Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-06-07
Recollections of Boyhood Days
Article No. 3
By EBEN HEARNE

and that was picnic at Red Hills.
That place was very popular bath
ing beach on Chincoteague Bay, in
Accomack County, Virginia, about
twelve miles from this town, on the
mainland opposite Chincoteague Is
land. Boys and girls considered it a
thrilling experience after reaching
Red Hills to board a small boat and
enjoy a sail on the beautiful waters
of Chincoteague Bay and to embrace
the opportunity of visiting the famous
Chincoteague Island, which is located
about eight miles from the mainland.
Its novel and interesting scenery
made a wonderful impression on q
child's mind, never to be forgotten.
This visit was followed up by the sail
back to Red Hills. One of the pleas
ures of the days outing was the lux
ury of salt water bath in Chincotea-
que Bay. The exertions of the day
whetted the appetites of the young
for the picnic lunch that was a repast
fit for king and served to the ex-
cursionists before the return home at
the close of the day. Those were
the days before the gasoline engine
and the power boat, and boats were
propelled either by oars and paddle
in the hands of strong seamen or by
sails driven by the wind. remember
an unusual experience on a trip to,
Chincoteague once in my younger
life. After delightful sail we reach
ed the Island all right. Late in the
afternoon we started back to Red
Hills and expected to reach the shore
about 6 P. M. In the meantime, while
we were enjoying our rambling walks
on the Island in the afternoon, the
men in command of our sailing craft
had been imbibing too freely and were
in no condition to perform their work
on the return trip, so we passengers
on the boat were completely power
less and at the mercy of the men who
managed the boat. The consequence
was, there was no wind to make the
sails effective and hence the boat
floated with the tide around the bay
for half the night, and finally the
oarsmen, by using long poles propelled
the boat along the shore in shallow
water, reached Red Hills about 2 A.
M. the next day and we reached our
home in the early morning, after a
summer night long to be remembered.
At Red Hills on picnic occasions all
kinds of vehicles could be seen; from
an ox-cart to the finished product
of the carriage makers art. Some of
the vehicles seen were entitled to vie
in looks with the Zone Hoss Shay"
of the New Englander's poem. In
attending picnic at Red Hills on one
occasion, I remember that l rode all
the twelve miles of the distance from
home seated in cart drawn by oxen.
1t seemed like an interminable trip,
but we finally reached our destina-
ton. On the return trip at the close
of the long summer day, was a de-
lighted youngster when I learned that
l could crawl into my fathers COM
Portable carriage and ride home be-
hind spirited horse. Ocean City,
Maryland, Public Landing on Sine
puxent Bay, seven miles east of Snow
Hill, Maryland, and other resorts have
greatly lessened crowds that were
once accustomed to spend a part of
their summer vacation at Red Hills,
Virginia.
1t is well to note the great stride
that has been made in the transpor-
tation line which helped to connect
this section of the country more in
timately with the business centers of
this great nation. Previous to 1860,
there were three ways of reaching the
more thicly settled portions of the
country, and they were, travel on foot,
by horse, and buggy and by water
craft. The craze for rapid transit
had not yet awakened our gentry. At
that time the railroad had only reach
ed as far south on our Eastern Shore
as Salisbury. There was a steam
boat line connecting White Haven,
Wicomico County, Maryland with Bal
timore, and during the late 1865
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