The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-12
[OCllITY BOASTS
MANY ADVANTAGES
Ffsnktown, Va Raises Many Po-
tstoos, Fast Horses, Reckless
Drivers and Old Maids.
PEOPLE HAVE SAND
Members of Methodist Congrega-
ton Offer TO Build Church
for Johnson's.
Especial TO The Richmond virginlan-)
BY Butts.

Especial to The Richmond virginlan. }
BY Butts.
FRANKTOWN, VA, March Ia
Round potato planting was brought to
q ssandstiil this week by rains, which
have prevailed through this county
Eanca JEST Monday night. 1t is prob
able, however, that work in the field
will be resumed within the near fu-
ture.
Our soil In sandy and the water
sinks down out OF sight in a very few
hours. BY referring to an atlas one
Will be reminded that We are on a
tongue OF land jutting out from I'M
derneath an upper lip. whose length
reaches from Chesapeake Bay to the
Atlantic on the lower line of Eastern
Maryland.
Way back yonder in the past. be-
fore the days OF Patrick Henry, or
Christopher Columbus or even the
iceiander discoveries : America; be-
fore the days Of Socrates, Heroditus.
Noses, Job. or Methuselah, the wa
tiers of the Atlantic and the Chesa-
peake joined along that line, and Po-
comoke river and sound, and the body
OF water 5ust north OF Chincoteague,
and Assateague Islands, are all we
A narrow neck of land fror POGO
moke city across to the sea connects
this bank of sand with the Maryland
beach, as ii once was The cur
rents and the winds kept piling up
the sand on that beach,. and Il began
to grow. To-day 1t In nearly eighty
miles long, The current from the
north. in the Atlantic, bent II in, 30
that II was somewhat south south-
west, hut currents from the Potomac,
the Happahannock and the York
have caught 1t at Its southern ex-
tremity and rounded II or to Cape
Charles. These currents. with the aid
~ the James. keep the channel at the
capes in nayfgabie condition
Entrance Wide.
This entrance to the Chesapeake Is
about twelve miles wide with the
channel well over to the southern, or
Cape Henry, side. 1t Is impossible
10 obEtruct navigation there with a
fort on the battle-ground, because
none but shallow water vessels can
pass between the underground and
Cape Charles, and fort there serves
both as point OF defense ana OF
WARNING to vessels or deep draft,
showing them that deep water is to
the south.
Accomac and Northampton are the
two counties on this tongue OF sound.
and the New York. Philadelphia and
Norfolk Railway Is the steel artery
that makes largely for the life OF this
region.
Good Potato Crops.
Potatoes grow over here, both
round and sw1,t- Indeed. everything
grows in this fertile region. and the
people probably buy more fertilizers,
more foreign seeds, raise the fastest
horSes, the most reckless drivers, the
most hopeful old maids and have
more churches. more progressive peo-
pie. and more thrifty negroes. than |
any other locality In the State
Sand In the gizxard" IL a good |
thing These people have that; and |
y all comes from living on sand |
bank
And thiS reminds me of a news Hem t
which Illustrates the courage OF these /
people.
8. Johnsan.s Methodist church. In |
Is seriously considering |
the question of asking the Bishop. al |
the next session of the Virginia Com |
ference, which meets In Richmond |
naxt November, TO set that church |
apart as o station, and TO send them |
pastor The contract for the Meth |
odtst parsonage at Franktowu has |
been let at 2.145, and the Franktown |
CHURCH congregation say they will |
wants to become a station.
Talk about sand! That's sand in |
TWO Etxzards. And yet there are folks |
over here who say times are hard. |
Well. that's true. times got hard 4
with some folks the day they had to |
buy the first breakfast and they have
neyer been any better.