Milford chronicle., 1925-04-17

n wouldO be received; even not unit
t the following day. Sometimes tn
= results would be very close, wit
4 only one or two places to be hear,
. from, which was generally Balti
i more Hundred, the stronghold of tn
e v higs and Little Greek Hundred, tn,
stronghold of the Democrats. 1t wal
2 an anxious time for politicians. Whel
l Baltimore Hundred gave 200 ma
., jority that placed them in the leaC
| and then there was great anxiety tt
know what Little Creek Hundred
give for the Democrats, until at one
election it looked gloomy for the
Democrats with only Little Greek tC
hear from. Finally, a cry went up
p Here comes the returns from Little
Greek" and around the square the
messenger came flashing his jaded
: horse and crying out, Little Greek
, gives $50 majority for the Democrats
such was the news brought to the
county seat by Henry Hudson, driv-
} ing his pacing mare Mary.
Some of the old men now living at
} Laurel and Sycamore will remember
the great contest as to who should
be favored to bring the news and
how the victory was won by Henry
Hudson and his bay mare Mary.
This news brought defeat for the
Wings who went home crestfallen
but the Democrats proceeded to
paint the county seat red with drink
ing bouts and carOusals, as whiskey
was plentiful as milk and cost only
forty cents a gallon, it did not cost
much money to get up a noisy cele-
bration.
remember that during the Civil
War, a regiment of calvary was sent
to Delaware to stand at the polls,
and those who voted passed through
a line of soldiers, and the democrats
refused to vote; so the Republicans
made a clean sweep of Delaware,
electing all the state and county Of
ficers
The hour when these four old men
usually went to their homes had ar
rived and the writer called their at
tentiOn to the fact; but the one who
had been telling of the events that
had happened in his early life, spoke
up and said, 1 want to tell you about
the return days" they used to have
prior to and during the great con-
fiict of the Civil War, and the we
will go home.
1 want to say that return days"
in the early sixties were something
to remember. People came from all
parts of Sussex county and assem-
bled in the public square, which at
that lime was not improved, but was
simply a bed of sand. Men and
women did not come so much to hear
the returns, as to meet friends and
fillup on the chicken pies and free
rum, and some to engage in fist
fights with those who disagreed with
them on the smallest questions. |
Many of the visitors were unique in |
looks and dress, but the teams in |
which they came is almost beyond |
description. 1t was not infrequent |
to see a COW in the shafts of a cart, |
or cow and an OK hitched side by |
side in the yoke or bows and other
teams of unusual appearance, |
which if seen in these days would
create as much excitement as a cir
Gus parade.
Stalls as they were called, dotted
the square where old women, both
white and black, attended to them
and sold home made candy, root beer
large sheets of ginger bread and
bottled apple brandy. Two drinks
of real apple brandy could be bought
for five cents-which would cost one
dollar each today, if it could be had
az any price. Fights were the main
and leading events of the day, and
these kept the people busy running
from one fight to another to see who
licked the other fellow, and this
was quite interesting at times.
The parades were always staged
BY the successful party and after
his we must go home. Those who |
COX part in the parade assembled
1t a point half a mile from the CEN
re of the town and formed a line
n the following order: A wagon
With eight horses in which would be
he fife and drum corps and some
lines the successful candidates. The
lorses and men were decorated with
lags and eVergreens. Next came :
he mounted horsemen with wreaths
# evergreen across their bodies and
lats. Then came wagons loaded
With men and banners and bringing
ID the rear would be the funny
cams that I have told you about.
INTO town and through it's streets
his molly parade would proceed
nth flies and drums playing and
eople yelling everywhere along the
ne and march around and around
ntil tired nature could not hold out
niger and so it ended. These scenes
re indellibly stamped in my memory
nd now we must bid you good night,
18th the hope that we may again
ave the pleasure of recalling old
mes together.
And so my old friends wendell their
ay to their respective homes near
AS Wended my way in the auto to
y home l had beautiful ride. The
Don was shining bright and illu-
mated my way. In the distance
ere was the boot of an owl as he
lnted for his prey. I realized that
rad been entertained by four old
lends and had in return afforded
EN- opportunity to recall the Gus
ms, and practices of the past, for
e pleasure of themselves an as in
ructlon for the modern folks of
e present generation. I fully in
nd to visit them again in the not
slant future, to have the pleasure
their association and afford them
other chance to relate some things
the long years ago, which are
'ange and unusual to the folks of
lay. surely shall.
CThis is the Third Story of the
d Farmers at The Country Store.
llch has been written by an old
end.-Editor.)