Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-06-13
A CURIOUS CITY.
tits Built on Stills in a Virginia
Salt Meadow.

Franklin City-.s.s,,. eeomack County
VA is one Of the oldest cities 10 be foune
anywhere. 1t is city set on stilts
Every house tands On piles. and is from
three to four feet above the surface az III,
4 ground. There is A huge frame hotel
that towers above tho surrounding house,
j like hay barn above cow-shed on :
/ New York farm. There are two avenue,
and two cross streetl, ungraded and nm
worked, Of course.
There are houses, including one dwell.
ing, built on piles out over the bav
There are pig-pens and stables set ON niles
like the dwellings, and elevated board
walks run from the houses to the ont.
buildings. \ dozen of the dwellings are
low, neat cottages. The rest are shantie.
OF various sizes. Iut the one most nota.
bic characteristic of the place is the
oyster shell. The railroad where the low
trestle once stood is ballastpd with
oyster shells. Looked at on a hot dav
as it lies cleaning white on dark greer
marsh, the roadway is enough to give
nervous man the headache. The bulk
heads along shore are filled with oyster
shells. The more enterprising citizens
are gradually making land bv filling in
their lots with oyster shells. and by and
by, where now only walks on piles are
found, there will be substantial. but not
tO-be-cultivated land.
There is neither sewer nor drain in
Franklin City, but, for two very good
reasons, a doctor is rarely called for.
One reason is that, whenever a southeast
gale RACES out at sea, and the ocean is
piled up on the bong sea wall. called AS
sateague Beach, that keeps the waves
from rolling in on franklin City. the tide
rises so high that Franklin CITY gets
bath The tide sweeps across the lots
and through the streets and iushes them
out. The other reason is that the drink
ing water IS excellent. Some of the wells
are sunk in the bay itself. and sweet |
water Is drawn up so to speak. from the |
bottom of the sea. They use driven wells. |
and every well draws water in an mex. |
haustible quantity from sixty feet below
the surface
Equally interesting with the city are
its people. They are curious mixture
OF Jersey and Maryland families. Every
soul there is more or less directly CON
nected with the oyster business. save only
the tralnmen employed by the railroad. /
The men dress in long legged rubber
boots, twilled cotton overalls, and Jackets
and sou'westers, which they wear on their
heads at this season with the flannel or
lining side out. They are all expert boat
men, builders and sailmakers; they can.
and do, tong, dlcdge and Gull oysters 10
man. They wear their boards full, their
faces are red, their hands hard and their
manners bluff. They never lock their
ioors at night, because there is not a
nan there who would steal money. though
hey do say that unaccOuntable mistakes
ire made when gathering the oyster har.
'est, by which underwater farm lines
re crossed and the reaper gathers where
le dld not sow. The women dress in
alleo, and they wear sun bonnets made
i the same low-pnced material. They
re handsome lot, however, old and
Dung, calico or no calico.
To look at the people, men and women.
$ they go about the streets, a stranger
'ould say that they were a contented lot
| laborers working at dollar a dav or
lereabouts. Their dress aid their homes
re about like what may b. iound AMONG
merican laborers in New Englaud vii.
gees
But let thc stranger go into the store of
ostmaster Bill Gibbs after the passenger
ain arrives at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
I'd watch the distribution of the mail
Is an astonishing mail for such look !,
g town. A dozen men in their rough !,
othes are awaiting it, and the letters
e n9gcf 0ynr tha .at,,tfa, nc Al.