The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-13
THE OLD NAN TAXES A CRUISE.
rRup UP CnEsAPEAKE BAY,
The Eastern Shore Sweet Potatoes and
Fish--0,d Buildisxs-The Maryland and
Virginia Boundary Line-some Observa-
sisns on Law and Equity.
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch
On BOARD STEAMER TASGTER, !


On BOARD STEAMER TANoTE,
CHESAPEAKE BAT, Dec. IL, 1888.
have passed through part OF the glo-
rious old county Of Accomac, thai gave the
Democratic party 1850 votes against I, 1855
Coalitionists, being a majority for the
Democrats OF 1890. or about u TO / and
n nv count II right this IL the banner
Democratic county Of the State. This pa
triotie old county, though cut of FROM the
great body OF Virginia by the broad Chesa-
peake bay, Is true 10 "the mother F" as the
needle to the pole. find It's people pros
porous without extrayagant notions OF en-
ioyment. Their mair crop Is sweet pota-
toes. on which they make money at $3.50 a
barrel, but the average price OF this crop Is
about - barrel. I do not mean. however,
TO leave out the fish and oysters. which are
great sources Of revenue TO her people.
During the height Of the potato-shlpping
season as many as1 0,000 barrels a week are
taken away from Onsncock alone.
vt. GEORGES CHURCH.
have Just passed st. Georges Episco-
nal church--s brick structure OF bricks
brought from England In colonial times
and IL is about the third Oldest church OF
the United States. Not a brick has
changed. Every one seems as sound as
the day IL was laid. There IL endurance
for you, the structure being about 250years
old.
AN OLD ACADEMY.
Near by--say mile nearer Onancock-
stands Margaret Academy, also brick
structure of great age. At this academy
the late Judge Scarborough, General Henry
A. Wise, Judge f. =. Pitts, Judge
:. W. ii. Bailey, and other distin-
gtlished Virgnians received their early
education and trimming. Opposite Mr..
Thomas Finney's wharf, on Onancock
creek navigable for vessels drawing eight
10 ten feet Of water, stands the very eN-
cellent and capacious former residence OF
the late Governor Henry A. Wise, who |
have lust alluded TO. Down here are most
happily blended those great elements shall
say elements y OF mans existence, earth
and water, toItuously entwined, in fig
ures-strangely distributing little penin-
sulss-on each side OF which are nayigable
bavous tbst furnish TO residents separate
principalities, with kindest and we'll
drained soil for cultivation and vast vare-
ties OF fish and also oysters and crabs for
food.
DIDN'T LIKE 1T.
One thing saw did not reltsh 80 much (;
but I am ar old iogy, and il matters very
little what one may fancy or dislike.
passed Pungoteague, small town, Just
before getting to Margaret Academy, and
there I counted about forty or fifty bug
Qies, besides other vehicles and saddle
horses, comprising, with their owners, a
large gathering. The excitement was IN
impending horserace. Well, / thought
such industrious people could have EN-
ployed their time much better; but hard
wears work IL nearly over, and perhaps
they call II recreation.
SMITHS ISLAND.
We are IN the midst OF Pocomoke and
Tangier sounds. Little-necked islands eX-
tend In three dotted lines from the Eastern
Shore OF the bay out INTO this great in-
land water. Between the more northern
line and that which j. the more southern
lie two channels, separated by the middle
line. The northern channel leads up TO
Crisfield claimed In former days by Gov
ernor Wise 10 belong to Nrginia),
considerable Maryland town. The south
ern channel leads up Pocomoke river. The
northern projection OF the dotted Islands
includes Smiths island, inhabited by about
200 souls, who are engaged exclusively
fishing.
THE BOUNDARY LINE.
This island was claimed to be the Oh
jective point on the eastern side OF the bay
OF the boundary line, As IL crosses the
Chesapeake between Maryland and Viz
glnia, aud AZ il crosses from Smiths Point,
ut the mouth OF the Potomac river. 1t APP
pears the late commissioners appointed 10
locate the line between Maryland and Vir-
ginia. after reaching Smiths island, ran
the line across this island southeastwardly
10 the centre OF the channel that leads on
hy Crisfeld; then the line Is turned in
return course at right angle, and runs
westwardy along this channel towards the
bay II had 80 lately parted with. After fol-
lowing this Cristield channel some good dis
lance Il again turns at something like right
angle towards Pocomoke sound, CROSSING
one OF the little islands OF the middle
dotted line, and strikes the channel up
said sound. and then follows this channel
up Pocomoke river TO point where it
takes an easterly bee-line to the Atlantic
ocean. And so this long-agit tied line that
has cost the expenditure OF so much mo-
new and so much brain-power has been
twisted ana tortured into the shape which
l have described-yery nearly correctly
perhaDs--and IL is now said To be so settled
forever.
WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.
The people hereabout, or very many OF
them, regard II a. strange conclusion,
and q prodigious bunder. Well, l could
not help bordering over II as night drew
Its matte OF seclusion over this doubtful
engineering, as II was pointed out 10 me
by member OF the Virginia Senate. Ma
ture would seem 10 have indicated a line
A.tA An stt.f Iaf frit =.
our old mother her share OF frontage on
the Atlantic shore. Natural law Is equity.
and Maryland. with one-fourth OF the area OF
Virginia. has more saltwater frontage
than Virginia, 20 that We have hardly
enough water left to drown CORVALLIS and
his army II be should ever come.
II may not be generally remembered that,
again, Maryland was originally part of
Virginia. and was detached about 1882,
when George Calvert, the first Lord Balti-
more, was assigned grant OF territory of
Of Virginia.
My acquaintance said, ut Il finally set
tied, and there Is now no other resort"
Alb, but II strikes me Equity was made be-
fore Law. Equity IL the purpose aud the
destiny Of Justice, and holds over Law the
sword OF rehabilitated reason and the re-
tribution OF right. Equity Il Law, but
Law Is not Equity. Equity can never be
less than Law. Law can never be grester.
but must be subordinate TO Equity; and u
court OF justice without power 10 do Equity
IL no court Of Justice at all. SO / am veXed
TO speak in behalf OF Justice. Is il because
have been talking with iudgei But
we did not talk about laws, aud yet the as
ISOLATION may have set up the matter jn
nv mind In connection with tue wrongs OF
old Virginia; and may she be blessed in
her midst and 10 the remotest regions of
her still glorious dominion. G.