Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-16
THE EASTERN SHORE.
CANDIDATES FOR RECOLLECTION TO
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Jurisdiction of Magistrntes-Thc
Oyster Question and Dispatch's
servicc-A story of Buried Trea-
sure-Brief Mention.

ciaL)-State-Se1ator lie Cato and DR..
| Charles Smith, member OF the House Of
Delegates from Accomac and North
ampton, publish letters In the Peninsula
Enterprise in which they announce that
IL reelected they will cheerfuly vote
| for Senator Daniel as his own successor.
| Dr. Smith thinks the act of the last
General Assembly giving to justices OF
the peace original jurisdiction in all mis-
| demeanor cases should be amended so
| as to restrict the province Of the justices
I'm these cases. Senator lie Cato, how
ever, is not inclined to tamper with the
law until it's results are fully ascertained
He shows that the law was enacted in
order to decrease the enormous criminal
expenses OF the STATE, which for the
year 1895 amounted to 1852, 6S20S. He
shows that the law has already saved the
State many thousands of dollars, and
! maintains that unless 1t can be shown
that the ends of justice are not sub
served under the law as it now stands
that il should be allowed to stand. The
main objection to the new law on the
Eastern Shore is that under it the local
option law has been violated with i'm
punity; but those who have taken care to
investigate the matter know that the
fault is not in the law, but in the people
who are inclined to shirk the disagreeable
duty of enforcing it. The farmers Of the
Eastern Shore. as far as can be ascer-
tanned, are practically solid for the law
as it glands. They think the mistrials
which have resulted from the errors in
warrants issued by magistrates can be
remedied by the selection OF better men.
and the simplihcation of our antquated
and complex system Of pleading and
criminal procedure.
Rumors come from Northampton thai
Mr. Henry 1. Nottingham will enter the
race against DR. Smith for the nominal
ton for fioater delegate. As yet no candi-
date has taken the field against Senator
lie Cato, but it is known that for
some time past efforts have been made
to induce DR.. Fletcher Drummond to de-
clare himself candidate for nominal
ton. At present the situation is en-
yeloped in clouds, and predictions can
not be made with any great degree
of confidence.
THE DISPATCHES SERVICE.
The editorial article in last Thursdays
Dispatch on oyster-beds of the State
in reply to the unjust structures of the
Roanoke Times, has been read with
great interest and pleasure by the people
of this section. A prominent gentleman
remarked TO your correspondent that
the Dispatch had done a great service
to the people of Tidewater Virginia in
defending them so successfully against
the attack of ignorant and misguided
critics. 1t would be a good thing If some
Of these gentlemen from the Valley and
the Southwest, who imagine that the
oyster-beds Of Virginia are so remunera-
tive. could be induced to engage in the
business. They would find, in the first
place, that it is one of the most perilous
and disagreeable branches of business in
which a man can engage. Few If any,
of the oystermen in this part Of Virginia
make more than a scanty living out OF
the business, and one of the largest
oyster planters and dealers in Virginia
has recently failed his liabilities being
more than one hundred thousand dollars.
The statement copied from the Wash
ington Post to the effect that the oysters
taken from Virginia waters annually
bring as much as $2500,00O, is, in the
opinion of the best-infOrmed men, a great
exaggeration. No one contends that the
present oyster law is perfect, but nothing
is TO be gained by taxing this industry
to death. Let our mountain friends come
down and try their hands at the business
for awhile, and they will soon go back
home wiser, if not richer than when
they came.
BURIED TREASURE.
Mr.. Thomas Johnson, who owns the Con-
cord farm on OccOhannock creek, in the
northern part of Northampton, has cause
to believe that buried treasure was dug
up and carried off from his place by I'M
known persons one night LAST Week. Mr.
Johnson had cut down several cedar trees
on the creek for posts. and when he went
on the following day to haul them away
he found that an excavation had been
made in the ground between the stumps
of the felled trees. About $50 bricks had
been thrown out and at the bottom OF
the excavation was round hole. as il
a pot had rested in il. Mr. Johnson has
frequently heard a tradition that there
were buried treasures on his farm, but
he paid no attention to the report, be-
lIeving it to be one of the many improba-
bic tales that still lnger here about Cap
tain Kidd. the pirate, who Is said TO have
found shelter frequently I'm the creeks OF
the Eastern Shore and to have buried
much treasure on their banks. Whether
some persons have really unearthed a
buried treasure on Captain Johnson $
farm. or some mischievous fellows have
attempted to hoax him. is not known.
As vet the matter is involved in mystery.
and CAPTAIN Johnson is very DESTROYS of
meeting the men who made the eXcava-
ton and having an interview with them.
Some years ago it was currently believed
here that Lorenzo Dow Mears and his son
had found a large buried treasure on the
old Hack farm on Nandia creek. The
story originated from the fact that the
Younger Mears ploughed up an old coin
in the garden.
News has been received here from York
town. Va. of the death of Captain Nit
chell Cobb. He was a native OF this coun-
Nv. and moved TO Yorktown about twelve
wears ago. where he married. Captain
cobb was about Is years old.
Mr.. Henry G.. Drummond living near
Cashvllle. lost two horses last week, one
of them being 80 years and 10 months old
nrobably the oldest horse on the Eastern
Shore. If not in the State.
The charges against Collector Ailworth
for offensive partisanship were preferred
nv the so-called soundmOney Democrats
of Onancock and Cape Charles. 1t is not
believed here that the charges will be
sustained.
CHASE CITY.