Milford chronicle., 1926-05-07
FORMER MILFORD BOY
PAYS HOME TOWN VISIT
Marked Change In Delaware
Noted During Thirty.six Years
He Was Away.

Lieutenant Theodore B. Watson, of
the United States Navy, visited Mil
ford, Delaware, over the weekend
for the first time in thirty-siX years,
as the guest of his uncle, Colonel
Theodore Townsend, ana his cousin,
G. Marshall Townsend. He was ac-
companied by his wife, son and a
daughter, all of whom had never
been in Delaware before md were
delighted with the roads, the beauti-
full bloom of the apple orchards and
especially the agricultural sections
of Delaware.
Lieutenant Watson entered the
United States Navy School in 1890
and served as student, non-commis-
stoned officer and a commissioned
officer for thirty-six years; up to
last January, when he voluntarily
went on the retired list of the Navy
with his full rank and pay. His home
has been Newport, Rhode Island,
for thirty years, where his wife and
family have resided, during his sea
duty periods; but they accompanied
him to whatever station his assign
ments called for, during each three
years of shore duty. He is grad
uate of the High Explosive School
maintained by the United States at
Newport, and the Gunnery and Me-
chanical School at Washington, D. c.
He served in the Spanish-American
War as gunner on the warship, New
Orleans; in the Boxer Troubles in
China; and as a Commissioned Ofi-
Ger during the World War in charge
of transportation and convoy Of
troops across the Atlantic. AS boy
he attended the public schools OF
Milford and occasionally between
times, interested himself in the
printing office of the Milford ChrOn-
icle; continuing up to the time he
entered the United States Training
School for the Naval Service.
The Lieutenant has since retire
ment from active duty with the Unit
ed States Navy, been appointed as
Master of the Naval Training SchOo
Ship, which is maintained by the
State of Pennsylvania to train boys
from Girard College, the City of Phil
= adelphia and other parts of Pennsyl
, vania, for service as officers in th'
= merchant marine of the country, Al
well as for expert work in handling
l modern steamships The ship is CIV
= en- to the State of Pennsylvania b.
: the United States for this purpose
L hut it's officers and instructors ar
r drawn from the retired lists and pai
e for their services by the State, in ad
= dition to their retired pay from tn
government.
The ship remains in the port {
Philadelphia for eight months {
each year, and makes a cruise th
other four months with the sevent
Y cadet students, for sea duty trainln
and handling of the steamer; TN
cruise takes up four months of eac
/. wear and they sail on June 1st ne2
for Europe for the annual summt
cruise. They will return October
TO resume their study on the ship
d philadelphia for the next eigl
II months.
II Lieutenant Watson was surprise
T. IN see the changes in Milford duriI
,s the past third of a century durlI
% his absence. The railroad station hf
y, changed entirely, while the residei
n tial section was all new to him, WI
70 two exceptions, the General Torbe
~ residence now owned by Mr.. Mu
s. holland and turned into IN apal
IL ment house, corner of Second al
Id walnut streets, and the home
Joseph E. Holland, once the ma
o. sion home of Ex-Governor Eausey
III years ago. -,
IT. The peach orchards which cove
e. ed Delaware when the Lieutena
d. was a boy, are all gone, ana the d
nd nile orchards have succeeded them
e. a bloom Of magnificence, which W
-s' equal to the glory of the form
e neach orchards. Their trip was ma
OF bv automobile, so that it was p'
nd sible to cover the fruit, berry a
e. vegetable growing sections OF De
~ ware in the three days allotIeu
1s their visit.
~ ,.I, How many more Delawareans
IN IN there scattered throughout the I
ar ,a, ted States, who would be made h'
w. Nv by a return to their native stf
nd after having passed life time WI
dering in distant climes?
Make the visit and get real thi
the like of which may never &C
to you again; unless you come as
,TC to the land of your olrth'