Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-23
SPRING HAS ARRIVED
DOWN IN EASTERN SHORE
Worst Winter on Record is Over
and Farmers are Planting
Their Spring Crops.

A Wilmingtonian Just back from tour
of the lower peninsula says TINT the pres
ent winter has been the most dlsagreeabie
and most disastrous Of any OF which there
is a record or even memory. Two years
apo the weather was Of course, much
colder. hui the storms and rains and SHOWS
with Unprecedented high tides, give this
winter far outstanding precedence Tor
general disngreableness.
Early this month on the mcrnorably
bad Wednesday, that property suffered so
severely on the Eastern Shore, there were
Ii inches more of water ~ various points
along the bay and ocean fronts than wac
reached IL years ago when the water set !,
record never hitherto attained. Part oi
that week the entire Chneoteague Island
was under water, and the people we're WITH
out means of transit except IN boats.
Beinp seafaring citizens it is said that they
were not scared for they were able 10 read
the "signs of the skies, and deduce there
from that the flood had reached It's peak.
II is estimated that there were thousands
and thousands of dollars worth of damages
done on the peninsula by the Hoods as
many houses were wrecked or swept away
and much household furniture was lost.
In addition Co this there was great damage
90 bridges and such other property, and
to summer resorts.
Tbe storm and high ides were not with
out their compensation, however. the
Wilmington traveller shows, for they have
cut wide and deep channel from the
bay connecting Sinepuxtent bay with The
ocean, something that the people OF that
section have been trying To accomplish
for many years, but had not the large sum
of money necessary for the undertaking.
This lets salt water into the Sincpiixtant,
lust what the fishermen have sought Tor
wears and what will greatly increase the
imnortance of the fishing industry there.
But the Peninsula has been freed from
the grin of winter. and down at the south
errnosf portions, the spring has appeared.
The early birds are already preparing TO
nest. and the FIRST flowers OF spring have
ver.tured to peep out in response 70 the
balmy warmth of the sunshine. Farmers
are planting their potatoes and other
early crops in the Virginia counties and
farther north. in the section OF 1risbeid,
and other points south along the Chesa-
ncake the spring plowing u under way
well nigh finished and the farmers are IN
full action for busy and productive
season.
IL is rather remarkable as illustrating
the splendid and diversified climate OF
this great peninsula that less than 200
miles to the south of this city there Is
spring weather and spring activities
while in this immediate section the tenn
perature has been uncomfortably near
zero several times the past fortnight, ana
spring is perhaps four to SIX weeks away
Every Evenings informant states that
the damage done to Ocean 1ltyr ny the
late storm is almost indescribable, that
the resort is indeed little short OF a wreck
The MARYLAND Legislature Is expected to
assist In its restoration from the tact tfiat
it Is the most important Maryland point
on the Atlentic. With all OF the state
water frontage. " orcester county. 1t Is
recs lied, is the only part OF the MARY iand
having an ocean frontage.
The presence OF millions of wild ducks
on the waterwass OF the peninsula last
week is commented upon by the people
tra Yelling that section. 1t Is said that some
on the water we're literally black with the
fowl and that when they arose, they al
most totally eclipsed the sunlight for the
moment. There were millions and mil
lions" of them, says Every Evenings
chronicler, enthusiastically, and they
were so tame and unafraid he adds that II
II had gun and it were the open season,
| could have killed scores and scores OF
the fowl, " forgetting, however, that with
that wonderful and unerring instinct that
wild ducks possess the sense to know when
there is no danger and provokingly con-
duct themselves accordingly. 1t Is even
asserted, but probably never confirmed,
that the shy water fowl seem by some
underground wireless system OF COM
munication or other occult method even
to know when the Law that protects them
from the guns of hunters opens and leaves
them to resort to their own resources to
dodge the decoys and myriads of devices
and improved munitions brought to
match against their marvellous faculties OF
self preservation.
Wild geese also are flying IN large itocks
and earlier than usual, so those who read
the signs, are grateful that long hard
and dlsagreeable winter is st end.