The Penn's Grove record., 1911-03-31

ing intensely three weeks Will al w
struction in the bladder. He went there
OH january 9th with extraordinary good
health for a man IS years old.
The remains were brought to Penn's
Grove OH Saturday to the home OF his
daughter, Mrs. William H. Sailor, with
whom he has lived the past seven years
since the death OF his wife, Emma Den
mis- Keen. The funeral services was held
in St. Paul's NJ. E. Church OH Tuesday
morning, Rev. j. w. Lee officiating. In
torment was in Riverview Cemetery.
AN HISTORIC "REMINISCENCES
Peter Keen was born March 3, 1928, at
auburn, that pleasant village by the
creek and plain, whence has come sever
al OF our prominent, useful and good GU
liens.
During the first hall of the past cen-
fury Auburn at the head of navigation
Oh Oldmans creek was one OF the most
thriving business towns in Salem county.
1t was OH the mail stage coach line oil
travel between Salem, Sharptown,
Swedesboro and Camden. Its export OF
wood and grain aud the passing OF the
cattle drovers made the town one OF
thriving commerce, and industry. But
when the railroad was built from Elmer
to Salem and that old noble and reliable
steamboat Major Reybold am OH the
river route between Salem and Phlladel-
phia, with her sure time stopping at
Penn's Grove, business began to decline
and the SONS OF the sturdy business men,
farmers and labors went to other places.
Peter Keen's father was named Daniel.
! At the age OF IA, Peter was apprentlced
i to James Denny, ship builder at Helms
Cove, now South Penn's Grove. lie
worked for Mr., Denny for 6 years and Z
months and was one Of the Denny family.
All he got was his board and clothing.
The luxury he had to enjoy was 10 cents
to spend on July 4th and 10 cents Oh
| Christmas, as much as the other appren-
tees got.
How changed are the times! Now an
apprentice must be paid more than he is
worth OH the start; must have more h
10 cents a week to spend for luxurles and
il he hoes not get journeyman's pay be-
fore he learns his trade he leaves and goes
elsewhere. To find a boy to be an APP
prentice now is considered an infringe
| ment on personal liberty and a crime and
| robbery against humanity. 2 But when an
apprentice finished his trade then he
knew it, while now the boys and girle
| are SO smart that they never learn q trade
| thoroughly.
Helms Cove was the most thriving
business part of Penn's Grove until
twenty-five years ago. For about fifty
years there was a busy shipyard where
| now is a sandy beach just above the
wharf. The property was owned by
| Robert and Francis p. Walker, and be-
| fore them their mother Catharine, wife OF
| Michael Walker. Her second husband
was John Diver. James Denny, father
| of Capts. James A. and Samuel M Denny,
who conducted the ship yard there in
| the 4Os, lived in the small houses opposite
the Cove store. There were two rooms
down stairs and one up The front room
| was a sitting room. Meals were cooked
and eaten in the rear room where James
Denny and his good wife, Sarah Ann,
slept. The children, apprentices and
bound girl slept upstairs. There were
ten of them when Peter Keen was an APP
prentice.
Several sloops and schooners were built
at the Cove. After the death OF Peter
and John Fawcett about 80 years ago,
the ship yard ceased to exist.
Mr.. Keen also worked iii the shipyard
which was in Slleble's grove, above Bar.
ber's wharf.
In his younger days after serving his
apprenticeship, Mr.. Keen fished for shad
for 80 years. Then gill nets 100 fatlioms
long were considered large. Now they
are made from 400 to 600 fathoms long.
The Irvine cost then from IS to so cents a
pound. Some of the gill tWlne was spun
from flax grown in Salem county, by
women in their homes.
At the age Of %, he married Emma
Dennis, widow of Joseph Applin. She
ded life. Their two daughters Mrs.
Elizabeth Pierce and Rachel wife OF Will
liam II. Sailor survive him.
His first year OF married life he lived
at the Cove in the house now occupied by
Mary C. Vanneman. He built the house
above the Cove bridge, now occupied by
Jacob F~eatherer, and lived there in lS45
when Emmanuel Church was built. For
over so years he lived at Ill Delaware
Avenue until the death OF his wife, since
which time he has lived with his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Sailor.
For forty years he devoted his time to
building small boats. He has made and
sold in a year from ten to fifteen pleasure
boats and fishing skiffs. He continued to
build boats until four years ago when a
cataract OH his eye dimmed his sight.
In 1879 he and his wife went to Island
Height, the year after that camp meeting
resort started. He built boats there and
had them for rent to pleasure parties.
The religious atmosphere was most pleas
ing to both him and his good wife.
When Mr.. Keen came to Penn's Grove
there were only five or Six houses with
three or four at the Cove. He has seen
about 400 houses built besides all the
schools and churches. The population
increased from less than fifty to 211S.
Mr.. Keen informed the publisher of
this paper that he was converted at the
age OF Is in Harmony School house, where
Penn's Grove School now stands, under
| the preaching of Nathan Siyil, a local
preacher.
The local preachers who conducted the
services were John Boqna. John Holton,
| Nathan Sivil and Joseph Guest. John
| Bouua organized the first Methodist class
| in the Cove school house. Joseph Guest
| sold half an acre OF ground to the Trustees
.'for the use and privilege of a school and
| Church for the worship of Almighty
| God /" In those days people came to the
| meetings barefoot with only hat, shirt
and pants with no suspenders. How
| changed! People cannot go to Church
now unless they are finely clothed.
By the year 1915, the congregations
met for worship in the two school houses
had increased SO that they wanted a sep
arate building for worship. Emmanuel
Church was built Oh ground between the
| two school houses.
Mr.. Keen joined Emmanuel Church
and was a member until ST. Paul's Church
was built in 1884. st PauPs Church grew
out of a Sunday School started in the
summer of 1878, in Odd Fellows Hall, by
Mrs. Keen, who was always popular with