Milford chronicle., 1915-10-01
D. A. C. AT FREDERICK.

IS If the "Old Man Fountain, who years
$ ago kept the tavern in Frederick, could
6 return to earth and witness the meta
morphose of the building on the corner
e Of Front and Market Streets he would
$ be astounded; he would not know the
place. James Fountain is yet remem-
bered by many of the people at Freder-
p lea. Mr. Fountain was a man of large
r corporeality, he measured about as much
IN circumference as he did in height.
{ He used to strut back and forth in that
r tavern porch with all the gusto of the
S German Kaiser, and give his orders,
none daring to disobey. He was much
of smoker, always had cigar between
his lips and invariably walked with a
cane. The "Old Man" was Monarch
of all he surveyed, and woe unto that
man who raised any fuss on his premises. S.
lie would get Gaming surely. The
''Old Man" never got drunk, or if he
did but few knew it. Mr.. Fountain die d
several years ago, and during the inter
vening time to the present the old tavern
has passed through many hands, brought
fabulous prices, that were seldom paid,
and finally, as a tavern, knocked out of
business by the result of the local option
election of November 1907. Since that
time until it was sold, last year, it has
been used as a boarding house. 1t is
now owned by William Wilson and is
being enlarged and thoroughly remodel
ed. The building in its present state
has front on Market Street of "a feet, |
and front on Front Street of So feet. !
1t is two stories, with a mammoth cellar |
beneath. Several rooms above and be- !
low are now nearly completed. The |
. ha f,v sol l,n,.
ware store. And this is one of the i'm |
I prOvements local option has made for
/ t'rederica.
| The tomato season is about over in this
town. The crop has been partial fail
ure here. A part of the italian help
left this week for their homes.
The last of the rural schools in this
locality to open did so on Monday. This
delay was occasioned by some needed
repairs to the schoolhOuse, and diff
Guilty in getting a mechanic to do it.
1t is said the steamer Frederica has
had an extraordinary successful season,
both in freight and passengers, the
present year, and the stockholders are
elated at the prospect for large divi-
dend next December.
There is a siren in this town that when
it squeels out resembles six cats in a
loving quarrel, and two dogs fighting
over one bone. We have such a one in
Milton that our friends consider a nuis-
ance.
Jester Gray, formerly of Milton, is I
building a residence on his farm, north :
of Barratt's Chapel, and on the left side !
of the road going north. The contractor
is Vincent Harrington, of Milford The I
building will be 81 fit. Sc it. and two {
ef Of hn Dot 1, ,fI {
concrete, The carpenter work of the I
building is now begun. G
The Frederica Public Schools opened S
on the 18th with the following faculty:
Principle, M. l.. Hydorn; vice principle,
Howard Moore; assistants, Miss Lucy S
Arnold and Miss Elsie Wicutts. All of =
the teachers are from Frederick, except
Miss Arnold who is from Milford This
corps of teachers has been in the Fred
erica Public Schools for a number of
years, and must give satisfaction. THE
proof of pudding is in eating it,
ears ago, We were small boy, a
species Of nuts known as chincapins was h
a delicacy amongst the small boys at a
this season. l have never seen any of h
these nuts near Milton, although they "
grow plentifully in Kent County, or used d
TO. Back of S. W. Darby's farm along a
the old Spring Greek, and around Johnny
Jake Landing, there were many of them a
years ag'; and when | was quite small | c,
lsed to go with an old negro woman to o
gather them. The bushes that grow d.
hese nuts are generally low, and when Il
hey are ripe, or little before the frost W
zones Is the time to gather them. At
uch times it was the custom to 90 to W
he woods with a sheet or an umbrella III
nd ha oh ha /
n hoist the umbrella and turn it upside II
Iown and put it under the bushes, and III
hake them and the nuts will fall into d,
hese recepticles. Of course we would az
,et some leaves and sticks with them,
ut they were easily winnowed out. l st
oppose that, like many of the practices ca
f our boyhoOd days, this custom has co
ecome obsolete, as we hear nothing of wi
he manner of getting them, while we pl
ear the talk about the chincapin. be-
There are yet living many persons who
emember when Frederick was much cl;
in vessel building. These YES CT
els were mostly of small tonnage, un- ch
Ike the larger type that were formerly at
uilt at Milton. On one occasion during
ne summer a sloop was being built at Sc
'athaniel Lank shipyard foot of David 20
treet. During the noon hour, after or
le WOrkmen had returned from their
inch and were sitting under the vessel H;
the shade, an electric storm came up on
ldden and the lightning struck one of de
le davits of ;the vessel, ran down the on
.ern post and along the keel badly
unning several of the workmen. Tom ga
acey, afterwards Sheriff of Kent Co., me
lid he felt as though pins were sticking ms
him all over Nathaniel Lank, Jr., ms
N of the builder of the vessel, and the
resent assistant postmaster of Freder- Ds
a, was among the number stunned. 1t in
related that Nat jumped from under loo
e vessel and began rubbing himself itV
I'd exclaiming Come on pap! Come on the
lpT' And the boys afterwards plagued puI
at about his scare a great deal. 1t inv
as nothing to laugh at, at the time ami
We are glad to see that our old friend
u. John c. Darby has fully recovered tax
ON the gOut an affiiction from which fro
was suffering when we were here last to
ay. Neurasthenia appears to be his cia
Ouble now, a disease that has been eac
o,,Iiav1xv y,rovra Iorf d,1rfpor Aba l.. "a b,A