Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-08-26
oars oHAREEs oIrY.
The New Tosvn which EEas sPrang
ZIP AZ tho Ternsiuus Of the N. NJ,
n. * W R. n.

n. * ". 10. n.
Less than two years have rolled By
since the New York, Philadelphia a. Nor
folk railroad was completed TO its termi-
nus ON the Chesapeake. II was during
the week succeeding the last Presiden-
tial election, in November 1884, that
George w. Ingran's excursion took the
first party of Delawareans over the new
road. The excursionists found at the
lower end thereof bit of beach, two
steam dredgers exoavating dock, lot
Of piles enclosing stretch of water and
mud marking out the Dimensions of
wharf that WAS yet TO build, big pine
forest, a rough shanty used as telegraph
Office and store-house for railroad supplies
andthree or four newly builtand unpreten-
tious frame houses strung along the edge
of the pine forest aforesaid. A map Of
the projected city showed streets and
avenues that were 10 run across and
through this forest and somewhere in the
heart of the same there was to be public
park which would start with the advan-
tage of full grown trees ready made.
Building lots were laid ont on paper and
the agent at the telegraph shnnty said
that AS of these lots had been taken
aad succeeded in dispoaing Of haif ~
dozen more to lucky Delawareans that
day. The prices of the lots 40 feet
front by l40 feet, ranged from S75 to
$3.50, according to location lots fronting
on the park were held at from $i45 to
$175.
What change short time has
wrought in this paper settlement will be
seen in the following letter to the Starn-
ton, Va, Vindicator::
CARE CHARLES CrrY, VA, July 23d, 1885,
The visitor to the Eastern Shore, who has
been ut all familiar with the country here
abouts, will be surprised to see what change
has been effected by the building of the
New York, Philadelphia Il Norfolk railroad,
which now runs down through this rich
little peninsula. AT almost every station
there has sprung up o village; the land has
increased In value, new settlers moved In,
now settlements made and new houses, saw
| mills, staVe and barrel factories gone up on
every side.
| This place, however, is the most impor-
tant development of the new railroad. Here
the freight and passengers from Norfolk
md Old Point Comfort are landed from the
steamers which have transported them
across Chesapeake Bay. The mail and pas
| sengers are brought by the fast steamer
Old Point Comfort every night, and loaded
Il freight cars conveyed over on immense
barges drawn by steam tugs. The trade
and travel invited by this quick route north
has already become very important, and
| this place, which IS months ago had but one
single frame shanty on the ground, has
grown to be quite town of some 800 souls
and has been recently incorporated. There
Is deep and roomy harhOr walled In by
heavy piles, which was originally an inland
lake, but has becn opened into the bay.
| Tho private enterprises include an oyster
u Il N packing establishment, where saw
To-day several cargoes OF flsh, mackerel,
trout, Sleeps head, spots, &C., being packed
l In ice by the barrel and box for the New
York and Philadelphia markets which they
will reach tonight There is also an immense
ice house here, well stored with northern
Ice, three hotels, six stores, one drug store
two Ice cream saloons, sundry bar rooms
several handsome residences and number
OF tenements, all brand, span new, as well
as the mayor, town council, and town sell
| geant's badge. There seems but little
doubt that Cape. Charles will soon be the
most important place on the Eastern Shore
great many poor men on this shore
have become Independent since the war
making potatoes and strawberries, and
some have grown rich. Northampton Il
considered best for "rouud" or Irish pota
toes, and Aecomack, for "sweets" and
strawberries, and the crops are set accord
ingly. The farm houses are all snug, thrift,
looking settlements, and many OF the resi-
dences are elegant abodes OF comfort ant
hospitality, great many OF them new an
| modern In style or remodeled, and dressed
with bright new paint. One of the feature
| of tho dwellings here is the red roof, an'
NIL of the red roof houses are painted white
and some OF them have red blinds also
which make the ordinarily sombre looking
frame house quite gay in appearance.
One of the finest estates on the 'shore" 4
that of Congressman William l.. Scott o
Pennsylvania, who has a highly cultivated
plantation OF several thousand acres u
Cape Charles. There is a fine race tracl
| upon IL and extensive stables and barn
, where he kept and exercised last winter 2.
blooded horses which are now mostly Ii
the field at various points.
The proprietor OF thisIhandsome propert.
Is n friend of President Cleveland, witt
whom he recently visited the estate In
, steam yacht, and 1t will be recollected Il
spoken OF as successor to Secretary Man
ming.
The roads are fine In this section ant
everybody has carriage" as the pleasur
vehicles are called, whether 1t is one or tw,
horse and they all have tops to them, ant
everybody rides In them, not excepting tn
, negroes. Every one drives rapidly, N
matter what may be the occasion, and 1t |
exceedingly rare to see man on horseback
Again every one that lives on the "ba
side or the "sea side" has q sail boat; tn
, man who can't manage one Is considered
"greeny." Very many Indies are skilfu
with tho oar and rIdder and can tell yo
how to manage the sails. Much of tn
visiting, and many of the business trips u
and down the two coasts are made by boat
and frequent excursions are taken to Cobb
Island, Hog Island, Chincoteague and othe
| points 10 or 10 miles off the coast The da
Is spent In visiting, bird-egging, flshin
shelllng, &C., and they return with the tide