Peninsula Enterprise, November 23, 1889
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reprinted from Cape Charles Headlight, November 20.Moral -- Other violent crime
The grand jury on yesterday found a true bill against Holstein for criminal assault upon Mrs. Pennewell of this place. We learn the Governor will be asked to offer a reward for his arrest.
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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fraternal orders
Messrs. A. F. Colbert and J. H. Short, D. D. G. M. W., of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, are now making official visits to the lodges of the order on the Eastern Shore. The object of their visits are for the inspection of the books and instruction of the Lodges in their districts. They visited Fidelity Lodge, Accomac C. H., last Thursday.
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Transportation -- Railroad - Maintenance
The N.Y. P. & N. R.R. Co., have decided, it is reported, to ballast their track with either stone or shell.
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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal serviceTransportation -- Railroad - Other
The new time table of the N.Y., P. & N. R.R. appears in this issue. For the purposes of travel the change in schedule as will be noted is a good one, but if you have any mail matter you want forwarded or expect to receive by it, with a good deal of patience, you will be rewarded in the "sweet by and by."
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideLaborers -- FisheriesLaborers -- WagesInfrastructure -- Public : ChurchesMoral -- AlcoholInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential construction
Cashville.
The catch of oysters by our tongers in boats not over 18 feet long, in the waters near Matchitank creek, has of late netted them from $9 to $11 per day. Peter Payne, who had the reputation of being the ugliest man in the rebel army made $20 in three days.
Old Andrew Chapel has undergone thorough repairs of late and is now being used as a Temperance Hall and for other good purposes.
Handsome dwellings are being built in this section by Messrs. H. O. Finney and W. H. Smith and several others will be built in the spring.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : MarketsSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : MarketsProfessionals -- Seafood dealersInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal service
Chincoteague.
The storehouse of Mr. Lambert Jester, up the Island is being renovated and enlarged for Xmas goods.
Mr. Coleburn (big George) returned this week from a tour of several weeks to the Northern cities, to look up oyster and clam buyers.
A petition was circulated here for signatures this week by Mr. R. B. Stant, praying for the establishment of a mail route from Nashville to this place. It is a "long felt want" and has the support of all our people. It is necessary for the speedy delivery of our Southern mail, which now reaches us frequently via Philadelphia.
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Tourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Hunting : BirdInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateAfrican-Americans -- Work - AgricultureInfrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial constructionTransportation -- Road - MaintenanceInfrastructure -- Public : Schools
Horntown.
Several sportsmen from abroad in pursuit of quail and other game, are at our hotel.
Mrs. E. H. Evans of our town has sold her farm to John Byrd, colored, who received a pension from the Government a few weeks ago.
The dwelling of Mrs. Otwell of this place is nearing completion and will be occupied by her shortly.
Evans & Bro., have made big improvements in their storehouse of late "by putting in a glass front."
Our roads are miserable and if they do not receive the attention of the overseer soon will be impassible. Our schoolhouses, too, are sadly in need of repairs and it is difficult to decide which are in the most wretched condition.
To the Public.
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Insurance companiesProfessionals -- Insurance agents
In the section, relating to fire insurance, of our letter, published in this paper in its issue of the 9th inst., there appeared certain language which attributed to the fire insurance companies doing business on this Shore the use of rates unfair and unjust to the people. Without fully feeling the force of the reflection thus cast, our convictions, at the date of our letter, were as stated therein. These convictions were arrived at, in the beginning, by our having received, through mistake, a rate book which was not compiled for use in this section of the State, but which had been used in a certain section of the State, for reasons peculiar to that section and which do not apply to this section. Our convictions were then confirmed, as we understood, by instructions from our company; but our company upon seeing the letter above referred to, immediately informed us that a mistake had been made in interpreting their instructions, and that the rate book sent us was sent through mistake. We now fully understand that there was a mistake and how it arose, and we are, moreover, convinced that the general rates here have not been unfair or unjust to the people, and these things we readily and cheerfully admit.
