Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-05
IN ISLE OF WIGHT.
. ,,.sr EXPERIENCE IN THE ART
OF GRABBING
.,..,rr a triple Undcrt"'ins-En-
,o,aslc p''A'ns-A Peanut Tree
The Town OF s"''h"e'd-rhe
-. uams-Cnn't 60 Amirs.
ouecn's H""''-''
--...nndence Of the DispatchA


,.,-,,ssONS WHARF, September
80 v5u ever been crabbing?" asked
[~5s at Fergusson's Wharf, to
',' rgral river paradise had come for
80. says' rest from the foliics and
,,,cs Of the seaside world. on this
sy soil Of Isle OF Wight county I
p, only true Virginians. The latch
ING not only hangs on the outside OF
soor. but has caro- attached. inviting
M neucomer 20 all the joys of tho
t,,ners therein-and of sorrows there
are nix.
The JOY OF joys Is Grabbing" The an
Gent wharf at Fergusson's is a grabbing
s,.iion. The present generations fathers
fathers were orabhers. and the whole
hamlet would arise and leave the land
ef thcr nativity II only a crab large
enough would give them a chance. And
So spirit of sweet hospitality, /
have been invited TO crab. or. as the
vrarfers have II. to go Grabbing"
You would never believe that to go
grabbing means 20 go fishing. because
ibe frst is a preliminary to the last, as
found ont to my woe For the first time
in my checkered career l went fishing for
bait 20 FISH with. / slipped cautiously
INTO a boat. the bottom OF which was
covered with Notwithstanding things
that Immediately all came my way. like
sn Indian file OF reaches after cheese,
and then we fished.
on gentle reader. or readers who are
not gentle-being mostly fishermen after
one thing or another-if you have never
fehed 20 We TO Isle OF Wight and try
your luck on the finny tribe. When you
make up your mind for ways piscatorial
YOU will probably imagine that all you
have TO do is 10 take a long pole put a
lle and hook 10 IT, ana a little wiggling
worm AT the end. and sail in, or, In other
words. throw I'm the line for sport This
deiusion, an evil design on the part
C.. persons. known or unknown. 10 in
ycshle you into trap.
a TRIPLE UNDERTAKING.
Fishing at Fergussons Wharf is
triple undertaking Of fine art You
go down TO the pier. where it's 80 de-
grees in the shade-or would be If you
lad the shade-and cost a line with
tempting bit of flesh u had the foot OF
a chicken which was struck by light
ming the night before), and throw this
ont for crabs. The crabs are for bait.
James river FISH remember that the +.
T. VS. came from Tidewater. and are
s. ong ways above eating worms. When,
by prayer and much waiting YOU have
Grabbed enough crabs. you put them in
a bucket. That part Of my grabbing L
delegated to a young man who seemed
lonely without job.
Sow we are ready for business. Into
O big boat We get and row out TO the
channel. After the crabs have been cut
ND into little bits--a process | don't like
because II Is Viviscction-the industrious
young man bats my hook and i cast 1t
over. No pole. no cork no anything,
but a scrap OF live crab. and taut
line In my hand
DID you ever read white Wings"
where William Black, the novelist, takes
three chapters to pull in one fish from
Lochnvar or somewhere? In less than
& page there IS a tug at my line. and
/ am pulling II in hand over hand.
stand from underl It's q whale L
know, and with Jonah inside. 1 judge
from the strange fuss this fellow makes
as he lands in the boat. o. pshaw. 1t
Is only a GROWER" these people who
20 grabbing for fish will tell you-a fish
so-called from the curious noise it
makes on being caught
Presently there is n yell OF delight
the girls pulls in a splendid trout, and
the busy young man draws up what
he calls spot"
More trout. more GROWERS" weak
lsh and croakers; we have had royal
time in the channel-a sportsmans
Eden. take It how you will. Only when
YOU 40 Grabbing for fish, IL is very
lad form to catch a crab, and the bur
zen Of an old song comes readily TO
mind:
Mother. may | go a-swlmming
Yes. my darling. daughter;
Hang your clothes on a hickory limb,
And don't go near the water"
ENJOYABLE BATHING.
AT Fergusson's Wharf the James river
s. nine miles wide. The bathing in SAT-
water with a dash of fresh is most en-
joyable. The pretty girls of the Wharf
swim like mermaids and I'm their sensi-
bic. comely bathing suits fear no undue
criticism nor any other thing. except, per-
haps, when a crab takes revenge upon
heir pink toes. A little way out ana
beautiful above the tossing OF the deep
Mater in the bend is Point Shoals Light
house, reminding one that In the deepest
unrest of life there is no night so dark
hat it may not be frightened by faith
And not ali of our days are given TO
rer that If you have never attended
ZEAL old-fashioned country revival. |
then. whatever your creed, you have |
missed good deal of true religion. THESE /
simple worshlppers IL may be, have FOL |
lowed another mode of baptism and have |
been altogether different from yourself |
IN religious tenets but after all this Is |
the same old-time religion, that's good |
enough for me- and good enough Tor |
y0l with the same God for each OF us
here he same Heaven for futurity. The |
earnest flock near Fergussons Wharf |
have Tor pastor young enthusiast, whose |
Iapt look Of divine love toward me hard-
eatd souls for whom he pleaded and |
Whose eloquent words of entreaty We're
most impressive | took a mental photo
graph OF the scene and congregation Ioi |
iliure CONFERENCE.-The small, crowdeu |
'hurCh: the gentle-faced omen ana SOFT |
waving OF fans; the low sound OF the |
Aite organ. and, above all. the beantifui
voice of young singer rising. throbbing'
thrilling one with sweet melody as he |
sang Throw Out the Life-Line"-a hymn
peculiarly appropriate to the lives OF
ihese dweliers BY the sea.
We made a day Of IL I'm Smithheld,
wa Is few miles down the river and
SiaA not soon forget the dazzling white
OF me sandy beach roads with the darker
nue. OF pines and evergreens above nor
the low meadows Of marsh grass with
ne very breath Of the salt water blown
over Them. and here and there picturesque
virginia houses. many OF them built IN
we colonial style OF dormer windows ana
sleep ROOTS. with ponderous outside chin
teys' IL is sadly reminiscent to note the
Nahbte me large estates, which long
$40 DIVIDED sub-dlvided into truck patch-