Peninsula Enterprise, March 14, 1885
Untitled
Transportation -- Railroad - Corporate
We learn that the resignation of Mr. James McConkey, Supt. of the N.Y., Pa., & N. R.R. Co., has been accepted. We had hoped that his health had so far improved as to have enabled him to continue on the work of the road, and we regret to learn that it has not -- before his retirement. Mr. McConkey will take with him the good wishes of the many friends he not only has among the employees of the road but of those he has made of our citizens along the line. We are not informed who his successor will be.
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Transportation -- Water - Channel and harbor dredging
Geo. Walter Widgeon, inspector of dredging at Cape Charles City, received severe and perhaps fatal injuries, by being tripped by a rope, on last Saturday.
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : School administration
The following is an extract from the report of county Supt. of schools for the month ending, Feb. 28th.
Number of schools in county 82. Schools of more than one teacher 18. Pupils enrolled 4,480. Average daily attendance 3,221. No. warrants issued 56. Amount of warrants $1,635.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Crabbing : BaysideInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Lighthouse serviceSea -- Finfish - Methods : Pound-netSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PricesSea -- Fish factoriesFields -- Fertilizer
Hoffman's Wharf.
Several dredgers have abandoned the business and returned home on account of the scarcity of oysters.
Mr. James H. Twyford, the leader of the soft crab industry, contemplates making his home at Cape Charles, unless he becomes the keeper of the lighthouse, for which he is an aspirant. In regard to the crab catching business, those engaged in it say, that it is very profitable, if one-fourth of them can be gotten to market alive.
From present indications, there will be several fish pounds established about the mouth of Pungoteague creek, in the early spring.
Oysters suitable for planting, caught in Tangier sound, are being offered to the citizens on Pungoteague creek at 10 cents per bushel.
Messrs. Powell, Morse & Co., delivered 130 tons of Virginius guano last week, and the daily demand for it in large quantities also still continues. Beside their Virginius, they have also on hand for sale a few tons of dry ground snap.
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Forests -- SawmillsForests -- Forest products - LumberInfrastructure -- Public : FencesTourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Dogs
Keller.
Mr. Wm. F. Fleming has completed the house over his Steam saw mill at this place, and is doing first class sawing and hauling at low rates. Has a nice lot of heart lumber on hand.
Our people are about equally divided on the fence, and no fence law question.
Mr. J. T. Killman, received a pair of full blooded hound pups from W. R. Boyd, Coatsville, Pa., a few days ago. Look out for sport next Winter.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PricesFields -- Livestock - PoultrySea -- Finfish - Catch : RockFields -- Livestock - Diseases and pests
Marsh Market.
One hundred and twenty barrels of oysters shipped by rail to Philadelphia, recently by speculators from Messongo Creek, brought from $6.50 to $6.75 per barrel.
Willie Hayne, a clerk of Hall & Marshall, Marsh Market, came near being smothered by feathers, while packing them on 27th ult.
Ninty-seven very fine rock and perch were recently caught in a seine in the upper part of Pocomoke.
Cholera has killed nearly all the hogs of a citizen in this locality. Chicken cholera prevails also, to the disgust of many a good housewife.
Untitled
Transportation -- Road - Bridges
Onancock.
The long talked of and much needed bridge over Whites' branch, suburbs of the town, is at last being built.
Real Estate Agency.
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateProfessionals -- Realtors and developers
The sale of the Ben Parkes farm, at Parkes Station, on the N.Y., P. & N. R.R., by Messrs. Browne, Jacobs & Co., fully verifies the prediction made in these columns, when they first gave us a few weeks ago, their card proposing to engage in the real estate business, and we repeat it here, that to those wishing a quick and a profitable disposition of their lands, and to those desiring to purchase, no more energetic and reliable firm can be found to deal with. The owner of this property has had it on the market for over a year. Messrs. Brown, Jacob & Co., had it in hand but ten days before it was bought, through their judicious management to the notice of Northern capitalists, who are so well satisfied with this purchase that they have determined to invest further with them.
A Reply to Charges of Capt. Reed.
Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement
MATTHEWS C.H., VA.,
February 24th, 1885.
MR. EDITOR: -- A friend of one of the undersigned enclosed in a letter, that reached him last night, the letter of Capt. A. R. Reed of the 9th inst., published in a recent issue of your paper together with an editorial clipping commenting on the same, charging the undersigned with unbecoming and unlawful conduct in the recent trial of Capts. Reed and Edward Richardson, before the undersigned justices, for violating the oyster law in dredging in prohibited waters.
As your paper, so far as we know, has no circulation amongst us, and as you did not see fit to send us, or either of us, the copy of your paper containing the aforesaid articles; this is the first opportunity afforded us to reply to the letter of Capt. Reed.