It is, however, agreed by all the companies with whom we have conferred upon this subject that the rates observed here have not been as uniform as they ought to have been. This point was in our mind when we wrote the letter above referred to and we have been upheld in it; and while we repeat what we have before said regarding the absence of general unfairness and injustice, we yet maintain our position in regard to the lack of uniformity; and we shall use uniform rates, which, at the same time, shall be graded as we have always maintained was proper.
Respectfully,
J. H. RILEY & CO.,
Onancock, Nov. 18, '89.
Public Roads.
Transportation -- Road - Maintenance
MR. EDITOR -- I am glad to see you have called attention to the wretched condition of our public highways. They are a disgrace to any civilized people. The world moves, all around us we see evidences of progress, except in our road system, which I presume is the sauce that was in vogue 200 years ago. It may have served the purposes of a primitive people, but it is now antiquated and utterly inefficient. Our principal money crops -- potatoes -- are heavy and the cost of hauling them is an important item in the expenses of the farmer. If that cost could be reduced one third and it certainly could be by improving our roads -- how great would be the saving. But some old fogy will hold up his hands and cry out "Holly Horror! Increase our taxes, you'll ruin us." But stop, my friend, are we not paying a tremendous tax in the half loads we are hauling; in the straining, worrying and breaking down of our teams; in the wear and tear of our carts, carriages and harness? You do not see this tax so plainly as you do the money you count out to the treasurer, but all the same it is eating up your substance and wasting away what ought to be your profits. Did you ever think how much your farms are depreciated in value by the bad condition of our public roads? Prof. J. W. Jenks in his "Road Legislation for the American States," says the defective highways of Illinois cost that State annually an extra $15,846.230 for hauling; and depreciate the value of its farms, by $150,000,000. In other words, if they had good roads the farmers of that State would be 160 millions of dollars richer than they are. Think of this, old fogy, and answer me this question: Are you not fighting against your best interests in opposing an efficient road system? Mr. Landan of Richmond, in a recent lecture in Accomac stated that the public highways of England were "equal to the best paved streets in Richmond or Baltimore -- even to those laid with Belgian blocks." If other civilized countries have such splendid roads, are we to continue forever this old road system, (which is a little better than a farce.) and continue to worry, fret, and flounder in the mud? We do not expect to perfect our roads at once. It would take several years to get our roads in really good condition, even if we had a good system, but with the present law I think they will continue to grow worse and worse. The present mode of working our roads is a burlesque. Last Friday I hired four hands at 80 cents each to work a piece of road. On Saturday another surveyor summoned on his road 35 road hands. I am confident my four hired hands did more work than the whole 35 unpaid hands. The unpaid hands will not work, and the road surveyors do not understand road making. Much of the labor is thrown away. It is "blind lead the blind and all fall in the ditch." The County Court Judge, at the suggestion of the grand jury, issued an order to surveyors of roads to drain the surplus water from the public roads in thirty days. That order was doubtless well meant, but it is a mere brutum fulmen. It may do a little good by causing the drainage of some of the larger ponds, but how can road surveyors drain our public highways in thirty days, when it is a well known fact that the centers of our roads are generally lower than any other part. Right here is the radical defect in our roads. The centers must be elevated, forming a watershed to each side, before our roads can be made permanently good and solid, but by a proper system, intelligent supervision and inspection we might have the very best dirt roads at a moderate cost. I am wedded to no special system, but hope some plan may be devised to improve our highways -- a plan that will ultimately give us really good, hard, smooth, well graded roads that will be a credit -- not a reproach to our thrifty and progressive community. With such roads, our future will be bright indeed, but with the old road system our wheels of progress will continue to be retarded and clogged with mud.
UNO.
Our Mails.
Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal serviceTransportation -- Railroad - Freight
MR. EDITOR -- A timely and pertinent editorial of a late ENTERPRISE calls attention to the recent change of schedule in our mail trains. That a suffering public should quietly submit to such injustice and injury is not to be thought of. But the case with many postoffices in the county is even worse than your editorial indicates. The delay of five hours in the delivery of mail along the railroad is bad enough, but on many branches of the route the new schedule involves a delay of twenty-four hours. The carrier route to this office embraces three other offices, and the schedule was so arranged as to conform to the time of the mail trains. As no change has been ordered in the schedule of our carrier, the northern mail for these four offices lies over at Keller for nearly twenty-four hours, and this in spite of the fact that two U.S. Life Saving Stations are supplied by this office, to say nothing of the damage and inconvenience done to the people generally.
