Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-09-07

in which you have aided and sustained
me, and in closing, let me say to you
that any success which may have ut
tended this association during my term
of president, belongs to you. That my
yoke has been easy and my burden
light, | owe all to you. thank you.
thank you.
| Tho singing Of Cooks Serenade'
! by the Brownson Quartette was en-
cored.
MIR. CONRAD GIVES HISTORY.
City Solicitor Henry g. Conrad was
never more happy than in his his
torical sketch of the city. He said in
part: ....
IL has been 26l years since the first
| white man set foot on the land whore
we are gathered today. Old Peter
Minuit, employed by Swedish
trading company, brought a colony
here that landed almost within o
stones throw of where we now are. on
what We called Christiana creek. They
built Fort Christina, in memory of
the young Queen of Sweden. From
that small beginning sprang the city
of Wilmington. For 40 years after
1888, there were contentious as to the
control of the shore, Swedes, Dutch
and English claiming it. With William
Penn, in 1852, came quiet and for 100
years, until the Revolution, this COM
munity grew. We are combination
of very good stock, the patient steady
Swede, the good natured Dutch, the
energetic, thorough going English, and
as q cross, the careful, conservative,
steady Quaker.
Old Swedes Church, whose 200th
anniversary we celebrated within three
months, is monument to the thrift
and prosperity of the Swedes.
Wilmington was founded nearly 100
years after Minuit came. Thomas
Willing, in 1871, laid out the plan of
the place and it was called Vikings
town. A few years later, however, it
became known as Wilmington. In 1873
it was incorporated as a Borough,
! having population of 400; in 1892 it
was Incorporated as a city, having a
population Of 1000.
! One of the first industries was the
flour mills on the Brandywine, there
being eight such mills in 1764. The
city now owns all the water rights on
the south side of the creek. In these
mills was ground the corn which kept
, life in the bodies of the heroic soldiers
at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777.
| 1t is said there was no more important
factor than the outcome of those mills.
| What is now Cherry Island Marsh
, was formerly Cooper's Island, and
/ there barrels and boats were made,
those being among the first of Della
wares industries.
The first boat for trading purposes
. to leave Wilmington was the brig Will
t mington, which left in 1740 fol
a Jamaica. From that time Whining
@ ton has had 10 pe reokoned with as at
: important commercial centre.
b About Revolutionary times, Will
q mington and the State held up theil
end and Read, Rodney, Mexican ant
il Dickinson were in the counsels of thu
D nation. After the framing of the Con
# stitution of the United States in 1887
# this was the first State to ratify it, ant
l. therefore became the first State in tn
O United States of America.
n Mr. Conrad mentioned the names o
}, Macdonough, Jacob Jones and Jane
James A. Bayard, John M. Clayto
Q and George Gray, who aided in draft
10 ing treaties.
it The first railroad in Delaware wa
II built in 1887 and the first iron ship i
,r 1874, the latter by Belts, Harlan
j, Hollingsworth. Since then 400 hav
d been built here. For numbers an
k aggregate tonnage Wilmington lead
10 tho cities of the country.
Mention was made of Oliver Evans
vt whose inventions in milling are sti
is in use, and who prophesied 100 year
is ago that tho time would come whe
70 people would go in stages moved b
8, steam at ID to 20 miles an hour owe
1T wooden or iron rails, and would rid
d from Washington to New York in th
70 same day.
re Wilmington now has a population {
1t 10000 of the fairest women and tn
y bravest men the sun shines on. At th
A. rate of increase shown in the past, sh
Of should have population of 300, GOO j
g. the next generation. She has 10 squaI
5, miles Of territory; property asses
I'd ment of $40, 600; 93 miles {
IS streets, one half of them well pave
a and severed; 254 acres of park lane
O. with natural advantages that woul
IN % miles of street railway, conducte
re we'll. Every day $4,000 gallons I
to water of the purest and finest is use
lie by the people, making them happy an
re healthy. The schools are OF the hes
to high school is being put up tn;
n will cost enough to be the best in Il
y. country. (Applause,) 0%[
TX Our fire companies are unsurpassed
G. our police are the finest in the worl'
n and We are going to exhibit both T.
1t, morrow.
id In powdermaking and papermakir
IT. machinery Wilmington leads the worl'
without contradiction. In cars, boat
q leather and carriages we hold our owl
he Right here in Wilmington we clai
~ that on March Sd, 1883, tho first reg
x larly adopted trolley car in the count
lie was run, from Tenth and Market
us Riverview, and two days later the roi
PHI was formally opened. .,a,
be Mr.. Conrad said that although sma
ny in territory. We are proud of our crt
nd of men, Referring to a remark of M
nd Aydon's that Delaware has thr
~. counties at low tide, but is said
IS; have only one at high lido, he declare
n that by means of an electrical j
it, ven.ion it had been arranged to ke
SO out the tide SO as to have room for Il
yn visitors.
The speech was great success.
ed CONVENTION DELEGATES.
n The delegates present include:
IT'S From New Work William G. Callma
m II. j. Smith, F, W. Harringto
n Edward Baines, Ditman Fisher, Z.
ay Pierce, George T, Manson, Fred Hend
lot o. P. EcBert, Marcus Nathan, g.
if Porter, G. L. Wiley, G. W. Pric
or Frederick Pearie. Alexander Hende
lid son, NJ. j. Leary, Charles w. Pric
to j. b. Taltavall. Frank L. Perry.
Boston,. W. Fenin. A. S. Clar