Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-03-19
"Chirps" ~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, in another column OF to-
days issue of the Pocomoke bladder,
there appears nice letter from Harry
Hayward always claimed as a native
son, altho' born just across the waters
of the Pocomoke, the shad of which he
is eulogizing. Harry sends also, a
clipping from the Sunpaper and from
the column of the widely known Bentz-
town Bard.
To tell the truth, however, 1 was
a little intrigued by that clipping from
the Bard" You see, he spoke of two
places-Pocomoke City and Princess
Anne-but only one river-the POGO
moke. He said the two places were
near each other, and I was wondering
whether he was laboring under the i'm
preston that both places were located
on the banks Of the stream in question.
Maybe he meant the luscious speci-
mems of the finny tribe were caught
in the. Pocomoke and marketed over
IN Princess Anne.
But, likely as not, he thought both
cities looked out upon the dark waters
of the Pocomoke. I don't care if he
il reported to be an Eastern Shoreman
he's one of those trans Choptankian
bozos, who think that after you cross
the bridge over that stream, you step
forth into the blackness of darkness;
that the lower peninsula contains all
sorts of miasmatic effluvia; that the
people are groveling on the mire of
undevelopment; that it behoves the
denizens of western civilization to see
that missionaries are sent to this be-
nighted Shore; and that we poor devils
be taught there is a better land on
'tother side the Chesapeake to which
all fit to live are offered an asylum
let the others be chloroformed.
Well, it's just like that headliner
/ wrote about last week, who had Leon
ardtown located over here-wonder
what Leonardtown thought of that;
eternally disgraced, 'speck. If they
feel that way, I'd just like that burg
to bring over bevy of their pretty
girls, and if l can't over-match them
girl for girl-I'll say that every word
Mencken, ct al, have said about is is
true. You know, it was a Leonard
town girls basketball team that was
called the "Sho' 1" GIRLS
But, going back to this shad bust
ness, who ever heard of catching any
shad in Princes Anne? You know,
I've sneaking idea the Bard" had
in mind Snow Hill, that's on the POGO
moke and not so far from Pocomoke
and that city knows about the river
delicacy. If he did, that's only an
other "slipsus linguae," revealing a
woeful ignorance of Shore topography.
Seems to me some of these western
highbrows glory in lack of acquaint-
anceship with us; to be intimate
would ge degrading association. Like
some of these Contract Bridge players
who seem to delight in confessing a
forgetfulness of the old Auction game
that's sort of plebeian. and as for
Five Hundred, that's so far down the
scale of card sociology as to be abso-
lutely disgusting.
So, Pm going to suggest an amend
ment to the clipping; better substi-
tute Snow Hill for Princess Anne.
There is a river at Princess Anne, but
it can hardly be seen with the naked
eye, and l don't believe it shelters
anything but bull frogs, water bugs,
minnows, and Tuckahoe plants. It
runs through the main street, is cross
ed by bridge thanked by memorial
shafts, but, if you don't watch out,
you'll think these belong to cemetery
only a few yards ahead, and you ride
on believing the Somerset capital is
an inland seaport-or something like
that.
You'll note that Harry Hayward's
letter refers to the shad as a great
delicacy. l remember one season when
it was looked upon as anything else.
Just after they began running as they
should, dead human body was found
floating around where these same
delicacies feed. This carcass had been
missing for some months, and some
people couldn't get rid of the idea that
the excellent condition of that seasons
fish was due to the menu furnished
them by the gruesome find. They
claimed they didn't know what they
were eating and shad sales dropped
10 an unheard of minimum. 1 told 'em
it didn't make any difference to me
what the menu was, it all turned to