Peninsula Enterprise, March 21, 1896
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : TaxationTransportation -- Railroad - Litigation
In the case of the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad Company against the Board of Supervisors of Northampton, handed down by the court of appeals of Virginia on Thursday of last week, the court held that county supervisors have no power to levy a tax on railroad, telegraph or telephone companies for district school purposes.
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Fields -- Livestock - MulesTransportation -- Road - Maintenance
Messrs. Joseph S. Bull and J. T. Burton, arrived home by steamer on last Wednesday, with the twelve mules purchased in Kentucky by them by the authority of the Board of Supervisors of Accomac. The price paid for them in Kentucky, we are advised, was $105 each, and the expense on each of them was some $20 or $25 more. Everyone who has seen them says that they are up to the standard required by the Board in every particular.
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Transportation -- Railroad - WrecksForests -- Shipping : Rail
A freight train going north on the N. Y., P. and N. R. R. Sunday night was wrecked near New Church, Va., by the breaking of a wheel. Nine cars loaded with lumber were demolished. The track was blocked for ten hours. A track had to be constructed around the wreck to permit passenger trains going north and south to pass.
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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - FairsTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Horse racing
The Chesapeake Fair Association, Cape Charles, was not represented at the meeting of delegates of the Virginia, Maryland and Delaware trotting circuit held in Baltimore this week.
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Moral -- Alcohol
An act approved by our last General Assembly does away with the distinction between retail liquor and bar licenses, and provides for a retail liquor license, which shall include both the privilege of selling to be delivered to the purchasers in bottles, jugs, demijohns, or other vessels, and the privilege of being drunk at the place where sold. The sum to be paid for such a privilege in districts in Accomac where license is not prohibited after first of May next will be $100.
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Transportation -- Water - Boat buildingFields -- FertilizerTransportation -- Water - Freight
Chesconnessex.
A bateau 38 feet on the keel, the largest of the kind ever owned in this section, is being built by Capt. John Anderson, of Guilford, for Captain Edward H. Barnes.
Schooner Susie Muir arrived from Crisfield this week with cargo of fertilizers, manufactured by L. E. P. Dennis & Son, for the firm of Marsh & Bro.
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Transportation -- Water - WrecksTransportation -- Water - StrandingsInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateMoral -- Alcohol
Chincoteague.
Schooner R. F. Hastings, which left here for Norfolk on last Sunday, with 1,000 bushels of oysters, struck a wreck while going into Wachapreague Inlet during the night of that day and sunk in less than five minutes. The crew had hardly time to escape in the yawl boat. The schooner and cargo belonged to Captain John Collins and brother William. Their loss was about $1,000. A subscription started here to help them in their distress is meeting with fair success.
Schooner Thomas Thomas, Captain William Harrison, which went ashore in a storm on Absecom bar on the 5th inst., was floated without damage with the assistance of the force of Life Saving Station, near that place.
Mr. Burton Dennis has sold his store at Deep Hole and stock of goods to Mr. William P. Reed.
Schooner Boneta, Capt. George Price, put in our harbor this week, with a broken mainmast. She had also lost flying jib, anchor and chain, boom, &c.
The coming Local Option election seems to be the main talk with our people and we are safe in saying, that this neighborhood will furnish a large majority against licensing sale of liquors.
The men who have been on Assateague for several days, supposed to be filibusters, left on the 17th inst. A large steamer and tugboat came for the men and boats and took them away.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : DredgingTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - BicyclingTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - BaseballTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Football
Harborton.
Our dredgers have returned home and report a right fair season.
Our inhabitants had a surprise last week, in the shape of a lady bicycle rider. Being the first in the town, she was quite a curiosity.
Harborton baseball club played the return match at Pungoteague last Saturday, against that town, and were beaten. The Harborton foot ball club is open for a match in Easter week.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate
Onancock.
Mr. Henry O. Finney sold 70 acres of his farm on Finney's Creek, as ascertained by county Surveyor D. F. White, this week, to Henry Kilmon, John Kilmon and Oswald Mason, for the sum of $2,100.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionProfessionals -- Builders
Onley.
Mr. T. M. Hutchinson has been awarded the contract for building office of Savage & Parks, and not Mr. Kellam, as heretofore reported.
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Transportation -- Water - WrecksInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Lighthouse service
Hog Island.
Steamer Sunshine, used for conveying passengers from this place to Willis' Wharf, was sunk at the Government dock during a gale of wind recently and is a total wreck. Since the accident to the steamer a boat has been put on the line by Messrs. Ben Doughty and James Phillips, and run by them, for the accommodation of passengers.
Mr. Frank, a lighthouse official, arrived here last week with wire netting, to be placed around the new light, to protect it from damage by wild fowl.
A phonographical entertainment given here Tuesday night by Mr. Parven, for benefit of our Sunday school, netted $8.35.