If no better arrangement than the above can be made by our road authorities, let us, by all means, petition the Department for a return to our post chaise facilities. We cannot suffer in point of time, and will at least have the satisfaction of knowing that our mail is en route, and not quietly lying over within five miles of us.
The people of this section are not only disgusted, but indignant.
Yours truly,
George W. LeCato.
Wachapreague, Va., Nov. 20th, 1889.
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Transportation -- Railroad - FreightInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal service
The correctness of the charge made by us in our last issue of the injustice done to the people of Accomac in the delivery of their mails, incident to the late change in the schedule of the N.Y., P. & N. R.R., has been abundantly verified by advices received from every part of our county. We then entered our protest against the delay of five hours in the delivery of our mails, and charged as unjust the discrimination made in favor of our Maryland neighbors. Now, we are in possession of information regarding our mails since the new schedule went into effect, which enables us with more emphasis, to reiterate our charge of injustice and in the name of the people to demand a change, if they have any rights, which the railroad authorities are bound to respect. The facts speak for themselves. The communication from Wachapreague, tells us a tale of wrong, which a corporation soulless as it is even must see demands redress, and similar complaints showing no less injustice have reached us from Jenkins Bridge, Saxes, Chincoteague, and other points of the Peninsula, in fact, from all points remote from the railroad. So grievous, indeed, are the wrongs done to our people by the present mail service, that our correspondent but expresses the sentiments of a large number of our citizens, we believe a majority of them, when he says, if no better arrangements than the present can be made by our railroad authorities, "let us, by all means, petition the Department for a return to our post chaise facilities." Our people, at least, will demand this or some other service unless a change is made. -- We certainly mistake the temper of our people if they submit to a delay of twenty-four hours in the delivery of our mails, when the evil can be remedied by a change of schedule in the present mail trains of one or two hours. We have the right to demand that much of a railroad company which draws so largely upon us for its support, and if they continue deaf to our demands, at least an appeal to the authorities at Washington is our right and should be exercised at once.
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Transportation -- Road - Maintenance
THe Board of Supervisors of Norfolk county, at their last meeting appropriated eight thousand dollars for the purpose of improving the county roads and keeping them in a better condition. They evidently understand the value of good roads, and their action together with a communication from a correspondent in this issue, is recommended to our Board of Supervisors -- also the following from a prominent carriage manufacturer in one of our northern cities, whose utterances are in the same line of thought with "Uno." He said that while bad roads meant broken springs, loosened wheels and rickety bodies, necessitating frequent renewals and repairs, good roads "means thrift, liberality and wealth," causing a desire for carriages and other vehicles of higher value.
VALUABLE PROPERTY AT AUCTION.
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateInfrastructure -- Commercial - GranariesSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Planting
Pursuant to a decree of the Circuit Court for Accomac county, pronounced October 12, 1889, in the suits of "The Wm. Lea & Sons Co.," et als, who sue &c., vs. Edward A. Baker, trustee, et als. I shall sell at public auction, at Gargatha, in said county, on Saturday the 30th day of November, 1889, at 2 o'clock p. m., the following property: The barroom situated at Gargatha, now occupied by Robert J. Mason, together with the lease of the land upon which said house is located; 2nd. The store house and granary, situated at the above named place, now occupied by William G. Barnes, together with the lease of the land upon which said houses are located. The lease above named is for the term of fifteen years, commencing June 4, 1888; 3rd. An oyster bed in Gargatha bay and the oysters thereon, supposed to be from six hundred to a thousand bushels of oysters of fine size; 4th. Two large scows, suitable for the oyster business.
Terms -- Ten per centum of the purchase money, for each lot, will be required in cash on the day of sale, and the balance will be divided into two equal instalments, payable in four and eight months, respectively, from the day of sale, and bearing interest from that day. Bonds with security, approved by the undersigned, will be required.
JNO. H. WISE, Sheriff.