Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-07-22
IN A VIRGINIA PARADISE.
ChincOteaeue. An Atlantic Island,
With An ldyllic Life and Funny
Breed OF Ponies.

Whose would see an island commu-
nifty mainly of old English blood. and
living under social and economic condi-
tions peculiarly its own and not easily
matched. except in the region OF the
Chesapeake and the neighboring Allan
tic coast. should go to ChincOteague. Va.
The very name locally mispronounced
Jink-a-teague) is significant inherit
ance from the Indians. and the league,
or ''teague." probably meaning an arm
of the sea, is contained in other geo
graphical names of the Virginian
Eastern Shore. as Assateague, Pungo-
league, Watchapreague and like as not,
although disguised. in Chesapeake itself.
A significant social indication in Chinco-
league is the fact that according to the
official returns nearly 1000 out of the
3, 200 inhabitants are children of school
age. This means large families. and
some of the comfortable little cabin
like houses swarm with children, while
few have under four or five. Chinco-
league, literally without poverty and
almost without crime, is officially
guarded by couple of constables, but
more effectually by public opinion and
habit. You could probably enter most
of the houses night or day by the simple
process of lifting the latch, though door
locks are not absolutely unknown. The
population of ChincOteague steadily in
creases. for not only are families large.
but the island attracts Local Immigrants,
not for the sake of the opportunities
offered by its soil. bnt for those of its
waters.
The island lies in Ehincoteague sound,
Immediately south of the Maryland line,
and between the mainland of Accomac
county, Virginia. and the long. slender
peninsula of Assateague. which skirts
the Maryland shore from the Delaware
line southwark. and protects Chinco-
league from the surges of the Atlantic
II forms part of Accomac county.
Franklin City. a little oyster packing
town. the terminus of the Delaware,
Maryland and Virginia Railroad. looks
five or six miles across Chincoteague
sound to the island. and a steamer OF
light draft carries passengers from
Franklin City to Chincoteague. Once
landed. the visitor finds himself on Q
lspot that glitters with sand and sparkles
with brilliantly peliucid salt water be-
meath an ample sky. in clear weather
gloriously blue. The effect of wind ant
sun upon sand and water of Chinco
league is to give the place an aspect O.
restless brilliance.
For a mile or more the village O
Chincoteague stretches along the beach
with scores of wooden houses, some big
those of the oyster planters. packers
shopkeepers and other considerable cap
talists, many little, those of the SELF
employing 0ystermen or the hired en-
ployees Of other men. All through tn
interior one comes upon the little house
of the islanders who prefer eompar,
tive isolation to the press of the yillag,
These islanders have little gardens ar
corn patches, and shallow wells fro
w which they commonly dip the water vii
tin vessel attacked to a broom handl
though artesian wells have reach,
y. even Chincoteague. Sandy roads. 6
a most innocent of engineering, thread Il
- island, and marsh rich in magaoli
! and other Southern vegetation occupi
many acres of the interior. A mol
pine grove traversed by bit of t
ny central highway, borders the swan
The mockingbird, the cardinal gro,
beak, the oriole, the marsh wren q
many other songsters nest in the shru
berry of the swamp. On the sands
most at the edge of the salt water
Ter Towering cactus creeps in thorny ovoi,
Here on these nine square miles
mostly arid sand live the hardy a
prosperous island folk, the whites
= nearly pure AnglO-Saxon as those
any community in the world. In
years they have developed from a cru
few, with some customs that outsid,
regarded as semi-barbaric. into pol
lous and well-ordered, though mail
,v simple, community. They have a C,
tral school with eight teachers, a
three primary schools convenien
me placed in other parts of the island. Tt
have six churches, three practici