The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10
IN QUAINT OLD BURLINGTON

II IL nearly two centuries and quarter |
since the good ship Kent Sc, sail from Lon
don. bearing little party Of sustere men and
self-denying women away from life OF ease.
which involved the sacrince OF conscience 10
one OF hardship in broad new world, where
there was room for all TO worship according to
their creed
II was bright spring day, and the Thames
was alive with boats. As the little sailing
weasel put out for the harbor a gayiy-deeo-
rated barge noated down the stream laden
with befrilled courtiers and brightly gowned
ladies In merry. testing mood The two crafts
came alongside, and a cavalier on the pleasure
boat with an oval face and languid, grace
full manner asked whittier the drab. silent
company on the vessel was bound On being
told they were ouakers sailing for America
the k'ng-for II was Charles tI--waved them a
sportive farewell, accompanied by lightly
spoken Godspeed. And the little gathering
sent up cheer for their king, and yet who
looked every Inch of one as he stood in the
sunlight a brave and debonair figure, waving
them blessing. II was the last they saw
OF their llght-heartcd monarch, and the band
OF exles must have watched with aching eyes
the bright patch OF color which the royal
!
+, tide drove them out on a merclless and UNI
kind sea- 1t was a last glimpse of the care
| freeness the saiety and brightness of the life
they we're leaving behind. For they were
bound for land where pleasure had not yet
taken root and where all was gray and stern
| and real.
These pilgrims landed in "ye latter part OF
We sth month. 1s71''-fve years before Penn's
cominE-on Chygoes island, where Raccoon
creek met the goodly and noble Delaware, and
here they laid out the town OF Burlington In
! Nova Caesarla, as New Jersey was then
called. Being religious body. their first
thoughts were naturally OF setting up place
OF worship. At first they held meetings In the
open, with sky for canopy and birds Tor
| choristers. Later they improvised meeting
house of sail taken from the Kent Their
FIRST real house OF prayer was erected In l6s2
1t was to be forty feet square from out to
out, " and cost 100 pounds
Burlington was essentially Quaker settle
nient until 1903. when George Keith, one oil
their number became dissatisfied with doc
ftriues which were preached and advocated
bnt he claimed, moi supported by the rites OF
the community He accused them of incon-
sistency. and entered complaint against the
mngr ates of the town for enforcing penal
laws Aghast ut this departure from ortho-
doy ways the Friends rose up and denounced
Keith at yearly meeting as a free thinker and
man of ungodly ways, Controversy ragged
thick and fast upon this attack and the
peaceful band was divided
~
Keith soon sought broader field in thu
Church of England. and went to London
; where he studied. He returned to America
and was instrumental in establishing the En-
gish church at Burlington.
In 1906 the parish of st. Mary's was found
ed-frst called St Anne. in honor OF thu
aueen-and under the direction of wise an'
sanity man. John Talbot grew TO great pro
portions The history of the Episcopal ehurci
after its establishment is largely the histor!
OF Burlington. The usual struggles were gon
through the usual privations, losses and dis
couragements, but on the whole the minister
were supported in their work by brave AM
5 enduring congregation. And the result ma
g be seen today where the spre OF the splendi
temple rises above the pretty and we'll pre-
served old house OF worship. round whiel
cluster the quaintly-marked graves OF tn
/. forefathers. There is no lovelier spot IN TIM
reminiscent town than the quiet Gods acre
; where one spells out on crumbling stones IN
half obliterated history of lives, direct, simpl
l and steadfast.
e The Burlington library, famed as the oldos
t in New Jersey. and probably the oldest in an
: state. was founded in 1858 by party c
d Friends interested in the intelligent advance
j, nent of the community. The numbers wer
c written on parchment and leather bound, Tn
S company consisted of sixty members, and wa
It supported by a yearly contribution OF
e shillings from each The charter was granite
d by George IFS minister, for which he wa
= offered vote OF thanks and life member
It shin. The present building was erected
Il 1884 The rooms abound in objects of his
# torical interest From the walls the town
d departed worthless look down in picture
r solemnity. Relics and mementoes OF III
, founders of the community are in plentifl
evidence. and in gallery above the ci
eulating department the original calhoun
:, tones are arrayed in sacred exposefunes
- They represent wisdom and learning which v
; whose modern minds crave only the --latest
;. and highest would style dull and heavy. &c
"a tainly the titles on the backs of most of the
a bespeak solidity in intellectual taste Whit
n has long since been departed from.
. The first volume ever purchased by u
;, library company was Yulgate edition OF Il
a. Bible, bought with the proceeds OF que
~ bequest--a pistol. given by an old gentlema
:, The earliest life Of Washington ever pn
y. lshed was among the first books Now u
: library contains over 10000 volumes. amor
:. them many rare and valued books, besides
y the modern and current literature.
- ~
:, James Fenimore Cooper is so naturally q
- ,,ed with Cooperstown, n. Y, that the RICH
:, ful claim of Burlington as the novelist
birthplace Is frequently overlooked. He W
:, horn in 1859. Sin the last house but one
:. Main street as 1t goes into the country " 7
- house is we'll preserved and easily dist
:, euished from the noyellst's description.
:, huntington has not extended very far In a
=, direetion since his time. When Cooper "
:, still a boy his father moved to the otse
=, region and Burlington played no further ps
=, in his life. But he immortalized Mr.. Sorsf
~ an eccentric character OF the town, as Jud
:" Temple, in 1.-THE Pioneers" sorsby didn't II
1t. for in his last will and testament he ma
an emphatic statement which proved that
ranked He warned all printers not 10 pr