Onancock: Its Beauties and Advantages
Its Business, Crops, Public Schools, &c. -- Novel Case -- A Whale in Pocomoke Sound -- Accomack Politics -- The Landmark on the Eastern Shore -- Trotting Match at Pungoteague.
Onancock, Va., November 17th, 1873.
This pleasant little village with its rather odd name, is situated at the head of Onancock Creek. One hundred and twenty miles from Baltimore, eighty miles from Norfolk, and about sixty miles north of Cherrystone. It is the largest, but it is also the most thrifty town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Its adjoining neighbors are Drummondtown (C. H.), Pungoteague, Bell Haven, Modestown, Horntown, New Church, and other places throughout the country too numerous to specify here.
Of the very extensive business carried out at this place, I shall speak in future letters. I will simply say that Onancock is one of the most attractive towns in the State. The residences are all, without exception, handsome and costly, and we boast of as great amount of intelligence and even talent as any place of similar size anywhere.
Business and Crops.
The fall trade has been unusually profitable, and the money panic has not affected us to the extent claimed by other towns in more populous sections of the country. We have not experienced a single failure of crops for seven years, and everything the husbandman touched the current year seems to have prospered. Take, for instance, the single article of potatoes, and we find that no such crop, either in the abundance or excellency of produce was ever known in Accomac county, nor indeed were such uniformly high prices ever obtained.
Our Public Schools.
Under our admirable public school system, the children of parents residing in heretofore comparatively isolated districts are rapidly coming out from beneath the cloud of ignorance that has overshadowed them in the years that are past like a pall, and now the march of mind and growth of intellect is plainly visible upon every hand. Superintendent J. C. Weaver is untiring in his labors in behalf of education, and the result of his almost sleepless efforts is seen, not alone in the temples of learning that are being reared from one end of the county to the other, but in the bright and intelligent countenances of the little ones as well.
I give herewith a brief extract from his report for the scholastic year ending Aug. 31, 1873:
There were in the county 40 schools -- 34 white and 6 colored -- with 2,151 white scholars and 345 colored. Total 2,406. To show the economy of the system it is simply necessary to point to the fact the total cost per each scholar enrolled is only forty-nine cents. Of course, as the number of scholars increases, the portion per capita cost will decrease. There are as yet only fifty percent of the white population, between the ages of five and twenty-one, attending the schools, and seventeen percent of the colored population of the same age.
A Novel Case.
The Fall term of our Circuit court, Judge Garrison, adjourned on Friday last, after a two weeks sitting. The most important case presented for the consideration of Bench and Bar, was that of the administrators of Montesco Warner vs. Franklin M. Mathews, a fugitive from justice, bring a suit for damage for the killing of said Warner by Mathews about the first of November, 1872, at Parson's store, in this county. The suit was brought under a comparatively recent statute, to be found in chapter 29, "Acts of Assembly for 1870-71," and is perhaps the first case of this kind tried under this law. A judgement for $700 damages was rendered, that amount, as was proved by witnesses, being the extent of defendant's estate. Parker & Nealy for plaintiffs; Gunter & Gillet, and Browne for defense. Defendants propose taking an appeal.
A Stray Whale, &c.
Col. W. P. Custis and Capt. John McPherson one day last week, discovered a whale in Pocomoke Sound, near here, supposed to measure about seventy-five feet in length. He was evidently a stranger in these parts, and was only a little more than half a mile from shore. We expect to hear of his capture.
The colored Radical elected from Northampton county is about the most cordially disliked representative that county ever was disgraced with.
The Conservative anaconda did not "swallow" the Radical pups, of course, but it gave them such an awful crushing that it is doubtless if we shall hear any more bark from the whelps.
Commander O. A. Brown of the oyster police force has recently recovered from a severe spell of sickness, brought on by exposure.
We had a sprinkle of snow twice during last week.
The LANDMARK blossoms in all the postoffices of the Eastern Shore, and its spiciness sweetens the leisure moments of many.
Colonel Finny's majority for the Senate was 1,004 in Accomac. He believes in the vox pop, or any other kind of pop.
A trotting match comes off to-day (18th)at St. Charles Trotting Park, Pungoteague, for a purse of $100, T. McConnell, proprietor. Mr. McConnell enters "Sweet William," and A. Coleburn enters E. D. Willie's sorrel mare "Myot," best three in five.