Is Footing il and Enjoy
ing Life as he Goes.
For the MESSENGER.

State III Selbyville. Probably your
readers are aware that the count,
north of Selbyville, rs far as Lewes, al
one time was part Of Maryland. II
records did not exist to prove it, tn,
fact would he suspected from the string
of Episcopal churches through the
lower part of Sussex county. most ol
them of similar design. and all of them
of the same kind OF brick. They are
reminders of state religion. In
Millsboro | saw Il communion service
o: solid silver marked "Worcester
Parish, Worcester County, l772,'
which is being very properly preserved
rs Il relic.
Strange to say, the character of the
country changes almost Immediately
after passing Selbyville. Though foi
a distance it is pretty cha rd looking"
Along the county road, it is not nearly
SO level as in Delaware, and by the
time Berlin is reached, the soil is SO
much stronger that natural grasses
grow finely and furnish abundant feed
for cattle. 1t was just south of Selby-
vile | overlook a bent old farmer
who delivered himself as follows
My shuckins, sir, but amt this road
sandy! Never you mind though,
when We get beyent Lem Showells yell
be treading on hard clay" This same
good man has some ideas on the woman
question. Why, said he, Il wouldn't
have woman around me that would
not go iuto the field and work. |
don't mean | would work her to death
but a woman is rale useful around
truckins and sich."
just north Of Sh0wells is one ot the
Shovel mansions, with a magnificent
portico and a veranda of generous
proportions. The building looks quite
typical of anie-bellum days. The
slaves quarters still exist, but the
slaves are scattered forever, and the
stately Railways and ample rooms of
the mansion are equally deserted.
Two beautiful cypress stand near the
spring house and give one an idea OF
the glories that must have dwelt in the
cypress-swamp Of Sussex county. before
il was burned and leveled to the ground.
! actually met some one by the name
of Jones north of Friendship Station.
Just as Friendship Station and Jones
=. o. are the same place. so Jones and
friendship are synonymous. The good
man after two minutes talk almost
insisted upon my sharing his hospitality
for the night. Just as decided as he
is in his kindness. just so undecided is
he in his religious views. But we got
along "rale well, Notwithstanding.
/ wish could make picture Of the
old man as he crouched over three
sacks OF corn, peered from under the
brim of his enormous hat, and held
forth on Bob Ingersoll. agree with
him when he says. 'Sir, this is the
country where, II a man wants turkey
he goes out in his yard and kills it.
Ii he wants a goose, he has it, il he
wants anything 10 eat. in fact, he can
always get it out of his own ground or
his cellar. Down here YOU can't
siarve man nohow." | would en-
press it that This is the only penin-
sula where a niger can have for
his breakfast that which would cost
dollars in Delmonico's.
Berlin gives person a sense of
great irregularity in the laying out
of the town. My pilot was Doctor
William Pitts, gentleman of an
tiquarian instincts and great kindness.
Berlin stands in the midst of an old
but is itself a somewhat
modern town. Within the memory
of the doctor houses were very few
in the neighborhood. Some of the
older ones have side shingles and
weatherboards of that marvellous
cypress wood. 1t comes very near to
being everlasting, after burial in
swamps for centuries, it is worked out
as fresh and bright as though it had
only just been cut down, and then is
good for hundred years Of exposure
to the wind and rains. In Berlin is
one of the earliest Southern NJ. +
Churches. Naturally it is feeble for
the issue ON which this church sprang
into existence is Dead. sir; yes, deader
than door nail" Slavery split the
S. NJ. +. from the NJ. L. Church.
no longer exists, then why
should the split continue. | remem
ber the story of father who called
his boys to his death-bed and bade
them break single sticks. This they
could easily do, but all the sticks
bound together in one bundle defied
all their efforts. Perhaps some day
the church of God will learn that in
union there is strength.
=: x i:
As | approached Snow Hill very
nearly played myself the joke of offer
ing to buy meal at the County Aims
House. As it was when | asked to
be sold dinner at "A farmhouse on
the opposite side of the road, | offered,
when | noticed a little hesitation, to
try "at the large house over in the
field" That settled them and they
took me in. When ! left, the young
man and his young wife gathered with
me at the pump and with the utmost
sincerity Il drank two bumpers of
aqua pura' to the health and happi-
ness of both. After childhood, a
young married couple is most in