The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-08
THEY HAVE PASSED ON"
A Retrospect.
Editor of The Tribune

Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The article in your paper of today
containing the account of the commence
ment of the tearing down of the "Old
Blair Homestead'-pardon my assurance.
but properly the "Old Sanderson Home
stead'-called up memories, the rec.ai
of which will recall familiar scenes to
not many of present day Scrantonians
1t is still vivid in my mind. the day my
father brought us over from Towanda
to our new home. I recollect driving up
from the old wooden depot via Penn
avenue and wondering, as We stopped in
front of the old house now TO be torn
down, why father built so far out IN the
country. Scranton in those days bore lit
tie resemblance to the city of today.
Down between Mulberry and Spruce
streets was a dense wood. except where
the swamp opened out into a pond fam,
Gus for skating. This pond extended
from above Linden street to Spruce
street. and occupied about half the block
between Washington and Wyoming ave-
nues. DR.. ThrOop occupied at one time
house on Washington avenue between
Spruce street and Lackawanna avenue.
and one of our winter cxcitements was Il
nightly struggle with him to keep the
pond flooded. The water backed into his
| cellar and he would send man around
to tear away our dam-lOcated nearly
opposite where the Westminster stands
and immedia tely on his disappearance
we would rebuild It, Boyishly We DEEM
ed skating of more Importance than
dry cellar for the good doctor.
Then Washington avenue, between
Linden and Spruce streets. was but
narrow corduroy road through the
! swamp in which frogs croaked and
| turtles basked We played ball on the
southerly side of 1.ackawanna avenue
between Wyoming and Penn and along II
ran a high plank walk-it was all plank
| then. Up the avenue. near Adams, was
row of small houses, in one OF which
| I think ]. j. Albright lived. Where the
| residences of John Jermyn and J, A.
| Scranton now are was fathers corn
| field opposite, and In the rear of where
| DR.. Connell's residence now is was
| spring from which water was piped to
our house and the next block between
| Mulberry was a field and old brick yard.
Colonel Boies and William Connell's res
| licences are in the hay field, from which
| we laid in our yearly supply of hay and
pastured the cows. Nay Aug Falls
| Roaring BROOK then-was more beau =
tiful than the present generation can i'm
| agine, How well | recollect the celebra-
| tion up there over the laying of the first
| Atlantic cable--a dinner on the plateau
| and fireworks from RATS in the chasm
| How l was impressed by the elouuence
| of u young Connecticut lawyer, T.. n.
| Willard by name, who made his debut
| i'm an Grafton and shook the folds OF
the flag over his head as he glorifed the
| Stars and Stripes i have heard the
| Judge crate many times since, but first
| impressions are the deepest, though we
know he is not gentle when he gets well
| started.
| Then the daily battles with the Hyde
Parkers at the swimming pool In the
| Lackawanna. under where the Linden
| street bridge now is-how the blood
warns as ] think As look back l re-
| call the old quotation: 'There We're
giants in those days" for there walked
| our streets those upon whose early
work was upbuilt the Scranton of today.
Colonel George w. Scranton, ]. A, Scran-
ton. ]. C. Platt, J. j. Albright, DR..
| Throop, Mr.. Archibald, Ira Tripp, Judge
/ Merrifield. my father and others have
passed on. ! recollect Il. p. Kingsbury-
young, handsome and sprightly-and to-
day ] met him on the street, not quite
so young. not quite so sprghtly, but
still II. p. Kingsbury. ! wonder II he
ever realizes what a link between the
old and the new he is and II he does
| whether II Is not pleasure-it would
he to me. At the old High school. un-
Ger Professor Lawrence, were the sons,