The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-24
IN PRIMITIVE WAY
SOJOURN IN THE RURAL REGIONS OF
SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
Where Progress Peacefully SIurreers and
Ambition Does Not Enter-A Historic
Church-AIuck Fertile Land-why There
Is SO Much Poverty-An Easy Life.
Especial Correspondence

Is SO Much Poverty-Aa Easy Life.
Especial Correspondence.1
CHAPTICo, Md, Aug. 20.-Of all the
queer, old fashioned and out Of the way
places in North America, these rural re-
gions of southern Maryland were long the
queerest and most old fashioned. Here"
+ said the occasional visitor every fellow
! does today just as every fellow did 100
years ago. Pack there, said the oc-
cGsional western man, who came TO see
the home of his ancestors back there
they still use wooden mold board plOws,
horse collars made of shucks and pitch
forks of wood, things which went out of
Use in the west 80 years ago. Back there
they put yoke OF oxen TO cart with a
horse in the lead, dig the ground with a
5awmill hoe and make their women do the
milking. The owner of the best farm in
the country sits on shack chair in
rickety log cabin, chews long green twist
and splits through the cracks. The people
use oysters and crabs in place of pork and
beef, and in the dark you can't tell white
man from darky by the way they talk"
a Delightful Transition.
And so, with big discount for the ex-
aggerations of humor, it was for many,
many years in portions of this country,
and SO, TO very slight extent, it still IS
in the fat woods and back on the sand
ridges and piny hills. Everywhere else
wonderful change has come over the coun-
try, the growth of Baltimore, Washington
and the new towns along the Baltimore
and Potomac road has caused all the fer
tile lowland TO be turned into truck farms
In every direction one sees beautiful resi-
dences cFowning the hills which overlook
the Potomac and the numerous inlets
branching from it. while the villages are
like the boom railroad towns in Dakota
and Nebraska. On the inietS one sees
many beautiful yachts and other sailboats,
and every town Of any size has some kind
of a hall where occasional lectures are
delivered and home talent disportS itself
IL amateur theatricals. In short all this
old south Maryland country is in the most
delightful of all transition stateS-that Is,
the narrow valleys are cultivated like gar
dens, the villages are as pretty as any in
New England and the roads are good,
while back III the hills and fat woods are
the same old style Marylanders, living very
much as their forefathers did before the
Revolution, cultivating their little patches
in the most primitive way, living largely
on corn bread and fish and for amuSe-
ment wrestling, throwing quoits, horse .
racing, cock fighting and drinking corn
whisky.
l am delighted with the general appear
ance of the people. They are tall and
strong. deep blue eyes and light hair pre-
dominating. Their compilations are clear /
and ruddy, and out of hundred people .
met on the road l have not seen one with .
any signs of malaria. 1t is evidently
very healthfui country, and do not know
Of any place where one could retreat for
the autumn months with more profit, for
all kinds of small fruits are generally
abundant, the peach crop is often pecul-
iaTly good, watermclons abound in their
season, and, as to mUskmelons, this is the
native land OF the canteloupe. Time was,
and that not many years ago, when great
deal OF this region was run down by over
cropping with tobacco. Now there is the
greatest possible variety of production. To-
bacco culture has been given up, as it has
in many other places in the state, till there
are now but five Maryland counties which
make any considerable returns in that
line. and the states yield Is but half what
il was before the war. Nevertheless, some
of the old people insist that il i still the
most profitable crop in this county-St.
Mary's. Ono man can cultivate three
acres in the finest kind of tobacco, besides
raising grain and other stuff sufficient for
his family, and the clear profit on good to-
bacco was last year sos per acre.
Rural Political Opinions.
The Popc's Greek branch of the Balti-
more and Potomac landed me at. Cox sta
ton, and thence, with jolly young Mary
lander took the delightful ride across
country 10 this place Delightful it GER
tainly was. Our driver was black cyclic
pedia of local knowledge, and he poured
forth continuous stream of racy descrip-
ton "a we whirlcd along across the white
oak levels, over the piny ridges, down the
sandy slopes and across the salt water
flats where the incoming tide was flooding
the marsh grass and the morning air blew
from the lower Potomac so soft and coo.
that every breeze brought rest TO the
wcaried brain.
Every mile or so on the road is a quaint
old fashioned country store, and every
store sells whisky. Down the intcrsecting
roads. which We're generally overarchcd
with heavy timber, came all sorts of rural
people with queer old fashioned carts
drawn by oxen. and here and there along
the road we met regular tobacco convoy.
one big hogshead and black driver tc
each cart. Wherever I'VE stopped n We
often did At the country stores, all the talk
ran in two channels. one Nas that times
never had been SO bad for farmers. and if
the drought didn't give way pretty soon
ii -. D,
was on politics. the sum and substance Of
each mans opinion about congress being
aucompas>ed in the brief but expressive
phrase. On Gormant' Now and then
one went into particulars, the gist II
which was that the senator was response
BILE for all the delays. ana that if the tariff
bill had been passed in May the talker
would have been several dollars better of.
II one wanted a wordy fight, all be had &c
30 was II speak a few words in defense of
the senate. Three hours Of this sort Of
brought Us 70 this beautiful
village AT the head Of Chapyico inlet. The
DID village has disappeared long AGO. Il
was strung along 10y the deep water land
ing and was place ui considerable trade.
The head OF the inlet filed in Till the
anding had 10 be moved farther down and
; pretty modern town has been built on
he hills. The thing 1 came particularly
10 see was the famous old parish church.
and here. / trust. = somewhat e-1fiscic
ii DEPRESSION Of few lines l. permissible.
\ Sit of History.
In 1850 or thcreaboUts there came to
his part OF Nary land a lot Of scotch and
English oxilcS-tEe Catholics because their +;
'alkS had secured religious liberty IL Tins
'olony and the Others because. according {