Peninsula Enterprise, January 21, 1893

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate

Mr. Ezekiel Baker, Modestown, has bought a farm in Somerset Co., Md., of F. H. Dryden, real estate agent, for the sum of $3,200.

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Weather -- FreezesWeather -- Snow storms

The average depth of the snow which fell here on last Wednesday night, was from 12 to 14 inches. The ice in our creeks is from 8 to 10 inches. Outside of our Islands as far as the eye can reach ice only can be seen.

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Weather -- Freezes

The correspondent of the Baltimore Sun from Crisfield, reports that several families from the Eastern Shore of Virginia are at that place in a suffering condition, who desire to come home without the means for doing so.

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Moral -- Firearms

Dr. John H. Ayres, operated upon foot of Paul Winder, who accidentally shot himself last week, removing part of the bone leading to the big toe. Other operations will be necessary.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement

An error was committed in the last issue in stating that the oyster taxes, etc., in this county was two or three times as much as they were for the corresponding quarter of 1891. Upon examination, it appears that the excess of the gross receipts for 1892 over those in 1891 was $60.72, and of net receipts was $176.38.

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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations

A meeting of the County Alliance will be held at Onley Station, Friday afternoon, Jan. 27, immediately after the arrival of the south bound mail train. A large attendance of Alliancemen is requested as business of importance must be attended to.

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Weather -- Snow stormsWeather -- FreezesTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fraternal ordersSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Hunting : Rabbit and squirrelTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Dogs

Greenbackville.

Snow is from eight to twelve inches on a level in this section of the county.

The average attendance at our public schools very small since Christmas, owing to the inclement weather.

The three secret Orders here, "Progressive Endowment Guild," "Fraternal Legion" and "Improved Order of Red Men" are all in a flourishing condition and increasing rapidly in membership.

Our oystermen are now busily engaged in cutting ice on the bay and in taking out oysters for shipment to northern markets. It is cold work, but they seem willing to put up with it for the filthy lucre awaiting them at the other end of the line.

Engines were sent from this point last Sunday, to Georgetown, Del., for the purpose of assisting in clearing snow from the railroad track. The thermometer on that day here was 4 degrees below zero.

Master Allen Jarman, a youthful Nimrod of this place, broke the record in one day's gunning last week by his exploits as a sportsman. He killed a rabbit, shot his dog and broke his gun.

Steamer Widgeon, which plies between Chincoteague and Franklin City has not been able to make her run since the 10th inst., owing to the ice blockade between the two points. Freights in the way of provisions are now being taken to Chincoteague on a sledge, and the mails to the place when sent are carried by a messenger on foot over the ice.

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Weather -- FreezesSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Dredging

Onancock.

The oldest inhabitants declare the present freeze up to be the most severe and protracted they have ever known. The ice on the creek had a uniform thickness of nearly ten inches. Three young men walked a few days ago from Chesconnessex to Watt's Island, without meeting any serious mishap. On Monday night at 11 o'clock, thermometers in Onancock registered five degrees below zero. Early Wednesday morning there was a still further depression and the temperature sank to ten below. Much suffering is reported among the poor people in the outlying country districts.

An alarming condition of affairs is said to exist on Tangier Island. The inhabitants are reported to be without either food or fuel and there is said to be no way in which they can procure any. Several drummers are on the island, unable to get off.

Intelligence has reached here of much suffering, which exists among the dredging hands shipped from this section. Hundreds of them are in or around Crisfield, without food, shelter or money. Some of them are being housed in the jail. Many of the dredging boats frozen up near Crisfield, are reported without food or fuel.

The sleighing during the past week has been the finest that the people of Onancock have enjoyed for half a century.

Overtaken by a Snow Storm and Frozen to Death.

Weather -- Snow stormsTourists and sportsmen -- Field sportsfield sports - Hunting : Personal injury

Mr. John W. Taylor, a very worthy young man, aged 23 years, son of Mr. J. M. Taylor, while out gunning last Saturday, on the marsh near Gargatha, was overtaken by a snow storm and frozen to death. James Berry, who had accompanied him on the trip, having fallen into an air hole while crossing the creek, and getting wet, left him on the marsh a short while before night, and was the last one who saw him. On the following morning, Mr. Taylor not having returned home, his family becoming alarmed for his safety, went in search of him and continued to look for him until his lifeless body was found on Monday afternoon. He had evidently wandered around in the blinding snow storm prevailing last Saturday night until he sank from exhaustion and met the sad fate which awaited him. His gun has not been found. His death has cast a gloom over the community in which he resided.

Drier to be Hanged.

Moral -- Murder

Thursday, of last week, the Virginia Court of Appeals handed down an opinion, which was delivered by Judge Lewis, confirming the decision of the Circuit Court of Northampton county, rendered April 28, 1892, sentencing George Drier to be hanged for the murder of Mrs. Fannie McFadden. The principal objection made to the verdict of the lower court was the overruling of the motion to quash the writ of venire facias and the return on the writ. The crime was committed October 14th, 1891. The story of the murder is that Drier, who had been a clerk for Mrs. McFadden, killed her in cold blood for her money. He does not deny that he killed her and when convinced that he is to be hung, will, it is said, make a statement giving the history of the crime. The court of last resort in Virginia having decided against him the time for his execution will doubtless be fixed by the judge of the Northampton court at a day not very remote.

