Milford chronicle., 1927-01-28

week apiece, TO cut Lne ufe WOOuS
open the school house and make the
fires. The girls every Wednesday
and Friday after school, would have
to stay and sweep and clean the
school room. What would they say
in this day if they had that to do
when l was a boy fifteen years old?
1 went to clerk in store. Most
stores sold whiskey before the Civil
War and it was cheap in those days.
We sold whiskey for fifty cents per
gallon. 1t would be the first thing
ordered by some of the farmers; q
quart or half gallon of whiskey and
then would come his groceries. Each
morning there were two or three
customers all ready to sweep out
the store, to get their morning
drink.
The last school that I attended
Henry Marshall got up a night
school; he taught in the Old Epis
copal Church that stood in the back
part of the cemetery. VIM. Norman,
George Coleman, Charlie Poole, VIM.
ConweI, Purn Norman, Alfred Met
calf, Robert Burton, Edward Burton
and Charlie Sweeney were his
scholars. He charged one dollar and
fifty cents per week from each for
his services; but he was 4 good tea
cher. He taught all Of one winter.
1 have seen at anchor at the
Breakwater, from one hundred to a
hundred and fifty vessels; and,
when a Northeast storm was ap-
preaching many more. In one storm
fourteen schOOners, two barks and
two brigs parted their chains and
went ashore on Lewes Beach. Most
of the schOoners were loaded with
coal.
In those days coal in Lewes for
five dollars per ton. VIM. P. Orr had
the only coal yard; sometimes it
would be five dollars and fifty cents.
Most of the people burned oak and
pine wood Oak sold for two dollars
and fifty cents per cord. Pine for
two dollars.
The farmers would bring to the
stores hundreds of dozens of eggs;
sometimes they would bring six
cents per dozen, but mostly ten and
twelve cents per dozen. When they
got to be fifteen cents about Christ
mas time, everybody would say
"eggs are too high to make cake. "
Country butter would sell for fifteen
twenty and twenty-five cents per
pound, never higher then twenty
five cents. Potatoes from twenty
five to fifty cents per bushel.
MI hnfo1c of 7
the Ocean House, the Atlantic Hotel
and the United States Hotel. In the
summer time these hotels would be
full of summer visitors.
One time 1 remember a man came
there by the name of Creamy and
got I'D a dancing class; he taught in
the dining room of the U. S. Hotel.
Some of his pupils were George
Coleman, John Manning, VIM. Nor
man, Frank Maull, and Il am not
sure but think the present Mayor OF
Lewes,) James Thompsan, was one.
Some of the girls were Victoria
West, Cassie Walker, Mary Burton
and others. He had large class.
There were just a few of the older
heads of the town who thought dan
cling was an objectionable sin in
, those days. The girls dressed very
different in those days. Girls wore
good warm clothing and high shoes
Their mothers looked after them.
Most all the families raised their
own pork 65 years ago, and about
December there was plenty to eat;
sausage, scrapple, hogshead cheese
picked hogs feet, etc. Those old
time women could make good saus-
age and when you sat down to your
breakfast, you had plenty of good
] buckwheat cakes and sausage; the
cakes would be smothered with good
roll butter and plenty of it.
The young people then had gooc
times. Sometimes when nothing
else was on hand, the girls would
get up a carpet rag sewing" or an
"apple cutting" or a quilting par
ty," and oh, what fun we would
have!
The first postmaster that I re.
member was Jesse G. Poole; he helC
the office under the Democratic ad-
ministration and the Office was
! WQGGG Il6 WllIu1ll5LOh - NSS C~---
pany Bank now stands. 1t was KEEP
in his clothing store and a small
one at that; he held the office unit
Lincoln was elected, then he was
removed and Edward Duffell was
appointed, and he moved it to &
small office adjoining the property
where the Episcopal Rectory now
stands; later on he moved it in L
w. NAPLES store.
When Mr.. Lincoln was elected
there was only five votes for him II
Lewes; they were Samuel McCrack
en-, James Duffell, Edward Duffell
John Selby Hickman, Sr., and JOIN
Selby Hickman, Jr., all the othel
Republicans voted for John c. Bell
The Democrats had two candl
dates also, John C. Breckenbridg'
and Stephen A. Douglas. Both par
ties were badly split and the result
was that Mr.. Lincoln was elected.
LEWES BOY