Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-09
CAPE CHARLES.
THE BETTER PLAN-A Mystic
RIOUS SHOE-BREVITIES
Especial to virginlan-Pilot.)

factions waste their energy and time
in q struggle for supremacy, the wheels
of progress are usually choked and a
condition of decadence results. This
is true of governments, corpora tons,
and even families; for when they divide
and fail to pull together" 1t is for
tunate indeed If they be not wrecked
upon the rocks and shoals of discord.
The better plan is to "agree to disa-
gree" and Franklin City and Green
backville have shown their good sense
by following this wise old axiom. But
to explain: Away up in the extreme end
OF Accomac county are two thriving
little villages. One is named Green.
backville and the other Franklin City,
the former q town of some five or six
hundred and the latter with popula-
ton of from three to five hundred.
These twin sisters are beautifully sit
uated on the shores of Assateague bay,
near the sea. They are at the railroad
terminus of the Delaware division of
the p. w. and 3. railroad. and con-
meet thence by steamer across the lit
tie bay with Chincoteague island. so
famous for its breed of ponies Both
these beautiful sisters have been grow
ing of late. with their limits reaching
out further and further. so that they
are now almost one-pliysically ne
least!
Under this exhiliartlng condition of
affairs movement was recently set on
foot to have the divisional lines of in
corporation obliterated and the twins
made one in name and reality. the sur
FiVing twin to be christened "F'ranlslin
CITY,. Here the contest began, and
here was found the hidden rock which
stranded the movement Public meet
Ing after public meeting was held. with
adjournment after adjournment, each
bearing record that neither consoli-
dalton nor benevolent assimilation"
was possible. With this fact firmly es-
tablished in the minds of all, n Joint
meeting of the twin villages was held
In the Town Hall and five citizens APP
pointed to take the sense of the people
In the matter by vote. The ballot box
was industriously circulated, and when
the votes had been counted it was dem
onstrated that 81 votes had been cast
for incorpora ton and 121 votes against
incorporation
In order. then. to clinch the matter.
another joint public meeting was held.
when motion to "let the matter drop"
was unanimously passed, and all is now
at Franklin city and Greenbo cl,viI,o
as serene and bright as May morn
ing.
Franklin City some two years ago
was almost annihilated by fire, but
since then its rebuilding has been
rapid, the burned portion being re-
placed by a better class of houses. Our
townsman here, Mr.. Charles II. Jones
often visits Franklin City, and speaks
OF 1t In the highest terms. He has two
brothers there engaged in business I'M
der The style or firm name OF f. e.
Jones & Bro.
But your correspondent, while writ
ing of franklin City, is reminded of n
squib which appeared in the Pittsburg
Dispatch some seven or eight years
ago. a representative of that paper
visited Accomac county, and was so
struck with Franklin City that he used
the following language In reference to
1T:
Away over in the extreme northeast
corner OF the State Of Virginia is the
most curious city ever seen. The entire
corner of the State has, for time out of
mind, been owned by the Franklin
family. The land was absolutely OF
no use. but the part of the estate I'M
der water was good for oysters, the
flavor of which made them famous
For nearly fifty years every one and
any one who wanted to, helped them
selves to the bivalves. 1t was not, in
fact. until after the death OF the orig
innl owner that any effort was made
to make any money out of the only
product of the property. From that
time on the boom in Franklin City was
on. until to-day there are Il hundred
odd houses. Every house stands on
piles. and is from three to four feet
above the surface OF the ground. The
best and most pretentious structure of
the city is n huge frame hotel. at
which the rates are seven cents n day,
with a liberal reduction for permanent
boarders and families.
Zone of the most curious things are
the wells. Most Of these are covered
with water at all times, and there is
not one of them that at some time dur
ing the day Is not surrounded by wa
ter. 1t seems quite strange to be draw
ing pure. fresh spring water from the
bottom of the salt water bay"
A QUESTION.
"Who struck BILLY Patterson" or
How did the milk get into the cocoa
nut?" These are questions which have
answers given been different. But
there is another unsolved question of a
local nature which is now agitating the
minds of Cape Charles quidnuncs:
How was the last gotten out of the
shoe?" The shoe responsible for this
great commotion here is in the posses
sion of Mr.. c. D. Taylor who lives
across the way on Strawberry avenue,
and 1t has a history all its own. Its
manufacturer is 4 Newport News man,
and lie lives at No. 141 Twenty eighth
street AS an article of skill and in
genuity this particular shoe was on
exhibition in Virginia Building ut
the Worlds Fair in Chicago in 1893,
where it attracted n goodly share of
public attention. But to the point:
This pedal appendagc was made to