Sunday, November 9, 2014

TIME MACHINE ... 1900, 1971, 1890, 1880, 1954, 1903.

"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore."  Our tradition runs deep.  Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28, 1847.

This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; it has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable.  F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."


(Reader-friendly viewing of news archive/historical archive material)


March, 1900
Peninsula Enterprise (Accomac Court House)

Valuable Farms For Sale

The undrsigned offers at private sale two of the most desirable farms in Worcester County.

No.1-  Is the home of the late Senator S.K. Dennis, contains about 250 acres, and is the well known "Cedar Hall Farm," is situated on the Banks of the Pocomoke River, 7 miles from Pocomoke City.  About two-thirds of this farm is under very successful cultivation, is high red clay land of superior quality, not a ditch on it or the need of one, has steamboat landing on the premises, has good pine woodland, is 4 miles from railroad station. Is improved by a large 8 room dwelling which is in good condition. This farm is especially suited for stock raising or truck farm, has large quantities of fruit of various kinds. This farm is offered for sale to settle an estate, and is worthy of the attention of anyone seeking a comfortable home where both pleasure and profit can be combined.

Price $7,000.00. Terms to suit purchaser.
(See footnote)

No.2-  Is the home of the late Thomas W. Hargis, located 3 1/2 miles from Pocomoke City, and contains 212 acres. Is improved by a very nice 8 room building, about 150 acres of the land under cultivation, balance in woodland. This farm is suitable for stock or truck raising, and must be seen to be appreciated.

Price $5,000.00. $2,000 cash, balance on long term.

For further particulars call on or address, F.H. DRYDEN, Pocomoke City, Md.  

Footnote: Based on the reference to the late Senator S.K. Dennis being a former owner of "Cedar Hall Farm," the property apparently is historic "Beverly" or "Beverly Mansion."  From Wikipedia: "Beverly is a historic home located in Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Maryland, United States. It is a 2 1⁄2-story, Georgian-style Flemish bond brick house built about 1770. The house faces the Pocomoke River. An original circular ice house survives on the property.

Beverly was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Littleton Dennis, great great grandson of John Dennis of Beverly England, died in 1774 before the house was finished but work went on and was completed by his widow Susanna Upshur Dennis and their children and their descendents lived in the house for nearly 150 years."


Beverly Mansion, 1988

April, 1971
The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pa.)

(Excerpts)

Dodger Great Furillo Bitter Over His Final Baseball Days

By Ed Nichols

Carl Furillo, remember him?

The forgotten Brooklyn Dodger hero of the past has been found.

He's installing elevator frames on the 60th floor of a 1,350-foot skyscraper, that when completed will give New York not one but two buildings taller than the longtime champ, the Empire State Building. This new big house is the Manhatten World Trade Center.

His voice over the telephone sounded most congenial, as always, but not with the same enthusiasm as during his baseball playing days.

"Don't talk baseball to me." he said. "I haven't seen a game in 11 or 12 years."

I've known Carl since he started his pro career in the late 1930's with the Pocomoke City Chicks of the Eastern Shore (D) League.

"Yes, I often think of Pocomoke," Furillo declared.  I believe my $100 a month salary was one of the highest on the team. The Pocomoke people were wonderful."

Among his Pocomoke teammates were Gene Hermanski, an outfielder, who also advanced to the Dodgers, and first baseman Ed Sudal, now a National League umpire.

Furillo identified himself as one of the better hitters in the game, winning the National League batting title in 1953 with a .344 average.

Baseball, a game which he loved and gave 20 years of his life- 15 in the major leagues- has looked past Furillo.

He left the game quite bitter, challenging his release (by) the Dodgers in 1960.  Carl insisted he was blackballed. However the years of working at obscure jobs have mellowed this old warrior.

Furillo can't help but recall the circumstances which ended his big league career. He received an unconditional release from the Dodgers in May, 1960, because, according to general manager Buzzie Bavasie, that no other major league team would claim him and that "he no longer could do the job."

Carl insists he was injured at the time and should have been put on the injured reserve list for 30 days, and paid his medical expenses for the remainder of the season.

He took his case to court and won, but has been out of baseball ever since.

That's when the blackballing charges were made. Furillo, then 38, was confident he could play two or three more years with another club, but he felt he was deprived of the chance.

He tried to contact all the other major league clubs.  "All they told me," Furillo said, " 'Sorry, our roster is filled.' If that's not blackballing, then I don't know what is. Can you blame me for being bitter about baseball? I couldn't get a job as the fourth assistant groundskeeper." 

July, 1880
Denton Journal 

Ocean City is now an encorporated town, as you will see by the placards posted about the hotels and elsewhere. Its sacred precincts are half mile long and from the ocean to the bay in width, with a 'belt' north and south of twenty miles. 

