Peninsula Enterprise, July 4, 1891

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : TaxationInfrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate

The increase in taxes in the Lee and Pungoteague districts, this year, will be $1084,86, due to the increase in the value of the property in the said districts.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Holidays

A postal, signed, by order of Committee, is to the effect that, "The merchants of Onancock, will close their places of business on Monday, 6th and observe that as a holiday." We of course cannot vouch for the accuracy of an anonymous communication.

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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations

The announcement is authorized, "that at the next regular meeting of Pungoteague Grange, Thursday, July 16th, business of great importance will come up for the consideration of the members" -- and each and every member is requested to be present.

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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Law enforcement

John H. Wise, Sheriff, will sell to the highest bidder, at the store of J. C. Justis & Co., on Saturday, July 11th, the batteau and appurtances, belonging to Joseph H. and Albert L. Taylor, and recently condemned as forfeited to the Commonwealth for illegal dredging.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate

The tract of land belonging to heirs of Mrs. Margaret Wright, deceased, situated near Onancock, containing 160 acres, sold at public auction last week, was bought by Mr. Isaac T. Wright, at the price of $4,601. Eight acres of land on Chincoteague, out of the town and without buildings thereon, was sold by Jno. H. Wise, special commissioner, last week, for the sum of $900.

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Moral -- Other violent crime

George Kelly, tried at this term of court on indictment for cutting R. H. Pennewell, some months ago, was convicted, the verdict of jury being for six months imprisonment in jail and fine of $300. A motion for arrest of judgment was pending at the time we go to press, on the ground that one of the jurors summoned for his trial was a non-resident.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Chain gangArchitecture -- Jails

Charles Beach, colored, confined in our jail, awaiting trial for a felony, escaped Thursday morning. He concealed himself behind the jail when the assistant keeper of the chain gang went to take his men out for work, and soon thereafter made his escape over the wall. The judge had the assistant brought before him and promptly removed him from his position for his carelessness.

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Infrastructure -- Public - Government : Postal serviceMoral -- Alcohol

The postoffice at Accomac C.H., will be removed shortly to Ashby & Beloate's store. The removal is due to anonymous communications addressed to Postoffice Department at Washington -- complaints having been made that liquor was sold where postoffice is at present located. It is due to the postmaster, however, to say, that the sale of liquor in no way interfered with the postoffice work and the public convenience would be better served, if it was allowed to remain where it now is.

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Watermen -- Watermen's organizations

The Supreme Union of the Oystermen's Protective Association, will meet at Cape Charles [City], next Tuesday. A preliminary meting of the Union was held at Hampton, last week, when the following committee was appointed: George W. Weaver, of Accomac; Captain O. A. Browne, of Cape Charles; James McMenamin, of Hampton; James N. Stubbs, of Glouchester; Captain Tim Conklin, of Norfolk, and J. C. Towles, of Lancaster. The committee will meet on the 6th and appoint an advisory board.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - ExcursionsTransportation -- Railroad - Rates and fares

The N. Y. P. & N. Railroad will sell excursion tickets on the 4th of July, from all points on the road toCape Charles [City], at one and a half cents per mile. The fare from Cape Charles to Old Point and Norfolk will be $1 for the round trip. This is good for one day only.

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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - ExcursionsInfrastructure -- Public : Churches

Onancock.

Beach and rowing parties are numerous -- two or more every week.

The Baptist Church is nearing completion and will be one of the handsomest on the Shore.

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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estateTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - ExcursionsTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Resorts

Wachapreague.

The house and lot of John P. McMath, deceased, sold at public auction here on 27th ult., was purchased by A.J. McMath, at the price of $1,200.

Parties in search of health and pleasure pass through our town daily in their way to Cedar Island, our delightful summer resort. The bateaux Incomplete and her genial and polite captain T. B. Smith are daily on hand to accommodate excursions, at low figures.

Farmers' Alliance.

Farmers -- Farmers' organizations

The fourth quarterly meeting of the County Alliance, 75, will be held at Parksley station on Monday, the 6th day of July, 1891, at 10 a. m., sharp. Secretaries of sub-alliance will have their credentials for delegates and dues ready to send in at that time. All member of alliances are requested to go to the secretaries and pay up their dues at once, as delays are detrimental to the good government of all institutions. A strict attention to this notice, will meet the approbation of your county secretary.

GEO. W. LECATO,

President.

JNO. T. HUTCHINSON,

Secretary.

Meeting of County Alliance.

Farmers -- Farmers' organizationsTransportation -- Railroad - Rates and faresTransportation -- Railroad - Regulation

Resolutions Adopted.

