Peninsula Enterprise, May 10, 1890

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Newspapers

The first issue of the Accomac Democrat, published at Onancock, was received at our office last week and promptly found a place on our exchange list. It has a good name, was neat in appearance, and the editor announces "that it has come to stay."

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Chain gang

The rules and regulations of the chain gang adopted by the county court, April tern, 1890, are published this week, for the information of the evil doers, to whom the terrors of the law are more potent than its blessings. It began operations on last Monday, with Howard Walker, Oliver Stran, and John Barnes, colored, the first sentenced to imprisonment in jail for the larceny of chickens, and the other two for the larceny of whisky.

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Transportation -- Railroad - Freight

Mr. R. B. Cooke, general passenger and freight agent, N. Y., P. & N. R.R., authorizes the following: The schedule of passenger trains will be changed on the 11th inst., and on 12th inst., the same schedule of perishable freight trains will be put into effect as was operated last year.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Horse racingLaborers -- ConstructionNatural resources -- Shoreline migrationMigrationSea -- Fish factoriesInfrastructure -- Commercial - Millineries

Chincoteague.

At a meeting held by our lovers of the turf recently, a committee was appointed to select a place for a race track. It is proposed to give more attention to the many fine colts being raised here, and it is thought that only the proper training is needed to place them in the foremost rank with the finest swifters on the Eastern Shore.

Our carpenters and masons have entered into enough contracts to keep them at work during the remainder of the year and still they cannot half meet the demands for their services. There is an opening here for several good mechanics at present

The encroachment of the tides upon the beach have made Tom's Cove, well known as a place for the growth of fine oysters, nearly a mile longer than it was a month ago.

Mr. Nathan Gorday and family of Girdletree, Md., made Chincoteague their home last week. He will start a large wood and lumber yard here, and proposes, also, to engage largely in the oyster business.

Work at the fish factory of Capt. John W. Bunting will be resumed shortly. His steamer and sail vessels are now in Norfolk undergoing the necessary repairs of the season's work.

Our milliners are home again from the city and it is hardly necessary to add that their establishments are favorite resorts for our ladies. Pretty bonnets and pretty faces beneath them will, therefore, be among the attractions at our churches next Sunday.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential developmentSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : PricesSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Prices

Greenbackville.

The demand for dwellings in our town is greater than the supply, and the demand is still increasing. There is a marrying boom in our midst, and a building boom is necessary to accommodate them. Surplus capital could be well invested in town lots here.

The business outlook is better with us. Oysters are selling from 75 cents to $1 per bushel, clams $1 to $1.25 per thousand.

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Transportation -- Railroad - Stations and sidings

Onancock.

It is said, that a large station house will shortly be erected at Onley, in the place of the present insignificant building at that point, and that Onley will be made the principal station between Keller and Parksley.

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Transportation -- Road - Maintenance

The Montgomery Advertiser says the question of good roads will be a leading one in the next Legislature of Alabama, and aptly remarks: "Roads that are well worked and kept in first-class condition attract population, increase the value of real estate and property generally, reduce the cost of transportation and thus encourage the greater exchange of products between sections, and promote intercourse and development wherever they may exist. It has been truly said that 'the road is that physical sign or symbol by which you will best judge and understand any age or people,' and if they have no roads they are wanting in civilization, for the road is the creation of man and the type of civilized and intelligent society." The question of good roads is one, which is, in fact, engaging the attention of intelligent people everywhere, and the truth of the statements contained in the above is better recognized nowhere than in Virginia. The way out of the old ruts is all that necessary to be shown to our people to receive their enthusiastic endorsement. The trouble with us is, that those who have it in their power to introduce a better system of working the roads decline, or are afraid to act. While action is being taken, not only in Alabama, but in almost every Southern State, will Virginia continue to be a laggard in the race for the development of her resources, not because her people do not approve, but through the inactivity or inefficiency of those who have it in their power to give us better roads?

CHAIN-GANG.

Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Chain gang

Rules and Regulations Adopted by County Court, April Term, 1890.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 3932 of the Code of 1887, (the Board of Supervisors of this county having declined to act,) the Court doth hereby establish a chain-gang in this county, for the purpose of working on the streets, roads and public property; and, in pursuance of the authority conferred upon it by the statute-law of the State, the Court doth declare and adopt the following rules and regulations for the care, safe keeping and government of persons employed in said chain-gang, to wit:

ARTICLE I.

Officers of Chain-Gang, their Duties and Compensation.

Sec. 1. The officers of said gang shall be a captain and an assistant; who shall be appointed by the Court, and shall hold their respective positions during its pleasure.

Sec. 2. During their continuance in office, such captain and assistant are appointed and constituted special police, and shall qualify as such by taking an oath to support the constitution of this State and faithfully discharge their official duties.

Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of said captain, and in his absence of the assistant, to take charge of, safely keep (whilst not actually confined in jail), and properly work all persons who may be ordered to work in said chain gang; to employ them in and about such work as this court, or the judge thereof in vacation, may order and direct; and to see that they diligently work for eight (8) hours each day, Sundays and days which are too inclement for outdoor labor excepted, during the months of October, November, December, January, February and March, and for at least ten (10) hours during the other months of the year, unless any one, or more, of said persons by reason of sickness, or other disability, is incapacitated from performing manual labor: Provided, however that whenever said chain-gang is employed in working upon the streets or roads in this county, the work shall be performed in such manner as the surveyor of the road precinct, in which said streets or roads are embraced, may direct; but, should said surveyor fail to give any direction then in such manner as the officer in charge of said gang may deem best.

