Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-08-09
TO the citizens OF AceOmac. and Es-
peGtaIly OF ChincOtsRSus Island.

inside of the Baylor Survey. Some
one has stated that there was an
oyster syndicate back of these appli-
cations. and as my application was
used as the subject of discussion NJ
an oyster meeting on Chlncoteague,
| was supposed to be at the head OF
said syndicate. l was accused OF
uwanting the earth" by some in at
tendance at said meeting, but kind
brother lifted the charge TO some eX-
tent. by saying that it appeared that
| did want a large portion OF 1t, as l
had applied for hundreds Of acres of
natural rocks, thus taking the only
means of living from the working
manO Similar statements to these
have stirred up the thoughtless oys
termen until some of them seem to
believe it, and as | have been IN
formed, made many enemies. Will
state for the benefit of every honest
thinking FISHERMAN, that all similar
accusations are absolutely false, aud
onv person so disappearing me,
has treated me unkindly, to say the
east of it. say that l have been
misrepresented from beginning to
end. and that l can easily prove 1t to
apy man of ordinary intelligence.
1st. That | was leader of an oys-
fer syndicate as has been inferred
from the statements made. In an
swer to this | refer you to our lnspec,
for. Mr.. Kendall Harmon, who Will
fell YOU, that when put in my APP
nlication that about 80 applications
we're ahead of me, and only small
number came in after mine. Instead
of leading any syndicate, | did not
even know that the law had taken
effect until nearly all the ground had
been applied for, or all that was
supposed to be of any value, at any
rate to such an extent that the IL
spector replied to my inquiry about
taking ND some ground that he did
not think that there was any left
that | would want, however, he SAID,
YOU can look over the plat and see
for Yourself. Have l been fairly rep
resented on this point?
2nd. My application for hundreds
of acres OF rocks, or known by some
as the application for the earth
ard modified by another as "a large
MERTON of it," finding that as the in
sDector had stated that nearly all
the bays, or the most desirable pol-
tions of same had been applied for. L
asked if any had been applied for
along certain channels as named III
NV application, and he said not. l
then asked for some ground along
said channels, distinctly stating, not
rocks, but such ground as should De
Tor rent after due and lawful lnspec-
ton. The inspector will testify that
this was my application, if correctly
understood, which should be before
being subject to such criticisms. Such
an application does really represent
4 larger portion of the earth than the
criticisms, as have heard them, do
TO the truth. Now some one is anX-
lous to ask this question, VIZ: III
wanted so little, why did | ask for so
muchg / will answer this as follows,
Just as | explained to the inspector,
in much as he did not know what
grounds, nor how much were TO be
set aside for planting purposes, |
made my application cover sever
channels, and why So as to be sure
to get some, for example, IL no
ground was set aside in channel No.
/ and only applied for ground i'll
channel No. l, would not get any,
which is plain enough for any one 10
understand if he knows an oyster
from a crab, and again II made my
application cover channels Nos. l, ?,
3 and 4 that | had four chances, and
if there was ground to be rented in
either or any of these channels,l had
simply the refusal of same. Some
one wants to know why l covered
the tributaries to such channels. l
can make that plain to any practical
FISHERMAN, or in fact to any one OF
ordinary business judgment.
For example, if rented ground in
channel No. and tributary No. =
emptied over said ground, and there
was any ground for rent 10 tributary
Nc. 2 l wanted it, just as any other
planter, to stop the passing over on
low tides, etc. Some one may want
TO ask if intend to take up all the
ground covered by my application.
In answer to same | will state that L
was sure that less than half, and per
haps not one fourth of the ground
covered by my application would be
for rent, nor did l want over one>
| fourth of it had it been for rent, and
stated TO the inspector, that L WAS
only to take such ground as l wanted
after it had been set aside for rent.
In fact the application meant this
and nothing more or less, If there
was under that application 80, 100 or
800 acres of barren land for rent that
| wanted the refusal of any or all OF
it, could take so acres or more. Can
any person of ordinary reason see any
thing wrong in IKE real meaning OF
| this application? If stated number
of acres was for rent under the out
line stated and | complied with tue
requirements of the law, did | have a
right to ask for such ground under
conditions as stated, and is it fair to
be so misrepresented? There can be
no positive nor circumstantial evil
| dence produced by honorable wit
! nesses TO the act that / have been a
detriment to the progress of the oys-
teTmen. | will make one statement
| to prove to the reader that | have
helped the working man. | have
about 259 acres planting ground.
This quantity OF ground did not pay
to the public $500 90 per year, don't
think it paid half that amount, it did
not pay dollar to the State. paid
to the State for rental and taxes last
season on said ground 1929 Oh, to the
public over $4,000. l don't think |
paid over half this amount to the
catchers of natural growth oysters
from the thousands of acres of those
most valuable rocks, about which we
have heard so much said from the
pulpit to the pew. If | can turn out
more money to the public from 259
acres of planting ground than can be
turned out from the thousands of
acres around us known as the
natural beds, what penalty do you
think God will iDflict upon me for
the crime? Gentlemen, readers, | ap>