The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-08
A STRANGE LITTLE ISLAND.
Taneier, in the Chesapeake Bay, a
 Novel Spot.

From the Four-Track News.
 In Chesapeake bay, 125 miles south of Baltimore with which city eommuniea- ton by boat three times a week may be depended upon during the summer sea- son.. Is the strange island of Tangier, so completely isolated from the usual lines of travel that it hardly seems possible that 1t can be part of the state or Virginia The life of it's inhabitants is such that it affords valuable object les son to those who are favored with close acquaintance with what is usually termed civilization and society.
 Imagine, if you can, an island about five miles long and three-fourths or a mile in width. with a population of nearly l500, where each house is connected with Chesapeake bay with tiny canal; an island where the population has built homes along one narrow street but nine feet in width, without side walks, road bed or gutter; an island where the women go about with bare feet and calico gowns during the week, and where the men leave for their work at an early hour on Monday morning and remain away un- til Saturday afternoon an island where intoxicating liquors are not sold, where billiard rooms and pool rooms are un- known: an island where one physician and the minister constitute the profes sional class; an island where profanity is punished by fine; an island without jail or lookup, and where religion is the rule, and to be outside of the church Is to be outside the pale of the best society; an island where public cemeteries are un- known and where the dead of each home are buried in the front yard; if you can imagine all this you may have some faint idea of the peculiar surroundings of the inhabitants of Tangier.
 As a matter of history, 1t may be stated that this island has been occupied by whites since 1666, and that prior to that it was the home of some of the Indian tribes who roamed about the waters of the Chesapeake. There is tradition that some of the earlier settlers were men of piratical tendencies, but this the present inhabitants stoutly deny. The prevailing religion on the island (and there is but one church) is that of the Methodist faith and around this church clusters all of the opportunity for social amusement or recreation.
 The male population finds its occupa- ton in the waters of the bay in fishing, oystering or grabbing, according to the season
 Agriculture is almost wholly unknown on the island there are no horses with which to till the ground. The re- venues are derived from the waters of the bay. and the proceeds are spent at the small stores, of which there are four on the island. and which supply every thing needed except fire-wood That com modty Is purchased from wood boats which anchor at the landing out in the harbor. and is conveyed in flat-bottomed boats to the homes by way of tiny canals.
 Or Saturday afternoon at an early hour the boats of the islanders may be seen approaching the island
 With the children this Is a signal of possible pennies from the parent who has been absent all the week. To the mother and older daughters 1t is a warning that the free manner of dress must now be changed tight-ftting shoes must be worn, the -bonnets. their weekly comfort, must be discarded, and the calico gowns replaced with something of a better qual- ity
 Sunday finds the entire population at church. and the services follow in close succession until the dinner hour arrives. This is the great feast of the week, and the only dinner that the fishermen joy with their families. The services at tho church close with praise service that ends at twilight By o'clock in the evening the young couples of the island have made a short stroll up and down the one narrow street and returned to their homes. From this time until the end of the coming week society on the island is at an end and the men are occupied with the strenuous and danger ous task of winning livelihood from the waters of the bay.