Milford chronicle., 1927-01-14
CONTINUED from page three)

pAOSA SAG0oAtCg CAlCA Ao4l5 ctuu 4ulGlll-
gent. Prosperity is evident almost
everywhere.
Milton is town of thrift and cul-
ture. The homes in both town and
country are mostly modern and we'll
cared for. The town owns its pub
lie improvements and is supplied
with electricity. The men and the
methods of sixty years ago are gone.
The population of Milton, l am
told, has remained almost the same
for sixty years. The town and sur
rounding territory, known as Broad
kiln Hundred, forms one voting pre-
cinct within the boundaries of which
four Governors have been born. 1t is
doubtful if any other voting unit in
the United States has such record.
Not a vessel has been built in Mil
ton for years; not a vessel goes in
and out of the river and of the
hundred vessels, more or less,
built in Milton ship yards, only one
or two, perhaps none are in eXiS-
tence. The steamship has supplant-
ed sailing craft yet wind is the
cheapest force in the world and fur
LlSuGo LnC ulOoL CGO44OAAA4NelA 4AACLA4OO
of transporting merchandise upon
the sea. The decline of sail craft is
shown by the fact that during the
War of 1912 more than 1000 vessels
were tied up in American ports wait
ing for peace while less than 100
sailing schoOners are afloat today.
Oxen have been almost entirely
banished from Delaware. Except for
local use load of wood is seldom
seen. The bark industry and tan
merry, no longer exist. Yet Mr.. George
Hall made better sole leather in Mil
ton sixty-five years ago than is made
in America today.
The prosperous enterprises car
ried on at the Drawbridge and Wa
Piles Mill are only memory. The
Paynter mansion, perhaps the finest
in Sussex County, was burned many
years ago and the Robbins and Wilt
bank hOmesteads have both also been
reduced to ashes.
The 'colOred house" now seldom
exists upon Delaware farms, and the
negro is left largely to shift for him
self. While the negro, as free man,
has been helped in many ways it
must be admitted that the greatest
blessing that has come to him has
been the good example, the Wise dis
cipline, and the practical sympathy
of the white man at close range.
The bound boy" from the city
now seldom finds a home on Iarm.
Orphan asylums and changed forms
of commerciaism, especially as
newsbOys, whose shrill voices are
heard upon city streets seven Gays
in the week take the place of rural
needs. Yet it might well be claimed
that no asylum in America is as
healthy, wholesome and inspiring as
the pure air and practical expert
ence of a Delaware farm.
Many years ago several car loads
of boys, orphaned by an epidemic IN
New YORK City, We're sent into the
west and everyone found home be-
fore the final destination, as intend
ed, was reached; taken by men and
women who were glad to get them
and adopt them II most instances as
their own. Some of these boys were
CoucateJ at college, one OIL them be-
coming Governor of Alaska. 1t is
reasonable to believe that between
the homeless child and the childless
home there is a divine sympathy,
which, if wisely supervised, will bet
ter solve the resulting social prob
lem, than is possible through charit-
able institutions no matter how well
endowed or conducted.
Americans have become a migra-
tory people. Every morning in the
year $500 boys get up, eat their
breakfast, bid father and mother and
family goodbye, and go out into the
world to labor and love, to work and
wed and live and build homes else
where. Milton and all of Sussex
County have sent its full quota to
other sections and states. The homes
or ireland or Italy are lot depleted
by emigration more than the homes
of rural Delaware.
The six children reared in my Ia
theirs home are represented in eight
states. My brothers three sons left
the farm as boys. My sisters four
sons live in four states. One set OF
five cousins live in five states. Four
other cousins live in four states. The
former members of our family are
living in twelve states.
A son of a neighbOr said to me
sometime since There are six OF us
and we live in six states" All OF
these scattered persons were born
almost within sight of each other.
A vital question is: Have tney
done we'll? There are few families
in Delaware who have not just cause
to be proud of it's sons and daughters
who left home to live elsewhere. On
land and sea, in business and profess
sional life, successes have been many
and failures few.
To me the family of Mr.. N. D.
Welch was most interesting. Arabel,
my first teacher, even If she, being
wiser than Maud Muller, Tilted me
and married a Maryland judge, was
woman of splendid mental endow-
ments. George Welch, for many
years was an honored New Jersey
physician, at one time President of
the State Medical Association, an
author and poet of recognized abil-
ity. Another brother became a sue
cessful attorney and served his
adopted state in the legislature. An
other brother was a most excellent
teacher Of which, as one Of his pu-
pills, can testify. A sister holds
professorship of English Literature
in an institution of learning.
A volume of DR.. George Welch's
poems refers to Milton, Delaware,
the home of his childhood, as fol-
lows, picturing a trip to Broadkiln
Beach: