Peninsula Enterprise, December 17, 1892
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reprinted from Crisfield Times, December 10.Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcementInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary
Capt. Isaac Sterling, who was shot by Capt. Gaskins of the Virginia [oyster] police, is improving and is on the road to recovery.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Hotels
Mr. G. Lloyd Doughty and family moved into the hotel at Accomac C. H., last Thursday, and the same is now open to receive guests. We can very cordially commend it to the patronage of the public. It will be first class in all respects.
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Moral -- Alcohol
Franklin C. Lewis, who was convicted of selling liquor without license by the courts of Accomac, has been awarded writs of error by the supreme court of appeals of Virginia. It is now for that tribunal to say whether the courts below shall be sustained or reversed.
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Mr. George Bagwell, of Onancock, who has been County Surveyor of Northampton for some time and well known on the Eastern Shore, took an overdose of morphine Monday night at the hotel at Sunnyside, and up to this writing is not expected to recover. It is not known whether he took the dose accidentally, or with suicidal intent. -- Pioneer.
He died on Thursday, and his remains arrived by noon train on Friday, for interment at his home in Accomac.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Town
Belle Haven.
Kellam Bros.' building at Exmore is nearing completion.
The town hall at this place sold on Saturday last, at public auction, was bid off to Dr. Hyslop and Messrs. John Willis and A. N. H. Mapp, for one thousand dollars.
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Transportation -- Railroad - FreightTransportation -- Railroad - SteamboatsSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideInfrastructure -- Commercial - General StoresTransportation -- Water - FreightSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : MarketsInfrastructure -- Commercial - Banks
Chincoteague.
The captain of the steamer Widgeon has been ordered to make three trips daily. The increase in oyster shipments made an additional trip necessary.
There is not a vacant storehouse or shop on the Island. All are occupied and loaded down with goods.
Schooners L. B. Chandler, Boneta and Palestine, loaded this week with oysters for Fair Haven, Conn.
Hon. George W. Covington, representing the private banks of Covington, Bishop & Johnson, was here for several days this week soliciting depositors for same.
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Transportation -- Railroad - Stations and sidings
Mappsburg.
The N. Y. P. &. N. R. R. Co., are making big improvements at our [Mappsburg] station in a freight house.
Public School Report for November.
No. of schools in operation 118; No. of graded schools 27; No. pupils enrolled 4,710; No. pupils in average daily attendance 3,486; No. of schools visited by Supt., 28.
Teachers in making their reports will please observe the following regulations: Make the report promptly at the close of each school months, (within three days). Fold the report as indicated by the blank forms and send in large envelopes -- always enclosing a postage stamp for return receipt. Fill out every blank in the report forms. Use but one form for each month. By observing these simple rules a vast amount of annoyance will be saved to the Superintendent.
Very respectfully,
JOHN E. MAPP,
Supt. Schools.
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundary
The Maryland and Virginia joint commission, which met in the city of Washington, last week, to determine the concurrent rights of the two States in the waters of Potomac river and Pocomoke Sound, adjourned, as was expected, without coming to any conclusion regarding the propositions in question, other than that it would be impossible for the two committees to agree. Of course they could not agree and the necessity of such a meeting does not concern us. If Maryland had anything to offer in return for the valuable rights which she wished to acquire in our territory, Virginia in that spirit of comity which should exist between the States, could not refuse a hearing to her representatives, but when Maryland comes to us as she did in the role of a beggar, in asking us to divide with her our oyster beds in Pocomoke sound, she made a demand upon our generosity too farcical to be entertained for a moment and the meeting should not have been held. Maryland having failed in duping us to consent to part with our possessions, now threatens to resort to the courts to get what she wants. It is only an idle threat however -- with her eminent counsel advising to the contrary, of course she will not be guilty of such folly.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : LegislationSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Planting
The question of the sale in fee of the oyster bottoms of our State seems to have been put to rest by a late decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in regard to the lake front ownership at Chicago. It practically settles the point that a State cannot sell the lake bottoms, because they are the common heritage of all its people. In other words, navigable waters and the soils under them, in the opinion of the Supreme Court, being the inalienable rights of the people; the State can no more "abdicate its trust over them, so as to leave them entirely under the use and control of private parties, than it can abdicate its police powers in the administration of the government and the preservation of peace." The grant therefore by the State of lands held by it in trust if not absolutely void on its face would certainly be subject to revocation. The question of leasing the lake bottoms was not passed upon by the Court, and to what extent therefore, the practice of leasing the oyster grounds in Virginia is in contravention of the doctrine in the case is a matter of inference, but we presume, the lease of common property would be with the view of benefiting as many people as possible. The decision is one of great interest to the people of the Eastern Shore. It seems to dispose finally of the vicious legislation contemplated by citizens of other parts of the State, who would sell the oyster bottoms, regardless of the burdens thereby imposed on the citizens of Tidewater.