Smyrna times., 1908-11-04
RECOLLECTION OF SMYRNA
OF OVER HALF A CENTURY
WILLIAM A.HUKlLL RECALLS HIS
BoYHOOD DAYS IN THIS VICINITY
Tells of People He Knew Who Were
Prominent in Smyrna in The Early
Forties and Relates Incidents


Wen Bel and Bawl our parts.-Webster 1923.
Now we must admit in the outset |
that we have a musical subject and |
if we can inject anything of either a
musical or a fiowery nature into this
article it should harmonic with what |
we may say. At any rate we hope to
be able to get along without further
quoting from Webster but simply !
stick to Captain Bell, Aunty Bell
and their posteritY.
Jingle Bells Jingle Bells.
Jingle all the way
As the note of Joy it swellS
Selghing night or day.
Silver Bells, Charming Bells,
Puts music in the air
Oh what JOY besides it tells
o. gladnesS everyw here.
Captain John Bell kept a store of
general merchandise at Little Creek
Landing and in connection with his
business owned a sloop or packet
which he ran from that point to
Philadelphia, and in 1912 when the
British invaded our waters they
caught Captain Bell with his vessel
somewhere on the Delaware and
seized his little craft Mary.
Heavily laden with grain and other
country produce as contraband very
much to the displeasure, of the cap
tain, and realizing the captains awk-
ward as well as embarrassing situation
they offered him a compromise in the
shape of proposition that if he
would deliver to them ten or a dozen
dressed cattle they would release his
boat, which the captain sternly de-
clined saying, he would make no such
treaty with the enemy of his country
but in preference paid them six thou
sand dollars in cash for her return to
him at Lewestown. At the time of
the seizure the captain had his money
done up in huge stock around his
neck which they did not get. Jacob
Stout, later known as Judge Stout
and afterward President of the Bank
of Smyrna, was more lucky with his
boat which he called the Black Duck.
She was duck that did not quack
But her owner somehow t her back,
Twas done in such quiet way
They thought he did not have to pay
Captain John Bell Lived at Odessa
Captain John Bell married Mary
A. Sterling and by that union had ten
children, nine sons and one daugh-
ter, Lewis, John, Reece, Henry,
James, Jacob, A. Naudain and Will
liam. The sister, Eliza Ann, mar
ried John Fazier. Captain Bell later
removed with his family to Cantwell' S
Bridge, (now odessa and died in De-
cember in 1928. James died. Lewis
was employed at the navy yard in
Philadelphia but later located near
Kenton, Kent County, Del, and had
one son Amos Bell who lost one leg
in the late war and may be seen al
most any day in U. S. mail wagon
going to or from the Wilmington
postoffice to the train, still in the
service of the country in the capacity
of a postal clerk. John, Henry,
Jacob and Naudain were all house
carpenters, all of which l knew, hav.
ing lived in Cantwell's Bridge il
1864, when Aunty Bell lived with
Henry and Naudain, in the old stone
house just across the street from
Aspril's shop, while Jacob lived mex
door to my family. John and Reect
had gone to Smyrna and Reece was
engaged in the mercantile business.
W. M. Bell and His Life in Smyrna
have no account of William til
he turned up in the Smyrna Bank il
1850. John was noted for his piety
and was honored with a license t.
preach. l have heard him many ;
time. AS to VILLAIN it would seen
almost like presumption for one of my
calibre to pretend to say anything
about him to the people of Smyrn;
and surrounding community, but al
we have already taken the privilege
of saying something about the res
we will not give him the opportunity
to complain of being slighted. Go
ing into the Smyrna Bank in 1850 wa
promoted to the cashiership in 1856
, in which capacity he served till 1888
r with so much satisfaction to the com
munity and with so much credit t.
: himself, we find him still living an,
: enjoying life with none of his happ,
faculties impaired and with kind o
gentleness and modesty so innate o
the firmer sex prompting them t
T keep their ages to themselves. but
a will guess 80 as his age, which quail
E ity he gets from no stranger being
~NA~tkftEr rH CfcTLl pAcr