Peninsula Enterprise, December 9, 1893
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceTransportation -- Water - Strandings
The sloop Prohibition from Franklin City, went ashore on Metompkin beach, last Monday night. She was receiving the attention of the Life Saving force according to the latest advices, and will be gotten off without damages.
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Lighthouse service
In the report of the Lighthouse Board made to Congress last Monday, the sum of $25,000 for Hog Island appears in the estimate submitted for special appropriations.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial construction
Chincoteague.
Our building boom continues. Mr. Robert Pointer is building a new dwelling, Dr. R. W. White is enlarging his residence and Mr. Moses Hudson, Jr. is making his store larger.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideFields -- Livestock - Diseases and pestsFields -- Livestock - Swine
Horntown.
The oystermen are complaining of high tides ruining their oysters.
Cholera has attacked our hogs and in consequence most of our citizens are converting their pigs into pork.
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Forests -- Shipping : WaterForests -- Forest products - StavesInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal service
Onancock.
Capt. John Kelso arrived here Sunday A. M., with load of staves for the Taylor and East barrel factory. The staves were manufactured at Taylor's mill on the Mattaponi river.
No mail was received at the Onancock office on Tuesday from the N.Y.P & N.R.R., north or south bound. Mail route agent sick was the reported cause.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizationsProfessionals -- Commission merchantsFields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : Quality controlInfrastructure -- Commercial - Hotels
Pungoteague.
G. T. Ames and I. P Justis, the two commission merchants who were selected by the Pungoteague Farmers' Association to handle their produce this year, were in town Saturday seeking renewals of their contracts with the Association another year. They gave almost universal satisfaction this year, and will doubtless be selected to serve the Association again.
Many barrels of sweets, frosted and therefore unsalable, were returned on the Eastern Shore, Monday.
J. T. Auld has rented the hotel and has moved in and will soon be ready for business. D. A. Martin, former proprietor, left this week for Baltimore.
VIRGINIA OYSTER GROUNDS.
reprinted from Richmond State.Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Surveying
Report of J. B. Baylor.
Mr. J. B. Baylor, the competent and industrious member of the United States Coast Survey, who was detailed to make a survey of the natural oyster beds, rocks and shoals of the Virginia waters, has just submitted his most interesting report to Governor McKinney.
In the outset, he calls attention to the great importance of the oyster industry by the simple statement that during the past ten years $20,000,000 have been realized from the sale of Virginia oysters, a sum more than one third as great as that realized from the sale of the wheat crop.
He then states that he boarded the schooner "Drift" on July 21st, 1892, and began the work of his survey in Tangier Sound. He pushed the work vigorously, and by October 31st all natural oyster beds of the Chesapeake Bay side of Accomack County, those of James river and its tributaries, those of Elizabeth river and its tributaries, and those of Matthews county had been surveyed. The field work was then closed for the season. The winter and spring were utilized in computing the field notes and preparing charts of the field. The result is summed up as follows: In Tangier Sound, 4,746 acres; Pocomoke Sound, 28,528 acres, James River and Tributaries, 25,077 acres; Norfolk County, 6,944 acres; Matthews County, 5,324 acres.
In June, 1893, the work was resumed in the Rappahannock and pushed till October, when the whole area of Chesapeake Bay was completed. The coast beds of Accomac and Northampton are yet to be surveyed.
In the Rappahannock and tributaries, the survey shows 34,593 acres of natural oyster beds. In Piankatank, 5,962 acres; in Milford Haven, 477 acres; in Chesapeake Bay, off the coast of Matthews and the mouth of the Rappahannock, 13,623 acres; in York river, 4,040; in Princess Anne county, 1,400; on Chesapeake side of Northampton 800 acres; in Northumberland, 14,500; in Westmoreland, 439 acres; in Gloucester, 2,701 acres: total area of natural oyster beds, etc., in Virginia, 149,573 acres. All natural oyster beds have been surveyed from marked shore stations. These surveys do not embrace beds on the Atlantic coast of Accomac and Northampton. Now that the survey has been made, says the report, the planter can no longer move his boundary states out on a natural bed without the fact being easily established; and the planter can now know in advance just what bottoms in Virginia waters are open to him and will be perfectly secure in his title.
