Peninsula Enterprise, November 14, 1891
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
The next regular meeting of Keller Alliance, will be held Saturday, November 21st. All members are earnestly requested to be present.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate
Mr. James Andrews, formerly of this county, has bought a farm near Bayview, Northampton county, for the sum of $2,500.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
The announcement is authorized, that there will be public speaking by prominent Alliance men at Parksley, November 21st, 2 p.m.
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Moral -- Property crime
A thief entered the storehouse of Mr. George T. Roberts, near Cheriton station, last Tuesday night, through the upper window and carried off the cash drawer, containing about fifteen dollars. It is the third time he has been robbed, this year.
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Infrastructure -- Public : Churches
Inclement weather prevented the laying of the corner stone of the Baptist Chapel, at Sunnyside,last Thursday, and the ceremony was postponed to Thursday, November 26th, Thanksgiving day. An extra train, leaving Pocomoke [City], at 8 a.m., for Cape Charles [City], will be run on that day.
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Watermen -- Watermen's organizations
The Advisory Committee of the Oystermen's Protective Union, meets at Hampton, next Wednesday. The members of same from Accomac, are: J. T. Kenney, L. F. J. Wilson, Dr. Frank Fletcher, George W. Glenn, T. R. Chase, J. C. Justice, George B. Hoffman, James A. Hall, A. J. Lewis, and J. T. Sharply -- from Northampton, S. S. Wilkins, B. T. Kellogg and Dr. Charles Smith.
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Sea -- Fish factoriesTransportation -- Water - WrecksSea -- WreckingProfessionals -- MarinersInfrastructure -- Commercial - Other stores
Chincoteague.
John W. Bunting & Sons have closed their fish factory for the season with good results.
The wrecked steamer Despatch was sold at public auction in Washington on 10th inst. Several parties were here to take a view of her before the sale.
Three new butchers have been added to our list of old ones in the last 30 days, and still they come. Another will arrive here from Wilmington in a few days.
Mr. Zackary Taylor, born here in 1815, but absent from the Island since a young man, locating in Baltimore after 20 years of seafaring life, was brought home by his cousin, John A. M. Whealton, last week to spend the remainder of his life here with his relatives and friends. Of late years he has been an invalid, and during the time has been reduced from affluence to poverty. He was at one time owner of valuable real estate.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionFarmers -- Farmers' organizations
Mappsville.
A large storehouse, being built here by Mr. John M. Bloxom, is rapidly nearing completion.
A. F. Mears is building quite a good sized storehouse at the head of the neck, near Mearsville. N. W. Nock is furnishing lumber for the same. Albert, like Banquo's ghost in the play, will not down, it seems.
The vote at our precinct was rather small. A large per cent. of voters being members of the Farmers' Alliance, who seemed quite enthusiastic in their support of their candidate. Several Republicans voted the Democratic ticket for the first time in a long while. Who can tell, but what the Alliance may yet turn out to be the great pacificator between the two sections of our people and county? Success to it in that great purpose, say we.
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Infrastructure -- Public : ChurchesTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Hunting : Personal injuryInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionInfrastructure -- Public : Cemeteries
Onancock.
The pastorium here has been completed at an expenditure upon same and church this year of about $7,000.
Mr. S. C. McGrath, laid up temporarily for repairs to a broken wrist, caused by falling over a fence some days ago, while out gunning, will soon be himself again.
The lumber is on the ground for improvements soon to be made to storehouse of Boggs & Groton, included in which, will be a glass front keeping with the tastes of the enterprising and prosperous proprietors.
Rev. J. B. Pruitt baptized ten persons Sunday afternoon, near the mouth of Onancock creek. The scene was very beautiful and impressive. The crowd at the water's edge was immense. The candidates baptized will be received into Broadway Baptist Church.
Citizens of the town held a meeting Friday night of last week, to establish a cemetery near the corporate limits, but very little interest was manifested, judging from the small number in attendance. The matter is now with the "town fathers," and having passed a resolution to the effect, "that no person hereafter should be interred in the corporate limits of Onancock," now only one of two things is left for them to do, viz: to establish a cemetery or pass a resolution, that persons within the corporate limits shall not die.
