The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-23

lation is John A. NJ. Wheaton, Esq, a
gentleman to whom l am indebted for ma
ny Of the facts mentioned in these letters.
He is Justice Of the Peace, and his juris-
diction embraces nearly all the causes Of
action that arise on the island He is also
general conveyancer and scrivener, as well
as legal adviser for his fellow-islanders.
There are four churches on the island,
which would seem to be quite enough, con
sidering that the population is less than
two thousand. The Methodist Protestants
have two churches the Baptists one, and
the Methodists one. / regret to learn that
the membership of the churches is small
in proportion to the population. There
was great camp meeting on the island in
1869, at which many were converted.
The Methodist Episcopal Church grew out
Of this revival.
The chief object Of interest on ASA
league is the fine light house, known to
all coastwise nayigators II stands on
sand bank twenty-nine feet above the level
Of the sea, and the shaft is 121 feet from
the foundation to the lantern, which pla-
ces the light $50 feet shove the level Of
the sea. Through the courtesy of the
keeper, VIC we're permitted to ascend the
iron stairway, and to seat ourself on the
little iron gallery that surrounds the upper
turret. Nothing could be finer than the
view from this elevated lookout. To the
east is the blue ocean that begins with a
white surf line on the Assataugue beach
and melts into the horizon when the eve
searches for some other boundary to It's
mighty expanse, Chincoteague and ASA
league lie at your feet, and you can look
down upon the roof of every cottage ON
both islands. A sand ridge winds longitu-
dinally through Chincoteague, which is for
the most part covered with pine trees
Long, sharp points, covered with grass,
which look like the arms and legs of some
marine monster, push themselves out from
the shores Of both islands, and if IL were
not for these the race of wild ponies would
soon become extinct. The grass which
grows upon these marshes furnishes them
their food in winter
On our way back as we crossed the ridge
on Chincoteague, we passed the cemetery
in which the first colonists were buried
more than century since by those who
in their turn followed them to this quiet
resting place. 1t occupies the highest
ground ON the island. From the earliest
times the people seem to have dreaded the
encroachments of the sea, aud this spot
was selected as the one that would longest
resist the action Of the waves and the tide.
The subsequent history of the island has
shown that these fears were not founded
on mere superstitious fancies. In 1921 a
tidal wave swept over the island, drowned
many Of the ponies, and changed the con-
formation of the shore. In 1866 another
tidal wave covered portion Of the island
and swept of some Of the ponies, but it
was not so destructive as its predecessor.
The first settlers no doubt anticipated such
yisitations as these when they carried their
dead to the summit of Rattlesnake ridge
for burial. This is a most extraordinary
cemetery, for the reason that it has no
memorial stones. There is not name, or
a date, or any other inscription that
could see, "The silence Of the grave Is
no mere figure of speech when applied to
these neglected mounds Whatever of
virtue, or genius, or piety, or heroism
made these unconscious sleepers honored
among men, is no more remembered on
the face Of the earth If they were below
ed in life, affection has forgotten to record
even their names. Yet, after all, there is
something sublime In this unbroken silence.
Oblivion Is better than falsehood. "The
storied urn" too often tells Of virtues
which had no existence, and sends name
down through the ages as honorable, which
was base enough until carved on marble.
l regret to leave these uncultured island
ers so soon. There are some original
characters among them with whom | should
like to become better acquainted No
person ever complains of the heat; the
sunshine blisters the skin, but it does not
inhame the blood; the cool sea breezes are
a perpetual joy, and the moonlight reflected
from the water is almost enchanting.
Both Chincoteague and Assateague sounds
are filed with the finest fish that can be
found on the Atlantic coast; the salt water
trout, highly priced by Baltimore epicures,
and served up in our best saloons at thirty
cents each, are 50 abundant that they sell
for ten cents a dozen. A corpulent
"sheepshead," that weighs FIVE or six
pounds, brings twenty-five cents. Yester-
day | saw rather sleepy-looking young
man fishing from boat which he had
tied to one Of the piles of an abandoned
pier. He used no rod, but merely dropped
a baited hook, attached to a short line,
over the edge Of his boat. Every Eve or
six minutes the water would be violently
stirred; the young man would slowly draw
up his line, and the bright scales of n
"sheepshnad' would glitter in the sun for
an instant, and then the struggling fish
would drop to the bottom Of his boat with
a heavy thud l saw five of these noble
fish hauled from the water within an hour
When they were strung together man of
moderate muscular development did not
care to carry them very far.
There is an excellent hotel here (the
Atlantic) which is well patronized. Not
many tourists come this way, but the large
oyster trade brings dealers from Philadel.
phia and New York at all times in the
year, and scarcely week goes by that
pony buyers do not cross the Sound.
Ifany amateur fisherman desires to throw
line in these prolific waters, he will be
anxious to know something about the lines
Of travel that lead to the island. The
quickest route is the longest. Leaving
Baltimore by the 7:25 A. M. train on the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad you viii reach Salisbury about 8
/. NJ. AT this point you can take the
Wieomico and Pocomoke Railroad and
proceed to Snow Hill, where the train
arrives about 7 p. NJ. The nail is carried
from Snow Hill to HorntoAa, sixteen
miles distant, in light one-horse carriage,
which will accommodate two or three
passengers. The road is smooth and level,
and the night ride is far from being un.
pleasant. The mail boy viii tell YOU when
you enter Virginia, and will point out
La rsx, .,uI 49,. L. l.