The advantage of the survey to the State is readily seen in the statement that when the State of Connecticut did likewise, the yield of oyster increased from 336,450 bushels in 1880 to 1,509,867 bushels in 1888. In 1889 only $31,305 was realized from the sale of oysters from the natural rock, while cultivated oysters brought $1,040,372.
In conclusion Mr. Baylor makes some practical suggestions as to the cultivation of oysters and how the State may best promote that industry. The paper is perhaps one of the most valuable contributions of its kind ever made to oyster literature, and when printed in full will no doubt attract universal attention. Limited time and space prevent the State from giving more than this very meagre synopsis.
Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds.
Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : LitigationInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary
Citizens of Accomac Will Declare Their Rights to Same in Supreme Court of the United States.
A large and enthusiastic meeting of the citizens of Accomac was held at Parksley last Monday, presided over by Dr. John W. Bowdoin, for the purpose of raising funds and employing counsel to represent them at the final hearing before the United States Supreme Court, in the case of Maryland and Virginia, as to their rights in Pocomoke and Tangier sounds.
The following preamble and resolutions were presented by Mr. James H. Fletcher, Jr., were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, the cases known as the "Marsh" and "Wharton and Nelson" cases will be argued before the United States Supreme Court on the 8th of next January preparatory to a final decision in the same; and
Whereas, these cases are of the utmost importance to citizens of this State generally and of this county in particular, involving as they do the question whether or not, under the compact of 1785 between Maryland and Virginia, Maryland has equal rights with citizens of Virginia to take oysters and other shellfish in the waters of Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds; as that portion of those sounds lying within Virginia waters contains thousands of acres of natural oyster rocks; and
Whereas, the State of Maryland has contributed through its legislature and private citizens, a considerable sum for the purpose of employing eminent counsel to assist its Attorney General in properly presenting these cases before said Supreme Court, now let it be resolved:
1st, That, recognizing the ability and earnest efforts of our own Attorney General, we consider it the duty of all persons interested in the decision of these cases to contribute something towards the employment of able counsel to assist our Attorney General in the argument of these cases; and that the members of our legislature be requested to make an earnest effort to obtain an appropriation from the State Treasury to supplement whatever fund may be raised by individual citizens:
2nd, that a copy of these resolutions be placed as soon as possible in the hands of our representatives in the legislature.
A resolution introduced by Mr. George W. Glenn, thanking Hon. John W. Gillet for his eminent services to the citizens of Accomac in particular and to the State generally, for a series of articles, relative to the Pocomoke and Tangier sounds, published in the PENINSULA ENTERPRISE, and later, by order of the Board of Supervisors of Accomac, in pamphlet form, was enthusiastically adopted -- and, believing as they do, that he is better posted as to the matter in controversy than any one else in the State of Virginia, it was further resolved, that it is the unanimous request of this meeting that he be waited upon and be engaged, if possible, to represent them as counsel in the argument of the cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. J. H. Fletcher, Jr., was by unanimous consent selected by the meeting as one of the counsel to represent Virginia before the Supreme Court, and responded by saying, that his services were at their command, but he would not accept any compensation for them.
On motion the following gentlemen were selected to solicit contributions for counsel, and other expenses, and to report same at meeting to be held at Parksley, next Tuesday, 12th inst: Noah E. Miles, George P Miles, Walter J. Hall, James A. Hall, James E. Anderton, M. E. Witham, C. W. Feddeman, W. R. Drummond, Jr., Capt. Teagle Chase, Stanton F. Byrd, C. R. Gladding, Capt. William Somers, J. F. Lankford, William Harrison Lewis, Alfred Ewell, George R. Justis, J. C. Justice, William J. Barnes, Heze Fitzgerald, D. H. Johnson, George Middleton, John D. Watts, Capt. John W. Marsh, John Allen, Thomas W. Blackstone, Capt. Henry L. Crockett, Frank M. Boggs, Charles P. Finney, Henry R. Boggs, Capt. Elzey Evans, George B. Hoffman, Capt. John Sparrow, John A. Brittingham, P. H. Conorton, John A. Chambers, Joseph L. Cooper.