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Transportation -- Road - Maintenance
At a meeting held at Atlantic, Va, Saturday night, November 7th, for the purpose of considering the condition of our public highways, Mr. John D. Parsons was called to the chair, and S. W. Matthews was elected secretary.
After the Chairman stated the object of the meeting and hearing the views of those present in reference to the best mode of making and keeping our roads in repair, the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to draft resolutions expressive of the views of the meeting: S. W. Matthews, Levin H. Revell, Robert Nock and Samuel Revell. The committee, after consultation reported the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:
1. That each magisterial district constitute a Road District and that each county be taxed to make and keep its roads in repair.
2. That the county Judge shall appoint a roadman for each Road District to take charge of and make the public roads in said District.
3. That the roadman shall be paid an annual salary, which shall be in proportion to the size of his District, but not to exceed $600 per annum, and said roadman be required to devote his entire time to the roads, and said roadman be required to give a sufficient bond for faithful performance of his duty &c.
4. That the county shall furnish the necessary machinery and tools to do the work.
5. That the county Judge shall appoint a competent engineer to survey all the roads in the county and make a map of the same, and that said engineer instruct the roadman his duties &c.
5. That 10 hours shall constitute a day's work for employees on the roads, and the roadman be required to make a monthly report of his work and expenditure to the county Judge.
6. That a tax be levied of not less than 10 cents on the one hundred dollars worth of property and a capitation tax be levied of 50 cents on each male person over 21 years old, the same to be used in furnishing labor, teams, &c., as the roadman may think proper.
7. That the Judge shall have the power to dismiss any engineer or roadman for incompetency and employ others in his stead.
8. That the road shall not be less than 30 feet wide and the main road bed shall not be less than 12 feet, and bridges not less than 16 feet and the roadman shall be required to straighten all roads -- so far as practicable.
On motion, it was ordered that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the ENTERPRISE.
JNO. D. PARSONS, Chairman, S. W. MATTHEWS, Secretary.
Farmers' Alliance.
Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
The Sunny Side Alliance was re-organized on Saturday of last week. Capt. O. A. Browne was installed as president, Wm. B. Wilson, vice-president, Luther Nottingham, secretary, J. B. Savage, treasurer, Wm. M. Whitehead, chaplain, Capt. Morgan, lecturer, Willis Thompson, door-keeper, G. W. Wilkins, assistant door-keeper.
The uses of fertilizers, their value as applicable to the different crops, and the best manner of using them was discussed.
The Alliance adjourned to the regular meeting day, the last Saturday in the month.
At the November meeting, farm subjects will be discussed by Messrs. J. T. Savage, G. G. Savage and Luther Nottingham, each to select his subject.
The Alliance is devoting its time to the farmers, their work, and the improvement of both. We welcome the members of other Alliances to our meetings, and invite them to take part in the discussions, especially would we be glad to see our brother, the Hon. D. Frank White, and talk over our interests with him before he goes to Richmond, and to see our fellow countyman, the Hon. S. S. Wilkins in the Alliance -- talks a good deal like a lawyer, but he is not, he is only a farmer.
S.S.
The Late Congressman Scott's Fine Stock for Sale.
Professionals -- Realtors and developersFields -- Livestock - Horses
Erie, Pa., Nov. 7 -- According to the will of the late Wm. L. Scott, all of his thoroughbred horses on the Algera stock farm, near this city, will be sold at Tattersall's, New York city, next October. The stock comprises 4 stallions, including the famous Rayon, 83 brood mares and 46 this year's colts and a number of yearlings.
Drier Convicted of Murder in the 1st Degree.
Moral -- Murder
The trial of Drier, the murderer of Mrs. Fadden, at Cape Charles [City], some weeks ago, was commenced at Eastville, Thursday. Hon. John W. G. Blackstone and Mr. Otho F. Mears, counsel assigned by the court, appeared for the accused. Advices, received at the time we go to press, are that the jury returned verdict of murder in first degree, in five minutes after the case was given to them.
The Potato Question.
