The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-09-02

, nav gable length. Newtown, in Worcester
county, Maryland, is located on this river,
within two hours ride of Snow Hill, the
county seal of Worcester and which it
closely rivals in activity and enterprise. 1t
carried on considerable contraband trade
during the war. it being Il convenient point
for communication with the South. The
+ Pocomoke, flum this point, flows through
Il nearly mnbrokcn growth Of cypress until
the county seat is reached, occasional
! glimpses Of Il level and sandy country being
/ had, with here and there "a comfortable
| looking farm house Worcester county has
/ always been one of the leading corn grow
ing counties of the State, for the production
of which its soil is naturally well adapted.
Snow Hill, its capital, does not present
particularly attractive appearance as you
approach it by the river, nor, indeed, from
any other direction, from the simple want
of point sufficiently elevated to overlook
it. 1t is a wel-shaded, quiet old town,
with number of, comfortable and respect
able looking homes which seem to have
grown old with their owners. 1t is Il social
place. 1t has, of course, like all other
Eastern Shore towns, it's inevitable aris-
tocracy, with its usual quota of prim old
maids, well up in local family pedigrees.
The County buildings are old and not par
tlcularly we'll kept. The most attractive
building, however, of the town, is the
Episcopal Church, occupying an ample and
well-shaded site on the principal street of
the village 1t is an interesting relic of
the past, with its old English glazed brick
imported for its walls, its heavily loaded
sash frames, and its ivy-grown walls
Viewing it, however, from the opposite
side of the street, the uncared- for condition
of its surroundings does not form a very
,lla e. 81
prise, and even less money, would make
very pleasing architectural picture. In the
immediate vicinity of Snow Hill are con-
siderable deposits of bog ore. which, when
worked, yielded about 33 per cent of iron.
Mr.. j. H. Alexander, State Typographical
Engineer, in his well known report to Gov
Grason, in March, 1910, on the iron inter-
ests of the State, speaks of this as the only
instance in Maryland (1S3f of the employ
ment in quantity of this kind of ore. 1t
was then smelted at the Naseongo Furnace,
about miles from the town, which was
constructed by Philadelphian, in 1890, |
and afterwards owned and worked by
Judge I. A. Spence, now Solicitor of the |
General Postot1ice Department at Wash |
lngton. The average annual product of
the furnace was then about 700 tons of pig |
iron. The furnace, however, has not been |
III blast for many years, and is, with its
surrounding lands, now owned by parties |
resident, | believe, in Philadelphia.
L made number of acquaintance at !
Snow Hill, to whom | am indebted for
numerous courtesies. Particularly, how
ever, to Capt. William Stewart, engineer
of the steamer Tangier and managing |
owner OF the steamer Alice, formerly own
ed and commanded by Capt. Daniel Vanne- |
man, of Port Deposit. Captain Stewart is
an aitable and enterprising man, who, with |
MIR. Ulysses Scheduled, of Worcester, as |
genial aud jovlal companion as can be
found in whole days walk, have com
peted the means of steam communication
with Chincoteague Island, by the purchase
of the steamer Alice, and her smaller con-
sort, the steam yacht .Hugqie
y pleasant ride of Is miles from Snow
hill, on the rails of the Berlin aud Frank
lin Railroad, owned and managed by the
Old DOMINION Steamship Company, landed
me ON the bay side, at Franklin. Here |
found the lltce in waiting to convey pas
sengers to Chincoteague lsland-a pleasant
sail of miles. | confess it reminded me
pleasantly of Cecil and of home to meet
the Alice, which we were so long accus-
toned to see from the car windows while
crossing the river at Perryville. Deposit
ing my traps in her cosy and newly furn-
iShed lower saloon, | hurried to her upper
deck to enjoy the twilight sail across the
bay. The evening was pleasant, and hav-
ing many questions to ask her obliging
Capt. Cobnrn, the run over to the Island
seemed very short one. A bright line of
lights extended along the bay front of the
Island, indicating against the dark back
ground OF pines the outlines and extent of
Chlncoteague village. Towering above,
but behind them, directly ahead of us, and
tor which the wheeman of the steamer
seemed steering, was Assateague Light
house. AS we neared the Island, one par
ticularly brilliantly illuminated house cast
Its reflections far out upon the smooth sur
face of the bay. The Captain informed
me 1T was Joseph (popularly called Joe,
English's new hotel. In very few mo
ments we were at the pier. Meeting my
old acquaintance, Mr.. Hurley, proprietor
of the Virginia House, with whom | had
stopped short time last Summer, | was
soon comfortably quartered for the night.
Alter good hearty supper, | renewed my
acquaintance of last year with number of
native Islanders, and having been assured
by them, that game was abundant, and the
promise for the morrow most tiattering, |
adopted Poor Richards maxim, and for
once to the qualification OF my landlord,
but not hope to that of my friend, ''the
Squire | went early to bed, and, in my
dreams, shot more birds in one hour than
IN all my life beside. Whether the realiZa-
ton OF my subsequent waking moments
approached that of my slumbering ones, |
Shall leave my readers to judge further on
in the Story of my Stay - on Chinco-
league. r.