Peninsula Enterprise, November 21, 1891
Untitled
Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate
Mr. F. H. Dryden, real estate agent, has sold recently the farm of Mr. Levin Townsend, situated near New Church to Mr. James J. Fletcher, of Bloxom Station, for the sum of $600, and the farm of Mr. James B. Mears, near Gargatha, to Mr. Alfred J. Rew, of Woodberry, for the sum of $3,000.
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Moral -- Murder
Drier, the murderer of Mrs. Fadden, of Cape Charles [City], convicted at last term of Northampton court of murder in 1st degree, was sentenced to be hung in January. The sentence will not be executed, however, until it is passed upon by the circuit court -- it may be by the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The court erred, it was urged, by counsel for Drier, in summoning 21 instead of 20 veniremen, as required by law, and hence the motion for a new trial refused by Judge Kendall, and which is to be heard by a higher court.
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Residential constructionInfrastructure -- Commercial - Commercial construction
Chincoteague.
Our building boom still progressing, and likely to continue through the winter. New dwellings of Archie Jones and Capt. J. B. Whealton, finished -- another for George Booth nearly completed -- work soon to begin on one for Reubin Jester and a large storehouse and undertakers shop in course of erection for W. N. Conant.
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Fields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : PricesSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PlantingInfrastructure -- Public : ChurchesProfessionals -- BuildersInfrastructure -- Public : TownsInfrastructure -- Public : Schools
Onancock.
Shipments of sweets from this wharf have been quite heavy this week, but prices are ruling very low.
Capt. Thos. Johnson and Mr. I. W. Bagwell have been buying fine supply of rock oysters past week and are laying down same on their respective shores in Onancock creek.
The large steam heater under the Baptist church works like a charm, under the management of Mr. Robt. T. Lewis.
The building boom in Onancock has somewhat subsided. The Onancock builders and contractors are busy, but it is most all on out-of-town work.
There are nearly 300 children in the schools of this town. Surely Onancock is being recognized as the educational centre of the Peninsula.
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Transportation -- Railroad - MaintenanceInfrastructure -- Public : ChurchesInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Second homesProfessionals -- MarinersWatermen -- Watermen's organizationsInfrastructure -- Public : Libraries
Parksley.
Mrs. Bennett's house has been improved by a coat of paint.
Section boss E. P. Smith, is putting his section in fine trim for inspection day -- the 27th.
A protracted meeting is being held in our M. E. Church, conducted by Rev. Mr. Franz.
Barney McCready has bought a lot on Cooke street, east of Browne avenue, and will build a dwelling in the early spring.
Mr. Wm. Chadbourne and family, have returned from Boston, and will occupy their cottage on Wilson Avenue, for the winter.
Bishop Curtis and Father Mickle, of the Catholic Church, lectured to as interested audience in the school house on Friday evening, last.
The Baptist parsonage is receiving the finishing touches, and will soon be occupied by Rev. A. J. Fristoe and family, he having decided not to leave his present charge.
Capt. Wm. J. Lewis, of Leemont, and his schooner, Robinson Crusoe, absent for several months in the waters of the Carolinas and Georgia, have returned home.
The land of Revel J. Lewis, deceased, sold at public auction last Saturday, was bought by Mr. Thos. Wesley Shrieves at the price of $3,955.
An oyster meeting will be held at J. C. Justice & Co.'s store, to-night, November 21st, to consider the proceedings of the Hampton oyster meeting.
Miss Chadbourne has begun an earnest movement for a free library for the people of Accomac county, a dozen cases of valuable books having already been received from the north, and more are coming. The Adams Express Company carry all packages for the "Parksley Free Library" without charge. It is intended to supplement the Library with an instructive and entertaining course of lectures, readings &c. The hearty co-operation of all who are interested in the advancement of our young people is earnestly desired. Due notice will be given of the meeting for organization.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PackingAfrican-Americans -- Work - FisheriesInfrastructure -- Commercial - Newspapers
Wachapreague.
The oyster shucking house, recently opened here, employs as shuckers twenty-five colored men from Delaware.
Capt. N. B. Rich, editor of Farmer and Fisherman, has engaged a printer and will open a printing office here.
Farmers' Alliance.
Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
The announcement is authorized, that there will be public speaking by prominent Alliance men at Parksley, to-day, November 21st, 2 p. m.
The next regular meeting of Keller Alliance, will be held to-day, November 21st. All members are earnestly requested to be present.
The next regular meeting of Temperanceville Alliance will be held in the schoolhouse at Temperanceville, Wednesday night, November 25th, at 7 o'clock, sharp. All the members are requested to be present.
The members of the Onancock Alliance, No. 928, are requested to be present at a meeting to be held in Town hall, Saturday, 28th, 1891, to attend to important business. By order of the president.
E. L. EAST,
President,
P. S. STEWART,
Secretary.
Correspondence.
Architecture -- Historic preservation
Mr. Editor -- I understand that it is contemplated by some of our citizens who are interested in the Eastern Shore Historical Society, to have introduced in the Assembly at its next session, and to use all honorable means to secure its passage, a bill providing for the copying and preservation of the ancient records of Northampton county.