L. W. Showell and G. Stokes hold the reins of government for now. It has an organized police force which can be distinguished by a brass star which he wears over his heart, yes, one officer, he being captain, sergent and the whole force. 

May, 1954 (Time Machine archive)
(Oakland Tribune- Oakland, Ca.)

VERY CONSERVATIVE-  The residents of Somerset County, Md., will have to mark their "X" on the ballot in the same old way in the June 28 primary and the general election next fall. There will be no voting machines.  Supervisors voted against the purchase of machines for fear they would probably bring confusion to the primary.


(Route 50 travelers today are hardly aware of the little community of Vienna, since the newer bridge over the Nanticoke bypasses the town.  In earlier years an older bridge led directly through the small community.  The article below goes back to still an earlier time reflecting the Vienna of another era.)   

July, 1890
Baltimore Sun 

Vienna Connected with the World by a Railroad

Vienna, Md., July 4, 1890: Today was an important epoch in Vienna's history of a century and a half, for the old, but thriving, town was for the first time connected with the outside world by a railroad and for the first time the whistle of the passenger locomotive awakened echoes among the town. Even though the railroad is not yet complete all the way to town, visitors came by the hundreds, many crossing the Nanticoke River from the Wicomico side and sail boats brought crowds from points up and down the river. In Vienna visitors enjoyed themselves in partaking of refreshments and in outdoor sports. Notwithstanding the lack of railroad facilities which were long needed, Vienna has in late years forged ahead in business enterprises. The town, one of the oldest in the county, is surrounded by rich and fertile farm lands and for many years noted for the intelligence and hospitality of its 600 to 800 residents. It has some of the largest stores in the county. The Nanticoke River at the town is a half mile wide and the depth is sufficient for the largest sea going vessels. During the early colonies it was a great shipping point and thought at one time to become the metropolis of the state. Most of the tobacco grown in the county, the chief staple of produce in those days, was shipped from Vienna and remains of an old warehouse in the town are yet visible. Wealthy and prominent men lived in or near the town limits. John Gilmor, ancestor of that family of Baltimore, was one of the earliest merchants and it is noted he received the earliest consignments of imported goods in the state at this port. The town also has fruit packing houses and a tin can factory as well as large grist and timber mills owned by Thomas Higgins and Sons. Vienna Academy is recognized as one of the leading institutions of learning in the country. There are an abundant number of churches of nearly all denominations and there is a commodious public hall. The Nanticoke Steamboat Company furnishes transit by water to and from Baltimore and other east coast ports. Vienna will prove to be a large feeder to the railroad and forge ahead rapidly. Among the old residents of Vienna are Dr. Levin Hodson and Thomas Withers Smith. The old hotel which has stood for many years and afforded warmth and good cheer to travelers on the old stage line from Cambridge to Salisbury, will, it is thought, soon give way to a larger and more modern structure.


(A visitor to Chincoteague writes his observations)

August, 1903
The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.)

PART 4 (continued from last week)

The deposits in the bank of the Banking Company of L. L. Dirickson, Jr., at Chincoteague, amounts to $99,109.74. The total resources are $160,061.74. The capital stock is 49,200. And the bank is only nine months old.

I remarked once before that everybody in Chincoteague has money. D. J. Whealton is worth perhaps $200,000, and has recently erected on the island a fine house costing a goodly sum. Joshua Whealton is worth well on towards a hundred thousand, some people say he ls worth more. Captain Rowley has a snug fortune and is making more every day. John L. Anderton, who lives across on Assateague, is worth at least fifty thousand. Captain John Bunting is "mighty well fixed" as one of his neighbors expressed it, and the same might have been said of Captain John A. M. Whealton, and a number of others. The men are "not much on clothes," as one of them said, but it would be hard to find a Virginia town where the women are so well dressed as in Chincoteague. It was apparent to the male eye that all the gowns were not of the very latest design, but they were of good quality, and were worn as though the wearers were used to dressing well.

There is at least one piano in Chincoteague, and probably more. The strains from many cottage organs may be heard in the course of a stroll down the main street.

There are three doctors on Chincoteague, and they each appear to have a fair practice. One physician told me that two-thirds of the deaths on the island, probably, were due to pulmonary troubles. Another said that in cases of what he termed dry catarrhal affections, he had known patients to be relieved by a stay here. However, the fine physical specimens one encounters here forbids the impression that Chincoteague is not a good place in which to grow men. The men down here do not conceal their manly development by too many clothes. One of the handsomest fellows  I ever saw, who carried me from his boat to the landing on Assateague, wore only shirt and trousers, and the latter were rolled to hls knees.

(More from this article next Sunday.)


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about?  It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!




"Somewhere Over The
Rainbow Bluebirds
fly.."

Flying On For JMMB.
Her Pocomoke Public
Eye postings (April,
2008 to June, 2014)
kept us informed.


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