An Infant Accidentally Shot and Killed.

Moral -- Firearms

On last Saturday the wife of James J. Milliner, on returning to the house from which she had been absent but a few minutes, found her infant son, Burleigh, 19 months old, bleeding profusely from a wound in the neck and with life almost extinct. The boy whose care the child had been left, Robert Gray, aged 13 years, reported that the wound had been inflicted by the child falling upon a pair of scissors which had been given him to play with. Dr. John H. Ayres being called, upon examination, found that the child had been shot and that the ball entering near the shoulder blade had passed through the heart, lungs and kidney of the child into its thigh, where it had lodged.

The boy being advised as to the result of their investigation, admitted that he had accidentally shot the child. It is stated that he had often snapped the pistol to amuse the child, and that the cartridge in one barrel had been placed there that day without his knowledge. The boy has not been arrested as there is no doubt but that he shot the child accidentally. Mr. and Mrs. Milliner live near Accomac C. H. and have the sympathy of the community in their affliction.

Schooner Floated and Crew Rescued.

Weather -- FreezesInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceTransportation -- Water - StrandingsSea -- Wrecking

The two-masted schooner Oakes Ames, Capt. William Cropper, of 275 tons net register, bound from New York to Norfolk, with a cargo of salt, went ashore on Dawson shoals, last Saturday night. The three Life Saving crews of Metompkin, Cedar Island and Parramore's Beach with the assistance of steamer Rescue of the Merritt Wrecking COmpany, succeeded in floating and taking her in Wachapreague Inlet to a place of safety on Tuesday. Capt. Cropper is a former citizen of this county, and being a experienced seaman with a thorough knowledge of our coast, it was not understood why his schooner was on Dawson shoals, until advised by him that he put her there after ineffectual attempts on account of the ice to secure a harbor either at Sandy Hook, Delaware Breakwater or in Chesapeake Bay. The rescue of Captain Cropper and crew was a timely one as they could not have endured the suffering to which they were subjected much longer. Some of them were badly frostbitten and thoroughly benumbed when taken off the boat.

Narrow Escape From Watery Graves.

Weather -- Freezes

Truth, which sometimes is stranger than fiction, has had a practical illustration, in the narrow escape from watery graves last Tuesday, of Messrs. Ben F. Marsh, Jr., A. J. Davis, William W. Williams and Charles Frick. They left Chesconnessex on that day for a walk across Pocomoke Sound to Watts Island, a distance of eight miles and had nearly completed their journey when they concluded to return home. On their way back all went well with them until they arrived at the sound channel to find that the ice had parted, leaving a gulf impassible between them and their homes of more than a hundred yards. In their dilemma and while deliberating what to do, the ice on which they were standing of not more than thirty feet square was separated from the main body and was drifting with the tide, they knew not where -- and on they drifted for miles in the middle of the Pocomoke sound on the cake of ice liable to be subdivided into smaller cakes at any time by the buffeting of the waves. Eventually drifting, however, to the opening in the ice on the other side of the sound and within three mile of Woody Island, they abandoned their icy and rudderless craft to put themselves in greater danger of loosing their lives. The abandoned their cake of ice of thirty feet, to find the ice in which they fled for greater safety, broken up into pieces less than six feet square. In their perilous situation, the only thing left for them was to make the shore by jumping from one cake of ice to another and this they did until they reached the shore about two miles without any mishap, but in imminent peril of their lives. At one time they were all on a cake of ice so small their only safety was in lying flat and drifting to a larger cake. On their way to shore one of them would have been drowned by the breaking of the ice if he had not been pulled out by his companions. They say that "they cannot express their suffering and fear while in the middle of the sound with only small blocks of ice between them and a watery grave."

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Newspapers

The readers of the ENTERPRISE are respectfully requested to withhold their criticism and to favor us with a moderate share of their indulgence, if the appearance of the ENTERPRISE during this and next week does not suit them. These favors we take it for granted will be accorded us, when accompanied with the assurance that in a very short time we will be able to give then not only one of the best published, but we hope, one of the best country newspapers in America. To that end we have recently purchased the store house known as the "Lilliston store-house," near the post office, and propose to so remodel it that it will be in all respects suited to the purpose for which it is intended. Thoroughly fitted up, as it soon will be, it will be no less thoroughly equipped with material and presses of every kind and description used in a first class printing office, and in that line the latest improved country Campbell cylinder press has already been ordered and will be received from Taunton, Massachusetts, in a few days. In the meantime, however, having moved into our new office, we find everything so completely "turned upside down," that we are unable to get out our paper with credit to ourselves or to the satisfaction of our readers, and therefore beg their indulgence for a short period.

Peninsula Enterprise
Accomac Court House
January 21, 1893