Peninsula Enterprise, June 29, 1895

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fields -- Crops - White potatoes : YieldFields -- crops - Sweet potatoes : Acreage

The farmers of the county report small yield of round potatoes and a "bad stand" of sweet potato sprouts. The acreage in latter is so large however, that it is likely that enough will be produced to meet all demands for them.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Lodges

The "Point" farm in Northampton has been sold to a club of New York gentlemen, as a resort for hunting and pleasure. The price paid was $8,000.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Taxation

The assessment of lands in the upper Parish of Accomac this year shows an increase over last year of $6,962.59, over the assessment in 1890 of $189,952. The increase in the lower Parish over that of five years ago was $237,724. The increase in the assessment of lands since 1890 for both parishes, or the county, has been $427,676.

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Moral -- Other violent crime

Thomas Holden, colored, tried at the present term of the county court for malicious shooting, was found guilty and punishment fixed at two years in the penitentiary, and George Wise, colored, tried for attempt to commit rape on a colored girl, was also convicted and his punishment fixed at three years in penitentiary.

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Transportation -- Water - Freight

Chincoteague

Schooner Medora Francis, loaded with round potatoes and wool, left here for Philadelphia this week, schooner Boneta with cargo of shells for Fair Haven, Conn., and schooner Thomas Thomas loaded with round potatoes at Wachapreague for New York.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Crabbing : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Crabbing : PackingLaborers -- FisheriesInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fraternal orders

Greenbackville.

The oyster business is about over with us for this season. Clams are in some demand and sell for paying prices, both at Franklin City and in the Northern markets, but the crab business bids fair to become more lucrative than either oysters or clams.

W. M. Needles has engaged quite extensively in the soft crab trade, and also utilizes thousand of hard crabs. He has the hard crabs steamed and the meat picked out, which he ships to market in gallon tin cans. He has employed in his crab factory at Franklin City from 15 to 25 women and children.

There is quite a building boom in this town. The Improved Order of Red Men have recently purchased a lot of ground on Stockton avenue, this town, and will, at an early date erect a large hall, for the use of the tribe, with a large storeroom on the first floor. The lot of land on which the hall is to be erected, cost the Red Men at the rate of $1,100 per acre, or $135 for less than one-eighth of an acre. Some six or seven buildings for private residences are now in course of erection, and sites have been secured for several others.

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Transportation -- Water - Freight

Marsh Market.

Round potatoes are being shipped from this point on sail boats and steamer to Baltimore, Md.

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Transportation -- Water - FreightMoral -- Property crimeTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Baseball

Wachapreague.

A large schooner is loading with shells at our wharf for New Haven, and the Kirkman and Thomas Thomas are lying here to load with potatoes for New York.

A half demented negro woman named Annie Matthews, attempted to impose on the merchants of our town a few days ago, with orders purporting to come from her employer. She was detected in the effort to purchase some fancy dress goods and trimmings, not in the line of the lady she represented.

Mrs. Alice Atkinson, of New York, died at the hotel in Wachapreague on Sunday morning last. She had been an invalid for several months and accompanied by her daughter, Mrs. Bulkley, had been sent to this place by her physician. She grew much worse a week ago, and her husband was summoned by telegram from New York, reaching her bed side on the day before her death. Gen. Atkinson, her husband, is commander of the State of New York, and holds a prominent position in the clerk's office of the city. An embalmer was summoned by telegram from Norfolk, who with undertaker B. O. Bell, prepared the body for shipment to New York whither it was taken by train on Monday.

A game of base ball at Onancock, on the 21st of this month, between the Onancock and Wachapreague teams, resulted in a victory for the latter by a score of 10 to 7.

Suicide of a Popular Young Man.

Mental illness

The body of Mr. Southey L. Goffigon was discovered by Mr. Oswald C. Mears about daylight on Tuesday morning last, lying on the end of Custis dock in Wachapreague. A bullet hole was found in the left temple from which a small quantity of blood had been oozing, and a revolver with one empty chamber, was lying between his knees. Life had evidently been extinct for several hours. The circumstances of the case plainly indicated the suicide of the unfortunate young man, and fixed the hour of 10 p.m. the previous evening as the moment of the unfortunate occurrence. The body lay partly over the string piece of the dock, as if that position had been selected with a view to the chances of a speedy death by drowning in case the deadly bullet had failed to accomplish that result.

Mr. Goffigon was well-known in the lower part of the county, and universally liked by everybody who knew him. Lately he had suffered very much in his health, and while invariably cheerful, was known by his friends to have been the prey of late of mental depression. He left his home in Locustmount in the evening of the 24th, telling his sister he was going to New York by schooner and might never return; but he was seen by friends on the street as late as 9:30 o'clock, and gave no intimation that he contemplated suicide. A coroner's inquest was held by Justice Taylor, and the above facts were developed, the jury promptly rendering a verdict of death by suicide. He was a master Mason, and was buried with Masonic honors by Ocean Lodge on Wednesday morning.