The tenth installment (paragraph) of the Sesqui-Centennial Address of Sussex County given by Justice Francis J. Swayze on 2 Sep 1903 and printed by the Sussex Independent newspaper.... The most important industry of the county in the middle of the eighteenth centry and the only one of sufficient consequence to attract the attention of Governor Belcher was the charcoal and iron industry. A furnace had been established at or near Hamburg prior to 1740, and a return to the heirs of Anthony Sharp of a tract of 494 acres on the Wallkill in 1750, the land is referred to as being above the iron mines. The mines at Andover were worked before 1760. Customs of the Time An interesting insight into the customs of the times is given in the narrative of William Kirby, a deserter from the British army during the Freanch and Indian War. In 1762, he passed through Sussex County, stopping at the Sussex Court House, where he sold a pair of stockings for seven shillings. "There" he says "we bought a bottle of rum, and on our march we met an old woman and gave her a dram." As he went by Colonel Hackett's house, he saw the colonel sitting on his porch. Col. Hackett immediately surmised that he was a deserter from the army and told him plainly, but offered to keep his secret if Kirby would work for him over at the Andover mine. Kirby agreed to do so, and remained for some time, and went thence to Ringwood (in Passaic County). He tells how the men tried to cheat each other. The wood chopper piled his wood so as to cheat the collier. The collier put his charcoal into baskets in such a manner as to deceive the oron master; the iron master, not to be outdone, sold his provisions to the men at an extortionate price. As a consequence, when they had worked six months, if they had anything coming, they may perhaps get a few rags to cover their nakedness at a very dear price, but as for money they would get none though they were ever much in need of it." Cathy DiPietro