The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-17

lOfled WI thrN cOuld n Htl u'cnuiu
storm and hest tide ever known had oc-
Cured which has aid waste all the lower
country. destroying the crops and sweeping
AWAY i've stncN O. every kind. scarce plan
taton which has not 81 cred by the blowing
down ol houses. The distress o. the people
is ieyond conception. Hundreds OF
families IA this county fOlOu ester
are deprived OF everything ( another
years subsisten G. The ii g. which was Ny
iset IN some Il these houses has swept all
before il and drowned several OF the inhaOi-
tants Corn ak. cotton and vegetable OF
every kind died wherever the tide went II 1t
was lot swept away so that the people are
deprived OF every neces AIRY OF lie. even their
stock of old IN horses and cattle and the
greater part of the sheep hogs aud fowls.
person. one of the sufferers il now present.
HIS account o. the damage exceeds anything
] ever heard IN this part of the world. ] Was
one among them. but in small degree 70
hundreds OF others II something Is not
done for their relief God knows what VIII be
the consequence. fear their stress VIII
not end here Tor their lands which have been
OverplOwed, ar so impregnated with salt that
doubt whether they viii pro luce anything
FOR some years 20 come. The loss or the
fencing alone. had there been no other dam
age would have iaii the people under great
q ihcultles. indeed. IN many places - Is aim 50
irrepar.ble. The losses cannot De emu
merated The plantations arc shocking spec
tac.es and the stencil OF corn, grass and other
vegetables Is most disag leeable.
DEsraUcrvE TIDAL WAVE.
The extent # this di .aster does notappear 20
be definitely known. buta tide that rose SIX let
in the dwellings aiOug he SHORES and over
the lower farms of DlOu ester county must
also have submerged part OF the Eastern
Shore and most OF ;he western trom the
Potomac % Hampton Roads. The food
not only DESTROYED the crops ~ tie
fields. but those as that had been
housed. II one oil the public Warehouses
on DeacOns Neck. thought ID lie safe
place for deposit o. tobacco, al that time O.
Great value To the State As VOL rs 10 the
owners q large amount IN hOgsheads was sub
merged The result OF this misfortune was
that on account OF the suherings OF the pro-
pertv holders cd that region they were re iieFod
from taxation for several consecutive years;
and in cOnse hence of other serious diticul-
ties developed out the same time the en-
tire tax levy of the State was by special en-
actnent reduced one-thlrd.
sUIFEENG ~ TIE WESTERN COUNTIES.
Bad as was the condition of the people in
the east w re state Ot things preya led IN
the western counties Tie State had not
only 20 furnish her quota of troops for
the Continental line in defense OF nor
sister colonies but she was sorely taxed
to defend her own people from the savages on
her western b riders hese cruel and vigil
liant enemies were constantly being incited by
their british allies. The frontier counties
were scarcely able 10 furnish food for their
people on account OF the constant attacks OF
the Indians. Daring the dag the men tended
their small crops and protected their cattle
with arms ready for use. while at night they
we've obliged either to act as scouts or occupy
outp0sts built for the protection OF the
scattered settlements. 10 SUCH distress
on these accounts had they been
driven that at certain PERIODS OF the
war they were constrained 10 refuse TO
furnish any more men Tor services IL tie Con
tueutal line Hence il was that Virginia APP
pcared not 90 be dong her whole duty against
the common enemy anu she mas since oeeh
uniustly accused oil not having furnished the
, number of troops sne should have done IN
proportion 20 her population. Much might
be said I'm this connection b tn TO show how
undeseryed have been these accusltl rs and
10 prove h devoted and unselhsh had ever
been her iealty TO the common cause our
sole Object here is 10 show ID what degree OF
exhaustion suffering and poverty the people
had been reduced by the Revolutionary war
and how Oy patience, prObItY and industry
they ultimately regained Tor Their State not
only @ fair ava INT OF pfcsr erty. nut ABOVE
all a reputation for integrity. both III the pr-
yate and public adm nlstration OF AFFAIRS II
NAV with prophet. be said here that no at
teution has ever been given t. this branch OF
tho internal or domestic history OF the people
Oh Virginia But. at the same time, 1t cannot
be expected that SD important subject can
be fully discussed within the limits of these
desultOrv sketches.
THE PUBLIC DUES.
Other causes than those already referred 10
existed Why IL became impossible to collect
the public dues. Under the existing law these
were 20 be paid either IL specie .r IT'S eguiyO-
lcgt luasnuch as neither the state nor the
General Government bad any legal coinage
the country was and Away had been oe-
pendent upon foreign COIN II a circulating
medium. Virginia. before the war. lad her
share a. the result of her trade. During tie
progIe of the war q } this specie had been
drawn from the State 10 the purchase of nu-
nItiOns of war and IN fitting ont her quota ot
troops for the Continental sery CO. The con
SO luence was that 40 tho return OF peace
scarcely 90 com OF tue precious metals
could be found in the State. Between the
wears Is and 1851 some OF tine States under
the Articles Oi Confederation and IN their
sovereign capacity. had issued coined money.
But irlinia hal t initiated IN this respect
tle examples OF Massac usetts. Connecticut,
Vermont and New Jersey. she had been
obliged TO issue paper money the value OF
which was as uncertain as were the Vlcis-l
tudes of WAL but was available only because or
the high character Of the people aDd the credit
OF the new Commonwealth. The next article
most valua le 10 specie itself was tobacco
but the supply WAS rapidly reduced beiuI' the
war ended 10 had been shipped under the
protection OF the guns OF the lrginia navy to
neutral ports ia The West Indies and eX-
changed for salt and munitions OF war.
FOREIGN COINS.
IL is curious o. note the varieties of foreign
coins that had for years been found in clrcu-
lan during Colon al Virginia, many OF
which returuel to the State upon the re-
stored currents of commerce A large
promotion of these We're Spanish. be-
cause OF the proximity OF that PEG lles pos
sessions 10 the nited states and the cOnse-
,uent trade relations between the two ma
tons. loubloJns and reals and III tareens
came in b pay for tobacco. ship stores and
GRAN. from the Portuguese islands IN The
ne;ghbOrhOJd of the Caribbean sea were drawn
IN the same way johannes and half Johannes.
cold coins. and the ore valuable MOI Iores,
worth more than thirty dollars cf American
money. dog dollars or lion pieces. o.gian
silver G in probably introduced 10y tie Hes
sian hireings early N The war German
thalers. about lue Of one silver 40 lar
D stareens and half pisteIeens, sold cons,
whose worth was mpltel by their weight.
an lastly the sol. about e lud 10 one OF our
modern COPPER cents. OF curse r;llsl CONS
had been q mparauyely abundant. Of these
the Guinea was chief Z. was then WORTH
twenty-ono sllIngs ster az aud Wac COM
nouly seen IN the hands of tAe rich. IL las
long since disappeared from genera. cifC la