Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-23
THE poNYS HOME.
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE ISLANDS or
cHIxcosEsaUE AND AssATEa6us.
Their history and Their Peopls-rhe
Great Light.Houss--A Magnih-
cent View.
co,responaenco q IN Richmond plsps,ct.I
CH.xcorEAouE ISLAND, VA, I
k.,,,,.t Oh 1899

tccr~osponacnce Of tho Richmond pispatchI
CugxcorEAouE ISLAND, VA,
August 20. 1883.
The week Just ended has been the
most notable for mauy years on this
island. Chincoteague lies OF the north
eastern corner Of Accomack on the Sra
side. Ii is about seven miles long and
from one to one and a hail miles wide,
being separated from tie mainland by a
broad and beautiful bay, which is inter
spersed here and there with little islets,
most Of which are covered with water at
hiqh tide. East Of Cbincotea9ue and
separated from il by narrow inlet
hes the island OF Assateague, which
fronts The open sea, and though not
more taan two miles hside at any place
extends for nearly forty miles in length
from the northern part OF the Eastern
Shore Of Virginia all the way mp %
Indian river, near tho mouth of Delaware
bay, so that at low tide one can drive Tor
fully forty miles along the hard sand
beach in fall view OF the mighty ocean.
ChincJ.esCne is. so 20 speak, q land
locked island, but short drive over the
wooded sand-mlls and a ten minutes sal
scroes tho inlet brings oneto Assateague,
on which stands the great light house,
whose fleming lamp burns warning to
sailors nearly two hundred feetabove the
level Of the sea. The massive circular
tower was rebuilt in 1867 and stands on
considerable eminence that has been
thrown up by the combined action OF the
wind aud waves Twenty years ago the
shore-line was ut the foot OF the little
bih on which the lighthouse stands !;
now IL is more than mile away. All
tho seaside islands of the coast OF Acco-
mack are rapidly eDcroachiDg on the do
Inain OF The sea. and every year or two
Iie-saving station that was once bmit
ON She beach has TO be moved farther
ont in order to enable the captain and
his crew 20 operate with convenience and
djspatch when vessels come ashore
or are III Distress. The Assateague
ljpht.house which is one Of the
finest and best-kept on the whole
Atlantic coast, is assembled by a winding
iron stairway 81 l75 steps. The tower
is surmopnte1 by an ironframed dome
with .ho apcrt1res filled with the finest
French-rlate glass. Inside Of this and
enclosing the light are the prismatic
lelseA. Tie great lamp has six circular
vjc,s. which consume from five 70 SIX
gallons OF oil every night in feeding the
lame. Under favorable circumstances
TINS light can h. seen l0rty miles ont at
zen. and mas warned thousands OF vessels
or tho treacherous shoals Of Assateague
Prom the top Of the lighthouse o mag
pihcent view cnn be had OF sea amt
hand. Below you lies the long
island. with its. herds of grazing pO-
mes andcattle. To the west lies Chinco-
toaquc. with It's pleasant bay, ana further
on rises the mainland, with its wooded
shore-liue end fertile fields, dotted here
and there with pretty villages and pros
porous farm-hOuses. Speaking from ex-
periencc. the writer thinks the sunrise
seen from the top Of Assateagne light
house }ar grlnder spectacle than one
sees from tire summit of the Peaks OF
Otter.
Though Assateague is much larger than
ChincOteague II has bat few Inhabitants.
It's soil is not so fertile, and its facilities
of communication with the mainland are
nothing ike 80 good 4 dozen families
with the three lighthouse keepers and
the Ile-savng crew are the only hu
man inhabitants Of the island. But
there are large dToyes Of ponies
sheen. and cattle, and no end of
foxes aud seaticks. ChincOteagne, on
the ether hand, is quite thicldy set
tied, having population Of more than
1890 Inhabitants, most of whom have
como hero since the war from Maryland,
delaware, aud New Jersey. Kendall
Jester, one Of the patrierchs of the
island. who was horn here seyenty-fOur
wears ago, recollects when there were
only dozen houses on the island, all
built OF ynne logs aud daubed with mud.
Ills father built the first framed house
and brick chimney on the island,
and during tho War of lSl2-'l5
made salt by boiling sea-water
ami sold il in Baltimore for 81 q bushel.
- Uncle Kendall, as be Is Familiarity
called by the people Of the island, IS tho
leading pony-raiser on Chlncoteague,
and can tell you moro Of the history of
the island than any other man. d" Uncle"
Isaac Daisy and " Uncle" Joshua Reed
arc two famous old natives, the latter
being Il Second Adyentistin religion anG
IL Republican in politics, though he voted
for Andrew Jackson, and still maintains
that he - T. jackson Democrat.
Aunt Bridget Snced Is the most no
table OF the old women of the island. She
is caock-iui OF old traditions, and is bit
tcrly opposed to the modern ways and
fashions winch "them furriners have
fetched 10 the island. In no portion OF
Virginia has greater progress been made
since the war than on ChlncOteague.
The people here VIII compare favorably
ia appearance. education, thrift, and
Industry with the people of any part of
the state outside OF our large cities.
There are five good churches and one or
two more in process OF building, five
good schools, the largest and best hotel
on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and
the greatest abundance OF good things
to eat the year round. The Accomack
Baptist Association, which has just con-
Guided its annual session here, was one
OF the best-attended meetings M the his
tory OF the organization, and all the visi-
tors eeemed to ENJOY themselves to their
hearts content. | must defer other
matters for my next letter. KALLIAs.