Fields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : Quality controlFarmers -- Innovation
MR. EDITOR -- The initials T. A. J., subscribed to an article in your last issue, in reply to my letter of the previous issue, represent a man who is second to no one in the interest and prosperity of the farmers of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and whose voice and pen always come to the front when danger threatens them.
Therefore, it is with some reluctance that I call the attention of your readers to a rejoinder, in which I am compelled to disagree with him in some points at issue.
In reply to that part of my letter referring to barrels as the cause of bad culling, he asks, "Did we not get our ideas of shipping in covered barrels from the [New] Jersey farmer?" Now a negative reply to this is perfectly pertinent: for in 1873, the time I stated that we began the use of barrels, Jersey farmers had not used them at all.
Neither did they, to any extent, as late as 1884.
They are shipped from the markets to which they are first consigned in open packages, in barrels, all over the country, by shippers who buy and re-pack them.
As this package was forced upon us by necessity and for convenience in handling our excessive crop, Jersey farmers may, from the same cause, be compelled, sooner or later, to resort to the use of it.
If the Jersey farmer had been shipping in barrels contemporary with us, there would be no need for the present worry over the rating of the Virginia crop. For it is not fair to presume that the Eastern Shore farmers are less circumspect or more fraudulent than Jersey farmers. Consequently the standard would likely only be equal to day to a barrel of medium Virginia sweets.
In proof of this reasoning, in a talk with T. B. Schall, of Baltimore, last week, he said, "they had a fine crop of sweet potatoes in Anne Arundel county this year, and but for the fact that the farmers had resorted to shipping in barrels instead of open packages as heretofore, I could have handled them to a great advantage. Really," he said, "they didn't pack them any better than your Eastern Shore farmers do," which is proof that covered packages breed careless handling. Nevertheless it is not necessarily so. What we want to do is to educate our farmers to a sense of right and wrong, to a standard that to ship in covered packages will not be an excuse for an easy conscience in falsely filling them.
Having satisfied himself that I was in error as to the cause of the careless handling of potatoes, in my charging it to the use of covered packages, T. A. J. attempts to prove, and not altogether without reason, that the trouble is due to the Baltimore commission merchants who have been the consignees of this crop; but in whose favor there is some mitigation.
His idea of right in the case of A's and B's potatoes, as illustrated by him may be correct, and his denunciation of a commission merchant who would advise his consignor to ship inferior goods marked as primes is perfectly justifiable.
On the other hand I have in my mind a question of right and wrong, the principles of which are somewhat similar to his case, which I will state. And in which the justice as required from his in the previous case, will not be equitable.
Let us for convenience's sake make T. A. J. a commission merchant.
The Steamer Eastern Shore duly arrives in Baltimore and the purser, Mr. Joynes, hands him a freight bill on which is represented one hundred shippers with an aggregate amount of five hundred barrels. After going through a little preliminary, such as belongs to the business, "pulling and hauling" -- T. A. J. was offered two dollars per barrel for this inclusive lot of potatoes by a shipper; this price being equal to any offer he had had for his best marks in small lots (the case stated is of frequent occurrence) the sale was confirmed and the potatoes were delivered to the buyer, he having received the whole number of barrels as per the agreement.
The next in order will be to price the potatoes preparatory to having sales made out. Having done so, let us see how justice has been meted out by him in this always perplexing question to me.
If we find the price has been made uniform, knowing that the potatoes run good, bad and indifferent, what becomes of T. A. J's theory that right demands goods should be priced according to their worth, and if priced upon that basis, according to their real worth, from whence did he derive the right to take from the legitimate sale, and for which he received the full value -- two dollars -- for A's potatoes and give a part of the same to B. even had he been positive that there did exist a difference in quality. Or perchance had A. been a witness to the whole transaction could he have been convinced of the justice of such a discrimination?
This is but one question of the many perplexing questions that are every day forced upon men who occupy the position in which we have, in this little transaction, placed T. A. J.
And on that account sober consideration and not hasty criticism is due them.
I do not wish however, to be understood, that I subscribe to the present manner in which the business is conducted. I took occasion in my former letter to state my views freely upon that point.
