Evening journal., 1922-10-28

In the vault OF the State House
at Dover, Del. are many old docu'
ments. some with elaborate designs
penned on them. and with portraits
in pen-and- nix at the sides and top
says Miss Amy d. Putnam. in a spe-
cial article in the Washington Her
aid. They are all, or practically all
handwritten. with great labor and
care.
Most of them are in very good
handwriting. such as we should be
proud to claim. They are a little
hard 10 read sometimes. owing TO
the differences in letters and spell
!nG between that day and this. and
the Inconsistencies of spelling even
IN the same document in that time
Most OF these documents begin
with the phrase This indenture.
and strange thing about them Is
that the year OF the sovereign's reign
.s given first. before the quantity.
expressed ammo domini date. Any
one wishing 70 write a no-el OF the
old colony days. or any of the
periods of our history. making ii
lively and yet quaint and p ctur-
esque. could not do better than 10
20 10 old archives like this, and
browse for hours at time. during
a period of weeks or months. stop
ping only when too much surfeited
70 get good from the study any
longer.
We are again and again rather
forcibly reminded, in going over
these documents that n those days
we. as a country and as individuals.
were loyal co.onists. Everything
emanates from the king. In his
name are grants given. patents al
lowed and leases made out.
Sometimes wonderfully-draw por-
traits of the king in whose name
they are made out adorn these pa
pers, to say nothing of coats of-arms.
sym boic figures. and pictures extoll-
ing the great deeds performed In
those days.
Here is one indenture made out in
16s2-a ten-year lease for the
twelve-mile circle around Newcas-
lie by James Six (Klng) TO william
Penn.
The half dozen or more important
documents, OF which this Is one. are
carefully kept in the safe within .
heavy plates OF glass with metal .
frames. They are very highly val /
ued in a city where I found most I
OF the people very much interested I
In the history and art OF their city /
and enthusiastic about keeping II in .
good shape.
Then there Is the original grant .
for the State Of Delaware. with a
picture Of Charles II. his arms and
crown. containing the three lions.
etc. at the side. This IS all pen
work and all very closely lined and
printed. Next comes a great grant
from the Duke Of York to William
Penn in 1882. Several Of these pa
oers. notably this one, have seals in
which one heavy thread or wire is
irawn through the papers. which
ire evidently double pieces Of very
ieavy and strong paper. or perhaps
'esl parchment, with the fold at
he top. Then a sort OF tassel is
made az the end and the two ends Of
wing thread. together with the tops
u the tassels. are embedded deeply
n a round metal mass. stamped on
10Th sides with the royal seal.
Another grant is made 10 william
'enn from the Duke Of York in
$50
James King is mentioned in
rant or lease for 10000 years. given {
y the Duke Of York TO William
'enn for the twelve-mile circle TO
ape Henlopen. !
Beside the safe. carefully pre-
erved. Is the old bell that was in
he State house in 1888, or the court ]
ouse as II was then called. They {
till have the hanger. too. This is
matter of pride to all Delawareans a
that they have their old town bell. {
The old grants in the safe were {
resented to the state Of Delaware a
v Mrs Sarah Wistar Miller. or 4