The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-12-30
DcIIware's Primitive Days.

Following is II continuation of Amos G.
Brinton's contribution on Delaware
early cttlement:
''As his house stood generation aftei
generation near the Brandywine neal
Fourteenth and Poplar. Before it wa
taken down measured it in and out and
had Il picture tax ell Of it. 1t was of home
made bricks and the kitchen was bnilt OF
logs with no cellar under it. The
foundation walls were built with brick
! The back end was of brick with good
cellar under it, The lower room Orpnrlor,
WIS IA by Ii feet in size with large fire
place Over thar was one room, IA by lf
feet and hip roof with dorinGr windows,
Now what bUthers mc most is how II
man and wife aud five sons and four
daughters could live in such II house Is
no doubt that they were happy Tradi
ton says they went Oh visits fifteen or
twenty miles, but the weather must
have been dry. As for tho young left at
home they had their fun when the old
ones Went 'ona visit Expecting them to
stay "A few days the yuung people would
lot the other boys and girls in the neigh
borhood know than Pap and Nam had
gone OH IL visit up to Marcus Hook and
expected to be gone several days.
Soon as the Old people had gotten out of
sight tho young ladies Of The home began
to prepare for the party. The night after
(and ht that time tho grain was onty
ground or mashod) they made bread of tn
ground meal without boiling or slIt!nS
but On this occasion the girls siftcd some
through coarse linen bag, 50 rs to have
some nice bread Tor the party.
Ny informant about sixty years ago was
Mr.. Zncharah Derickson, then near
eighty years Of age and he had gotten his
information from his Z Il Il m o t h G +
who was one Of the girls that sift-
cd the meal away back near 1850. The
mill was q tub mill and II branch Of Am
drais kill Tho run was called Clap Board
or Siedham Run. Since that time other
names have been given il but at present it
is known us Silver Brook. Al the time of
the tub mill, Cornelius Studham was own
or of tho land and part owner Of the mill.
Bron Sennix and GiiborIiWalraven sold
out to John Richardson about 1854, aud he
built mill lower down the stream, just
above thoNewport road. In 1855 Mr., Rich
urtlson built the merchant flour mill,
which still stands.
But VIC left the girls with their siftod
meal about two hundred anu Iorty-aiX
years ago.
dish mill in he country.
But the hest plans of girls and boys 10
not always work us they expect. That
was the Case with the young ladies wh"
had expected to have some nice cako or
bread for the party. T.,
should have said before that when the
Young ladies wanted to have u sly party
they each md all brought SONG eat
ables with them They dressed up i'll their
home ~ IN 50 MS to make themselves LOOK
charming before the young men. And l
have not doubt in my mind that they
wcro both charming in looks and action.
Although cannot 20 back so far ! can
go back sixty-Hvc years ago and say these
country quiltings, apple butter and other
parties were grand. The young iadtcs
were not dressed so much in homo spun
but they were charming and | have not
altogether lost my admiration Tor the
rudly fuuo OF the live country girl.
Well the sky with clouds was overcast
and Pap and Nam were up near Marcus
Hook some fifteen miles from home and
the fear Of rain and raised water drove
them home before the time Of their visit
was half out They caught their daugh
ters very busy in preparing for the parry
that night at the old Stedham homestead
and Mons eyes fell on the s!fted meal,
which perhaps she had never thought OF
before. At any rate she asked her daugh'
ter what it was and what she was going
to do with 1t.
Like good girl she told the truth and
man said they all had lived On the bread
before, and she thought they could still
do so, and she poured the siited meal back
with tho coarse into the barrel
But there was no way Of informing the
neighboring youngsters who had been In
vited TO the party. They came, however
aud the party was success