Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1922-11-01

In the vault of the State House at
Dover, Del, are many old documents,
some with elaborate designs penned
on them, and with portraits in PEN
and-ink at the sides and top, says
Miss Amy D. Putnam, in a special
article in the Washington Herald.
They are all, or practically all, hand
written, with great labor and care.
Most of them are in very good
handwriting, such as we should be
proud to claim. They are little hard
to read sometimes, owing to the diff
ferences in letters and spelling be-
tween that day and this, and the in
constituencies 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 is given
first, before the quaintly-expressed
ammo domini date. Anyone wishing to
write a novel of the old colony days,
or any of the periods of our history,
making it lively and yet quaint, and
picturesque, could not do better than
to 90 to the old archives like this, and
browse for hours at a time, during a
period of weeks or months, stopping
only when too much surfeited to get
good from the study any longer.
We are again and again rather
forcibly reminded, in going over these
documents, that in those days we, as
a country and as individuals, were
loyal colonists. Everything emanates
from the king. In his name are grants
given, patents allowed and leases
made out.
Sometimes wonderfully-drawn por-
traits of the king in whose name they
are made out adorn these papers, to
say nothing of coats-of-arms, symbolic
figures, and pictures extolling the
great deeds performed in those days
Here is one indenture made out in
16S2-a ten-year lease for the twelve
illle ClIClt dlouilu 4NC" octotiS, ny
James Six (King) 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 meta
frames. They are very highly valued
in a city where l found most of the
people very much interested in the
history and art of their city and en-
thusiastic about keeping it in goot
shape.
Then there is the original grant
for the State of Delaware, with pic
ture of Charles II, his arms ant
crown, containing the three lions, etc.
at the side. This is all pen work ant
all very closely lined and printed
Next comes a great grant from tn
Duke of York to William Penn i,
1852. Several Of these papers, nota
bly, this one, have seals in which on
heavy thread or wire is draw
through the papers, which are evi
IDENTIFY double pieces of very heav
and strong paper, or perhaps rea
parchment, with the fold at the tor
Then a sort of tassel is made at tn
end and the two ends of tying threaC
together with the tops of the tassel!
are embedded deeply in round meta
mass, stamped on both sides with tn
royal seal.
Another grant is made to William
Penn from the Duke of York in 1853:
James King is mentioned in graz
or lease for 10000 years, given b
the Duke of York to William Pen
for the twelve-mile circle to Car
Henlopen.
Beside the safe, carefully preserve
is the old bell that was in the Stat
House in 1858, or the court house, {
it was then called. They still ha,
the hanger, too. This is matter (
pride to all Delawareans-tha the
have their old town bell.
The old grants in the safe WEI
presented to the State of Delawa1
by Mrs. Sarah Wistar Miller,
Media, Pa. Mrs. Miller is a desce