Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1750-1954
Past In Review from 02-08-2002
75 years ago
February 3, 1927
MANY VISITORS DURING THE WEEK
THOSE WHO HAVE ENTERTAINED AND WERE VISITORS
IN THE MIDDLETOWN VICINITY
Mrs. Duval Gibbs was a visitor to Philadelphia the past week.
Mrs. W. Lee Penington and Mrs. D. W. Stevens spent Monday in Philadelphia, Pa.
Miss Grace Dodds, of New York City, spent the week-end with Mrs. Albert Rupple.
Mr. Wilbur Argoe spent the week-end with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Baker, Jr., at Overbrook Colony.
Miss Prudence H. Lewis, of Ardmore, Pa., spent the week-end with Miss Bernice D. Metten.
Mrs. F. R. Pool, who spent several days in Elkton, Md., last week, has returned to her home in town.
Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Polk, of Pocomoke City, Md., are guests this week of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Biggs.
Mrs. Harry Simpson, of Wilmington, spent Monday with Mrs. Joseph C. Jolls and daughter, Miss Lottie Jolls.
Mrs. Brown, of Canton, Pa., is spending some time in town as the guest of Mrs. George Janvier, on Cass Street.
Mrs. Isaac Cleaver after visiting in Baltimore, Md., for several days last week has returned to her home near town.
Mr. Jefferson B. Foard is spending some time in Elkton, Md., visiting his daughter, Mrs. Sterling Evans and Mr. Evans.
Mr. Jesse L. Shepherd, who has been spending some time in Philadelphia spent the past week-end at his home in town.
Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper and little daughter, of Milton, are guests of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. L. McWhorter.
THE NEW C. AND D. CANAL NOW A SEA LEEL WATERWAY
Gates of Old Locks Released For Last Time And The Two Bays Are Connected By Modern Link
THE NEW WATERWAY IS A LITTLE OVER 13 MILES LONG
A new inland waterway linking by tidewater the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay, culminated Tuesday a century-old dream of United States engineers when at 6 a.m. the wicket gates of the ancient locks along the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal released for the last time the flood of waters that ended for all time the lock levels that have impeded the free passage of vessels along its 13-mile course.
As the waters of the historic ditch, cut across Delaware more than a hundred years ago, flowed gradually through the antiquated locks into the new tidewater channel, the Government yacht, “Josephine,” with a distinguished party of visitors aboard, nosed its way through the ice floes which jammed the channel from Delaware City to the Maryland locks, while Colonel Earl I. Brown, United States District Engineer, explained in detail to his guests, points of interest in connection with the $10,000,000 project.
While a cutting wind beat across the deck of the “Josephine” as it steamed rapidly through the ice-chocked channel, the scene along the bleak banks of the ditch shifted constantly, presenting many interesting pictures. As the water dropped inch by inch from its original 27-foot elevation toward its final depth of 12 feet, row boats, fishing smacks, and other river craft were left stranded high and dry along either shore. The pilings forming the foundations of shacks and cabins which had hitherto rested beneath the water, were now exposed, adding an exotic touch to the drab, muddy strip left in the wake of the receding canal. The falling water-mark exposed to view the nests of thousand of muskrats which could be seen scurrying along the shores seeking new homes.
Ferry Business Ends
An old man carrying a shotgun was observed standing guard at one point along the route. State police on board the yacht explained that the completion of the new bridges over the canal had wiped out the profitable ferry business by which this man had made his living, and that he had threatened to shoot any of the party landing on his property.
Last Boat Carried Over
The party reached the end of the canal at Chesapeake City at 1:30 p.m., the return trip to the Delaware River beginning immediately. The “Josephine” passed through the St. Georges lock at 2:18 p.m., the last boat to be carried over the level before the final elimination of the lock system as a factor in the movement of boats along the waterway.
End of Long Battle
The conversion Tuesday of the canal from the old barge lock system to a sea level waterway was declared by former Congressman Moore to be the culmination of a long legislative battle to take over and improve for public purposes a canal constructed more than a hundred years ago in the line of the Atlantic Intra-Coastal Waterway.
Originally, the National Government he said, as well as the State of Delaware and the adjoining commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Maryland, joined in the construction of the canal. It was built in four years, beginning in 1825, and was operated as a toll canal, sometimes paying heavy dividends until 1919 when legislation was enacted to effect its purchase by the United States Government and make it free. The cost of improvements made by the government where its acquisition has exceeded $9,000,000.
Canal Much Used
Existing traffic on the canal has averaged nearly 70,000 tons of freight a month while the improvements were in process of completion. The saving in transportation costs has approximated $1.00 a ton.
25 years ago
January 27, 1977
Personal Notes
Those Who Entertained And Have Been Away
Mr. and Mrs. Harold L. Burge visited their son, Mr. James H. Burge, in Baltimore, over the weekend.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Tearl visited friends in Salisbury, Md., on Sunday.
Mrs. Neal Sullivan and daughter, Miss Betty Sullivan, and Mrs. Harry Missimer and children, Tracey, Harry, Jr., Daniel and Bryan, spent Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. William N. Sullivan and family in Wilmington.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bandstra, of Dover, were Sunday guests of the Rev. and Mrs. Neil Lodge and daughter.
Mrs. Nancy Craner and her nephew, Mr. Donald McCue, of Wilmington, spent last Thursday with Mr. and Mrs. Alec Berkman.
Mr. and Mrs. John N. Sparks, Jr., visited in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday.
Sen. Roth Fights Forced Busing
Senator William V. Roth, Jr., (R-Del.) has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit the use of forced busing to achieve racial balance along with another anti-busing proposal which would restrict the jurisdiction of federal courts in school desegregation cases.
“It is time the busing issue be laid to rest. The issue has tortured Americans for long enough,” Roth told the Senate. He criticized the Federal Courts for ordering busing in school desegregation cases and for usurping “prerogatives properly belonging to the elected representatives of the people.”
Roth’s legislation consists of two bills:
A proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit the use of busing to achieve racial balance; and
A bill to eliminate the authority of Federal lower courts to order busing as a remedy in school desegregation cases. Instead, the various state courts would have jurisdiction. The bill would also eliminate lower court Federal orders in force prior to enactment which require busing as a remedy to carry out a plan of racial desegregation.
Roth was joined by 14 other Senators in introducing the latter anti-busing proposal. A similar version fell only five votes short of passing the Senate last year when Roth offered it as a floor amendment.
Roth said that by ordering busing to achieve racial balance, judges were ignoring “basic social and legal facts.”
Racial and ethnic concentrations, he said, “reflect residential concentrations that have always existed in American cities and towns. They are a natural outgrowth of group loyalties, cultural bonds, similar income and educational levels and the like.
Roth argued “no hard evidence can be found to support claims that the educational achievement of either black or white children is improved when they are shuttled from school to school to improve racial balance.
“In assigning students to schools solely on the basis of race,” he charged,” the courts are standing the constitution on its head.”