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Fields -- Livestock - MulesTransportation -- Road - Maintenance
EDITOR OF ENTERPRISE:
When our Board of Supervisors or other public officers by their acts, deserve praise, they should receive it; and on the other hand when they deserve censure or criticism, it should not be withheld. Last spring our county was out about $600 on twelve mules that were then bought by them for the road machine. It is not known how this loss came about, whether by bad bargain, lack of judgement, or from other cause; but that the county did suffer the loss of that amount of money by some means, can hardly be denied when we compare the following figures, especially in view of the fact that mules have advanced in price since a year ago: Spring of 1895, twelve young mules average weight about 1,150 pounds, bought of Bergmann, Baltimore, at something over $180 each, or about $2,200 for the lot delivered. Spring of 1896, twelve young mules average weight 1,248 pounds, bought by Joseph Bull, agent of supervisors, in Kentucky, delivered in the county for $128.77 each, or $1,545 for the lot, showing a difference of over $600 in the lot to the county of the two lots of mules. These figures furnish their own commentary. A finer lot of mules than those just landed were never seen on the shore. This purchase reflects great credit upon the wisdom of the present Board of Supervisors, and also speaks in high terms of the skill and integrity of their agent, Mr. Bull and his assistant, Mr. Burton, who went to Kentucky and made the selection. It was said long ago, that the "Evil that men do lives after them, and that the good is often interred with their bones." This should not be, hence this communication.
Yours truly, N. W. Nock.
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Moral -- Alcohol
EDITOR OF ENTERPRISE:
I beg leave to submit, that the opinion of voter in your last issue on the local option question, though it may seem fair to him, appears to be unreasonable to others. In reply would ask him, if local option was not a failure in Metompkin district and if some, good people at that, who voted against license were not among the first to cry out for stimulants? Was it not true also the merchants, with few exceptions, sold what might be called tanglefoot, done up in fancy names and labeled to catch the eye of old and young while local option prevailed? Was not more drank and sold then than there is now? Did not young men and boys carry around flasks then who never did before, and was not liquor sold then at all gatherings and church meetings as never before? Is it not a fact that local option causes people to lie more and commit perjury? Does local option stop the sale of liquors? For answer to the latter query have to say, that the common talk in the local option districts is, that seven persons sell intoxicating liquors now where one only used to do it. On the other hand if license is granted we have an honest judge and jurors to prevent it being sold to minors and people, who want and will have it, can but without having to pay extra charges for getting it through express companies and otherwise. Consumptives and others must have it, and is it right to make a man a law-breaker of himself by stealing it or giving to parties who are able and willing to pay for it and cannot do so without committing a crime. Moderation is desirable in all things and in none more so than in this matter, and your scribe believes, that there is less evil in permitting it to be sold lawfully than in it being sold without license.
TAXPAYER AND VOTER.
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Moral -- AlcoholTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fairs
MR. EDITOR:
We are requested by certain ladies, of christian character, not to offer any premium for "homemade wines." With a desire to accommodate these friends of humanity, and being desirous to maintain the moral tone of our fair, we cheerfully strike wines, of all kinds, from our catalogue and will not give any premiums for same. By order of the Board of Directors.
A. M. NOTTINGHAM, Secretary.
Local Option Notice.
Moral -- Alcohol
The County Local Option Committee has decided to, and does hereby call a conference of all the preachers of every denomination (white and colored), all the members of the different committees (county, district and precinct), and every friend of the Local Option cause to meet at Eastville on Tuesday, 24th inst. It is to be hoped this call will be heeded. A failure to be present will be a damper on the cause. Meeting will be called promptly at 12 noon. Should the weather be unfit, will meet next fair day.
JOHN W. GUY, County Chairman.
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Transportation -- Railroad - LitigationInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Taxation
The decision rendered by the supreme court of appeals of Virginia last week, in the case of the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad vs. the Board of Supervisors of Northampton, means a loss of thousands of dollars to the public schools of Virginia. Under the decision, not a dollar can be collected for district school purposes in any county in the State from any railroad, telegraph, telephone or canal company, and while we are not advised, as to the loss occasioned thereby, accepting the statement as correct of Mr. Eugene Withers, member of the late General Assembly, in a recent article published by him, that the county of Pittsylvania alone losses by the decision $933.61, it can be readily seen how the public school interests of Virginia suffer, when the losses caused by the decision in the various counties where railroad property is taxed are taken in the aggregate. The losses should not have been permitted and would not have been if some members of the late General Assembly, according to another statement made by Mr. Withers, had been true to the interests of their constituents. In other words, the law being regarded as defective by Mr. Saunders, a member of the House, and a bill having been introduced by him "to remedy the defect in the existing law so as to insure the collection of these taxes," the public school interests would not have suffered, if as Mr. Withers states, the bill had not been throttled or allowed to die in committee -- or to be more explicit, if the interests of the people rather than of the railroads had been considered.