1803.] HISTORY (IF DELAWARE COUNTY. 349 



was one foot less in hoifrlit than the ice freshet of 1839, and 

 eight feet three inches hehtw the great flood of 1843, as accu- 

 rately measured at Sharpless' Mills, on Ridley Creek. 



The use of intoxicating drinks, and consequently drunken- 

 ness, was probably increased by the Revolution. Certain it is, 

 that the Quakers, the moral reformers of the age, about that 

 period, set about the discouragement of the manufacture, sale, 

 or use of these drinks by their members, in a spirit of earnest- 

 ness not before exhibited. For a long time their success was 

 only partial. A belief prevailed that severe labor, particularly 

 that of harvest, could not be performed without the use of 

 stimulating drinks, but even at this early day, "many Friends 

 had declined using thereof in harvest." That practice was not, 

 however, generally laid aside, and was continued for many years 

 afterwards ; yet members of the Society refrained from the dis- 

 tillation or sale of spirituous liquors. 



In 1797, subscriptions for the establishment of a boarding- 

 school, to be under the care of the yearly meeting, were circu- 

 lated among the several monthly meetings of this County, by 

 committees appointed for that purpose. Liberal subscriptions 

 were made ; and the result of the undertaking was the purchase 

 of a tract of 600 acres of land in Westown township, Chester 

 County, and the erection of a building 55 by 110 feet, four 

 stories high, including the basement, at a cost of ^22,500. The 

 first pupils were admitted in the 5th month, 1799. The main 

 building was subsequently enlarged, and many other improve- 

 ments have been made to the premises since that time. Westown 

 school is not within the limits of our County, but many of our 

 people of both sexes have been educated there. Since the 

 division of the Society of Friends, the school has been exclu- 

 sively under the management of that branch of it termed 

 Orthodox. 



The burden of supporting the bridges over our numerous 

 streams, and particularly those on the Southern Post-road be- 

 came too great for our small County to bear. As a means of 

 relief, an act of Assembly was procured in 1799, authorizing 

 the Commissioners to erect toll-gates on that road, and to col- 

 lect toll from persons traveling thereon. The rates of toll au- 

 thorized for passing over the road were, for a stage-coach or 

 pleasure carriage with four wheels and four horses, twenty-five 

 cents; the same with two horses, fifteen cents, and with two 

 wheels, ten cents. Carriages of burden were charged about 

 one-half these rates. The act expired by its own limitation at 

 the end of five years. 



On the 8th of May, 1803, our good people had a rather un- 

 welcome visitant, so late in the season, in the shape of a snow 



