The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-21

,ti1- l-rrFE AND LOWER CLASSES OF
4 -. .!tIY-ASSATEAGUE ifGHT-HouSt-
y WONDERFUL CEMETERl-GooD-h1 r.
7.r CHlNCuTFhGCF.
& ..a,.l Correspondence Baltimore Amcrtcsnl
CplNcuTyAGuK ISLAND, VA, August {.
TIE pyocc>> Of "pennng and hranulhS
bn.airagur ponies has already been de-
,racG. This i about all the attention that
,r,., Ert from their owners units thev are
..G enough tn break and sell. Some ot them
wy, easily conquered, and become exceed
.,.-., .,cntlc 4 few vicious ones retain
,.,iy native wilducSs as long a> they live.
Whom three wears old they sell for about
200 delivered on the mainland. A pair
,.,, matches nicely will bring $500. The
,.r.,r nu,,> are used in Ac,rmac and North
nav, = counties. Virginia. and in the lower
...o,,,, Of the Eastern Shore Of Mary.
.nd Tor thc saddle aud for light fum-
.r.. The small ones (Which are the
r.t Valuable if they happen TO be
,r,.t, are sold to gentlemen from Phiadel.
hi9 and other northern cities, who buy
r.n Tor family pets" Children ride them
.nd drive them to pony.phatons and light
.:-.l,,. They all make splendid saddle
t..y>r>. especially for children. Their
,-cuu'h and endurance are surprising. On
..nrDniny" day saw tall, heavy men mount
,.,na ri the dolne>ticated ponies, and they
,,rrc,itbrm with the greatest ease, although
IN, .nrs, ot the riders boots We're no more
.tlu foot from tho ground. After
curious ruop in pursuit of the herd. they
vn,,hI ronr IN fresh and full of spirit. Their
.-,j, j. rl>v and rapid. None of them are ever
.Aat " hjlc they remain on the island. Some
a| tlrm have attained nutoriety rs fast run
r.r~. During the war General Lockwood
s,la>~ military district extended over the
..H"r prninsull) paid 500 for fast pony.
DECLINE OF uoKsEMASSHIP.
>rc" the oyster trade has occupied the
a',.nt.onsof the islanders horSemanShip has
greatly declined. The Young men cIre more
tay their .lrnp> and yachts than they do for
g2ui~>. On "pcnning' day ii was difficult
- -l volunteer riders from the crowd to
'r... in the herds. This was partly owing
"a 'bc indolencc of the young men, and
,lrrl, 10 want of confidence in their
,,Ir>,rjn skill. They looked upon a
r.,>. over the sand banks on horse
lurk - mnrr pcrilouS than voyage
across the sound in the Stormic>t weather.
The h,,t rider on the island is thin, wiry,
i'u,ant-ilcrd colorcd boy, who breaks most
+. rtll on the soft sand l. not likely TO hurt
@uy one. They have no d"g-car,> or other
appliances Tor training refractory ponies.
and do not think that they ever heard Of
IL, i,arcN system.
\ few ui the old race ut joCklc. SWhO were
.rod hnr>-lnen before the Chincoteague oys-
trr> created sensation in the epicurean
world still survive. and it is pleasant TO see
lh.m ON "prnning day. They laS>O colt
sud brand it as if they had a real relish for
riIr business. Mr.. kcndlc Jester. who owns
ru- largest herd on the island is one of the
survivors Of Il former generation of pony
iu',r>. He Is Il tall. powerful man, with a
.l,at hu-hy beard and Sood-humored face,
IN cy,Ig lincament Of which the shrewd
Jockey i plainly seen. ! was informed that
b." would have been quite wealthy if his good
ta,Urc and his want Of experience i'll every
;hlu9 rl>r except horSu.cratt had i!ct led him
- u>-umr obligations for friends which he
was obliged 10 pay. Notwithstanding the
l.rl lhA; hi> education is so limited as not to
embrace The first elements of orthography,
h~ fellow -citiZru> have recently elected him
10 III" responsible position Of supervisor OF
loti,. believe that there are two roads on
Xix ~iarl.
AGRICULTURE AND MORALS.
Elvrc are q few corn-patcheS near the
shore. hut wheat and rye are never seen.
Every kind Of vegetables might be raised in
Ii!r = "Itc>t abundance, but the islanders, us
I; general rule. have no taste for gardening,
or ANY other kind of labor. In the winter
tiry endure all manner of hardslips with
liI, greatest cheerilines>, dredging for oys-
Ter, and carrying them to market In the
s,0pinrr they fi-h in the sound occasionally,
,,F thn in i}
the -lorc. relieving the monotony Of the day
ly taking >undry drinks. intcmlerance is
TIN prevailing vice.
,rim~, are exceedingly rare. There is a
dim tradition that Il murder was committed
Oh The island some time during the last CEN
tily. hur the particulars OF the tragedy have
lurn forgotten. AS in most affairs of this
KIND. there WAS Il woman IN the case One
II !hc island beauties was beloved by t~o
Young men, The rivals met and Quarrplled :
t!,. one. II powerful man, struck his weaker
antagonist Il blow with his fist. and received
the blade Of bowie-kniic in his chest in re-
turn. lie tell dead. ;nl the man who slew
him was acquitted hecauSc he had been first
attacked. aud acted in >ef-delence. Tradi-
lion does not tell lis whether the surviving
lover married the girl whose beauty caused
he fatal quarrel, or whether she refused to
t,r iained to Il man whose hands were stained
with blood.
Sealing is almost unknown, ard there is
Very little fighting considering the amount
III whi>kcv that is drunk. The women are
>ald 10 be- rather more chaste than those OF
the >alne class who dwell upon the mainland.
Early marriages are supposed 10 be condu-
"ve 10 domestic purity. and Us Il general rule
these ISLANDERS marry In their youth. Some
times an adventurous islander brings wife
1ro'u The mainland. but this does not often
occur t~miir the young people born on
,h" i>iaud marry each other. The women
scarcely ever leave the island, and many of
them live 10 a good old age aud die without
ever having crossed the sound.
SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS. 50
Ever here there are upper and lower
ct,~"-. and there being fewer artificial con-
d'ious, The dividin" lines are less arbitrary
aud more consistent with reason than in
ninrr pOpaI0,ls and polished communities.
Wealth has but little influence in fixing the
social status. The wife Of the owner Of a
hundred pvni,s II illitcrate, has not so good
position IN society as the wife Of poor
hoatmAn who can read and write. In
community in which there is 50 little educa-
iIon small modcum Of school-book learn
It'g Is highly priced. The most intelligent
and influential person Of the native-born
population is John A. NJ. Wheaton, Esq, u
gentleman to whom am indebted for many
"i ihc iactS mentioned in these letters. He
i justice Of the peace, aud his iurisdic-
lion embraces nearly all the causes Of action
That arise on the island. He is also general
"phycyanrrr and scriyener, rs well as legal
adviser Tor his fellow islanders. Yesterday
,f,ft L. ,axxt.s
-lraIge woman 10 his house, to the great
scandal of the eiuhhnrhand was nrDIlubt