Smyrna times., 1931-02-11

Gle. I was permitted to ride and
drive her and could handle her
with impunity. One day when rid
ing near the head of the mill pond,
some gunner shot a buzzard that
was lowering over me and as no
one appeared to claim the prize,
L concluded to dismount and ampu-
tate the wings of the Fowl" for
fans or busters, having often seen
/ the wings of the domestic turkey
appropriated to such useful pur-
poses. After hard work with my
Barlow, l succeeded in disjointing
the wings, but on returning to
where l had hitched the mare, she
began snorting and paving and
set back on her hitch rein, so that
dared not approach her with my
fragrant trophys, and even after
had thrown them away, it was
with great difficulty 1 succeeded in
mounting and before l was fair
ly in the saddle, she started at a
full run. On reaching the stable
lane L noticed that the door of the
stable stood wide open and in
stantly realized that I must slip
off or be killed. She gave me a
parting kick and never afterwards,
allowed me to approach her.
From these houses to Mr..
Coombe's store, there were no
buildings of any kind. Opposite
these houses was the large brick
dwelling of Benjamin Benson (now
the residence of Walter o. Hof-
lecker) and the shops of Benson &
Cats Ton what is known as Ben
son street, just rear of Mr.. Hof-
fecker's residence). Mr. Benson
lived to be an old man, well known
and highly esteemed in the com
munity His son, Edward went to
New York to live and when visit
ing home was a walking advertise
ment of the latest New York fash
ions. Hepburn after learning the
carriage business and practicing it
a while on his own account, found
his true vocation as a Publican:
first at Dover, then in Philadelphia
and lastly at the National Hotel in
Washington, d. G. I frequently
stopped with him both in Philadel-
phia and in Washington and can
bear testimony that he knew how
to keep a hotel.
Benson & Cats carriage factory
was of much Importance to the
business of the town. They EN-
ployed large number Of appren-
tices and journeymen. John A.
Roach, one of the apprentices lived
in Mr.. Cats family. After he be
came religious, he would appropri-
ate his noon hour to reading the
scriptures and to secret prayer.
One day Mrs. Cats inquired of her
husband where John Roach got his
dinners. Mr.. Cats on learning
that Roach did not go home to his
noon meal, inquired why he alb
sented himself and then told Roach
that a man could not work unless
he ate, and in future he must go
to his dinner. Roach asked to be
tasked, custom common in the
shops. Mr.. Cats tasked him and
Roach ate his dinner, did his full
days work, and had more time
than before for private devotions
Mr.. Cats feared he was over
working himself and told Roach to
stop task work, go home to his
meals and pray as long as he
wanted to, for added Mr.. Cats
you can do more work and more
praying than any man in the
shops" On winter nights after
work hours, Roach would go to the
blacksmith shop, at the end of the
lane and sit on the hearth over the
embers and with a "tallow dip
study the Bible. No wonder he be
came a minister sought for by the
churches of Philadelphia, Brooklyn
and New York.
Benson & Cats, to a large ex
tent, supplied the Peninsula will
family carriages and gigs. The
standing top chaise, had gone ou
of fashion though I remember {
few of them that were still in use
I have heard that John Cummin:
introduced into Smyrna the frs
falling top chaise or gig and tha
the first time he let the top dowr
on the street, that people ran to hi.
assistance, thinking that the toI
had broken off. There were M
four-wheel one horse carriages a
that time.
Next to the shops of Benson &
Cats, was the Cooper shop o.
Cuthbert Hall; from there to Della
aware Street was the stave, raj
and wood yard of Mr.. Coombe. II
the rear of this was his farm, barr
etc. and still further back was tn,
District School then taught b,
Michael Keating, referred to in on
of my former letters. He was {
good teacher, a genial clever maj
and full of Irish wit. The Coomb,