Evening journal., 1918-12-13

As New Castle is seldom In the lime
fight considering ner great Importance
bumped at the opportunity offered by
/. your entertainment committee to speal
to my fellow Rotarisns on why New
Castle" In order TO a small degree tc
give sufficient prominence TO such an
article I have paraphased my subject
into why Not New Castle
II is difficult to handle this subject
without growing retrospective. ! shall
however, not tire you with a recital OF
too much that 10 old rich as Is New
Castle In history but feel that touch
Of the past will refresh all Of our
memories on many interesting events.
Those Of you who are not too old to
remember your school-boy days VIII re.
call that New Castle was FIRST settled
by the Dutch in 1851 and called Fort
Casimir. named for swedish prince
though the Swedes had claimed do
minion over the locality al an early
period. In 1851, Fort Casimir was taken
by Swedish force and I'm 1865 was re-
captured by the Dutch under Stuy-
vesant. An anology OF f-those days with
HE present showing how little human
nature is changed. Is found in a letter
written in 1861 20 Peter Stuyvesant
asking that. "two tankers Of brandy or
distilled liquors 70 plant some more
corn for the garrison. as lt Is easier 70
obtain workmen for liquors than for
any other wares"
In 1861. the town then named New
Amstel. was captured by the English
fu
capture the town was called New Cas-
lle In 1910 in order 10 protect the in
hebitants from attacks by Indians.
block houses were erected in the pub
lc square ithe present location OF Inn
manuel Church)
10 1913, we again see a change I'm the
mastery of the colony, the Dutch again
being In the ascendancy The clergy at
this writing were not without their
'aulis as we sec by the records OF 1914.
where Rev. John Fabrltlus was fined
two beavers. cum expenses" for strlk-
us Mary Jansen, who provoked him
by scolding.'
The occupancy OF the Dutch was
short lived, as the English by treaty
with Holland, resumed possession In
i67i William Penn. in 1850. asked for
grant OF land along the Delaware. In
1852, October 2sth., Penn took posses
sion by a deed from the "Duke or
York" Of the town OF New Castle, with
twelve miles circle IN compass Of the
said town. The building IN which the
ceremonies Of the delivery OF turf. twig,
water and soyle" was given Penn, still
stands and is properly marked by a
tablet placed thereon recently by the
Colonial Danes OF Delaware.
As Is well known. this twelve mile
circle has been the subject Of frequent
legal battles between Delaware aud
New Jersey. and up 10 recent years
there was I'm existance a commission
composed OF residents from both States
10 arrive at some understanding
That New Casidc IN 1908. suffered
some Of our present difficulties Is ex-
pressed by a clergyman who, this date
states that 70 was impossible 90 live on
ilfty-pounds a year. Lack OF time pre-
vents the mentioning OF many inter
esting events up 30 within a few years
Of The Revolutionary War. New Cas-
tle being the seat OF the Colonial Con
gress at that time.
Prior 20 i776 there was organized a
society having for its object, separa-
ton from England and the setting up
Of a constitutional government on lines
later laid down by Thomas Jefferson
ln the Declaration OF Independence, al