Dispatch, January 2, 1891
IMPROVEMENTS IN ONANCOCK.
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionInfrastructure -- Public : Churchesfields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : YieldTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Hunting : Waterfowl and shorebirdTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fraternal orders
Onancock, December 30, 1890.
The spirit of improvement is still abroad here in spite of the cold weather. Mr. Frank A. Slocomb, a leading merchant here, has just completed and moved into his new residence on Main street. Many persons regard this as the handsomest house in the town. Dr. Edward B. Finney, of Wachapreague, has built a sightly house on the same street and has moved his family here to live.
The Baptists have moved their old church edifice farther back from the street and are building in front of it what will be one of the handsomest churches in this section. The old church will be used for a Sunday-school and lecture-room. Other buildings are going up in the various parts of the town, and everything points to greater activity than ever in this line during the coming year.
A WORD TO THE GOVERNOR.
The recent visit of Governor McKinney to the Eastern Shore gave him an opportunity to see and hear something of the great trucking and agricultural interests of this section. From the published interviews with the Governor it seems, however, that he has been misinformed as to the staple products of the two counties. Northampton is the great Irish potato county, while Accomac's great staple is the sweet potato. Your correspondent has collected statistics from nearly all the shipping points in Accomac, showing that during the past year nearly 800,000 barrels of sweet potatoes were shipped from this county alone.
OTHER PRODUCTS.
In addition to this immense quantities of strawberries, peas, onions, kale, and other trucks are shipped in the spring and early summer, and usually large crops of corn are also raised, but little or no wheat and hay, small crops of oats, and no tobacco. Oysters, fish, terrapin, crabs, and other good things from the water are here thrown in for good measure.
ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.
Two white boys of the town, aged about fifteen years, went out this morning in a small boat to shoot ducks in Onancock creek, which is nearly half a mile wide in some places and very deep. While they were in one of the widest parts of the creek their boat became entangled in the ice and was capsized, throwing both of the boys out into the water. Fortunately, there was a house opposite and their cries brought help just in time to save them. They managed to cling to the boat till their rescuers arrived, but they were so benumbed with cold that they could not have held out much longer.
Chesapeake Lodge of Masons has moved into its new lodge-room at the corner of North and King streets in this town, and will have a big banquet on the evening of the second Friday in January.
KALLIAS.