Smyrna times., 1908-12-09
RECOLLECTION OF SMYRNA
OF OVER HALF A CENTURY
WILLIAM A.HUKILL RECALLS HIS
BOYHOOD DAYS INTHIS VICINITY
Tells of People He Knew Who We're
Prominent in Smyrna in The EarIy
Forties and Relates Incidents


Forties and Relates Incidents
Wilmington, Dec. S:-Captain
John Eaton, though not always res
ident of Smyrna, lived there for some
time before his death and about 1855
kept a clothing store just below the
Four Corners on the East side. was
a dignified gentleman and had one
son and one daughter. The son,
Samuel, went to Philadelphia and
the last l knew of him he was con-
nected with a commission house in
South Front street. The daughter
married Benjamin B. Allen and died
young. There were other Eatons
about Smyrna at that time and. I
think relatives of the Captain. One
was a miller out at Holden's mill
at Duck Creek, and another John
Eaton, a butcher, who later was in
the same business in Wilmington and
died there. There was a family bv
the name of English a part of which
lived in Smyrna. Thomas English
lived near Prices Corner ~ a farm
and nice clever fellow and knew
him very well, bat Democrat every
day in the week. A brother, James
English lived in Smyrna for, quite
while but have lost the run of
them.
DR.. Samuel Fisler and Ezekiel Colt
DR.. Samuel Fisler came originally
from Port Elizabeth, N. j., and mar
ried John Cummins' Oldest daughter.
Susan, and had two daughters.
One died young, and the other is now
Mrs. Wilson T. Cavender, and has
always resided in Smyrna. She and
her husband occupy the old family
home. The Doctor was a practicing
physician but lived rather a retired
life after | knew him. The three
FAIRIES brothers were of the same
substantial business men of their day
and are well represented by the
second generation in the same line.
have already made mention of the
family in a previous letter. Robert
Freaston was one of the old residents
siXty-five years ago, a lock and gum
smith by trade and might be seen, as
we'll as heard, with kettle drum on
the Fourth of July. l have no know
ledge of his family of late. Ezekiel
Colt though not as old a man as some
others mentioned, resided in SMYRNA
nearly all his life, and my first recol-
lection of him was when he came to
my fathers house to take in load
of grain for George w. Cummins and
drove one of Mr.. Cummins' bob-tail
blacks, just the thing to make a boy
remember it. He was later in the
Smyrna Bank and gave me cause to
remember him there in one transac-
ton. l had sold a man some cattle a
year or so before and had a terrible
time to get my money, but a few
days before / went to the bank had
succeeded in getting it. 1t was before
the days of National Banks and all
the money the fellow gave me was in
small State bank notes of various
states, and many of them doubtful,
and l had something to pay in the
bank and handed my money to Mr..
Colt. In counting it he took his pen
and wrote my name on it and handed
1t back to me, and when / asked him
why he did it he sail it was no good
and that would k ep me from passing
1t on some one else, which did not
set very we'll. / kind of had it in
for him, so a year or two after that
l was collector of taxes. On the
morning of little election day l had
\. to hold the election at Blackbird and
' had to go to Smyrna after tickets.
While there Mr.. Colt got after me
for some tax receipts for men who
had moved into Kent, and right
cody told Mr.. Colt that he would
have to come to Blackbird for his
receipts as was not bound to give
receipts out of the county. He didn t
seem to like it much but was think
ing about that note he marked. Mr..
Colt was later Justice of the Peace
and lived to a good old age.
A Temperance Lecture at AsburY
AS l run the past over in my mind
while writing these letters, little
funny things occur to me that hap
pened during my young days, one of
which l will now relate. drove
down from Blackbird to hear a tenn
perance lecture in the M. E. Church
and being a little late was shown
seat in the front pew in the amen
corner between two nice looking
sober-faced old ladies'. AS the lee
ture progressed and the speaker
warmed Iup to his subject the audi.
ence became little gleeful which fl.
IN nally ripqned into hilaritv Tho olf