Capt. Reed's letter would lead you to believe that he and Capt. Richardson were arrested without any charge or evidence against them whatever, of violation of law. He simply says that the steamer, "while on her way to William's wharf, overtook us and took us along." He studiously avoids giving any of the evidence or facts proved against them, but would have the public believe that a couple of entirely innocent gentlemen, pursuing a lawful calling, had been set upon by a parcel of vile and lawless officers of the law, their liberties restrained and their money extorted from them, without any cause or provocation, they being entirely powerless to resist or protect themselves.
The facts of these cases, as detailed before the court by Mr. Billups and other witnesses, are these: On the morning of the 27th of January last, as the steamer "Chesapeake" was steaming down the bay, two vessels were sighted back of Gwynn's Island, some mile or two west of a line drawn from the lighthouse on Rappahannock spit to the lighthouse on Wolftrap spit, going through all the maneuverings of dredging. Mr. Billups who was in charge of the steamer, directed her course towards the vessels, and approaching near enough to them, saw that they were not throwing their dredges. He passed them and continued his course down the bay, but on getting some three or four miles below the vessels, he concluded that as they were in prohibited waters, and continued to tack and do as is done by all vessels when engaged in dredging, that it would be prudent for him to go back and investigate the matter and personally interview them. He did so, and approaching one of the vessels which proved to be Capt. Richardson's, he hailed her and asked the captain what he was doing? Capt. Richardson responded "looking for an oyster rock out here." Mr. Billups then said, "have you found it?" Not to-day, said Capt. Richardson: "I found it yesterday, but can't find it to-day -- can you tell me where it is?" "Who was with you when you found it yesterday?" asked Mr. Billups. "That vessel there (pointing to Capt. Reed's vessel) and myself dredged on it yesterday," replied Capt. Richardson. Thereupon Mr. Billups said, "Why, captain, do you not know that these are unlawful grounds for you to dredge?" "No sir:" said Capt. Richardson. Mr. Billups then arrested the captains, seized the vessels and took them with him to East river. Although arrested on the 27th, the warrants charged them with dredging on the 26th, and not on the 27th, as Capt. Reed says: These facts as before said, were testified to before the court, in the presence of Capt. Richardson, his crew and Capt. Reed, and their attorney did not attempt a contradiction of the confessions of Capt. Richardson, nor will he do so today, for he not only made this confession to Mr. Billups in the presence of a number of the crew of the Chesapeake, some of whom also testified to the same thing, and before any arrest was made or threatened, voluntarily and freely, without any hope of reward, or fear of punishment held out to him, but in conversation with others had here, he stated the same thing, namely, "that he and Capt. Reed dredged on the aforesaid rock all day on the 26th of January.
These cases were not argued before the court, and they were allowed to go free because the court believed that while they were really guilty, they were ignorant of the prohibited line, and had unintentionally violated the law. But as they by their own acts, and the confession of Capt. Richardson had caused their arrest and prosecution, and also in consideration of the fact that they had on board oysters then, that really did not belong to them, but was the property of the Comth., that the Comth. ought not, in justice and right, be saddled with the costs, but that they, the captains, ought to pay the same. There was no argument of this question before the court, and no objection raised to it by them, and we never heard of any until this letter of Capt. Reed was published.
Now, Mr. Editor, we have given all of the facts in this whole matter, without adding to or taking from, and failed to see any injustice done to these captains, and feel satisfied that all unprejudiced and fair minded men will say that no wrong has been done in the premises save, perhaps, to the Commonwealth.
Respectfully,
LEMUEL JAMES, J.P.,
WM. H. HUDGINS, J.P.,
SANDS SMITH, Sheriff.
G. T. GARNETT, Attorney for the Commonwealth.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement
The reply of Mr. G. T. Garnett and others to the charges made by Capt. Reed appears in this issue of THE ENTERPRISE. We have no further comment to make than to say that we know of no authority given under our laws to "saddle" a party with costs, acquitted of an offense. Conviction even before a justice of the peace could not have carried with it the costs, which were opposed. We think the gentlemen (some of whom we know to be men of high character). . . . have erred in their duty, and amends should be made to our citizens, who have suffered through their errors.
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Transportation -- Road - Construction
NOTICE.
By virtue of an order of the Court for the county of Accomac entered at the February, Term 1885 in the matter of A. Frank Byrd, and other petitioners for a public road we the undersigned Commissioners named in said order for the purpose will receive up to the 30th, day of March, 1885, sealed proposals for the building of the road beginning at the foot of what is known as the "Corbin" road in said county, thence by a straight line in an eastwardly direction over the land of the heirs of Peter W. Corbin, Spencer D. Fletcher, Littleton D. Corbin and William S. Horsey, to the railroad station on said Horsey's land a distance of about eighteen hundred yards, said road to be thirty feet wide, fully cleared of all obstructions, with the bushes cut there from piled in the middle thereof at low places, to be ditched on both sides its entire length with ditches three feet wide and two spits deep with the dirt taken out therefrom thrown in the center and leveled off to the sides. Said work to be completed on or before the 1st day of June. The right to reject any and all bids being reserved.
Commissioners.
Spencer D. Fletcher, Wm. S. Horsey, Thomas H. B. Corbin.