Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-05-19
IT'S A STRANGE LITTLE ISLAND
Tanaier, In the chesapeake Bay, q Novel
Spot-C0mpleteIy Isolated.

Spot Completely Isolated.
In Chesapeake bay, 125 miles south of
Baltimore, with which city communi
cation by boat three times week may
be depended upon during the summer
season, is the strange island of Tangier,
SO completely isolated from the usual
lines of travel that it hardly seems
possible that it can be a part of the
state of Virginia. The life of its inhab-
itants is such that it affords valu-
able object lesson to hose 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 of a
mile in width, with a population of
nearly 500, where each house is con-
nected with Chesapeake bay with a
tiny canal; an island where the popula-
ton has built homes along one narrow
street but nine feet in width, without
side walks, roadbed 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 until Satur-
day afternoon; an island where intoxi-
eating liquors are not sold, where bill
lard .rooms and pool rooms are un-
known; an island where one physician
and the minister constitute the profess
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 outsidesthe pale of the best So
ciety; an island where public cemeter-
les are unknown, 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 pecu.
liar surroundings of the inhabitants of |
Tangier.
AS a matter of history, it may be |
stated that the island has been Occupi- |
ed By whites since 1866 and that prior |
to that it was the home of some Of the |
Indian tribes who. reamed about the
waters of Chesapeake. There is q tra-
dition that some of the earlier settlers
were men of piratical tendencies, but
this the present inhabitants stoutly
deny. The prevailing religion on the
island land there is but one church) is
that of the Methodist faith and around
this church clusters all of the oppor-
tunity for social amusement or recrea-
tiOn.
The male population finds its occupa-
tion in the waters of the bay in fishing,
or grabbing, according to
the season. (
Agriculture is almost wholly un-
known on the island, as there are no
horses with which to till the ground.
The revenues 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 everything needed except fire. {
wood. That commodity is purchased r
rom wood boats which anchor at the +
anding out in the harbor, and is con- r
veyed in fiat bottomed boats to the 9
homes by way of the canals. h
On Saturday afternoon at an early r
lour the boats of the islanders may be 7
ieen approaching the island. +
With the children this is signal of h
possible pennies from the parent who q
las been absent all the work. To the f
mother and older daughters it is a
that the free manner of dress
must now be changed, tight. fitting
shoes must be worn, the sun bOnnets,
heir weekly comfort, must be discard
I'd, and the calico gowns replaced with G
of better quality. q
Sunday finds the entire population at t
church, and the services follow in
close succession until the dinner hour d
arrives. This is the great feast Of the a
week, and the only dinner that the fish. a
ermen enjoy with their families. The I
services at the church close with a
praise service that ends at twilight. q
By 8 o'clock in the evening the young G
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 t
week society on the island Is l
at an end, and the men are occupied |
with the strenuous and dangerous task I
of winning livelihood from the wat
ters of the day.-Four-Track News.