Sec. 4. The captain shall, when present, have charge of said gang; but when, for any reason, he is absent, the assistant shall have the charge thereof.

Sec. 5. The assistant shall not be employed except in the absence of the captain, or when three or more persons, for the time being form the chain-gang.

Sec. 6. The captain shall be responsible for the safe keeping and preservation of all tools, implements, or other property furnished to or for the use of the gang. And it shall be his duty to keep an accurate register in a book to be furnished him for the purpose of all persons who may be directed to work in said gang -- the dates of their admission to and discharge therefrom -- the number of days' work performed by each of said persons -- on what days they, or either of them failed to work, and the reason for such failure -- and a list of all tools implements, or other property belonging to the county furnished for the use of said gang, and the disposition made of same. All infractions of these rules and regulations by members of the chain-gang shall be noted by the captain in his register. Said register shall be produced and exhibited to the court, or to the judge thereof, whenever demanded; and the captain shall, upon vacating his office, return the same to the clerk of this court.

Sec. 7. For each day, when actually employed in working said chain gang, the captain, or, in his absence, the assistant, when so employed, shall be entitled to one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50); and the assistant shall, for each day when so employed the captain being present, be entitled to one dollar ($1); -- such compensation to said officers to be paid out of the county levy of his county. The orders for the payment of the compensation to said officers shall be made by this court at intervals not exceeding three months, upon accounts duly made out and sworn to.

ARTICLE II.

Persons to Work in Chain-Gang -- for what time, and how punished for insubordination, disobedience of orders,and refusal or failure to work.

Sec. 1. Every male person, above the age of sixteen years, convicted of a misdemeanor, or of any offence deemed infamous in law, and sentenced to confinement in the jail of this county as a punishment, or part punishment for such offence, or who is imprisoned for failure to pay any fine or penalty imposed or assessed against him upon such conviction, shall work in said chain gang; except such persons, so confined in said jail, as may, by reason of old age, bodily infirmity or any other cause, be exempted from working, by the order of the judge of this court.

Sec. 2. Every person ordered to work in said gang shall work therein for the period for which he is sentenced to confinement in said jail, Sundays excepted: and if any person is imprisoned therein, for failure to pay any fine or penalty imposed or assessed against him upon such conviction, he shall work out in said gang the full amount thereof, including the legal costs, at the rate of twenty-five cents (25c) per day for each day so held, Sundays excepted, and shall be entitled to a credit of twenty-five cents (25c) for each day of his confinement, whether he labors or not; Provided, however, no such person shall be held so to labor for the non-payment of any fine imposed upon him, for a longer period than six months.

Sec. 3. For insubordination or resisting any officer of the chain gang, or any guard placed over him, or any person called upon by such officer to assist him in the enforcement of his authority; or for wilful disobedience of the proper orders and directions of said officer; or for a refusal or failure to work as directed by said officer; or for any wilful injury or destruction of any tool, implement or other property furnished for the use of said gang; or for failure to conform to and obey any one of the rules and regulations prescribed for the government and conduct of said gang; -- any person ordered to work therein shall be punished by the infliction of such corporal punishment upon him, as the judge of this court, either in term time or vacation, may order; -- such punishment to be executed by the jailor of this county, or by one of the officers placed in charge of said gang.

ARTICLE III.

Miscellaneous.

Sec. 1. The jailor of this county shall, upon request of the captain of the chain gang or of the assistant, as the case may be, deliver to such captain or assistant, such prisoners confined in his jail as may have been ordered to work in said gang.

Sec. 2. The officer of said gang, receiving any prisoner delivered to him under the last preceding rule, shall, before his removal from the jail of his county, affix a chain and ball to the leg of said prisoner, which shall not be taken off until he is returned to said jail. But, this rule shall not apply to any such prisoner as the judge of this court may direct shall be worked without a chain and ball.

Sec. 3. Upon the termination of a day's work, each prisoner shall be returned by the officer of the gang having him in charge, to the custody of the jailor of this county, except in such cases as the judge of this court may otherwise specially direct.

Sec. 4. Should a surveyor of a road precinct, situated so remote from the jail of this county as to render it too inconvenient to return the members of the chain gang to the custody of the keeper of said jail at the termination of each day's work, apply for the labor of said gang upon the roads of his precinct, this court will only grant the application of such surveyor for the services of said gang, upon said surveyor entering into arrangements, satisfactory to the Court, for the proper safe keeping, guarding, feeding and lodging said members, and for their return to the jail of this county at the end of the period for which the labor of said gang is allowed to said surveyor. The gang shall be worked, managed and treated in accordance with these rules and regulations by any surveyor to whom their services may be assigned under this rule.

Sec. 5. These rules and regulations shall be in force until rescinded, amended or otherwise altered by the Court.

Peninsula Enterprise
Accomac Court House
May 10, 1890