Io6 THK SYCAMORE MILL. 



seat, smoked cigars and related anecdotes until the grist was 

 finally finished. It was on this occasion that I smoked my 

 first cigar. I smoked two at that time, and the most remark- 

 able thing was they did not make me sick, although I could 

 taste cigar for two or three days thereafter. 



Fifty years ago, when a member of a family died and 

 while the remains were in the house, it was the universal 

 custom for two persons to sit up all night and to visit the 

 room in which the corpse lay at intervals of two or three 

 hours. At the time of the death of Amor Bishop, who lived 

 in the large stone homestead on the mill property, I was called 

 upon to sit on watch one night in that house in company with 

 a young man, a friend of mine, a sleepy-headed fellow, who 

 slept all night with the exception of lunch time. Hence it 

 fell upon me to visit alone the room where the body lay, with 

 only the light of a tallow candle. My feelings can better be 

 imagined than described. 



In the bank on the opposite side of the road, east of the 

 mills, was built a large stone ice house, which was used as 

 public property on private grounds. It was the only ice house 

 in my early days in that section. All the farmers who were 

 patrons of the mill and wished to get ice from this house were 

 welcome, provided they assisted in the filling. 



Hon. Isaac Johnson, President Judge of the Delaware 

 County Courts, who plied his occupation as a miller at Syca- 

 more Mill previous to the breaking out of the War of the Rebel- 

 lion, has many interesting recollections of thehistoric old spot. 

 At the time he was employed at Sycamore, the mill was leased 

 and operated by the late Lewis Palmer, of Media, who at the 

 same time owned' and operated the mills on the same creek 

 near Media, where the present borough water works are 

 located. Judge Johnson was employed as miller, and spent 

 his time alternately ]:)etween the two mills, but principalh' 

 at the upper, or Sycamore Mill. He had served his appren- 

 ticeship as a miller at Willistovvn, Chester County, under 



