Peninsula Enterprise, January 10, 1885

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reprinted from Baltimore SunInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal serviceTransportation -- Railroad - FreightTransportation -- Water - Freight

It is reported that the mail between Baltimore and the lower portion of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia is to be taken from the Eastern Shore Steamboat Company and given to the N.Y., P. & N. R.R., and that an agent from Washington has been on the Eastern Shore preparing a report on the matter, and that he recommends a change, as stated. The people in the country are much exercised about the matter, as are the business men here. It is said that the Department at Washington thought the N.Y., P. & N. R.R. could deliver the mails at less cost, and would contract to put the mails at convenient points for the accommodation of the people.

A number of lateral stage mail lines would have to be established in order to reach the places now covered by the steamboats, which might cost more than the rate paid the steamboat company. Even then the people could not be given quick service, and they are opposed to any change.

Mr. P. R. Clark, agent of the Eastern Shore Steamboat Company, said that the mail had been carried by his company about ten years. Mail which is put on the steamers at 5 p.m. at Baltimore is delivered at Crisfield 5 a.m. the following day. From Crisfield the mail goes up the Eastern Shore Railroad as far as Delaware to all the stations on the road, and letters can be sent back in the afternoon and are delivered here the next morning. This arrangement has always been found by the people in Somerset and Wicomico counties and in Baltimore very convenient.

In Accomac and Northampton counties, Va., the line delivers mail to some ten or eleven post offices and four landings where there are no post offices. These places are removed from the railroad respectively from three to ten miles. They are principally for the benefit of the men who send to this city annually produce to the amount of about $2,000,000, and who buy goods here almost exclusively. All the mails are delivered before four o'clock the day after it is mailed here. By an all-rail route the people would get their mail from twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the time they now receive it.

Second Assistant Postmaster-General Thompson has given the proposed change very little consideration up to the present time, and declines to venture a prediction as to what will be done in the premises. The railroad company has made a proposition to carry the mails over the route at the figure less than that now paid the steamboat company.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal serviceTransportation -- Railroad - FreightTransportation -- Water - Freight

The mail service between the North and South, via Norfolk, Va., has been awarded to the New York, Phila. and Norfolk railroad. The Department pays $12,000 per annum for the tug service between Cape Charles City and Norfolk, once each day, besides paying the railroad company by weight for the mail carried. This mail was formerly carried by the Bay line, via Baltimore, for which it received $18,000.

Since the above was put in type, the mail service between Baltimore and Norfolk, Portsmouth, Fortress Monroe, &c., which was transferred from the Bay Line Steamers route on the 1st instant to the Cape Charles City route, via rail and tugboat, was restored to the Bay Line last Wednesday, and left on the Steamer Virginia last Wednesday night.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : School administration

The following is an extract from the report of the county superintendent of schools for the month ending the 31st of December, 1884: Number of schools in the county, 80; number of pupils enrolled, 3,326; number in daily average attendance, 2,485; number of schools visited, 34; number graded schools of more than one teacher, 14.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Hotels

A new hotel has been opened at Belle Haven with George W. Jacob proprietor. Travellers will find with him first-class accommodations and as polite attentions as they can receive anywhere. We can most cordially commend the proprietor and his hotel to the public.

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Infrastructure -- Utilities - Telegraph

It is rumored that a telegraphic line is to be established between Tasley station and Onancock.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Seaside

Chincoteague.

Our people are passing through the greatest financial depression ever felt here. It would be much worse but for the quarterly disbursements by the Government to its employees in our midst. Our oyster business to the present time has been a dead letter, and the failure of our oysters, involves every other interest in our community. With a large acreage of arable land, it is surprising that our people are not more extensively engaged in agriculture, at least in the raising of small fruits and cereals. With land sufficient to raise all we consume we are not raising one tenth. Another such winter, financially, as we are passing through will drive us to the soil to make up the loss from the water.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial construction

Onancock.

In the early spring, Fosque & Bro., will add 25 feet to their storehouse, thus giving ample room to display the large stock of goods they carry.

An Act of the Legislature in Regard to Our Court-House.

Architecture -- Courthouses

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, that the qualified voters of the county of Accomac shall, on the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, be permitted to vote upon the question, shall the county seat be moved from its present location, at the village of Drummondtown, to any point on the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk railroad, the said point to be selected by a commission consisting of one man from each magisterial district in the county, said man to be selected by the magistrates from their respective districts in such manner as they may deem best, to the lands owned by the heirs of Harry White deceased, on the said lands at a point where the N. Y., P. & N. railroad passes.

2. The election to be held under this act shall be governed by the general election laws of this state, and all expenses incurred by holding the election aforesaid, shall be paid by the said county of Accomac.

3. The board of supervisors of the said county shall, immediately after the passage of this act, provide poll-books for holding said election, and make all preparation for the said election.

4. The returns of the said election shall be returned to the clerk's office of the said county, and the same shall be canvassed as other election returns are, and the clerk of the county court shall certify to the board of supervisors the number of votes cast for each place, and the place receiving the larger number of votes shall be the county seat.

The three last lines of the first session being in conflict with that part of it which requires, "the said point to be selected by a commission, etc.," renders future legislation necessary, before a vote can be taken on the court-house question. The mistake is due to the failure of the engrossing clerk to omit the lines indicated above, as was intended, when the Act was amended, vesting the power in a commission for selecting the site for the court-house.