Chincoteague Island: Interesting Abode of Oystermen and Clammers

Now that the attention of the people of the United States is being attracted to Virginia by the coming Ter-Centennial in 1907, it may not be inappropriate to bring to their notice one of the most interesting places on the Virginia coast, or possibly on the Atlantic coast, viz.: the little island of Chincoteague, whose inhabitants, some 4,000 souls, are engaged exclusively in the fishing, oystering and clamming industry.

Chincoteague lies on the most northern coast line of Virginia, just escaping being a part of the State of Maryland, and some six miles from the main land, the intervening waters, Chincoteague Sound, being the fishing grounds. This industry did not amount to much until after the Civil War, since which time it has increased to its present vast proportions, the waters in season being dotted with hundreds of fishing boats. To the lover of these succulent bivalves it may be interesting to learn something of their production and of the people who devote their entire lives to the cultivation of these luxuries that until a few years ago could only be enjoyed by those living on the coast or by those wealthy enough to visit there, but are now enjoyed by the most humble in almost every State in the Union.

The oysterman is an early riser, and daylight finds him on the grounds busy with the tongs. In summer it is a beautiful sight on the bay, the waters being dotted with white-sailed fishing boats. By noon they are on their way to the shore with their catch, the oysters to be placed in the oyster boxes to drink, a process that consists of placing them in enormous boxes built in the water in such a manner that the salt water can be diluted with fresh water to the proper degree, and the oyster drinks his fill and gets fat. "Drinking and fattening them," the oysterman terms it. When fat the oyster is ready for market.

Clamming is carried on in a different manner. Few who enjoy this delicious and healthful food realize the hardship and exposure these hardy men undergo to supply the demand for them. A clammer goes out in his little boat to where the water is shoal enough to permit his standing on the bottom of the bay with his head just out of the water. He then touches a clam; he rolls it up his leg with the other foot as far as he can, then ducks under and grabs it with his hand. This operation is repeated as long as he can stand it. To the uninitiated it would be impossible to distinguish by feeling with the foot between the clam and dozens of other shells which cover the bottom of the bay, but the clammer makes no mistake, as he cannot afford to waste any dives. The hardships and exposures is very great, standing as he does at times for many hours in almost icy waters and diving under from seven to nine hundred times, the average daily catch being eight to nine hundred clams, for which he receives at the rate of three to four dollars per thousand. But he is seldom sick, except perhaps it may be an occasional attack of rheumatism, and usually lives to a ripe old age on this healthy little island. Many of these men know no other life, are inured to these hardships from earliest youth and accustomed to the varying moods of the
sea, the winds and storms, and accept them all cheerfully and as a matter of course along with the beautiful blue placid main, with its ever shifting lights and shadows, its iridescent colors dancing brightly over the smooth waters of the bay under a smiling sun. From childhood, when first paddling about in their little boats, or swimming from shoal to shoal, they know and love the sea as well when raging in fury as when mirroring back their baby faces from its clear depths.

Chincoteague is the home of a species of wild horse or pony, nearly as large as the Texan pony, that thrive and breed in their native state without the help or care of man, and roam the island at will. The island is well wooded, which gives them shelter, and the marsh grass provides them with food. They are claimed or owned by several people who round them up occasionally and brand the colts, break them to harness when they have sale for them, but do not bother with them at any other time. They make good and attractive drivers when well broken. It is an interesting and beautiful sight to watch these little animals gather on the seashore and wait for the tide to go out and the water to settle before quenching their thirst, that the water may be less brackish. With the incoming tide they will all scamper back on the beach in a rush to escape a wetting. In winter they will scrape the snow from off the marsh grass with their sharp little hoofs, and remain just as fat and comfortable as in the summer season. How they came on the island is not known, but tradition or the island legends has it that a South American vessel was wrecked many years ago on the neighboring island of Assoteague and some of these ponies made their way to the shore of Chincoteague island, and have increased to a considerable number.

The Chincoteaguer is moral and religious, as the number of well-attended churches will show, and the almost perfect order maintained on the streets and in the well-behaved and good-mannered people met in home and street. His principal amusement and recreation is an occasional horse race and boat race. The annual bateau race, usually held on the Fourth of July, is the event of the year. The bateau is a flat-bottomed boat carrying an enormous spread of sail, and is very fast. A unique feature of sailing these races is seen probably nowhere else -- that is their method of disposing of
any unnecessary ballast that they may have on board, if the wind goes down and they should not need it. The ballast consists of men, more or less according to the wind when they start. If the wind dies down some of them are told to jump overboard, which they do unhesitatingly, and swim to the nearest shoal water, sometimes a mile or two, unless sooner picked by some other boat. If they have to swim to the shoal to find a place where the water is shallow enough for them to stand with the head out, they do so and wait to be picked up. A dangerous way surely to sail boat races, but these hardy oystermen think nothing of it, and are amply repaid for their exposure if their favorite boat wins the race.

The oysterman must give unceasing attention to his oyster-beds, planting shells for the young oysters to adhere to, culling them and attending to the necessary details as carefully and assiduously as the farmer in the interior cultivates his corn and potatoes. Nature seems to have created nothing of food value to the human race that it has not also created an enemy to destroy it if not prevented by man, thus teaching him that to enjoy the good things it provides he must earn it by the sweat of his brow. The worst enemy of the oyster is called the screw-borer, a small shell-fish an inch or two long, very similar to the snail, that bores through the shell of the oyster, striking the heart in every instance and killing it. The borers will destroy whole beds of oysters in one season if left to their work.

To the traveler from the interior Chincoteague Island is well worth an extended visit, and with its invigorating sea breezes, fresh sea food and interesting studies of nature, will amply repay the sojourner for his time and trouble.