Peninsula Enterprise, June 7, 1884

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - HotelsTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - ResortsTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Guides

Messrs. Jas. E. Matthews has been succeeded by Matthews & Co., as proprietors of the Atlantic Hotel on Chincoteague Island and the house will hereafter be run on the European plan. The hotel is the largest on the Eastern Shore and can furnish accommodations for two hundred guests. Since it passed into the hands of the new proprietors it has been newly furnished and otherwise provided with everything necessary to the comfort of guests. Special inducements are offered by them to sportsmen and at greatly reduced rates. Board now can be secured there at from $2.50 to $1.75 a day and a guide will be furnished sportsmen at $1.50 per day.

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Fields -- Fertilizer

Mr. T. G. Elliot, who sold as agent, several tons of Cedar Island guano manufactured by Capt. O. A. Browne this season, reports results better than 19 per cent. Peruvian guano on crops which both were used side by side. In his opinion, Capt. Browne will have to increase his facilities for manufacturing it, if he wishes to supply the demand for it another season.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Excursions

Mr. S. A. Byrd, with N. W. Nock and family returned Saturday afternoon from a very pleasant excursion down the bay on a schooner commanded by Captain S. R. Marshall. The youngsters paid heavy tribute to old Neptune, but with the fine fishing and other sports were amply repaid for all discomforts. -- Watts Island was visited during the trip, and its immense flocks of sheep and cattle, with the extensive orchards of pears, figs and plums, were matters of surprise and interest. After a pleasant chat with the gentlemanly proprietor, Mr. H. Doremus, and with a generous supply of choice flowers kindly furnished from his extensive garden, they left him a real "Monarch of all he surveys, whose right there are none to dispute."

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Transportation -- Railroad - Personal injury

Mr. Wm. Tatman, of New Church, an employee on the railroad, had his leg broken Friday of last week, by a piece of timber falling on it. He was taken in charge by the railroad officials, who secured him, a physician at their expense, presented him with a purse of twenty dollars and promised to continue his wages until his recovery from the accident.

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Moral -- Murder

Hon. George D. Wise of Richmond has been employed to assist the Commonwealth's attorney, to prosecute Dr. Jas. D. Pitts. The defendant will be represented by Messrs. John Neely and Abel. T. Johnson of this county, and Henry Page Esq., of Maryland. It is said also that Hon. Geo. T. Garrison, has been employed by the defendant.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement

Candidates for the positions of oyster inspectors in the various districts of the county are requested to make their applications in writing at once directed to some member of the appointing Board, consisting of the judge of the county court, clerk of the county court and commonwealth's attorney. The Board meets the last of next week to select the inspectors.

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Moral -- Murder

The examination of witnesses before a justice in the case of Dr. Pitts for the killing of Dr. Walter held on Saturday last resulted in his commitment to await an indictment. The line of defence to be followed was clearly developed to be that of self defence altho' no evidence beyond the statement to that effect by Dr. Pitts to witnesses was elicited. It was shown that on the day prior to the shooting he had tried to make an exchange of his pistol for a self-cocker, and had bought twenty 32 calibre Smith and Wesson cartridges. -- His conduct on that terrible day was shown to be cool, calm, and quiet, and while he refused arrest by unauthorized parties he quickly and unresistingly yielded to an officer of the law. How soon he will be brought to answer before a jury of his countrymen to the fearful charge laid upon him, we do not know, but that the law will be fully vindicated, we do not have the shadow of a doubt.

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Moral -- Murder

Hon. George D. Wise of Richmond has been employed to assist the Commonwealth's attorney, to prosecute Dr. Jas. D. Pitts. The defendant will be represented by Messrs. John Neely and Abel. T. Johnson of this county, and Henry Page Esq., of Maryland. It is said also that Hon. Geo. T. Garrison, has been employed by the defendant.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Legislation

Chincoteague.

Our oyster planters are much agitated over the new oyster law, and are swearing vengeance against the law makers that would sanction the passage of an act to prevent them during certain months from handling the oysters that they have paid for, and on which they pay a tax.

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Architecture -- Courthouses

Mappsville.

The location of the proposed new court-house is exciting considerable interest among our people. The action of the board of supervisors is universally condemned as altogether "too previous," because of not having taken steps to first ascertain the will of the people in the matter. It was hardly to be supposed that among their other multitudinous and arduous duties, that the people of the entire county delegated to four or five men, however, wise or honorable, the power of selecting a site for a building in which every citizen is so concerned. By their action, in thus arbitrarily assuming the prerogative of locating the new buildings, so far from the centre of the county and so remote from the railroad, they are doing the people a great injustice, and carving for their monuments an epitaph that none will envy and time alone efface. Let there be a stay of proceedings until the will of the people shall have been ascertained.

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Fields -- Crops - White potatoes : Diseases and pests

Temperanceville.

The rose bugs are devouring our farmer's vegetables to an alarming extent.

To the ex-Confederate Soldiers of Accomac.

Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Veterans

Comrades; Col. James McDonald, Adjt. Gen. of the state, has placed in my hands the necessary blanks to make a roll of the soldiers from this county. -- You are expected to furnish the following information: Name, age, place and date of enlistment, residence at time, rank, wounded, when and where, character of present disability; in U. S. prison, when and how long, discharged when and where; transfer, promotions, and any incidents worthy of record. In addition to this in regard to dead comrades; whether died of wounds or disease, and when and where, and where buried. Upon you, comrades, depends the completeness of my work. That you will promptly and fully respond, and place your names, with those of our gallant dead, upon the grand Roll of Honor, glorified by the names of a Lee, a Jackson, a Stuart, I cannot doubt.

I am ready to begin the work.

Your comrade,

G. T. SCARBURGH,

Accomac C. H., Va., June 5, 1884.

The Railroad.

Transportation -- Railroad - ConstructionTransportation -- Railroad - Freight

Favorable progress is reported on our railroad all along the line, from Pocomoke City to Accomac C. H., Va. -- The road has been graded, except a few hundred feet to this point, and the track will be laid to the Accomac line to-day. After this date, from one half to a mile of track will be laid a day, and the road therefore to this point, a distance of 28 miles, be completed in thirty or forty days. Below this place the work of grading is being vigorously pushed and the entire road to the terminus will be graded far enough in advance of the track-layers, to prevent delays in that respect, and if they lay the track as rapidly as they now expect, the entire road will be completed by the first of September. Trains we are advised, will begin to run to points where the road is completed, as soon as station houses are erected, and other necessary arrangements made. It looks, therefore, if the sources of our information are correct, that the farmers in many parts of our county will have the opportunity, if they wish, to ship their round and sweet potato crops to market this season, by rail.

New Steamboat Route.

Transportation -- Water - Freight

Information received from our friend, Mr. T. G. Elliott, who was in our town, last Thursday, now establishes the fact, that the efforts made by him for many years to secure steam transportation of a reliable character between the Eastern Shore and New York, has at last been successful. The matter so long agitated by him has finally had the recognition of the Old Dominion Steamship Co., and the steamer Newberne of that line, after about the 20th of June, will ply regularly between Matchapungo and New York. In a letter to Mr. Elliott from Capt. H. A. Bourne, general superintendent of the company, among other things, he states, "our purpose is to make regular trips, whether we carry any freight or not," "if we advertise to sail at a given time, we will do so, if we don't get five barrels to carry." Information received from such authentic sources leaves no doubt that the facilities for transportation promised our farmers will be furnished them.