TIME MACHINE... 1899, 1996, 1939, 1887, circa 1649; 1902

"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; is 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 newspaper archives/historical archives material)

March, 1899

The Evening Times (Washington, D.C.)

Smallpox Abating

Pocomoke City, Md., March 7.-  Dr. John S. Fulton, secretary of the State Board of Health, who was here last week looking after the smallpox cases in Pocomoke City, says that the outbreak has been very well handled. The three cases in the isolation house are doing well. There are two houses of observation, one containing thirteen and the other nine inmates. The period of incubation is about passed and it is probable that there is no danger of more smallpox in Pocomoke City unless a new importation should occur. 

July, 1996

The Capital (Annapolis, Md.)

New Dress Code For Somerset Students

PRINCESS ANNE-  Students at two Somerset County high schools will be prohibited from wearing skimpy skirts and T-shirts to class this year under a new dress code.

School officials said the new dress code at Washington High and Crisfield High is meant to encourage learning and eliminate distractions.

Male students will be required to wear collared shirts and have their shirts tucked in at all times, while female students will be instructed to wear blouses tucked in their pants or skirts.  The skirts must come to at least 2 inches above the knee or longer.

Under the new dress code, students will be required to place their jackets in a locker if they wear them to school.  The goal is to keep students from carrying around contraband such as cigarettes to guns, school officials said.

Students who ignore the new rules won't be allowed to attend school until they are appropriately dressed, school officials said. 

July, 1939

Escanaba Daily Press (Escanaba, Michigan)

(Excerpt)

FED WAR ON DUCK 'LEGGERS

Biological Survey Men Made June Clean-Up On East Coast

Forty-two duck bootleggers, duck trappers and buyers were found guilty and many more await trial in Federal courts in Norfolk, Va., Baltimore, Md., and Wilmington, Del., after the Bureau of Biological Survey,  Department of Agriculture closed in on a concentrated drive to break up the illegal trapping and selling of wild ducks and geese on the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia.

"This isen’t the last of our drives,” says W. E. Crouch, chief of the U. S. game management agents. “We’re going to clean up all the sore spots in the country. The Federal government will prosecute not only duck bootleggers but the buyers as well, for both buyers and sellers are violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act when they deal in wild ducks or geese.” The eastern shore was selected as an area in the nation-wide series of drives against duck bootleggers because it has been the source of supply for illicit traffic in migratory birds sold in certain restaurants, night spots, and private clubs in Norfolk, Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

In this drive the Survey used its most expert agents, some operating boats others using airplanes or automobiles, and others entering the various towns and villages as undercover operators.

July, 1887 (Time Machine Archive) 

(The Daily News- Frederick, Md)

(Ad)

SCOTT'S OCEAN HOUSE

GREEN RUN BEACH, MD.

Will open for the season in 1887 on July 1st.  This hotel is situated about 100 feet from Chincoteague Bay and only a short distance from the Ocean, with a large shady lawn in front, it is an inviting and comfortable place during the entire day.  The table is always supplied with oysters, clams, fish, and every fresh and still water luxury.  Accommodations for 250 guests.

All parties of five or more will be met by our yacht and conveyed free of charge to the beach from either Ocean City, Public Landing, Stockton, Girdletree or Franklin City if we are notified.

Terms $7 per Week.  $1.50 per Day.

J.T. WATERS & W.T. SCOTT, Prop'rs.

P.O. Stockton, Md. 

Footnote:  Green Run Beach was located on Assateague Island about 20 miles south of where Ocean City came into existence in the mid 1870's.  The Ocean House began attracting visitors in 1865.  Ocean City's more convenient accesibility may have led to the eventual demise of Green Run Beach.

Circa 1649

(Maryland State Archives excerpt)

"A Law Of Maryland Concerning Religion."

"For as much as in a well-governed and Christian Commonwealth, Matters concerning religion and the Honour of God ought to be in the first place to be taken into serious consideration, and endeavered to be setteled. Be it therefore Ordained and Enacted by the Right Honourable Caecilius Lord Baron of Baltimore, absolute Lord and Proprietory of this Province, with the advice and concent of the Upper and Lower House of this General Assembly, That whatsoever person or persons within this Province and the islands thereunto belonging, shall from henceforth blaspheme G O D, that is curse him, or shall deny our Saviour J E S U S  C H R I S T  to be the only son of God, or shall deny the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost, or the Godhead of any of the said Three Persons of the Trinity, or the unity of the Godhead, or should use or utter any reproachful speeches, words, or language, concerning the Holy Trinity, or any of the said Three Persons thereof, shall be punished with death, and confiscation and forfeiture of his or her Lands and Goods to the Lord Proprietary and his Heirs."   

August, 1902

The Times (Washington, D.C.)

(Continuation of Tangier Island article from last week)

And what finer sport is indulged in by boys in any section of the country than the wading and the swimming and jumping off from some of the anchored craft Into the soft oozy mud at low tide. No one who has seen the Tangier youngsters at play and noticed their- - mud be-spattered trousers, their torn straw hats, their bronzed and freckled faces, or has seen the skill and the facility with which boys of nine handle their boats around the island, need feel any pity for these boys, and the chance is that instead of pity there will come a sensation of envy and the wish for the return of days of boyhood.

I have said that Saturday night is the gala night of the island and this is due to the fact that this is the night of all the week when the male population of the Island Is at home. During the remainder of the week, from daybreak Monday morning until Saturday afternoon, the fishers and the crabbers are away from home, but on Saturday afternoon the boats may be seen sailing homeward, and at the landings crowds of children are waiting to greet the fathers who have been absent all the week, and this is pay day for the children and soon afterward they flock In swarms to the nearby stores to exchange their pennies for striped sticks of candy and animal crackers.

On Saturday afternoons and Sundays the anchoring places around the eastern side of the Island are well filled with the boats that have been absent during the week, and on shore the burden of conversation on Saturday afternoon relates to the catch of the week and the prices which different fishers or crabbers have received for their week's work.  At the present time, owing to the scarcity of crabs, good prices prevail and every soft shell crab means 3 cents to tho crabber, and boats are stationed about the crabbing grounds which are ready to purchase the crabs as soon as caught. It is not uncommon for crabbers to receive from $35 to $50 for the week's catch.

(More of this article next Sunday)

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"Somewhere over

the rainbow

Bluebirds fly..."

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