Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-20
REV, F, J, K|NSMAN
GIVES OBSERVATIONS
OF DELAWARE WORK
His Book on "Salve Mater" Re-
cords Pleasant Rccollections
of State.
HE FOUND 1T UNIQUE


him. published and copyrighted by Long
mans, Green & Co, New York, iu addi-
tion TO giving in % all his reasons for
Joining the Catholic Church, devotes a
verv interesting CHAPTER to Delaware.
Under this caption DR.. Kiusman gives
some pleasant recollections of his residence
and work here. He tells of the States
peculiarities and the hospitality Of the
people He found Delaware unique, but
q very interesting place and his sojourn
here enjoyable, because of these things
and the friendliness OF the people, regard
less OF creed. Following is the text OF the
chapter of the book on Delaware,
which is reprinted by permission OF the
publishers and DR.. Kinsnan:
On St. Simon and st. Jude's Day. 1908,
I was consecrated bishop of Delaware.
knew less of Delaware than of any of the
eastern States had never set toot on Its
soil, and did not know hals q dozen Della
wareans. / had met Bishop Coleman
several times, but did not know him well
Although very willing to go to the new
work [ had some misgivings about dong
40. as found the churchpeople had quite
mistaken notions of me ] was reassureti
by Judge Boyce, who said, y ou re not
a bit like what we thought; but we thlnk
You'll do From the beginning, greatly
a liking that steadily increased as l ilved
among them for eleven years. My work
carried me constantly to all parts OF the
Stste. giving wide acquaintance with
people and local affairs. and a place IN the
State life which had little or nothing TO do
with nv Office in the Episcopal Church.
The title of Delaware" had much to do
with this, the State name giving favorable
introduction to many wfo had no use Tor
h,shops. More than once was approach-
"a by down-State people who were not
Episcopalians with the greeting, This
must be our bishop" In the Episcopal
Church, | was In contact witt many oi the
leading men in the State. and through my
office had friends in. almost every com
munitv; but had quite as many friends
outside the church, some Of them among
the most intimate ! cared for none Of my
own clergy more than for the Presbyterian
minister in Middletown; and when L
wished an especially good gossip about
Delaware people, past and present, l
sought by preference Methodist Judge IN
Georgetown and a Presbyterian lady in
Milford Yet had never any illusion that
| might be classcd with Delawareans by
birth. As Smyrna man once said to me,
You might be born only bali mule over
she MARYLAND border, and be brought INTO
Delaware at the age of fifteen minutes, and
stsy here all your life; but every one here
would know that you were not s. true
Blue Hens Chicken" Nevertheless 1t
was very satisfactory 70 be Delawarean
by position and adoption
The history Of Delaware, first of the
States. and it's State-life are deeply inter
estinc. There Is an intense State-con-
sciousness which In the nature of things
cannot exist elsewhere. Only N Delaware
doe. a compact community of two hun
ired thousand people constitute a sover-
eien commonwealth; and only on
peninsula, settled for three hundred years
with no recent influx OF new families, can
every one know of everybody else, and be
so conscious OF State and county bonds
Wilmington, IN close contact with PhIla-
Cielphis and Baltimore, with many people
coming from other places, resembles many
cities OF it's size with brisk business and
pleasant homes: but the rest OF the State
has only the local favor. The little
Denins11lar State is unique. Until recently
II suffered In some ways from Its isolat'an,
but i. now quickly losing provincial
limitations There have been important
changes during the past ten years, and
changes for the better. Better roads and
automobiles have done much TO break up
rural seclusion, bringing habits OF travel
to those who few years ago seldom went
far from their own farms; the standards OF
education have been raised through the
influence of Delaware College and the
wise activities and gifts OF those who are
improving the public schools; the de
mands for war-work induced noe CO.
operation between all communities 10 the
State, enabling Delaware 10 establish an
enviahIe record, IN several ways giving 1t
tot Nr
| noticed illustrations of the freer and
more frequent Interningllng OF people
from all parts Of the State Ii the congrega-
tions assembled IN certain old churches
which were opened only once or twice q
wear. In 1909 and 1910, the congregations
IN Old Christ Church, Broad Creek and
Prince Georges, Dagsbore, were conpos-
ed Of the families who drove up IN buggies
from farms lying within ten-Inlle circle;
after 1914, most of them came in auto
mobiles. chiefly Fords, many from towns
of MARYLAND as well as of Delaware, forty
and fjfty miles away. Time viii doubtless
change many things; but 1t cannot de-
nriye Delaware of its special character and
interest. as long as the three small coun-
tics. sending but single Congressman TO
washington, vet have their two Senators,
and their governor heading the procession
~ Governors at the Inauguration OF the
President. -
a DerfectIy conscientious bishop of
Delaware would have heart composed OF
tbree absolutely equal lobes, labelled
respectively New Castle, Kent and Sus-
sex. Not being perfectly CONSCIENTIOUS. |
ALWAYS felt. and shamelessly avowed, a
special affection for Sussex county. This
was because I recognized there all that
was most characteristically Delawarean
and liked il. The head OF Delaware may
be in Wilmington, and In Dover its lungs;
but it's heart-and stomaeh-are III good
old Sussex. There is much OF Sussex
county In Wilmington (The ideal Della
warean is born In Sussex county, has Rod-
ney and Burton grandmothers so that he
is related 70 everybody, marries Rldgely
Of Dover for his first wife and Corblt Of
Odessa for his second, lives and practices
aw In Wilmington, eventually fecomng
overnor of Delaware or a Judge OF the
-'lpreme Court OF the Sussex county
Ens, / was always forced to own
,cial partiality for Lewes. The charm Of
'sea-change," and the interesting eX-
FENCES Of its pilots, gave zest TO life
to be found out of sight OF Cape Hen
en-. / had many pleasant Sussex homes,
Georgetown, Seaford. Laurel, Millsboro,
mar, and many outlying farms; but Of
II Of them the one ! most cared for was
the Lewes Rectory under the shadow of
81. Peters. As bishop, I ought not TO
have had, or at least ought not 70 have
avowed, special local attachments: but ]
hinb they have served 10 make me. some