Graham: Delaware political snippets are entertaining

As a Delaware politician, I thoroughly enjoyed the Sunday column by Editor-in-Chief Andrew West (“Delaware historian offers more Delaware political trivia").

In the column, Mr. West shared tidbits of political history regarding candidates for both governor and lieutenant governor, who, in accordance with the Delaware Constitution, are elected separately.

I do enjoy hearing the humorous stories regarding the officeholders.

One of my favorite stories, which may or not be true, was regarding Gov. Elbert Carvel, who served his second nonsequential term from 1961-65.

Gov. Carvel, a native of Maryland who was first elected lieutenant governor in 1944 at age 35, had married into a prominent Laurel family that was in the very profitable business of selling fertilizer to Downstate Delaware farmers.

The story I heard was that a Sussex County farmer was driving his 1½-ton Chevy truck at an extremely high rate of speed on U.S. 13, near Bridgeville.

A Delaware state trooper on patrol put on his red lights, with siren blaring, and, after a few miles, was able to pull the farmer over.

By then, a very irate and enraged officer of the law jumped up on the truck’s running board and yelled at the amused farmer, “Don’t you have a governor on this truck?” To which, the farmer cleverly retorted, “Nope, that’s fertilizer you smell!”

Dave Graham

Smyrna

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.