Newark post., 1910-09-28

phere he found world filled with
wonders. The vast mountain system
extending from the Arctic region
toward the torrid and on again
through frgid climes; the great lakes
long rivers, broad valleys and Won
deriul cataracts; he found strange
birds, animals and plants, but the
most interesting of all was a new race
of his own human kind.
The succeeding chapters in the story
of the association of the white man
and the red depended largely upon the
beginning. When the Spaniard was
the first white man whom they encoun-
tered, the sequel was a tale of the
Indians cruelty; when the first pale
face of their acquaintance chanced to
be a follower of William Penn, the
narrative that followed promises to be
pleasanter to contemplate.
Our region, which. in its early days
was so closely connected with the col
ony of Penn, shared the kindly rela-
tions which existed between Friend
and Red Man.
TIE Lenni Lenape branch OF the
great Algonquin family overspread
Southern Pennsylvania, Northern Della
ware and Maryland 1t was this tribe
with whom Penn talked under the fam
ous old elm when he so deeply i'm
pressed these children OF the forest, as
he compared the white and red men
to different members of the human
family. We all know how we'll their
promise ito live in love with William
Penn and his children as long as the
sun and mon gave light, was re-
membered 1t is said that when an
Indian wished to pay the highest COM
pliment to a white man he would say,
"He is like William Penn"
One historian tells us that the In
dians, in the early days, were distri-
buted all over Chester county. Pa,
but were sparse west of White Clay
Greek. Thus we gather that in our
immediate locality permanent villages
were rare, although this country was
uconstantiy traversed by many, on their
way to the fishing shore along the
chesapeake and Delaware.
Occasionally four or five wigwams
were found clustered in place, on
the south side of hill when a spring
of water was near. Some of these
groups were of considerable size and
were known as Indian towns. One OF
these was in London Britain township,
Chester county, Pa, near the London
Tract Baptist Church. on the we'll
known Greek Road" There they fol-
lowed their usual employments-th
men hunting and fishing, the women
t1,a r{ h,e -
yation of small patches of Indian corn.
We may picture the Indian there
living his life, s;or ounded by the sill
ent forest-c,ad hills of that rolling
country-to which the stream adds
music as it wends its way through the
valley below. For him the sun flied
the world with golden glory by day
an dthe moon and stars cast their sill
very reflections by night. There he
related his legends, sometimes touch
ing upon the sublime themes of crea-
tion and again descending to wierd
and revolving witch stories unworthy
of repetition
At times he was happy and sang in
his tent and at play, again living in
dread of those invisible spirits which
he believed inhabited all Nature
around him
1t requires vast area to support a
people who live off the natural pro-
ducts OF the land. The Indian was
forced to travel miles in his search
for food Paths marking the easiest
routes to the fishing grounds soon be-
came fixed. Many of these possessed
all the value OF the Indians cunning in
selection and when the settlers came
to build their highways. nothing bet
ter than following of the old Indian
trails was considered.
A famous one OF these is the road
leading from Newark into Chester
county, commonly spoken OF as the
New London Road An old Indian
trail, extensively travelled, l~.a from
Parkesburg to the fisheries OF the
Chesapeake and Deaware. The trail
for many miles, followed a ridge which
divides the waters flowing into the
Susquehanna from those joining the
Delaware. In its whole course it did
not cross a single stream. This is
now known as the Limestone Road
running through Oxford, Pa.
Connecting wit hthis famous trail
was the other Indian Path, as it was
formerly called-later becoming the
mentioned New London Road. In the
first part of its course it is the water
shed dividing the streams flowing into
the White Clay and Christiana Creeks,
but finally forming the dividing ridge
between the waters of the Big Elk and
White Clay Creeks. The many turns
in the road are probably accounted
for by the fact that only two streams,
so small as to afford no inconvenience,
are crosse don the entire road.
At the entrance TO the village OF
New London stands a beautiful old
oak, which is supposed to be one OF
the trees bazed to mark the path in
its beginning. Fortunately this ex-
ceItional specimen in the world OF
trees is sincerely appreciated by the
inhabitants OF the section Their fond
ness for the boughs which have put
forth the bud and leaf each in its time,
irrespective of the coming and going
of generations is shown by the way
in which they safeguard it and sur