Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-09-03

up Alfu Will cut tl!C OtllSI ildlI q
| it comes back. About a mil
west Of the canal the dredg
brought up oyster shells from
the bottnm of some prehistori
Lynnhaven. The shells ar
twice the weight and thickness
Of the Chesapeak oyster of to
day. The man with theory 70
) everything, said that as Lynn
haven has heavier shells thar
Blue Points, the fact that thes'
J ancient oysters had such i'm
mense shells, iudic ,ted that II
their day the climate here wa
warmer than at present, making
us deeply grateful that we hae
not lived in the age of the primi
tive oyster. Another theoris
said the fact that some of the
shells had not been open indi
Gated that primitive man die
not eat oysters. This mans point
of view implies that modern man
means to open all the oysters.
Above the feeder dredge it
was possible to see the whole
plan of work on the canal. Men
were telling the trees for fifty
feet on either side the ditch. A
gang OF negroes, armed with a
sort ofshort, heavy scythe follow
ed them, cutting down the brake
and bushes. AS this dries it is
burned. The grass burns down
into the paety ground, and un-
less recently rained upon, the
ground burns, too. The soft,
black ashes allow the foot to
sink to the ankle. If it is hot
and some of it is-it causes the
unsuspecting visitor i'll the shoes
to make haste into ode wilder>
ness The dredge follows the
fire, cutting out every thing
before it. The comely Washing
ton, who brought the idea of
an inland waterway into the
swamp, could not have dreamed
he was the forerunner of this
abomination of soft coal and
wheezy engine, oozing all over
with black grease and scatter
ing mud aud water where once
was the rank green cane and the
tender growth of fern.
The new stone lock has been
put in. The feeder, once SO
beautiful, is turned aside and
goes through dark and devious
ways around the lock to the
channel below. 1t is shorn of its
clear beauty and great strength
by evil associations into a com
mon, muddy ditch half choked
with logs. The wood-cutters
camp is in the edge of the clear
ing. Beyond is the swamp
three-quarters of a mile OF it
through which we walked to the
lake. There were spots where the
cane brake thinned a little,
lighted with flaming torches of
cardinal flower, magnificent
scarlet spikes foot long. Then
there were long reaches of fat
black soil, ceiled fifty feet above
with thick juniper and cy press.
the slender pillows twined with
delicate vines. There were vines
running from one root in doz-
en- parallel threads for thirty
feet to some favorite tree. There
was greenbrier in plenty; there
were moses such as we had
never seen; in tiny sunny spots
there was doder and more cardi>
nal flower. Everywhere was the
ungoverned growth of things
new to our eyes. At last there
was the lake, Watered in Withfan-
tastic roots, the shining water
ruffled by a cool breeze. Then
there was a mile to walk back to
the boat-thirst, WEAKNESS and
all the other things you don't
think about until the goal is
reached.
The cana! contract demands a
main ditch, carrying stream of
water fifteen feet deep and sixty
feet wide. the fifteen foot level
to be seven feet below the level
of the banks, and thirty foot
feeder Of the same depth. The
level Of the swamp rises to Lake
Drummord. The usual level of
the latter being some fifteen feet
above the sea. At the ordinary
level Lake Drummond is about
fifteen feet deep. The proposed
canal promises to make possible
the drainage Of the lake and also
the swamp lands. 1t is not
thought that the ground near
the lake will be good for farm