A called meeting of the Accomac County Alliance was held at Accomac C. H., June 29th, 1891.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted by the Alliance and afterwards endorsed by sixty farmers present at the Court House:

To the Honorable Inter-State Commerce Commission:

Whereas, it has come to our knowledge that affidavits, of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, have been forwarded to your Honorable Commission, setting forth that in their judgement, the rates charged by the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad for transporting farm and garden products from this Peninsula to Philadelphia, New York and other Eastern markets are just and reasonable, we, the delegates to the called meeting of Accomac County Alliance No. 75, in a meeting held this the 29th day of June, 1891, beg leave to state that we regard the rates charged by the afore-said road as unjust, discriminating and extortionate; and we humbly pray your honorable commission to grant the people of this section relief from these unjust exactions by putting into speedy operation the reduction in freight rates recently ordered by you on this line.

B. T. Gunter, Jr., was appointed a committee to forward the above resolution to the Inter-State Commerce Commission.

PROGRESS OF WORK ON THE IN-LAND PENINSULA WATERWAY.

Transportation -- Water - Channel and harbor dredging

The Chincoteague -- Lewis Route.

SNOW HILL, Md., June 24.

A letter has been received by Hon. George W. Covington from the engineer in charge of constructing the Chincoteague inlet, which reads in part as follows: "Having completed the connection of the waters of Assawoman bay and Indian river, I feel it my duty to write you in regard to the same. A full construction was accomplished about noon on Friday, June 5. A steady southwest current continued until Friday, 12. During the afternoon the south wind changed the flow to a north current, since which time it has increased. The strongest current has been about 66 feet per minute. The fall between two ends at such a time is nearly six inches. The dredge is now cutting in White's creek, about one thousand feet above the mouth of the cut. Only four hundred more feet are to be cut before the contract will be finished. The flow through is much more favorable that I was inclined to think it would be. Quite a good circulation is kept up. General Smith was here last week, and left an order to go down and survey Massey's shoals. There are two shoals in the Little Assawoman bay that are about as bad as Massey's. Were these taken out and some arrangement made to get under the bridge, small steam launches could pass entirely through from Indian river inlet to Chincoteague."

The people of this section particularly are to be congratulated upon the nearness of completion of a public work which has been for several years in progress. The work was begun in 1886, when Congress granted an appropriation of $25,000 for the "improvement by dredging and otherwise, of the inland waterway from Chincoteague bay, A., to Delaware bay, near Lewes, Del., to be used from Chincoteague bay to Indian River bay." The work was projected by Hon. George W. Covington, who was then in Congress, and who has always been an earnest advocate of it. Little Assawoman bay and Big Assawoman bay were before continuous bodies of water. By the canal just completed, 70 feet wide and running through 4 and a half miles of low, marshy land, they become, together with Isle of Wight bay, Synepuxent bay and Chincoteague bay, one body of water. This makes a bay about 53 miles long. The next step is to improve by dredging from Indian River bay through Rehoboth bay and Lewes creek, a distance of 13 miles, to the Delaware bay above the Breakwater, which would make a continuous waterway of 73 miles from Chincoteague to the Delaware bay. This work has received the endorsement of Colonel Craighill, and has been approved by the Secretary of War, but was afterwards referred back to Congress, as the estimates were much higher for that portion of the work than the preceding part. So far $117,500 have been recured altogether for this work, and $5,000 remains in hand for its completion.

The benefits to commerce of such an inland waterway are manifest. The smaller craft plying between Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore or other Southern ports can avoid the perils of the sea by taking this inland waterway, and almost without going out of a straight line. In case of storm they will have a harbor of refuge with the entrances 73 miles apart. Its importance as a shelter from the enemy's ships in case of war also suggests itself. But its local importance to the people of Worcester [County] far exceeds any work of improvement ever inaugurated in the county, while its advantages extend equally to the adjacent counties of Sussex [County], Del., and Accomac, Va. The advantages expected to accrue in the growing of oysters can hardly be estimated. Synepuxent bay has been styled the American Bay of Naples, but its utility is not second to its beauty. It furnishes, from Chincoteague to Parker's bay, oysters unexcelled in flavor or delicacy. The new inlet will extend the area of the oyster grounds above this point and by letting in salt water from above, according to the engineer's report, add "75 square miles or 48,000 acres of oyster grounds, capable of accommodation at present rate of planting an annual oyster crop of 40,000,000 bushels, worth about $20,000,000." From the same source we learn that the estimate of probable amount of freight that would be annually transported by water carriage is over one million dollars of exports, such as pilings, railroad ties, ship timber, lumber, cordwood, oysters and grain, and imports about three-quarters of a million dollars; that the total amount of navigable water thus brought into safe communication with the markets by way of the Delaware bay will be 150 to 200 miles to the various landings along the creeks and bays, giving an outlet of 400 square miles of territory.