Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-07-29
AFTERMATH OF EDITORS. OUTING.

upon Eoltor Quinby. OF the Acco-
mack News, fell largely the entertain
ment of the editors recently at Onancock.
He was ably supported by Messrs.
NAPLES and Doughty and the people of
the town as a whole. But Brother
Quinby had, as most editors have, help
meet. that bore her part Of the strain.
In getting Oft his editorial welcome,
Quinby wound up in this caper:
Again we welcome you. fellow MEM
bers of the craft, on behalf of Onancock
and all it's people.
J. Here's to the land where the oyster grows
| Here's tothe land whore the salt tide flows
/ Here's TO potatoes. forevermoye.
Here's to the good old Eastern Shore
/ But his salutatory was no comparison
to that of his good lady, who, upon
being urged. read the following poem
of recent date with most impressive
effect. bringing forth rounds of applause:
ONANCOCK.
tBy the Bentztown Bard. of the Baltimore sun,
The laughing King Of Accomac was wild with
lsughter-siee.
His realm between the Chesap cake and OCEAN .bor.
TO see
lie laughed for fields and forests and the cots be-
meath the vine.
For blossoms of Virginia and the balsam groves OF
pine:
But II he'd seen Onancock
With it's clustered homes of rest.
He'd laugh until the rippIes
Broke in pillows on his breasti
ne d laugh with Joy and wonder and pride of JOY
toown
hamlet of Virginia where the sweetest life I,
known.
Where ncighbors smile with neisbbors and tho
sunny days go by
In breaths of apples blossom meath warm mag
nolia sky:
Oh IL he'd seen Onancock
And its homes along the street
The laughing king Of Aceomac
Would know twas hard to beati
The creek is singing softly. and IN, pocomoLs 4,
there.
Bound down from piers Of Pratt street 70 the ,of,
Virginia air.
She's left her freight at Cris6eld. and sionv the
narrow tide
She seeks thesweet Onancock as a sailor 500, II,
his bride:
She seeks the sweet Onancock
Through the little creek that sings
A song of dcsthless summers
In a land of deathless sprinssi
Potato fields and onions and a hannv ,o,l q, a-.,
In glory of their labor meath the sweet virgins.
spell.
An old Colonial mansion with its bricks of English
mold
Whose doors opened for you with hear, and
hand of gold:
welcome to Onancock.
All. they smile Il, and you know
They mean IL by the sunbeans
That upon their faces Rlow
The Ia Ching king of Accomac. no yvonas, TIM,
he laughed
A figure in old legend. that his tribesmsD NAV h.
chared-
He knew the gates Of wonder opened here upon
land
Sweet with Virginia beauty from onaneock n IN.
strand:
And IL he'd seen Onancock
Oh. my heart. he'd see il yet
With the sweet creek winding yonder
And the homes can Z forgeti
iNoTE: The 'late-lamented" and
longtime revered Captain John Smith.
IN his writings, records visit to the
Eastern Shore of Virginia -afterward
called Northampton county, and later
partitioned into two counties. He found
there the best-natured set of sborigines
IN all his meanderings. Their King was
Accomack by name. and he was dub
bed the Laughing King" Capt. |
Smith says they were the most comely
tribe, Of sinewy build and massive mold. |
Yet they never warred with the whites
and were at peace with the other tribes.
-EDIToR.1