Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-30
TANGIER ISLAND.
4 Protest Against "a Recent Letter
in Relation to IL.
Tangier, Va, July g, ISs5.

Tangier, Va, July %, 1892
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
In your paper OF July 18th Is an article |
taken from the Washington star con- |
terning the people Of Tangier Island. |
In view of the falsehOod of the article |
it IS but fair that You should give place |
in your paper to what IS the truth about |
this matter.
l have lived among the people Of Tan |
gier Islard as their pastor for more than |
four years, and have most diligently |
studied the people and customs, and |
claim to have some knowledge of the |
place and it's inhabitants
! could answer the said article by using |
one terse sentence To those who know
the truth In the case, no refutation Is
needed; 10 those who do not, l would
justly answer by saying the article Is
the work of some one whose profession
is evident by seeking to make statements
as wide the truth as IL is possible.
There IS hardly a truth I'm It. And I'm
evading 20 carefully the truth, he showed
also his lack OF knowledge Of state lines,
and has affairs which took place in Mary
land. far from the Virginia line, and by
Maryland officials, put down 10 the
credit CD Of the people Of this island
In the first place, the writer of the ar
tCle under review says that Tdnsier
Island is the spot where one Is made TO
feel that he is entirely out Of the world
II may have been thus with his feeinss'
as | presume that one who can write SO
far from the truth can also feel with
sensibilties very far from the normal;
but To those whose feelings are stu natu-
raj. il cannot be so. Our island IS visited
by the beautiful steamer of Is. &. ana a.
Railway Company, the Pocomoke, -FOUR
times each week, as she plies between
Snow Hill. Md, and Baltimore. Inc
steamer Dixie carrying the United States
mail comes 10 US at l2:5 +. NJ each
day in the week, except Sunday, bringing
TO US the information and misintormallon
Of the world as It is given in the press
1t may be, however. that one who could
! get truth so awry is not sufficiently in
| formed 10 read the great dailics, and mas
20 have his knowledge impaired 10 him
at second hand if 50, our peo-
pie, being q busy people, did not
| have time 10 give MIN a synopsis Of the
news of tho day. and ne felt very lonely:
! / do not think there can be iound
I twenty people here over the age or ~
years who have not been OF the lsland
many times, though said article makes II
] appear otherwise.
The statement that only a few years
ago the people were "Worshipping I'M
small. ramshackled cabin" Is baretaced
falsehood. In 1875. when there were only
- few people mere, they built a small
framed church 1SX1S feet. In 1872 they
enlarged the building to 22X26. In 1860
the house was again enlarged TO accom-
mOdate the cver-ncreasing congregation.
In 1870 q. new building was erected, "bNJD'
at a cost of 81 400. and I'm 1880 this house
was remodelled at a cost Of lVO. ana
made TO cover about 300 square feet OF
/ ground floor and to seat coo people IN
1896 it was found that a larger building
| was needed, and the present structure
| modern I'm its construction and cohNeh-
fences. lighted with gas and heated with
| steam. was erected at a cost OF $l0,W0'
| about 5000 Of which has been PAID III
cash. and the rest IS all subscribed.
The writer Of said article states thal
n preacher from the virginia conference
was sent 10 them and succeeded IN
| "yorl<ing up" one Of the best charges
etc While II would not have been any
stigma 10 have hailed from the grand OLD
| VIRGINIA Conference, yet truth IS truth
! the preacher I'm question l. d member or
! the Wilmington Del) Annual Con1~rence
of the Methodist Episcopal Church' ne
| did not have 10 work up a chuIch' buC
worked hand in hand with nob.e-nearted
/ people who had builded without MN Tour
! churches and who would have hunt the
nresent structure If he had not been in
| the world.
II would appear from the tone Of said
| article that the people here are Simply
dunes to be caioled or bossed AZ the
Measure OF the parson. That Is not So
thev are very largely a liberal people,
but do require 20 know for what lneS
are to contribute, and when properly m
formed many OF them give freely to heip
any good cause. -,,,,,.,, A.,
| His monstrOus yarn about the sHiuss'eu
yvhisl,ev and beer Is too big thlhg 10
~ o,,e,yored nv the one word which had
ouch freauent use I'm the words OF Gem
| craI FaQau some time ago; but II IL SIM
,l,, nor so. Some one had prepared d
~ dozen bottles Of beer a few years ago
Cor Tho pIrpose OF supplying the wishes
o. few euzZlers. and the writer, helped
a., a few faithful men, destroyed II III
Dyon daylight. but not tin the man who
owned the boat in which IL was gave per
mission. They then put themselves at me
mercy of the law 10 take tne cr,
D,,ercas. but the place being a locdl-
dntion district. the whole affair was found
viifbin the purview of the law and CON
coded TO be wise in view OF all facts. me
n,rties who owned the beer were not
molasted and have always been on irlehu-
" terms with the writer. -.
= bova never seen "a woman inside the
church without shoes, nor nave ever
seen one carrying her shoes IN her hahus
to or from church. ,.,.. a
The ladies' here dress as neatly as
they do anywhere In the world, ana me
dresses Of the young men and women
are as modern as are those OF any place
on earth. .-..,.,,., ar,
Tho statements as 20 superstition d,,
otr,oet entirely untrue. \ few may hOlu
eome vague ideas Of witchcralt anu
ming others some old popular signs m ~
ba adhered 20: but 20 no greater eNteh'
han IN communities IN any state III th'
trnton we have a physician. a native
~ N,rth Carolina. a graduate OF ths
Maryland University Of Baltimore ana
n he is 10 be judged by his success. ne
is away above the average doctors OF To-
day. t, ,,oricar
The Junior order OF United Amerl'ai
Mechanics, the Ancient order Oh "'t ~ ~
Workmen. the Golden Chaln' ana ~.
American Fraternal Insurance Union ar
all represented On this island
We have fair schools and GOOD itioiai9
4 law and order league sees 10 II ina
good conduct prevails. We are not GUY .,
the world. but IL would be a piesslhs d
some newspaper correspondents were
S'i''0 c. y. SWAIN,
Pastor Methodist Episcopal Church'
"a % = A.