Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-25
Letter from Eastern shore, Va.

HUNGAR's PARISH EASTERN SHORE OF
VIRGINIA, Sept. 20, lS76.-l have thought
i; might not be uninteresting to the readers of
the Gaz tie to give sketch Of section OF old
Virginia, 10 some respects unique. Whether
n the original Instance this segregated slip was
Incorporated in the sovereignty OF Virginia,
that the entrance TO her noblest rivers might
be the more etfectuay guarded, or from what
cause socver it were, it s perfect geographl-
cal ncoDgruity; and it is amusing to hear the
parallellsms and comparisons that are drawn be-
tween the eastern and western Shores as to
their social and intellectual traits. Eighteen
miles below this poiOt is Cape Charles, and the
eighteen miles of latitude gives only four OF
loagituIe here, the land gradually tending out.
wardly uuliI you reach the coEhres oil Mary
land. From Cape Charles TO the MaryIald
line two large roads diverge, called the Bay
Side and the Sea Side, respectively, which
form the rude perimiter OF al attenuatct
rhombus. Along the Bay Side road there are
villages every six miles. For wonderful spOn-
tanelty of production, both OF the land and
the waters, [ do uot think the world affords
goodller hanitaton We have the Cherrysobc
and Hungar's oysters without stint; crabs hard
aud soft, and terrapin, brandt and other ducks;
the various plover, willet and marsh birds, and
their eggs, with such sweet potatoes, straw
berries AID WatermelouS as you never see elS~-
where. Acccmac is the more thrifty; this
| Northampton The more aristocratic county;
! before the war the slave population being a
| large oue, and to-day the county has negro
delegate, the notable Peter Garter. Living was
SO easy aud generous, aud isolation making the
| people So clannsh, aud of kin through luter
marriage. tue people were greatly gwen over
| to lestlvlly aud trU!lc. Fox huntlDg and terra
pin -upperS We're OF lmmemoriaI usage. Be-
twixt this point and the Cape is Arllugton, the
ancieut scat Of the Gusts family. A tombstone
Of great antiquity, sill standing over the re-
mains OF one John Gusts relates, 10 the words
OF Gee, dent, how, that in checkarcd career Of
nearly sixty years he only accounted himself
to have Hred during the seven brief summers
he KEEP, bachelors hal az Arlington. The peo-
pic OF both counties swear first by the holy
evaDgei, and next by Henry A. Wise, who did,
INDEED, richly deserve their love. | have rarely
heard anything more pathetic than his attesta
ton of tue affection be bore this people, when
lie was here defending friend last fall, and
Was too feeble to rise from his chair 10 the
Court room. Unless the Old Dominion Com
pany iulsh its extension from Snow Hill, 10
| Maryland, to Cherrystone, there Is reason to
appreheDd that Northampton will eventually
be abandoned to dredgers and negroes. The
Isuds have deprecated diSastrously, and uni
versal competition has reduced the profits on
trucking 10 almost nothing. You can see TO day
ouions rottiug 10 the fields. Old HuDgar'
Church is 40 immense colonial structure, the
glebe being the bcqueSt of gentleman, upon
the condition that the living should GOT be
without an incumbent tor SIX consecutive
mouths, and as an illustration of his goodncs:
the parish register still has the name OF DR..
MlDnegcrode, who was their good Samaritan,
when the tile to the glcbe was orca threatened
with alienation. Rev. Arthur S. Johns is the
present actual Incumbent, or rather the rector,
the orrna glrbc being u litigation. We had
Bcv. Douglas in one of his mastery efforts last
Monday, and on Tuesday john Goode volun.
teered TO take pat 10 4 clam bake, and made
one of bis pleasing addresses. Politics ruu high
here, and the people universally read the
newspapers, and Ink" all insulated COMMUNITIES
indu g. the veuial vanity Of rather overesti.
mating their State and National significance.
Come down iu November and shoot ducks with
me, | have gotten TWO 90 the wing out OF I'VE
Speaking of shooting recalls the circumstances
that old Northampton furnished the only com
paoy of horse marines during the war Combat
was actually joined by the improVlsed soldicry
of the vicinage With small arms, and a gunboat
lying out in the bay. We hear the booming OF
the sunset gun at Fortress Monroe, and that OF
old ocean when it comes Oh to blow a north.
caster. That OF Sunday blew down trees by the
hundreds, aud either shredded or ob!lteraed
the fodder A. 5. NJ.