The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-03
ON THE EASTERN SHORE.
ISLANDS on TIE PONIES
AND CLUB HOUSES.
Cape Charles City-Ten Years Ago a Corn
Field. Now n rtosporous Town--Esst.
vile and iis Quaint Old Records.

Nhit.-A ilNHdii'AhH / tiliiSuias tHlii'iioiitH
the counties Of Accomac and Northamp-
ton, are "a part OF The State OF Virginia.
The fact that they are connected on the
north with "a very large part OF the state
OF Maryland. and are separated from the
balance OF the State OK Virginia by thirty
or forty miles OF water. leads a large
number Of persons not familiar win us
history 10 suppose that 10 forms part
OF the state OF Maryland. From us posi-
tlOn 10 S. natural 90 suppose such thlng'
There always was Some sort OF an imasih-
airy lnc dividing tie lower cnd OF TINS
peninsula from the north OF IT. as
the Indians who lived On this part OF
Virginia prior 20 and after the arrival OF
the whites were subject 10 Powhatan
and the tribes OF The western shore OF
Virginia. and not the tribes 10 the norm
OF them living in what IS now the East
orn Shore of Maryland.
II Colonel Edmund Scarburg, Ibis Ma
1csty's SurycyOr-Gcueral in Virginia"
who went to AunamosscX with 80 horses
for pomp and safety" TO treat with Philip
Calvert. Lord EaltimOre's representative
I'm lGN. as 10 Maryland's boundary line,
had not at that and subsequent times
kept him within his bounds ana prevented
his cncroachmcnts down the peninsula,
and Sc Virginia was subjected TO many
such arbitration boundary settlements as
bitraii0n resulted in a boundary line
looking more Ike "a streak OF lightning
than anything clsc-it Us more than prob-
able that by this time all of the peninsula
would be part OF the State Of Maryland.
TYPICAL yIEGINIANs,
Notwithstanding their isolated location.
the people of this part OF Virginia are
distinctly tnc typical Nirginians they are
more uumiXcd people than is often
found in any part Of this country, and
retain more of the usuages and even Ian
guaee OF former times than perhaps any
part OF the state. The ancient hospitality
Of Virginia is found unmpared, and the
inhabitants have high relish for good
living which they are also enabled 10
indulge in by n soil and climate extremely
favorable TO gardening and by an abund-
auCe OF excellent FISH and oysters. They
are a coutended people. In a recent ad-
dress by a prominent Nirginian before the
Eastern Shore Historical Society Of Nir-
ginia. he declared as his deliberate
opinion:
THAT this is the most favored region
he had ever known, for an Eastern shore
man, with nothing but a piece Of raw
meat for a bait and a clam shell for
sinker can catch enough crabs 10 buy
fishing hook and line with this ne can soon
catch enough fish to buy boat; with his
boat ne can soon catch enough oysters 10
buy and furnish q farm and man own
ing a farm on the Eastern Shore of Nir-
gnia IS the most contcnded and inde-
pendent being in the world"
Ia 1862 an attempt was made 10 induce
the inhabitants OF these two counties 10
agree 10 tho annexation OF their terri
tory 10 Maryland, an act Of assembly of
the Wheeling Legislature having been
passed ON the 18th of February Of that
year enabling them 10 vote on the ques-
tion. IL was intended more as kick at
the then PROSTATE old Commonwealth
than for the ! ne6t Of any one. The
question was submitted to the people OF
those two counties. and, by a large ma
1oritv. rejected These people were born
Virginianc. and, as far as they could con-
erol il, wanted 10 live ana TO die as such.
A DISTURBING ELEMENT.
It is a matter Of history that the boun-
dairy line separating this part OF Nir
GINA from Maryland has been disturb
ing element in the affairs of both states
eyer eiace Maryland was created out Of
vi. Einia's territory by the grant to LORD
Baltimore in 1922. II has been repeatedly
settled" but somehow or other new
queetiors continually arise that command
me attention Of Legislative committees.
courts and Jurics. There are
now a couple of men in Accomac county
ian. serving sentences for acts arising out
OF tho uncertainties OF the various bou1-
Diary compacts AMI settlements. or for
stealing oysters. They were arrested Tor
dredging in PCcomOke sound, and were
indicted and tried by the county author
tiles of AccOmac. They pleaded that
Poconoke sound was merely the mouth
Of Pocomoke river, and as such they had
right 10 each oysters under the compact
s.rr onto
between the two States. Their plea was
overruled end tho jury convicted them.
Their defence was assumed by the State
authorities, made a state issue, ana car
Tied TO the United States Courts at Nor
folk on "a question OF jurisdiction, where
they were defeated. Not being satisfied,
they appealed the United States Supreme
Court which sustained the lower court,
deciding, among other things, that POGO
moke sound was distinct body OF water,
and not merely the mouth of the river OF
that name; that AccCmac County Court
had Jurisdiction; that the prisoners must
submit 10 the judgment of the Virginia
court. 1t is 10 be assumed from this de-
cision that dredging for oysters in POGO
mOke sound ana other Virginia waters
by non-residents constitutes theft If a
Marylander is caught stealing oysters in
Virginia waters. he Invariably sets up the
der the last mentioned compact. and IL is
surprising how far the law officers Of
Maryland will go 10 defend these men In
In PoCOmoke and Tangier Sounds, where
all of the oyster troubles arise, 10 the
northeast of Accomac county, Va, and
south and west Of Somerset county, Md,
are a number of islands, which Maryland
claims We're originally part of the
mainland, being separated IN the course
OF many years by the action of the wa
tiers. 1t contendcd. in order 10 deprive
Virginia of as much territory as posi-
BILE, that Watkins Point-that point be-
ing named in the Maryland charter as
the initial point of boundary-Was at the
extremely OF what is now Watts Is
land. and at that time was part of the
mainland.
ON one OF these islands. Tangier. lived
Rev. Joshua Thomas known as the Par
con Of the Islands. who. when he preach
ed the Gospel TO the British soldiers who
were campcd on that island during the
war OF 1872. advised them mot to att
tempt 20 attack Baltimore. as you cannot
take IT. and If you do attempt il you viii
surely get whipped" lie was in a posi-
tion afterwards 20 tell them, 81 told you
So" lie was "A pious and courageous
man, and did not hesitate TO express his
opinions even in the presence of the
enemy Of his country.
DEVILS ISLAND.
Another one of these islands was call
ed Devils Island dnul a Methodist
preacher went tncre 10 reside. and as
he thought the name was not an appro-
pirate one for the residence Of |
a preacher and lest there should |
a - Ion,