This movement is an important one, and should be encouraged. I am afraid that our citizens do not fully appreciate the value of the old records at Eastville, the oldest of which are now bordering on decay, and if not copied at an early day will be irrecoverably lost.
While I am not familiar with the provisions of the bill, yet I understand that it is the intention of the authors of it to publish its provisions so that our citizens can offer suggestions thereto before it is introduced in the Assembly.
Thomas Jefferson fully appreciated the importance of preserving the laws of Virginia, when he wrote to William W. Hening from Washington, January 14th, 1807: "The only object I had in making my collection of the Laws of Virginia, was to save all those for the public which were not then already lost, in the hope that at some future day they might be republished. Whether this be by private or public enterprise, my end will be equally answered." (Hening vol. 1, page X, preface).
What Jefferson says about the Laws of Virginia is applicable to the records of Northampton county.
The General Assembly has at various times encouraged the collection and preservation of historical matters referring to Virginia.
The Code of 1887, section 3135, provides for the rebinding and transcribing of records in the clerks' offices and surveyor's offices of the different counties of the Commonwealth, but as those interested in the matter are preparing a bill applicable to those certain records, the provisions of section 3135, I must therefore suppose, is not broad enough to cover the case, or the introduction of a specific bill would not be necessary. This section of the Code reads as follows:
"Sec. 3135. Books, etc. in clerks' offices, and offices of county surveyors may be rebound or transcribed; credit to be give to transcripts.
The circuit county, or corporation court of any county or corporation, and the chancery court of the city of Richmond, shall cause any of the books or records in their respective clerks' offices, which may be in need thereof, to be re-bound or transcribed; and the court of any county may also order any of the books or records in the office of the surveyor of such county to be re-bound or transcribed. The same faith and credit shall be given to such transcripts as the book or record transcribed would have been entitled to."
The preamble of Act of February 12, 1886, chapter 100, printed laws, entitled "An act authorizing the Secretary of the Commonwealth and State Librarian to transmit to W. A. Glasgow, of Fincastle, Virginia, one copy of the calender of Virginia in reference to historical matters. The preamble is as follows:
"Whereas W. A. Glasgow, late member of the General Assembly, is prosecuting inquiries pertaining to our colonial period in the interest of public history, and it being deemed wise and proper to encourage the elucidation of that period, and the familiarity of the people therewith."
In view of the provisions of sections 256 of the Code of 1887 as amended by chapter 179 of the Acts of 1890, it seems strange that no provisions has heretofore been made for the preservation of the records of Northampton county. Sec. 256 as amended is as follows:
"The Committee (Library) shall especially cause to be procured from time to time, as opportunity may offer, a copy of any book, pamphlet or manuscript, work of art or relic relating to the history of Virginia, not now in the general library, which can be obtained on reasonable terms, and may cause to be printed any manuscript relating to the history of Virginia which have not been published, including such portions of the executive journals and executive letter books, and of legislative papers, as the committee may deem proper to print in the calender of State papers shall cause the legislative papers so to be printed to be arranged for that purpose and preserved for reference."
The records at Eastville date from 1632 to date and are complete to the present day, but as they are written in the old English of that period they are not readable by the average person. They are the only records in the State of Virginia that date prior to 1700, that are complete and contain some very interesting and valuable historical matter, referring not only to the Eastern Shore but also to a great extent to the colonial history of the whole State of Virginia. They contain considerable matter entirely unknown to the historic world, and would without doubt, if searched out, put a different phase on many of the early colonial matters of the State of Virginia.
The bill for the copying and preservation of these records should be perfected at once and introduced early in the session so that it will get the consideration and attention that it deserves, so that the Assembly can make some provisions for these historic records.
Yours truly,
J. E. West. Craddockville, Va., Nov. 9, 1891.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement
A crowd of our fearless young men (from eight to ten) left here on Monday last, for Hoffman's Wharf, Va., for the purpose of bringing back and resorting to her rightful owner, the boat of Capt. Noah S. Riggin, captured by the Virginia Police Force one day last week. They brought her back and they say they met with no resistance. Had there been any resistance there would have been a regular pitched battle at that point. Had our authorities some of the pluck of our oystermen there would be fewer indignities heaped upon our people by the police authorities of that State.
The "boat" to which reference is made above was in the custody of the Virginia authorities and the lawlessness committed "by the fearless young men" from Crisfield, is thus heartily approved by the Leader, published in that town -- which, it is to be hoped, is not a leader in the public sentiment of the place. The doughty warriors who under the cover of nightfall gave such an exhibition of their "pluck" and prowess should not be unknown and perhaps the Leader will give them to the public. They are wanted to answer the charge of grand larceny in Virginia.
A Card to Oystermen.
Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Prices
To my trade and friends in the oyster business, I take this method to advise you, that later on in the season prices for oysters in the Philadelphia market will be better. Jersey Coves are in the market now, but by December 10th this market will be clear and active. I advise no more shipments to this markets before December 7th to 10th. I do this because I want your trade and I wish to secure for my shippers every advantage this market affords.
Your truly,
F. S. GIBSON,
108 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa.