Peninsula Enterprise, September 30, 1893

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reprinted from Norfolk Ledger, September 27.Moral -- Other

United States Deputy Marshall Eastwood, of this city, arrived here this morning with R. P. Handy, colored, of Atlantic, Accomac County, Va., who is charged with taking an excessive fee in a pension case. The prisoner was lodged in the Norfolk jail, and will have a hearing before United States Commissioner Ackiss here next Saturday.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Boat racing

The second race between the skiffs "Jeannie" and "Leila Bell" comes off today.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Horse racing

The well known pacer Mirandes, the trotting mare Lady Brown and several other Eastern Shore horses were carried to the Pimlico track this week by Messrs. E. F. Nottingham and Fred Waddy. Mirandes is entered in the 2.15 trotting and pacing race.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Baseball

The last of the series of base-ball games between the Belle Haven and Parksley clubs, was played at Parksley on Friday of last week, and resulted in an easy victory for the Parksley team. Score 14 to 4. The Parksley club has been matched with other clubs eight times this season and been beaten once only.

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Moral -- OtherAfrican-Americans -- ReligionInfrastructure -- Public : Churches

Seven colored men were before Magistrate Strang last Saturday, charged with disturbing religious worship by their disorderly conduct at Onley colored church. Two of the prisoners were discharged and the other five held to await the action of the grand jury.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential development

Belle Haven.

Several lots have been sold by Mr. N. A. Smith and buildings will be erected on same at an early date.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionSea -- Shellfish - Crabbing : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Crabbing : YieldLaborers -- FisheriesLaborers -- Wages

Chesconnessex.

The oyster industry in this section is on the up grade and the thrift of our citizens is being rapidly promoted thereby.

The dwellings on Chesconnessex Creek have increased from 10 in 1865 to 40 in 1893 and this evidence of prosperity is due to Capt. John W. Marsh more than to any one else. He not only built many of them, but has opened up the way to others to do so by his push and enterprise. He has recently completed for himself one of the handsomest dwellings of the county.

The Chesconnessex Crab Co. has bought from May 1st, 1893, to date, 224,721 soft crabs and peelers and has paid out for same and labor $5,371.63 & and nearly all of that amount has been paid to citizens of this neighborhood. In this connection, in answer to the question, "will not the crabs soon be exhausted," the reply can be given, that we now catch from the head of the creek to the mouth 100 crabs or more, where years ago, only a half a dozen could be caught in the same time and distance.

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Transportation -- Water - FreightTransportation -- Water - SteamboatsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Other

Chincoteague.

Schooner Palestine arrived last week with load of coal for citizens of this place and schooner Thomas Thomas with like cargo for citizens of Horntown and Sinnickson.

The organization of a stock company, with the view of purchasing a naptha launch to be used in our waters, is now being considered by our people.

Marsh birds more plentiful with us than they have been for many years.

The boat-house at Sheep Penning Hill [Assateague], built by U. S. Government, under contract with C. E. Babbitt, Sr., has been completed.

Prof. Albro, with his negro minstrel troupe, has been entertaining us this week.

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Infrastructure -- Public : SchoolsInfrastructure -- Public : ChurchesTransportation -- Water - Channel and harbor dredgingDevelopment -- Boosterism

Mappsville.

Miss Josie Nock left home to attend school at the Margaret Academy, at Onancock, on Tuesday of last week.

Probably the greatest revival of religion in a score of years at Bethel, is now going on at that church, under the direction of the pastor, Rev. J. L. King, assisted by Rev. Mr. Edmonson, of Chincoteague Island. Up to this time it is said no less than forty individuals have professed faith in Christ.

N. W. Nock, of this place, announces his intention of circulating a petition among the people of the Eastern Shore, asking Congress through our representative, Hon. W. A. Jones, to grant a sufficient sum of money from the treasury of the General Government to remove the obstructions to the passage of light draft boats, now existing in what is known as "Boggs' Bay," "Cat Creek," "Weir Passing," "Burton's Bay," and in other places along the seaside, so as to have an unobstructed water-way for light draft boats from above Chincoteague to Cape Charles. This waterway has now become indispensable, both to our oystermen and truckers. Thousands of barrels of potatoes are annually carried through these shallow and crooked passages, at the expenditure and waste of an immense amount of time and labor, by our hardy boatmen. The great volume of yearly increasing traffic through these waters will amply justify our government in making a liberal appropriation for the purpose indicated -- besides our people have as yet had but meager and indirect benefits from the hundreds of thousands of dollars contributed in the past years, directly and indirectly, to the general treasury at Washington. Other waters of our District and State, of far less commercial importance than these, have received liberal appropriations from the treasury in the last score of years, and we now think the attention of our Congressman should be directed to the relief of this commerce upon our inland waterway, hitherto utterly neglected and left to struggle unaided for its development and its very existence. By the exercise of wonderful patience and indomitable energy the sturdy navigators of these shallow and tortuous passages, have by the aid of vessels of peculiar construction, built up a traffic of enormous proportions and established a community of people upon the island of Chincoteague, that in morals, in wealth, in progress and in intelligence, will challenge a comparison with any community in our state, of equal opportunities. With the unobstructed navigation of these waters, no man living can even dream of the developments in wealth and population that would inevitably follow. Steam freight and passenger lines would soon be established from all accessible points, trade would soon be more than doubled, and Chincoteague would soon assume the solidity and proportions of a real city.

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Marsh Market.

The schooner George T. Garrison, taken last week in Coan river, by Capt. Hudgins, is now under guard at Hammock Wharf.

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Infrastructure -- Public : ChurchesInfrastructure -- Public : Colleges

Onancock.

Eight more converts at the Broadway Baptist Church were baptized on Sunday and united with that church.

Master Upshur Sturgis was taken by his father, last week, to Kenyon Military College, Gambier Ohio, of which Mr. C. N. Wyant, formerly of this county is principal.

OYSTER QUESTION.

Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : LitigationInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary

The Matter to be Taken to the Supreme Court.

Crisfield, Md., Sept. 26. -- The citizens of Annamessex have held a mass-meeting and decided to carry the Pocomoke oyster fishing rights case to the Supreme Court of the United States. They have appealed to Governor Brown to help them in the matter, and to have a State police boat in Pocomoke sound to protect Maryland fishermen against the Virginia officials. The meeting adopted the following:

"That the rights now claimed by Maryland in Pocomoke sound of fishing and oystering privileges, and the right of concurrent legislation of the subjects, were secured to us in the compact of 1785, and this compact arose out of claim based on the original charter of the actual ownership of the territory of the Pocomoke, which claim our forefathers have uniformly maintained from the founding of the State until now."

"That the rights now claimed by Maryland in Pocomoke sound of fishing and oystering privileges, and the right of concurrent legislation of the subjects, were secured to us in the compact of 1785, and this compact arose out of a claim based on the original charter of the actual ownership of the territory of the Pocomoke, which claim our forefathers have uniformly maintained from the found of the State until now."

"That the history of the controversy relating to the Pocomoke is a story involving the unjust wresting by false surveying of a large portion of her territory between Watkins Point and the seaside, which is authoritatively declared to be the rightful property of Maryland by the arbitrators in 1877, and which territory Virginia has unjustly retained and still retains."

"That the compact of 1785 was made under the eye of General Washington and at Mt. Vernon, and was intended to concede to both States equal privileges in the disputed water in Potomac and Pocomoke rivers. That Maryland has lived up to the letter and the spirit of that compact ever since and has conceded equal privileges in the mighty Potomac, which Maryland owns exclusively, from that time to the present. But on the other hand, ever since 1870 an attempt has been made by Virginia to deprive us of equal rights in the comparatively insignificant Pocomoke, resulting in the loss of lives and much property to us."

"That Watkins Point is the end of the main marsh of Annamessex at Cedar Straits, and the true line, barring the fraud and the opposition heretofore alluded to, runs thence by a due east line to the Atlantic ocean, giving Maryland in truth the disputed waters and a vast tract of valuable land, now in the wrongful possession of Virginia."

"We therefore refuse to abide by the decision of Judges Goff and Hughes and declare our intention to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, an impartial tribunal, for review of the decision just rendered, and we believe that this tribunal will vindicate the views and the conduct of Maryland in this matter for more than 200 years past."

"Resolved, that a committee of five citizens, consisting of Noah C. Sterling, A. Lincoln Dryden, G. T. Atkinson, Sidney R. Riggin and Cornelius W. Sterling, be, and hereby are, appointed by this meeting, and are authorized to convey these our sentiments to Governor Brown and to urge him to take such steps as may be necessary to obtain the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on this momentous question."

"Resolved, that Governor Brown be requested to place a sloop in Pocomoke sound to protect Maryland citizens from the arrogance and oppression of the Virginia State fishery force."

Dedication.

Infrastructure -- Public : Churches

Conquest Chapel, M. P. Church, will be dedicated Sunday October 15th. Dr. J. E. T. Ewell and other ministers will be present. Preaching at 10:30 a.m., and 7 p.m., and service every night during the week.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : LitigationInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary

The recent decision of Judges Hughes and Goff, on the oyster question, does not receive the approval of a few of the citizens of Somerset Co., and resolutions asking that it be reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States have been passed by them. These resolutions, in utter disregard of the opinions of some of Maryland's most eminent jurists, that such a decision would be rendered, and ignoring entirely the advice of their present highest law officer, "that such an appeal should not be taken," can only be accounted for either on the ground of ignorance or willingness to be duped by some cross-road politician, who, to curry favor with people, has shaped his views to concur with their wishes. The exercise of a little common sense at least seems to us, on this side the line, all that is necessary to teach them of the folly of the course pursued by them, they ought to know that Maryland has always been too jealous of her rights to sleep on them for a hundred years, as in this instance, before asserting them and that Virginia has always been too magnanimous in giving her possessions to any one who wanted them, to withhold any portion of her domain from any rightful owner of it. They ought to have learned by this time that there are only two ways out of the dilemma in which they find themselves by the recent decision and they might as well realize it and govern themselves accordingly. They must either buy our oysters, or if they wish to catch them, can do so, by becoming citizens of our State, and to all who like the latter way better, if good citizens, a cordial invitation is extended.

Peninsula Enterprise
Accomac Court House
September 30, 1893