The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-18
4 Of their produeis There ale nine. stores;
! whose aggregate annual safeS amoNnf ID two
.fY,nf1re fftnfsaf1yi In yafa &. pfst1ahd

/ LiHHuFeN tu0uSanu Gls1lsaTSY aWuHfOLEk4t-sLn
/ Aussntic, BIZ Jossp Eng isf. tho yfrgIHts
i bysCs lionel Hurdley and While hsit accom-
modatis ms do not equal Cob BIS lsIands the
I charge on.lv 81 per week st Both hotels hay
/ been crowded all the summer With Visitor
/ from Baltimore, Philadelpbis, and New York
| The most noted one, now here is ex: Post
masteraG General Ores we'll, OF Mary land.a Th
registers showed 1ine as the oni!
name entered from n Richmond I'M
season. There Is. ali q excellent school
| and three churches With good resldelnnlt. pas 9
1 tors and large and prosperous con gre ations
| They are Baptist, Methodist Episc.npai, anf
| Methodist Protestant. The Baptists afs e[ser
COMMUNICATES, and, like the Methoo!sts,
| have their class-fneetings and love-feasts.
The number OF inhabitants Is put down Rt
$500. They are a hardy, sober, Industrious
people, taking to water as though 1t was
their native element. Some of the finest
sailors On the Atlantic coast have their resi-
dences here. The ladies are fully up TO our
city bellies in style Of dress, and some ] have
seen are aspretty as Elder could paint them.
They are trained to domestic life, marry
young, and make, the best OF wives. /
was SO fortunate as to make the &C.
quafntance of, q daughter of one Of the
resident ministerial beautiful blonde Of
eighteen, highly accomplished, with eohver4
sational powers seldom equalled. i am in
debted TO her for much valuable Information
as to her sex on the island. There are ladies
here who can get vessel under way and sail
her "a safely and swiftly as an expert sea-
man. Some of the occupants are extensively
engaged in the growing Of oysters. having
an excellent bay for the purpose. They are
n,,.I Id 10 30 s1,nta -,
the season 100000 bushels, at prices ranging
from siXty.fve to ninety cents, while the
cost Of planting. gathering, and marketing
does not exceed thirty cents per bushel.
Stock.raising is carried on largely; and the
island Is well stocked with sheep, cattle, and
ponies. l noticed some as fine cattle as I
ever saw on q West or Southwest Virginia 4
farm. Pony.raising is considered by many
the most lucrative occupation. The only
capital required is eight to ten brood.mares.
The raiser is at no more expense, and Is
enabled to sell from six to eight ponies an
u,ially, realizing from $50 to 1925 each.
There are from four to five hundred, winter
and summer, grazing on the large marshes.
and never receive mouthful OF food from
their owners. The marshes are graZed in
common BY the pony-raisers, which necessi.
tates what is called pouy.penning. This
takes place each year about the LIST of Au.
gust, when all the ponies are penned for the
purpose of marking, which is done by brand
ing the owners initials on the left side. These
pennings are largely attended by persons
from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
and Virginia. On these occasions the ponies
are offered at auction, and many of them
sold. The great pony king of the island is
Mr.. Kendall Jester, who has reached his
"three.score years and ten," and is Familiarity
called Uncle Ken." At this advanced age
he can throw lasso or-use the branding
iron as skilfully as any Texan ranger. ID
There is another ANNUAL gathering of the
islanders about the. 1st OF, June, called the
Here all the men, women,
and children meet. The sheep are driven
into pen, and the lambs separated from the
ewes. The fleeces are sheared and put into
one at time, into the pen with the sheep,
and closely watched by the owners of the
flock. As soon as one goes to its mother it
is caught and receives the mark. This is the
simple mode of identification. This process
over, all join in q regular holiday, and 80
sailing. eating, drinking, dancing, &c.
Northern capitalists and mercantile firms
are not insensible to the large and growing
trade Of this island. Representatives of three
northern houses joined us on the route.
From one Of them 1 learned that he had
most excellent trade with the merchants.
A branch Of the D eIaware railroad has been
extended to the bay about forty miles above
this place. A tri-weekly steamer connects
the railroad and island. The Old Dominion
Steamship Company is building a railroad
from Lewes, in Delaware, which will be
and trains running to Stockholm
a point eight miles above thiS-by the 1st of
october. - ~
L found the islanders social, ard prompt to
give any Information sought. l am under
obligations to Dir. William T. Orwell, who
has resided many years on the island, FOX
much of what is here written. b. 7. j.