The Penn's Grove record., 1912-12-27
An Old Resident Passes Away.
MOS MORRIS

uteu luesuay alteTnOOn, december "A
1912, OF old age. He was able to be out
last Saturday and nothing appeared to be
the matter except that the physical ma
chinery wore out.
The funeral service was held this Fri
day morning at his late residence on Pit
man Street. Interment was in Riverview
Cemetery.
MEMORIES OF EARLIER DAYS
Amos Morris was born April II, 1925
at Darby, Pa. At the age of fifteen lie
became an apprentice to James Hoffman,
blacksmith at Sculltown, known in later
years as Auburn, and served six years
until he was p years OF age for his victu
ais and clothes.
Ii a boy had to do that to-day it would
be considered slavery, but thousands did
it when blacksmitling was manufacture
ing and not repairing only like now. 1t
was a leading trade in all parts of the
country. LII those earliear days wheel
wrigllting was not only righting a wheel
aud repairing wagons but the making of
an entire wagon i'll part with the black
smith. By long apprenticeship thorough
mechanics were made.
Mr.. Morris is the last OF the manufact-
uring b~lacksmiths i'll this region. He was
allowed to earn his spending money by
making butcher knives, and by helping
the farmers reap grain with a sickle at
harvest time for a week, for which he
received seventy-five cents a days.
Blacksmiths in those days also made
axes, chisels, pot hooks. briar hooks,
cranes, crew bolts, fire tongs, and split
iron with which to make horse shoes.
In 1910 Auburn was one OF the leading
business towns in Salem county. 1t was
on the thru stage mail route from Salem.
Large herds of Young steers were driven
thru there there to be fattened on the
rich pasture lands of Pilesgrove
and Warrington and then driven
back to be butchered in Philadel-
pilia. Sharptown was the leading place
III '3diCm COuilUv lOI QIOt6ISs
Being at the head of navigation and no
railroad south of Camden, large quantities
of lumber and grain were exported from
Auburn. The railroad from Camden to
Woodbury. was not completed until 1857.
Mr.. Morris's youthful days were when
"Sweet Auburn was the ~loyeliest village Of
the plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the laboring
swain.
Where smiling spring its earliest visits paid,
And parting summers lingering blooms
delayed.
Dear lovely bowers of innocence and .ease,
Seats of my youth when every sport could
please.
When Mr.. Morris became free he came
to Penn's Grove to work for Irdell Butch
er who owned the blacksmith shop on
OH Penn Street now conducted by ALDER
marie Megill. The shop was built a few
years pevious by Felix Pitman. In 1850
he went to work in the blacksmith shop \
at the Cove which had been built by Rob-
ert Walker. William I. Layton took
of the Cove blacksmith Shop in
1850. Augustus jacob was wheel-wright
there for years.
Blacksmithing was such a good manu-
acturing trade in the 40s that there were
three in what is now Upper Penns Neck
Township as well as in What is now Penns
Grove. Upper Penns Neck Township
included Oldmans until 1881.
David Smith conducted the shop at
Union Corner now owned by Simon Gun
bingham. David Zane had a blacksmith
shop OH the farm owned by Mrs. Christi
ana S. Wright. above Wright School
House, tenanted by John Dolbow. There
was another shop oil the farm below the
house where Albert Summerill now lives.
1t was conducted by Samuel Hogate.
Joseph McCarson had a blacksmith shop
the cross roads, opposite Borden Dan
ser's residence.
Alter the civil war Mr.. Morris quit
blacksmitbing and made brooms for sew
eral years. Being Of a frail constitution
he did little work the past twenty years.
He was township assessor from 1888
1894 when Pepns Grove Borough was in
.corporated. He was one of the charter
members OF Mural Lodge l. 0. Odd Eel
lows, organized in 184S. On Christmas
day 1871 Odd Fellows Hall was dedicat-
ed. |
Mr.. Morris life spans the existence OF
Penns Grove. The town was not named
until 1929, when the wharf was built.
From a dozen scattered houses he saw
it grow to a Borough with 400
residences and a population of about 2200.
Instead Of only sailboats which depended
upon the wind and tide, and later steam
boats, he witnessed the coming OF the
railroad train in 1876, telegraph, tele-
phone, gaslights and water works.
Mr.. Morris left a large family. of
children, grand children and great grand
children to mourn his departure.
Stock For Employees.