The news., 1885-07-14

coasting business all my days. | was
born near Port Republic. When I
was young was coasting in and out
near Egg Harbor Inlet. Inever heard
much said about county line. Con-
sidered inlet the county line. Never
heard where the line came through
the bay. Was never familiar with
Brigantine Beach. Never heard when
old inlet closed and new one opened.
Was never in and out old Egg Harbor
Inlet. | have seen present Brigantine
Inlet twenty years ago not since. At
low water it was twenty-five yards
wide. Could talk across it. Never
heard of it being closed.
Samuel B. Heddley, sworn-I am
eighty-three years old. live in Bur-
lington county at Tuckerton. Have
lived there all my life except eight
years, and then lived in Monmouth
county. My business was waterman
and followed the bay inside till 1 was
twenty-one or twenty-three. Then
was master of coasters. Commenced
when was twelve. My father was
bayman. He was eighty.four when
he died in 1852 as near as | can tell.
Never heard him speak of the county
line nor other old people. Have
known new Egg Harbor Inlet since l
followed the bay. Been in and out the
old one before it closed, more frequent
ly than the new. In my boyhood
knew Brigantine Beach down to James
Baremores. Never knew any inlet
from new Egg Harbor to James Bare
more's. Been on the beach from one
end to the other. There had been an
inlet and it had filled up. l heard a
man speak of it before l was there.
1t showed the fiat place on the beach
and at high water it ran across half
leg deep. don't call that an inlet.
1t was in sight of James Baremore's.
Can't tell the distance, but it was
quarter to half mile above his
house Never been there since Brig
antine has broken through. My uncle
James Rogers told me there had been
an inlet at this place. He didn't say
how long before he told me. 1t was
sixty to seventy years ago when he
told me. / was there with my father
sixty to sixty-five years ago. He had
known an inlet there. Never knew
any inlet between that place and new
Egg Harbor, nor did l hear my father
or uncle or any old men say there ever
had been one there. My fathers
name was John Headley. Remember
Pullen's Island. Went there to fish.
There was deep water there. Pullens
Island was about one-third of the way
from point of Little Beach to James
Baremore's house. The place across
the beach half-leg deep was nearer
James Baremore's house than Pullen's
Island. Don't recall any shift or low
place above this place. Sixty to sixty
five years ago the beach on Island
Beach was high, high hills on it.
Highest beach l ever knew on our
coast No trees on it. Were valleys
between the hills but these were high
er than the beach. There was deep
water at point Of Island Beach and
channel run out into new inlet. Be-
fore Brigantine Inlet opened, water of
Grassy Bay came up through Brigan-
tine Channel by Pullen's Island and
round point of beach and came into
new inlet.
Henry Smith, sworn-I am sixty-sev-
en- years old. Since l was on the
stand at Leeds Point, have thought
over the matter. Lived on Brigantine
Beach. Mother was a daughter of
James Baremore / can recollect
nearly sixty years back. There were
five inlets at that time on Short Beach.
There was one called Quarters Inlet
down by Smiths hotel, about sixty
years ago. This filled up This was
below the present Brigantine Inlet.
Above present Brigantine Inlet there
was Shell Gut on Little Beach. 1t
was good many years ago. 1t must
be forty years ago. Next below Shell
Gut was one called Marks Island In
let. Then a little one cut below Marks.
1t was called Ben's Hill Inlet. Next
below was where present Brigantine
is. Next below was Harvey's Quar-
ter. l understood old Brigantine In
let was above Pullen's Island. Ny IA
ther and an old lady said so. Shell
Gut ran through from inside to the
sea. Not great ways above Marks
Island there was smallish Island be-
tween that and new Egg Harbor In
let. From Shell Gut Inlet to Marks
Island was not great ways can't
give the distance. From Marks Is
land Inlet to Ben's Hill Inlet was
mile. When this cut through uncle
Daniel Baremore had to move his
house. This was thirty to forty years
ago. 1t closed up a very short time
afterwards. Open about year. The
water in this inlet was two to four feet
at low water.
Joseph GdskiN, sworn-I was seventy
seven last April. Was born at Little
Egg Harbor, Burlington county. l
am waterman. Have lived in Allan
tic county since 1887. Heard James
Baremore say the county line was just
above his house. He lived on Brigan-
tine Beach pretty close to what they
call Gandy's or Brigantine Inlet. This
has cut through since l come away.
His home was this side of tia inlet as
it is now. Have been in Gandy's or
Brigantine Inlet and come up through
Brigantine Thoroughfare. When they
were wrecking, the fuckers claimed,
as Custom-house Collectors, down to
where Gandy's Inlet now is. Have
always heard Burlington county
claimed down to that place. Never
heard of any former inlet where Gan
dy's now is. Never knew any inlet
between new Egg Harbor and Brigan-
tine except Shell Gut at the point of
beach. ! was on the beach when
| porap,ora told mo ahout tbo l;pa H.
said it run above his home. We were
up on the beach at the time of the
talk. He and my father were talking.
He said little way above his home.