Smyrna times., 1904-07-06

Spearman has become an extensive
writer, some of whose works may be
seen upon the shelves of our Library.
Messrs. Stockly and Rowland, Jacob
Raymond, William Temple - after
wards Governor and Representative
in COngress-G George w. and David
Cummins, James L. Belwey, Richard
Blackiston, William G. Eliason, Rob
ert Hill, Thomas Carrow and others of
that earlier day of which alone this
article speaks, also took part in this
extensive business, and in the sale of
all that farmers needed. They drew
products and traffic from Maryland
farms all over the nearer counties of
the eastern Shore" Long before
day break the streets would be lined
with wagons loaded with grain, gen.
orally left to be sold by the drivers
for the best price obtainable. The
competition was vigorous, and every
competitor, alas it must be owned,
had a free barrel and loving cup
for the W. G. T. U. were non est in
those thirsty days. At the Landing
were launched many schooners an /
sloOps, but of that long active ship build
ing, only one personal relic remains o.
day-James Hendrickson, still resi-
dent of Smyrna Landing. He laid
the keel of many craft, but the need
of his adze passed with the advent of
the numerous railroad connections
along the Eastern Shore" and, with
the transactions of James r. Clements
and R. F. Has ings the ship yards
closed.
Communication Depended Upon Stage Coaches
The regular communication of
Smyrna with the outside world then
depended upon the stage coaches,
which ran entirely y through this State
and to Eastville, Va > delivering
mails and passenger once week Their
drivers were heroes of the road, and
their home, when in Smyrna, was the
hotel of Tommy" Temple, notorious
for its good cheer and the social popu-
larity and prominence Of its landlord.
Fame said that with the cracker of the
long lashed stage whip he could, a rod
away, slay the vicious horse fly with
out touching the horse. The mail
continued to be carried by stage coach
until 1856, and one of the old drivers.
Alex Wilson is still with us-while I
many will remember quaint old John
Nangezel, who owned the stage line,
toward the last, and travelled in front
of his horses on many a dark and
stormy night, to insure the safety of his
passengers. In 1898, superceding the
old stage line so far as the general
travel from Smyrna to Philadelphia
was concerned, but connecting with
it for points further south, came the .
steamboats, 'Kent," and Zephyr"
owned and operated by the Smyrna
Steamboat Company. In its manage
ment Ayres StOckly. the secretary, and
Encch Spruance, one of the directors.
were the active agents here, while
Daniel B. Cummins and Jesse Sharp.
both prominent men, acted in Phila-
delphia. This enterprise was a great
boon, and of vast benefit to our town
and the whole country round, and
eventually led to the construction of
the Delaware Railroad. The "Zeph-
yr" ran not only to our own creek.
but to DOna Landing on Dona Creek
near Dover, to which town a stage
ran. For better connection with
Dona Landing and to shorten the stage
route for passengers to PHILADELPHIA
from the south, by enabling them to
leave the stage coach at Dover. a
short horse car railroad track between
Dover and Dona Landing was pro-
jacted, and the road bed for it was &C.
tually graded when the idea ex-
panded into plan for a railroad
through the State.
Railroad Came But Circled Around Smyrua.
Thus in 1866 came the Delaware
Railroad, but it SHE'D the centre of
the thought in which it had it's birth.
Was it Smyrna's fault? The excuse
was that the owner of Font Hillo
threatened heavy damages, but so did
the owner of the Rees farm upon
which the railroad was shifted. and
whose protest only availed to secure
the verdict of a commission, alwavs
the railroads privilege. Our citizens
offered quite liberal stock subscrip.
tions, but Dover had two very influ-
ential directors. Until the construc-
tion of the branch railroad in 1867
Smyrna was left to rapid transit per
omnibus charitably established bv
James W. Spruance, then in active
business.
Carriage Building Among the Earlier Industries