Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-28
INHUMAN DREDGERS.
AsTOaY or CRUELTY, FOLLOWED BY
HEaOISM, FROM ACCoMAC.
Deserted and Starving Men Rescued from
. Periious Position by n Brave Com
panion-Copyiug Colonial Records.
Correspondence Of the RIchmona Dispatch

Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
OSAScocK, February 26.-During the
last two months the captains OF dredging
boats in the Chesapeake Bay. especially
those hailing from Tangier Island. have
been discharging their crews. In some in
stances the dredgers are put ashore with
out any money and are thus forced TO beg
for food and money to pay their way back
home. This has been the case with several
crews that have been put ashore this season
near this place. A case has recently come
10 hight in which the poor dredgers were
not only denied their wages, but exposed
TO most inhuman treatment Some SIX or
seven Of these unfortunate men had been
forced to work during the hard
weather in January and the early
part of February till tho CAPTAIN OF
the boat became i'll and had to be
carried home. An inefficient. cruel, and
dissipated man was put In his place. who,
after spending several DAYS on board the
vessel, grew tired Of his work, and one
night while the crew were asleep took the
yawl-bOat and rowed ashore. leaving the
vessel anchored off the mouth of Matchi-
tank creek.
DESERTED AND PowEBLRss.
The weather was bitterly cold and
stormy, and when the men walked up the
next morning and found that the captain
had deserted them they did not know
what to 90. There was nothing TO eat on
board but few raw oysters all the fuel
had been exhausted. and not drop OF
fresh water In the barrel. They were none
of them skiliul sailors. and they were con-
sequently afraid taattempt to come ashore
in the vessel. council of war was held
and il was decided that one Of the men.
cold and stormy as it was, should SWIM
ashore and get small boat to take them
of.
HEROIC RESCUE.
Two large water-barrels were broken up
and a rude raft constructed on which one
of the men managed 10 make his way TO
the shore, distance of more than mile.
When lie reached the mainland he was
well-nigh frozen and his strength COM
pletely exhausted. He obtained q boat,
returned TO the vessel. and brought of his
companions. who were kindly treated by
the citizens of the community. The facts
were brought to the attention OF the local
authorities, who seized aud held the YES
sci to satisfy the claims of tho dredsers.
SHOULD DE PUNISHED.
The vessel is owned by a Baltimore
oyster dealer, and Will be condemned and
SOIl Ht MI tdIAb QbNs many ~
dredgers are rough characters who ship
from Baltimore and other eastern cities on
board the dredging boats during the WIN
ter season. and then roam about as trampS
when the rough season IL over; but TINS is
no excuse for the inhuman treatment TO
which they are too often subjected by
cruel vessel captains.
FEARKD HE MAY ACCEPT.
Rev. William Chnn, pastor OF the Pres
byterian churches in Accomac, who re-
Gently declined a call to Bardstown, NY,
has received another call from Rockville,
Md, which his friends and parishioners
here tear he will accept. Dir. Chlnn Is
Young man of fine ability and great
promise. lie is one OF tho best preachers
in this section, and is so justly popular
with people of all denominations that his
departure from the Eastern Shore would
be regarded by all who know HIM as a
great loss not only to his churches, but TO
the entire community.
THE MASONIC HOME.
The district deputy grand master OF
Masons on the Eastern Shore OF Virginia
has begun his visitations to the lodges III
tins district and Is doing what he can TO
arouse an active interest among the men,
bers Of the craft III the success OF the fair
10 be held in Richmond during the
sonic Home. He feels much encouraged
and gratifed at the generous manner IN
which the lodges and individual members
OF the institution are responding TO the
appeals that have been made 10 them Tor
this noble charity.
Cards are out for the marriage of Rev.
J. Is. Prutt, pastor of tho Onancock Bap-
list church, TO Miss Sadie NJ. Pitts, on the
Sd of next month. Mr.. Prultt, who Is a
mud "a nQT1y4 OF NDTtn IATO-
lima, Is rising minister III his denomlna-
ton. HIS fdnoee Is the daughter OF Thomas
G. Pitts. ESQ, who owns Henry A. Wlse's
historic old home of Only near Oman
cock. She is also the niece Of Hon. BenJa:
min T.. Gunter, and is young lady OF
many graces of person and character.
NOT SUCH PAT JOB.
In anticipation of the passage by the
General Assembly of the bill providing
for the copying of the old colonial re-
cords of certain counties of the State, more
than fifty persons have applied for the
lob of copying the old records OF North
ampton county. 1t is presumed that the
great majority of those who have applied
for this work have no idea of the difficulty
of reading these records and themutilated
condition of several of the oldest books.
As the bill provides only four cents for
copying and verifying every 100 words, the
copyists will not get rich very rapidly. 1t
is believed that there IS only one person
whose acquaintance with the Oldest
records in Northampton Will enable him
To restore the effaced portions, and that
man is Thomas L. Upshur, Esq, a near
kiusman of the lllustrious Jurist and
statesman, Abel p. Upshur, who was
killed by the unfortunate explosion on the
Princeton while he was Secretary OF State
in IylerS Cabinet.
PERSONAL.
Mrs. A. G. Bergman, of Onancock, is IN
Lynchburg visiting her aged mother, who
is said to have been quite Ill tor the past
week.
Mr.. G.. Lloyd Doughty, of Belle Haven,
has purchased the hotel property at Acco-
mack Courthouse and will soon begin the
erection Of an elegant hotel there. tie Is
one of the most popular and successful
hotel men on the Eastern Shore OF VIZ
GINA.
So far as can be learned the new oyster
law appears to give very general satisfsc-
tion here.
The weather has been cloudy, damp, and
disagreeabe here for the past eight days,
during which time the sun has only peep
ed out once and then only for few Sc
conds.
Mr.. c. A. JACkSON'S FUNERAL.
Funds for the New Catholic Church-Peo-
ple Anxious to See Masssy's Reply.
ia. ~.