Evening journal., 1899-07-03

fhEAOhED 10 Uf-NECkEltS
AND DOwN-NECKERs.
Easton, Nd, July S.-In chronicling
the work OF the last two decades in
the development Of various sections
of Talbot county the investigator is
struck with that section known as
Broad Creek Neck. This is a peninsula
lying between Harris creek and
Broad creek. or the First and Second
Hayens, as the old charts and papers
call them. 1t begins at an isthmus
two miles west of ST. Michaels and
half a mile from the south bank of
Miles river, which is its northern end,
and extends southwark ten miles, ter
mihating ut Long Point, which puts
eut into the mouth of the Great Chop
tank river. It's width is from a half
mile TO five miles. In its carly his
tory there is nothing of unusual IN
terest for the chronicler Ralph Els
ton took up the southern end about
1850, ana built brick house there,
which stih stands, and the Balls, from
Virginia, came up and charted lands
adjoining soon after. The Bridges,
from the channel coast Of England,
made settlements on Harris creek.
and aboH all the rest of it was in the
Tilghman grant. At the beginning OF
the Revolutionary War, Matthew
s Tilghman. the patriot. owned nearly
the whole neck. It's original name
was Combination Neck; why, Is not
clear.
Meagre. Indeed, are the materials
for the early history OF this interest
iRg country. For some reason or
other, in the early part of the present
century, the people had got a bad
name. They were accounted, in the
mass. an ignorant and immoral peo-
pie. The greg shop fiourished. the
church and school did not. The per-
centage OF iilegitimacy was large.
There were two factions. "Upneck-
ers" and "Downneckers. between
whom frequent fights would occur.
Outsiders called them all -Dirtyneck-
ers." a sobriquet that stuck long az
ter the occasion FOR its application had
passed.
When Methodism started TO get q
fo0ihold IN this part OF "Satans king
dom" little meeting house was built
up the neck by the McQuays, the
Graces and few others whose knees
We're never bowed to Daal Que sum-
mer afternoon Parson Storks, one OF
the pioneer Methodist preachers, was
holding meeting, when dead dog
was thrown at him through an open
window behind the pulpit. He stop
ped preaching, and thundered forth,
you might rake hell with fine
tooth comb and you could not get
such d--d set as these dirty necla
orsl"
There We're but few Shareholders in
the neck, the principal OF whom were
stephen Harrison OF Long Point,
Joseph Camper. Of Turkey Neck, Skin
ner Grace of Quaker Neck. and Cap
tain David Fairbank. of Indian Point
These were the larger farmers of the
neck, but their farms were small, as
farms went in Talbot in these days.
The common people never went from
the neighborhood, except the few sail
ors and the voters who had to 20 TO
ST. Michael's to vote, as did the Tugh-
man Islanders, who were much far
ther away But there was some kind
Of leayen at work among the people.
and it had done its work so well that
' there is not to-day in Maryland a
community OF more moral, intelligent
industrious and Independent people
than those OF Broad Creek Neck.
There were always enough with light
ed candles in their candlesticks to pre-
vent the fires Of progress and advance,
ment from being entirely entinguish.
ed.
Less than fifty years ago the clerk
to the board of district school trustees
could not write his name: the tea sAer
had to sign 1t for him, and the clerk
would make his mark. A trustee re.
fused to sign the teachers order for
his fourth quarters salary, on the
ground that be had already signed
three orders, a quarter was four. three
times four was twelve, and that Is ali
the months there were IN the year
and he tried to have the teacher re-
moved for trying to steal S75. a quar-.
ter's salary
The first constable appointed IN thu
neck had an old gig, which he ha,
called his carriage. Having becomi
an officer, he thought he should cal
his gig vehicle, but the nearest n
ever got to it was "benicle.' In 1860
there was no post Office in the neck
people got their mail once a weel
from St. Michael's. There was on
place Of worship, with services ever
other Sunday, which was calle
preaching Sunday" and nearly ey
erybody walked TO church.
The neck has now two post Offices
Neayitt, down the neck" and Boz
man, up the neck"--there are tw
handsome churches, equipped with ol
gans, and choirs, with services ever
Sunday and oftener in each, and a
attractive and commodious parsor
age. OF truth the lines OF Parse
Talley, the present pastor, are pleal
anter than those of Parson Stork
aforenamed- But Mr.. Storlxs was
great foundation layer, and was SUI
ceeded in his holy office by mast'
builders. There are two large an
attractive schoolhouses, in viii,
three or four as good teachers a
employed as can be found in Mar
land, and who rule their charg
without recourse to that ancient i
Etrument of authority and tortur