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

lation is John A. NJ Wheaton, Esq, a
gentleman to whom | 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-slanders.
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 navigators. IL stands on a
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 above the level of
the sea. Through the courtesy of the
keeper, VIC were 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 eye
searches for some other boundary to its
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 it 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, and 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 off some Of the ponies, but il
was not 20 destructive as its predecessor
The first settlers no doubt anticipated such
visitations as these when they carried theil
dead to the summit of Rattlesnake ridge
for burial This is most extraordinary
cemetery, for the reason that it has nc
memorial stones. There is not name, OIL
a date, or any other inscription that
could see, "The silence of the grave" i.
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 OIL
the face of the earth if they were belov
ed in life, affection has forgotten to RECORD
even their names. Yet, after all, there i,
something sublime in this unbroken silence
; Oblivion is better than falsehood. 9Th,
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.
| regret to leave these uncultured island.
ers so soon. There are some origina
characters among them with whom SHOULD
like to become better acquainted. N,
person ever complains of the heat: tn,
, sunshine blisters the skin, but il does moi
inflame the blood the cool sea breezes ar,
, a perpetual ioy and the moonlight reflected
: from the water is almost ENCHANTING
Both Chincoteague and Assateapue sound
are filed with the finest fish that can h,
found on the Atlantic coast the salt waite
trout, highly priced by Baltimore epicures
r and served up in our best saloons nj tbirt,
cents each, are 50 abundant that thew sci
, for ten cents a dozen. A cornulen
, 'ssheepshead. that WEIGHS FIVE or ii,
pounds, brings twenty-five cents. Yester
day saw rather sleepy-lookinp youn,
man fishing from boat which he bat
tied to one of the piles of an abandone,
pier He used no rod, but merely dropne,
baited hook, attached to a short Inc
over the edge of his boat. Every five q
/ six minutes the water would be yiolentl,
stirred; the Young man would slowly draw
up his line, and the bright scales Of
ssheepshead" would glitter in the sun 70
an instant, and then the STRUGGLING fisl
would drop to the bottom of his boat witt
heavy thud. l saw Ave of these nobl,
fish hauled from the water within an bonr
When they were strung together a man q
moderate muscular DEVELOPMENT aid NO
care to carry them very far