Dispatch, January 15, 1889

Untitled

Moral -- AlcoholInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateInfrastructure -- Public : ChurchesInfrasturcture -- Public - Government : County

Onancock, January 13, 1889.

For several days past considerable amusement has prevailed here at the expense of many well-meaning ladies of this town, who signed the petition to Judge Garrison, already mentioned in this correspondence, to refuse to grant license to any one to sell liquor within the corporate limits of Onancock or within one mile thereof. The day after the petition was circulated some one started the report that all the signers would be summoned to appear before court and show cause why the applications for license should be rejected. This created consternation in the ranks of the ladies who had signed the petition, and not a few of them ordered their names erased from it. The joke was kept up for several days, and it is said that some of the ladies declared that rather than appear in court they would imitate the example of the men in this town who recently took a trip to distant parts to avoid answering a summons to appear before the grand jury and tell what they knew about the violation of the local-option law in this town. The frightened ladies were somewhat relieved to learn that the petition has not yet been presented to Judge Garrison.

The indictments against the parties charged with violating the local-option law in this district have been dismissed owing to the fact that the district voted for license at the election on the 5th instant.

More deeds have been admitted to record in the clerk's office of Accomack county in the last ten days than ever before in the same length of time. The most of them were deeds of bargain and sale.

There is some talk about the division of St. George's Episcopal parish in this county. There are only four churches in the parish, which covers the entire county, and is therefore too large a field to be properly attended to by one pastor. In colonial days there were two parishes in the county and their division is still observed in the election of county officers, there being an equal distribution between the upper and lower parishes.