Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-03-03
"AULp LANG slNEp MEMORIES
sWEETLY TOLD.
Chicago, Ill, Feb. 10, IS

NIASaSSb 49,, W. ~ -f-oSSlSs
Dear Editors:
1t has been my privilege for four
months to have the reading Of your
good paper, The Manchester Demo
crat. How l do hunt its columns ov-
er for an old time name, some one
who was an associate of mine "A
years ago and more. How few there
are now, compared with the new list
in existence. How changed the local
tiles of your county. Away back in
the "forties" i recall the name Of
the first school teacher in Delaware
county, Miss Maria Philips. The
Philips We're fine people. and
had prominent parts in the organdza-
ton of the county, and filled some
of the first offices. The Cowles, who
settled in Richland township, first
resided at Delhi. Orril Cowles was
the first school teacher l remem-
Der; who taught in the old log court
house by Silver Lake, where Judge
Wilson used to come from Dubuque
to preside over the courts of Della
ware county. l taught in one of the
Oldest school houses in the county
near the Lindsey bridge. There were
four sub-districts made afterward and
four school houses, for the locality
instead Of one. We had SO much pay
and board around, week in place
Go from two to three miles on
blizzardly morning, make fire in a
steve that took wood little less
than cord length. r In this school
were two returned soldiers. Here
and there were quite a number Of
soldiers, who wore the blue overcoat
winters, for none could be bought in
that day as durable and comfortable
AS / was standing on Lincoln Ave.
on Lincoln Day, not far from Lincoln
Park, where 50 many Lincoln cars
pass with SO many flags that mean
Lincoln, the scene revived old mem
cries. The Flag! Yes, The Flag Of
our country! The Flag of our mothers
and wives of 1864. And the children
loved the flag then with a reality
And many loved it in sorrow. re
sall one school exercise, where more
than dozen girls stood in circle
and recited that long poem: N"The
old blue coat, the old blue coat, the
soldier wore.' The tallest girl
| Mary Simons, had a brother and faith
er in the army The smallest girl
was Eta Holdridge, who held the
flag in the center. We made oul
flags then. With what earnestness
we used to sing John Brown" and
"Union Forever" while some one
would cry. : 1t was beautiful April
day, when the sad news came of Lin.
coins death; and the flag was al
half mast at Dolhi fnd to many moth
ers it was half mast With sad mem
cries all these years past. Under
| its waving shadows in tears, they
have passed over forty years.
With the winter of 1863 came the
recruiting officer, and war meeting
at the Covenanter church in Hopkin
ten. Next morning after a meeting
a dozen boys would file down THEN
stairway and all the girls down thsirs
to bid the boys goodbye. During
the spring term j. w. Mexican, pres.
ident of Lenox college, became chap
lain and captain of a company and
took the rest of the boys away, and
Bowen Ienox) college was closed.
The girls Went home to take the
places of father, brother and hired
man; run the reapers and mowers,
and all kinds OF work belonging to
tie farm. ut the 18th OF July oele-
bratioI in Delhi in 1864 one of the
toasts WAS, "VicksbuTgh, may it be
tfis day Grantsburgh," as it was, on
" we did not get the news as soon
as now A messenger was sent on
horseback to our neighborhood for
the friends to cone to town ard re-
joice over the victory and there were
three men in that vicinity.
The flag of our forefathers. and