Peninsula Enterprise, September 19, 1891
Untitled
Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement
Capt. A. J. Read, Hoffman's wharf, has been appointed commander of the oyster police schooner, Tangier.
Untitled
Infrastructure -- Public : Schools
Onancock High School will open the first Monday in October. To the entire satisfaction of the large patronage of this excellent school, the Lee School Board elected the following teachers for the ensuing session: Prof. G. G. Joynes, principal; Miss B. A. Northam, first assistant; Miss Lizzie Custis, second assistant.
Untitled
Infrastructure -- Public : Schools
The Onancock Academy began its fifteenth session last week, with an enrollment of 72 pupils on the first day, the largest number ever enrolled before the first day of the session. Students have been coming in since the beginning of the session, the number now on the rolls being 101. The indication are that the present session will witness the largest attendance and the greatest success every way in the history of the school.
Untitled
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential construction
Belle Haven.
Mr. A. P. Kellam is building a handsome residence near our town.
Untitled
Fields -- Crops - FodderMigration
Mappsville.
Our farmers are now busy making fodder "while the sun shines." Short potato crop, short prices, short corn and fodder crop, all combined make short farmers have long faces.
Messrs. William Walsh and N. W. Nock made a flying trip to Newport News, last week. They report the town as growing rapidly, an exceedingly attractive place for the investment of capital in building lots, and one of the finest locations naturally for an immense city to be found on the coast. It is but a question of a few decades, when the whole country between Old Point and that place will be build up solidly. The ship building plant in the opinion of good judges, is without a single exception the finest in the world. At the present it represents an expenditure of $3,000,000, employs 2,000 laborers, and the company is constantly making costly improvements and adding new machinery. Two immense iron steamships for the Morgan Line -- El Sud and El Norte, are now being constructed. The wrecked iron steamship El Dorado is now being docked for repairs. Her officers say that the pirates of the Bahamas looted her to the tune of 70 or 80 thousand dollars. Our former townsman, Rev. Richard Walsh, is pleasantly located and Dame Fortune has not withheld her smiles from him either; inside lots, bought sometime ago are turning out to be veritable gold mines to him. They were pleased to know that others of our county people located there were doing well, among them our esteemed former neighbors and friends, Geo. W. Oldham, Hargis and Pruitt.
Untitled
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate
Parksley.
John Wm. Wessells is building a large dwelling on his part of the Richard Wessels land, near Parksley.
Louis F. Hinman, is reported to have purchased a one-fourth interest in the David F. White's heirs land adjoining Parksley.
Entertainment at the Fair Grounds.
Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - FairsTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Horse racing
The exercises at the Fair Grounds on last Tuesday, were of an especially interesting character. Everyone present was entertained and praise the programme provided for their amusement and the success with which it was carried out.
In the apple race the prizes were won by Vinel Drummond, W. A. Sturgis and Duncan Bradford, and they were awarded 2, 1 and 1/2 pounds of candy, respectively.
In the sack races, the same prizes as in apple race, were won by Duncan Bradford, Fred Thomas and Geo. Garrison.
In the foot race the first prize $1, was won by Will Stockley, with Jno. Bradford a good second and the winner of 50 cents.
The trotting races were especially well contested and very interesting. In the 4 year old class; White Foot, W. B. Pitts owner, Hannis, Dennis Hart owner, B. Morrell, Fisher Bradford owner, were entered. Race won by Hannis, White Foot 2nd.
In the 3 year old class: Maud W. owned by Smith Walter, won 1st prize, Frank Morrill owned by Carey Savage, 2nd, Maud Clay owned by J. Thos. Bull, 3rd.
In the tournament the successful Knights were Richard A. Turlington, Knight of Lone Star, G. Walter Mapp, Kappa Alpha, and John T. Nock, Ocean View, respectively, who selected Miss Annie Edmonds, Queen of Love, and Beauty, Miss Emma Smith, 1st Maid of Honor, and Miss Sadie Edmonds, 2nd Maid of Honor. The coronation speech was delivered by Ho. J. W. G. Blackstone in his usual happy and felicitous style.
Untitled
Watermen -- Watermen's organizationsNatural resources -- Conservation - Commons
EDITOR ENTERPRISE --
Please allow me to say for the benefit of those that offer big resolutions and write long letters on the oyster question, that the Advisory Board of the Supreme Union of the Oystermens' Protective Union of Virginia, are composed of practical oystermen and those directly engaged in the industry, the Advisory Board representing every Union in Virginia and 3 members at large added to represent the different interests, viz: tongers, dredgers and planters. It would be well for those not informed in this matter to hold their peace for the ten thousand organized oystermen of Virginia are going to think for themselves and not be dictated to by scheming office seekers or those who class the oystermen as monopolists. Our constitution says, any member, who shall favor or help in selling in any way the water public domain shall be expelled; and the offerer of the 2 cent per acre scheme has been dropped according to the above law.
S. M. W.
Sykes, Va., Sept. 11, 1891
Untitled
Transportation -- Road - Maintenance
The people of the Eastern Shore, progressing in many things are shamefully neglectful of their public highways. Besides the great discomfort and unsightliness of bad roads, their cost in almost beyond computation. Loss is sustained in hauling, three horses being really needed to carry a load two should readily move; in wear and tear of carts, wagons, carriages and harness; in injury to teams by overstrain; and loss follows in the lessened value of real estate. And all this loss comes because we have no regulated and efficient system of road work. Our roads could be kept in good order by the loss we suffer in almost any of the points named. They are easily worked, easy to drain, easy to keep in repair. When one goes over some of the roads here where heavy hauling is done -- not in the winter, but now in this early fall -- he finds the condition of the roadways simply disgraceful, and inhuman to teams. There should be no excuse for such a state of affairs. We admit fully that under the existing system it would be a hardship to punish a road surveyor for failure in a duty he has forced upon him, which he does not understand, and which he has not the means to perform. Road making under existing laws may well be likened to compelling the Egyptians to make bricks without straw; there being, however, this great difference between the average road surveyor and the Egyptians -- the latter did understand their business. We need an absolute change in our road system. The old method alone does not do the work -- let us seek a better one. It is true that in New England the roads are worked similarly to ours -- that is no reason why we should continue the system. By the system of road work now in use we find that our roads so easily and so readily kept in order are worse than for many years. In ante bellum days we had very far less hauling, far less travel, and with forced labor the roads were easily kept up -- but, then even they were not good. Now, we find we have gone on "progressing backwards," until we are literally in the mire and clay. There is a remedy -- let us find it. Candidates are in the field for the Legislature. Make it a condition of election that for these counties at least a system of road making shall be adopted which shall compel good roads. And let us bear in mind that in every point of view good roads are far cheaper than bad roads. We call on some of our people who have given this matter thought and study to offer suggestions. It has been well said that the civilization of a people may be judged by their roads; their prosperity certainly can. We shall revert to this subject again, and do not propose to let it drop until some better road method is adopted. Our roads are a shame to us.