In conclusion let me indicate a plan that has favor with some of our largest farmers with whom I have conversed, and which favorably meets all the issues which have so far been brought to bear on the question by both sides, viz.: hire agents at a set price per annum to sell or re-ship our produce. This plan will obliterate the lifelong crimination and counter-crimination, as exists, between the consignee and consignor in this business. It will leave the agent free to study only the interest of his shippers. It will cost the farmer less than the present plan by curtailing the number employed, or middle men. It will do away with all the tricks in the trade; and lastly, place the agent in a position to undo what in my judgement his predecessor was unjustly held responsible for, viz.: bad culling.
We appreciate, and commend to the readers of this article the words so encouragingly written by T. A. J. wherein he says: "The cloud is never so dark and over-shadowing but what we may find some trace of brightness beyond if we look for it."
This article refers principally to the business as conducted in Baltimore.
L. T. LECATO,
Concord, November 9th, 1891.
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Transportation -- Railroad - LegislationTransportation -- Railroad - Rates and faresTransportation -- Railroad - Regulation
Our next Legislature will, it is generally conceded, pass a railroad bill, in fact, the members-elect during their candidacy committed themselves to such a measure. The railroad corporation will not, it is stated, oppose the passage of a bill and are even willing for a law to be passed to conform to the inter-State Commerce Act -- but one thing, they will bitterly oppose, if the advices received are correct, to wit: giving the Commission power to make rates. There's the rub. In matters about which the people do not care a straw they will concur, provisions worthless, because not of a sufficient importance ever to be enforced, will of course be acceded to by them -- but rates they must continue to make in the future as in the past to the oppression of the people. The farce of such a bill cannot but be patent to everyone -- a sort of a play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out -- which the people will not tolerate unless we mistake their temper.
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Fields -- Livestock - SheepFields -- Livestock - Dog problem
It is claimed that Virginia is particularly adapted to sheep raising -- especially in the mountain and hill district. It is true also of the Eastern Shore. The advocates of sheep farming claim as their profits, mutton and lambs, wool, manure. Our railway and steamboat facilities put us close to home and Northern markets. It must be admitted we need all we can grow to fill the gaps in farming. Sheep grow, prosper and are profitable, on wastelands. But the industry, admittedly profitable, cannot be entered upon with safety. The legions of worthless dogs bar the way. The keeping of fifty sheep worth $150 is prevented by two or three dogs worth five cents less than nothing. The dog can be fenced out. The one safe and sure method is to tax him, and tax him well. It is our duty to tax him so we can raise profitable sheep without peril.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
No higher tribute has or can be paid members of the Farmers' Alliance than is embodied in this paragraph from the Petersburg Index-Appeal: "One thing has been made very clear by the election in Virginia. Tuesday, (3rd), and that is that the members of the Farmers' Alliance consider it an organization 'for business only.' The majority of these members are Democrats and by their votes they have given notice that whatever reforms and betterment of their condition they desire to bring about, they will not attempt any of it outside of the ranks of their party."
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Legislation
The message of Governor McKinney to the General Assembly of Virginia, it is stated, is in preparation and is expected to deal extensively with the oyster question. He has given a good deal of time to the consideration of the vexed question, and his views will be looked for with interest. Laws regarding the oyster will certainly be enacted this session, and the Governor is entitled to his opinion, but it is not likely that his suggestions will be in accord with the great bulk of those engaged in the industry, and therefore not acceptable to them.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateTransportation -- Water - Sailboats
For Sale -- At Franklin City, house with 7 rooms, 12 city lots, two-story house 14 X 30 and wharf attached -- also house and lot at Greenbackville, and about 11 acres of land between Greenbackville and Franklin City -- also oyster floats, 1 cart, 1 top wagon, 1 plow, 1 Planet Jr. horse hoe and harrow, about 300 bushels of turnips, 300 bushels of round potatoes, 1,000 cabbages, some Jersey cattle, about 2,000 bushels of oysters -- also schooner Sea Flower carrying about 300 bushels of oysters and sloop Wonder carrying about 200 bushels of oyster plants, both in good repair. Abel A Lake, Franklin City.