Peninsula Enterprise, February 16, 1882

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Transportation -- Railroad - Construction
reprinted from Pocomoke City Record and Gazette

As we understand it the Pennsylvania Railroad have no idea of purchasing the Eastern Shore road, but instead will make their road a great through line from North to South by extending this road to Cherrystone.

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Forests -- Sawmills

Mr. Stanley J. Lewis, one of our best citizens and most enterprising merchants, left here yesterday to purchase a steam saw-mill which he proposes to erect near his game and progressive little town, Leemont.

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Transportation -- Water - Channel and harbor dredgingInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving service

A petition to Congress for the improvement of the channel of Pungoteague creek, and another to increase the pay of the Life Saving Service, have been offered by Hon. Geo. T. Garrison.

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Moral -- Firearms

Edward Martin of Saxe's Island, was shot on the 30th ult., in the arm by accidental discharge of a gun in the hands of Jesse Martin. The wound was a painful one, but will not be attended with any serious results under the skillful treatment of Dr. Broadwater.

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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations

Messrs. T. C. Kellam and A. J. Mears left by steamer Tangier on Monday as representatives of their respective granges, to the State Grange, which met in Alexandria on Tuesday last.

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Transportation -- Water - Steamboats

Mr. A. Frank Byrd, of Temperanceville, had a narrow escape from drowning last Thursday, by falling from the gang board of the steamer Widgeon into the dock at Wishart's Point. The accident being attributed to the carelessness of the deck hands of the steamer Mr. Byrd will sue the Old Dominion Steamboat Company for damages, unless proper reparation is made for injuries received.

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Fields -- Livestock - Swine

A valuable hog of Mr. John Baker, of Woodberry, strayed away from his premises during last week, and after five days "turned up" in the carcass of a dead horse. The hog had eaten his way into the horse -- and been so thoroughly entrapped that it was unable to release itself. But for a couple of lads passing that way, who heard and went to the assistance of the porker with an axe, Mr. Baker would have been a "hog poorer and never the wiser."

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Horse racing

ON the Cherrystone track, on Thursday, the 2nd inst., quite an exciting race took place: Willis Thompson entered h. Mischief, and R. F. Wyatt entered m. Kate; distance one mile. The first heat was won by Mischief in 3:15, and the second and third heats by Kate, in 3:07 and 3:05, respectively. In the last heat Kate made the first half-mile in 1:31. The track was very heavy, but the sport fine.

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Infrastructure -- Public : Libraries

Accomac C. H.

We doubt if the bulk of our citizens know of the fact of the existence in this town of a Library Association, whose book-shelves are filled with works of prose, poetry, fiction, history and philosophy, worth their close study, and far above libraries of many large towns in intrinsic value. It is so, and we commend it to the public.

Local Option Meeting.

Moral -- Alcohol

A meeting under the auspices of the Independent Order of Temperance, of Locustmount and vicinity, was held in the hall of their Lodge on Friday night, the 3rd. inst., for a public discussion of the question of Local Option. The neighborhood was well represented, and much earnestness and enthusiasm manifested on behalf of the new movement. Speeches were delivered by Messrs. Boone, Dukes, White, and others; and a subscription was immediately raised for a hundred copies of the Crusader for general distribution in the neighborhood.

Vaccination and the School Board.

Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Public healthInfrastructure -- Public - Government : School administrationDisease

Editor of The Enterprise:

"One of the School Board" has seen fit to reply to my note to you anent vaccination. I am very sorry he has written such an article. It shows a broad suspicion of his unfitness as guardian of the children under his control -- and his incapacity to deal with a question of such vital importance as the one involved in discussion. Clap-trap, and pretended care for the pockets of the people, mean nothing. The whole truth is in a nutshell. He is AFRAID OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO RIGHT. If the rest of the Board agree with him, God help us, for we are indeed in fearful jeopardy.

I distinctly avow that I DO mean to arraign the school Board at the bar of public opinion, not for ASSUMED, but ACTUAL, misfeasance in office. I am sorry to do so. But, as a citizen, as a father, as a physician acquainted with the question, with full and entire knowledge of the widely extended, continually spreading, and virulent character of the epidemic of small-pox now ravaging the country, I should be false to every duty did I allow such misfeasance to go unrebuked. I intend the people SHALL know, and SHALL understand, and that THEY shall force unfilled duty to be done if facts can do it. We have nothing to do with either private schools, or private families, in this discussion, and such reference is simply subterfuge and evasion. I very frankly say that "M. D. is in terrible fright" -- far more since reading the article of "One of the School Board," than before. Simply because the law is not MANDATORY he finds at least "One of the School Board" intends to shirk his responsibility in the premises. Many good citizens feel as I do. Does he know that the most responsible distributors of vaccination find in consequence of the enormous magnitude of the epidemic that they can scarcely fill the demand? Does he know that not one in ten thousand ever suffers from the "impure vaccine virus?" Does he know that with a little care every ill effect he deplores is absolute humbug? Yet so it is. In EXCESSIVELY rare cases ill results occur, not one, when ORDINARY care is exhibited, in thousands of cases. He, like some others, is suffering from that very dangerous thing -- a little knowledge -- and the people may -- I earnestly hope not -- suffer much because with his "precautions" infection may come. It is a shame to any man, in the face of such an epidemic, that he dares to brave his ignorance against duty, AND TRY TO DEFEND IT! I have only to add, for the delectation of this gentle specimen of the "School Board" that the mills of the goals are grinding to deprive him of his power, by evasion of duty, to do harm. I sincerely hope the Board, as a body, will not be duped by this "One," and by prompt action disavow his utterances. I say unhesitatingly that in view of the emergency the intention of the law just as plainly points their duty as if it were mandatory. If parents choose to neglect the only known means of safety, let them do their duty in the premises. I hope that this "One of the School Board" is sui generis, and that as an official of the county whose duty done, is like that of "dumb, driven cattle," at the "mandatory" point of the whip of the law, he will soon be known among us as a curious fossil only. Let us all hope that he may become inoculated with a sense of his high duty in the premise -- and dare to do it.

Respectfully,

M. D.