Peninsula Enterprise, October 15, 1898
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Fields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : Prices
A visitor to Accomac this week from Baltimore says, he is paying from 30 to 40 cents a peck for every sweet potato used by him. Selling as they are at home for 25 cents a barrel, this looks as if some one is getting a nice profit out of them, and does not look like the supply is greater than the demand. The low prices at which the farmer is selling his crop is due surely to bad management somewhere.
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Moral -- Vandalism
A shell was thrown through the window of the smoking car of the N. Y. P. & N. R.R. Co. about two miles south of Parksley last Saturday night. The perpetrator of the dastardly act of course is not known. It is safe to say, justice would not be tempered with much mercy, if he was caught.
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Transportation -- Railroad - Litigation
The case of Harry T. White against the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad Co., heard at the October term of the circuit court of Accomac, resulted in a verdict by the jury last Saturday in favor of the plaintiff for $3,000. Mr. White sued the company for $3,312.50, claiming that said amount was due to him because of the destruction of his saw and grist mill by fire originating in a spark from passing locomotive of said company. On motion for a new trial later in the term, the verdict was set aside by Judge Blackstone and same granted. The case will be heard again at the next term of the circuit court and from thence be removed to the court of appeals by the plaintiff.
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Infrastructure -- Public : Schools
The large and handsome building, which has been in course of erection for some weeks for public school purposes at Parksley, will be completed by Monday, October 4th, and the school opened in it on that day. It is proposed to make it one of the best schools on the Shore.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PackingTransportation -- Water - SteamboatsTransportation -- Water - Freight
Chincoteague.
C. E. Babbitt, Jr., has opened his shucking house, making three now "in full blast."
The new mail steamer to ply between Chincoteague and Franklin City will arrive this week from Pocomoke. Capt. S. E. Matthews and others left for her on Wednesday.
Schooner J. R. Moffitt arrived this week from New York with cargo and bricks. Schooner Annie Edwards from that city with cargo of coal and Schooner Bennett from North Carolina loaded with shingles.
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Infrastructure -- Public : ChurchesTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - TennisFields -- Crops - Other vegetablesTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - MusicTransportation -- Road - Construction
Onancock.
Work began on Monday for the rebuilding of the M. E. Church, South.
The tennis club is enjoying the racket during this pleasant weather.
Some of our farmers recently shipped their fall crop of green peas for which were received good prices -- $1.50 to $2.50 per basket.
The young men of the music club have been practicing this week on the "Solophone," an excellent novelty of the violin family, which is much appreciated. It is virtually a violin with a keyboard and stands upon a table while being performed upon.
Mr. R. J. Parker, of this town, is opening and building, by county contract, the road near here which will connect Slutkill Neck with Onley. This public road will be a convenience to a large number of people, and also greatly benefit the lands through which it runs.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizationsFields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : PricesMoral -- VandalismMoral -- Alcohol
Onley.
At another meeting held here on Saturday, by the potato buyers and growers, it was agreed not to ship or to buy same at less than 50 cents per barrel.
A missile of some kind was thrown through the car of the N.Y. P. & N. R.R., by some miscreant at a point hear this place last Saturday.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, at its annual convention held in the city of Richmond last week, elected Mrs. Bettie Rue, of this county, and Mrs. J. W. Castles, of Northampton, as honorary vice-presidents.
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Moral -- Other violent crime
Pardoned by Governor.
George E. West, colored, convicted of unlawful shooting in Accomac County Court, November, 1894, and sentenced to penitentiary for five years, was pardoned by the Governor October 10th, 1898, upon the condition that he will conduct himself in the future as a good and law abiding citizen.
Tobe Richardson, colored, convicted July, 1895, in same court of malicious cutting, was also pardoned by the Governor on same day upon same conditions.
The pardons were authorized by act passed by the last Legislature, approved March, 3rd, 1898.
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Farmers -- Innovation
MR. EDITOR: -- It does seem to me that the sweet potato growers of Accomack county ought to have an "object lesson" in the present condition of the markets. They are simply allowing themselves to be "led to the slaughter" -- piling up the product of their labor in one or two points, without any regard for the laws of supply and demand; not giving the intelligent distribution of them a moment's thought, until the beneficiaries of the most worn out and obsolete system of distribution are "calling a halt," unwittingly telling you that you are crazy -- mutely suggesting that you should stop and think.
What would you think of a shoe factory in Onancock, having a customer in Parksley buying their product and willing to continue to do so, to their mutual advantage, but each factory also insisting on filling Parksley full of shoes, with instructions to SELL, without any reservation as to price? Do you think the factory would retain the Parksley customer long? Do you think they would eventually be successful, pursuing this method? When you stop to consider the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a great producing community of a certain staple product or commodity, and the balance of the world a great consuming constituency, you are doing the same thing. Strip the present system of distribution of its mist and fog and view its operation under the new and changed conditions which the past few years have brought about. In other words, when reduced to its proper analysis, you are surely doing the same thing.
Suppose that same shoe factory has customers in Syracuse, N.Y., but to get them in the hands of their customers they should insist on shipping to New York, paying the local rate from Onancock to New York, then pay a broker 8 per cent. to reship from New York to Syracuse, paying also local freight rate from New York to Syracuse. What are you doing? Have you asked yourself? Still you wonder why it does not pay to grow sweets.
We are told in the "Holy Writ" that the "way of the transgressor is hard." This is not only so with those who violate the laws of the land and society, but is equally as applicable to those who violate the laws of hygiene, finance, commerce, economy or any of the great laws of reason or logic to be found in the "open book" of common sense.
The present system of distribution is so repugnant to every principle of common sense, reason and business procedure that I cannot think that those who are interested in growing sweets in Accomack county, AS GROWERS, will much longer consent to make it a "go-as-you-please," but will "get together." Remember the fate of the house "divided against itself." It is time for thought and action along this line. You have all to gain and nothing to lose by it.
OBSERVER.