Peninsula Enterprise, February 9, 1882
Accomac Court House Peninsula Enterprise, February 9, 1882
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Laborers -- FarmMigration
Since writing the article in our editorial column in reference to labor, we are informed that a party of gentlemen in the neighborhood of Locustville and Locustmount have chartered a schooner and engaged the services of Mr. J. T. Powell as agent, to go to New York and employ some 50 or 60 Germans as farm hands.
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A great eagle measuring seven feet from tip to tip of his wings, was killed by a little son of Mr. David Abbott, near Mappsville.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Grist millsForests -- Sawmills
Our enterprising countryman, Mr. Frank T. Stockley, purposes at an early date to establish a saw, planing and grist mill on the road, in that thrifty locality known as the Railroad.
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Fields -- Livestock - Sheep
Mr. Chas. K. Taylor, living near Chapelville, this county, reports thirty lambs dropped on his place since the first day of January.
LIFE SAVING SERVICE NOTES.
Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving service
From the 1st of March next to the close of the season, wages of surfmen will be increased to $45 per month.
The superintendent, Capt. B. S. Rich, has been required by the general superintendent, as soon as possible to furnish him with a list of all persons connected with life saving stations in his district, who have died by reason of wound, or injury, or disease contracted in the service since its establishment. The order is made by the general superintendent, it is presumed, in view of the prospect of the passage of the bill before Congress to pension disabled men who have been engaged in the life saving service, and their families.
Capt. B. S. Rich, superintendent of life saving stations, received a new and handsome surf boat a few days ago, for Hog Island station, No. 8.
Local Option on Court Day.
Moral -- Alcohol
Editor of The Enterprise:
Through the kindness and courtesy of Judge Parramore, the routine of the court-room exercises was relieved of its monotony by one of the most effective speeches in behalf of temperance that it has ever been the pleasure of your correspondent to hear. Our Commonwealth's Attorney, Hon. John Neely, in happy and appropriate terms, introduced as speaker of the occasion the Rev. L. E. Barrett of Onancock.
Mr. B. began his speech by saying that he was not present to answer the bugle blast of any political party or heed the call of any ecclesiastical organization; but he was present as a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
He came before them as a friend of Local Option as a means for the suppression of the iniquitous liquor traffic, which like a voracious wolf was eating out the life of the country. He indicted this traffic as the deadly foe of religion, morality, education, national and individual prosperity; the deadly foe of all social, domestic and individual peace and happiness.
This charge he demonstrated from indisputable facts and statistics.
But this dark cloud, he proceeded to say, which has hung over us so long, has now a silver lining, and here and there the bright tints and the blue sky may be seen beyond. The speaker then spoke in glowing terms of the Local Option Convention that met in Charlottesville on the 20th of last December -- of its personnel, its spirit, its action and its leader, ex-Governor Smith, of Virginia.
The success of Local Option, as an experiment, in Maine, Kansas and Maryland was given.
The objections that are usually urged against it were next taken up and most ably handled.
It was a noble effort for the cause of temperance, and its friends felt grateful for it.
The court-house was filled to its utmost capacity, and no sheriff was needed to keep silence.
No one wanted to give up his place, though the speech was an hour and a half long. The speaker was pronounced by those who heard him a true orator, and golden opinions were extorted even from anti-Local Option men.
Much good was no doubt done for the cause of Local Option on Monday, the 30th ult.
Let its friends now rally, and this deadly foe of all that is good and great will be conquered.
A. G.
School Report.
Infrastructure -- Public - Government : School administrationDisease
Editor of the Enterprise:
Extract from the Report of the County Superintendent of Schools for the month of January: No. of pupils enrolled, 2,807; No. in daily average attendance, 1,933; No. of graded schools in the county, 6; No. of warrants issued by Superintendent to teachers, 52; Value of said warrants, $1,510.50. Owing to the prevalence of measles, and inclement weather during the month, the average daily attendance is much smaller than it would otherwise have been. Thanks are due, and freely tendered to our excellent County Treasurer and assistant, for promptly cashing all warrants as presented.
J. C. WEAVER, Supt.
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MigrationLaborers -- Farm
Just now the great problem with our farmers is the labor question. Many in the immediate vicinity of Drummondtown have tried in vain to obtain farm help for the year of 1882, but so far have been unsuccessful. This will continue to be the result unless they place their dependence upon a more stable race than the colored population. Since the ascendancy of the Mahone party the negro seems to be above labor on the farm, or, in fact, any kind of labor by which he "shall earn his bread by the sweat of his brow." This is the general conclusion arrived at. True, there are some very industrious negroes among us, but they are "scarce as hen's teeth" almost. What will the farmers do, then, is the question, unless they can induce the negro to work? Why, the answer is this, if the farmer wishes help that he can rely upon, he must employ the white man, and give him "a white man's chance." If a few of our farmers club together and charter a boat for New York, or Boston, or Philadelphia, they can obtain all the labor they wish -- in the household or on the farm. Hundreds of German families would be proud of the chance to hire out to our farmers. They can work and they will work just as cheap as any other race. Irishmen, too, make good farm hands; they understand the care of horses, and when necessary can use the hoe. In fact they are "hedgers and ditches" by nature. Try the Celt, try the German, try the Swede. So soon will a new prosperity dawn upon this land, and you will ever after have the help you now so much desire. A visit to Castle Garden, New York, will convince any who are skeptical that what we say is true. The accession of help of this kind to any community is to its advantage. "Why stand ye here all the day idle!" Go to work, and get help where it can be had, and do not stand around deploring your sad fate. A want of energy on your part will not help matters one iota.