The Cecil Whig., 1876-09-09
CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND.
It's Location, Mhabitants, Local Features,
Oysters, Sc.

serious inconvenience at any time during
the day or night | do not mean to assert
that this enterprising but unpopular insect
does not, at times make its sanguinary
raids upon the unressting Chincoteaguers
and their generally pugnacous guests
Indeed under the doubly favorable aus
pices OF wind and weather, the insect plague
sweeps the Island, as the sailors say, from
stem to stern. When the gentle land
breezes blow, however, no place on the
coast is secure against their pestilential
ravages, and all places alike become unen-
durable, until the obliging clerk of the
weather, moved by the ntoerable suffering
of pleasure seeking mortality, orders a
fresh wind, and blows hard to leeward the
insect nuisance.
Before entering into the details of my
experience as an amateur sportsman, l
think it proper to give my readers some
general IDEA of the location of the Island,
SO celebrated for its oysters, ponies and
game, as well make some reference to it's
population, trade, products, and features
generally.
Chncoteague Island belongs territorially
to Accomac CO., Va, from which it is sepa-
rated by a shallow bay about five miles wide.
The Island is miles long and in it's broad
est part one and half miles wide. Thrown
sea, it receives nowhere directly on its
shores old Neptune's angry blows, be-
ing land locked by another island ASA
teague), from which it is divided by a mar
row bay. Chincoteague is in this respect
more favored geographically than any of its
island brethren, atfordng, in its sheltered
location, Il safe and welcome harbOr to the
hardy mariners of the coast. The open
ocean is reached at its extreme southern
point, through an inlet about one and
half miles wide, which, when unfriendly
northeasters blow hard upon the outer
beach of Assateague Island, affords an easy
escape to the calmer waters of the inner
bay. To this bay, or more properly speak
ing, succession of bays, which extend nearly
the entire length of the peninsula ocean
front, the inhabitants Of the mainland and
its adjacent islands, owe their support. 1t
abounds in fish, game and oysters, afford
ing at all seasons of the year, an unlimited
supply of delicacies, both for home and
distant consumption. a considerable por-
ton of the Island is covered by thick
growth of pine, with here and there an elm
or oak, while at either extremity of it are
wide eXtents of salt marsh, covered with
thick and rank growth of grass, which
affords alike, in Winter and Summer, a
range and pasturage for droves of ponies
and herds of cattle and sheep. The Island
bears no reliable traces of its aboriginal
Indian owners. if we except the remnants
of what the older chroniclers of the coast
emphatcally declare was even within the
limits of their accommodating memories,
gigantic shell mound, located near the
southern point of the Island, the Indian
origin of which appears the easiest solution
of its seemingly mysterious existence. Yet
t1,n nnpl,I ar of hn hnU how
year after year, played such havoc upon its
crumbing sides, as to leave scarcely enough
of its original proportions, upon which to
base reasonable speculation as to its
origin. But whatever Chincoteague Island
may have been under the Red Mans rule,
it is, to, day, a little repuhic of oystermen
and traders. 1t is an independent and
loyal one, too. For when its pretentious
mother had, in 1861, passed through her
legislature an ordinance of secession, the
sturdy islanders refused to recognize it,
and holding true allegiance to the Union,
maintained their loyalty to the stars and
stripes. In this connection | must not
overlook the courage and pluck of a native
Islander for whom all entertain the truest
sentiments of respect. John Nj. Wheaton,
an intelligent and well-informed man, had,
in the early days of the rebellion, with
OluciS tuudIly pdIli iobiC, ldlSeu upuH lHo
Island noble flag staff, from which, to
the chagrin and annoyance OF the seces-
sionists upon the adjoining mainland, float
ed the national emblem. Bent upon its
destruction, lawless party of rebels visited
the Island and demanded Of the leader of
the brave little band that the flag be taken
down. "Dare man of you," said he
" lay Il hand to those halyardS, and his life
shall pay the penalty of his folly" Cour
ageous secessionists, under the cover of
night, did succeed in cutting the halyards
that they were too cowardly to sever in the
light of day. But an active sailor mount
ing to the dizzy height of the towering
masthead soon replaced them, aud through
out the dark and dreary days of the rebel
lion the unmolested colors tloated to the
breeze.
POPULATION.
The Island contains population of over
ZOO people, engaged principally in the
occupation of oysterng. The idea has
been prevalent and still is to some extent
entertained that native Chincoteague peo-
pie are exceedingly primitive in their ways
and rude in their habits. Living in an
isolated location, ignorant of the ways and
habits of the outer world. a narrow
minded, half civilized class of people; phys
ically raw boned, lantern jawed and leath-
err faced. The men something of the half
man, half alligator, amphibious stripe, and
the women cross between AmaZons and
mermaids. With few instincts above the
oysters upon which they chiefly subsist,
and so lazy and indolent that God, in his
mercy, created oysters without legs, espe-
cially for the benefit of the original Chm
coteaguer. Indeed, sensational newspaper
men even yet condescend to palm upon
their readers many silly attempts at such
nonsenSical descriptions of their habits and
appearance. An instance of this recently
occurred. A gushing correspondent of a
Wilmington newspaper happened to STUN
BILE upon the cosy dwelling of an indus
trous matron of the Island. Boston,
what stories he told of the decorative pro-
pensities of the people. Now it happens,
that the lady in question, like the general
ity of her sex, has an innate, passionate
love of color. Indeed, in her case, so ire
sistible is the passion, that she INDUCES
it not only as ladies generally do in the
cultivation of flowers, of which her prem
ises give ample proof, but in decorations,
that while not strictly of the most artistic
type, and somewhat novel to strangers,
still are not offensive to the eye, unless it
be the prying optic of some Paul Pry of
the press. 1t SO happened that this lady
saw proper to ornament the ceiling of her
dwelling with tissue paper cut in orna-
mental designs. Upon the walls of her
rooms she hung bottles filled with cloths
of different colors, intended by her as a
cheap substitute for pictures and which,
when her means and opportunity warrant
ed, would be replaced by ornaments more
artistic and better suited for domestic orna-
mentation. Whereupon this imaginative
correspondent, selecting this lady as the
true type of Chiucoteague women, drew
beautiful epistoary picture, in which he
painted the parlors of the whole Island as
hung with bottles stuffed with red flannel,
interlined with cheap prints and circus pic
lures. This case very well illustrates the
manner in which erroneous ideas and no.
tions are circulated, only through the desire
to startle by novelty and the production of
some sensational story or other. AS in this
case one individual is selected as repre-
sentative of class, and personal peculiari-
ties are mistaken for the characteristics of
whole community. Nothing could be
more ridiculous than the conclusion intend
/ cd Tn ba RI from tal do