When Pocomoke Was Young- A continuing weekly feature.

 

(Chapter flow:)

ITS ORIGIN AND TOWN LIMITS

TOWN LIMITS

GROWTH, CHANGE OF NAME, ETC.

MERCANTILE ASPECT

MANUFACTURING

TRADES ETC.

SHIPPING INTERESTS

EASTERN SHORE STEAMBOAT CO.

SHIP BUILDING ETC.

HOTELS, LIVERY STABLES, ETC.

PHYSICIANS

LAWYERS

POST OFFICE

PRINTING OFFICES

SOCIAL ASPECT, ETC.

MORAL ASPECT

TEMPERANCE CAUSE

SCHOOLS

CHURCHES

Note:  In duplicating this material for publishing on The Pocomoke Public Eye we have made minor adjustments to correct some of the spelling, punctuation, etc. We believe the errors were not in Rev. Murray's original writing but occurred in the process of formatting the material to a digital format for viewing online.

SHIP BUILDING, Etc. 

The shipbuilding, steam milling- and marine railway 
business is carried on quite extensively in Pocomoke City. 
Shipbuilding has been carried on in New Town from time 
immemorial, but the steam milling and marine railway 
business is of more recent date. 

The first steam mill ever erected in New Town was by 
a man by the name of Hutchinson in 1839. This mill was 
employed at first to make shingles, but afterwards turned 
into a saw mill. 

It was severally owned by Hutchinson, Dr. Geo. S. D. 
Shipley, Ricaud, then E. S. Young and Geo. Blades, 
under the firm of Young & Blades, then E. S. Young and 
and James H. Young, under the firm of Young & Brother, 
then Capt. James T. Young by himself, who carried on 
the business until 1866, when he sold out to Polk & Powell. 
They conducted the business about ten years, when they 
sold out to James T. Young and Lewis W. Young, doing 
business under the firm of Young & Brother. Finally 
James T. Young bought out his brother Lewis, and is now 
conducting the business by himself. 

I have been thus explicit in running out the history 
of this mill simply because it was the first ever established 
in New Town. 

But the year I844 was marked as the beginning of a 
series of successes unprecedented in the history of New 
Town. The circumstances which brought them about 
were as follows: During that year Ezra B. Risley hap- 
pened to be in a certain port in the State of New jersey, 
when a vessel loaded with cypress fence rails arrived- He 
saw the rails and enquired where they were from, etc. 
The cargo of rails belonged to Jas. Daugherty and Levin 
P. Bowland. In this case, like thousands of others, the 
door of wealth was opened by the merest accident, and 
the old adage holds good, "one sows and another reaps." 
In as short a time as possible alter this two strangers were 
seen in New Town; no one knew who they were or what 
was their business. They prospected awhile in the cypress 
swamps, made some purchases and went away. The 
strangers proved to be John Ashcraft and Ezra B. Risley. 
During the next year, 1845, they established a large steam 

saw mill at Harry Henderson's landing, the place now 

owned by Littleton Waters. Here they commenced 
operations. They brought down Jersey wood choppers and 
employed our own men also. Like an electric shock, 
they aroused the citizens of New Town and the entire 
surrounding country to the idea of business which has 
never died out. They infused a spirit of industry and 
enterprise in all, from the day laborer to the merchant 
behind the counter and the farmer at the plow. They 
raised the price of labor, paid their employees the money 
for their work, and produced an entire revolution in busi- 
ness life. 

They engaged in ship building also, and built some 
large sea vessels. They purchased all the cypress swamps 
below New Town, and sent to market all their timber and 
lumber in their own vessels, which they built. They 
operated about twenty years, made about $15o;ooo and 
retired. 

With them originated, in a great measure, if not entirely, 
the practical idea of the steam mill business in this sec- 
tion of country. 

In 1854, John W. Quinn, Jas. Murray and John Ashcraft 
established a steam saw mill in New Town. In 1855, 
Murray sold out his interest in the mill to Nicholas N. 
Bosley; the mill now being run by the firm of Quinn, 
Bosley and Ashcraft. This firm continued two years, when 
they sold out to Thomas W. Hargis and Ambrose Dixon, 
doing business under the firm of Hargis & Dixon. They 
continued two years and then sold out to Captain H. H. 
Husted. Captain Husted conducted the business three 
years, when in 1862 he sold out to Captain James H. 
Young; Captain Young, having already a fine mill, bought 
this mill of Captain Husted to get it out of his way. 

As history is always repeating itself I wish to present to 
the reader a case illustrative of the fact, in which we have 
an example of one, who, from the poorest walks of life 
has attained, by hard work and good management to the 
position of wealth and independence. 

I allude to Captain James H. Young, who, I am sure 
will not take exceptions to this statement, for he takes a 
pride in the knowledge of the fact that he has made his 
mark in the world. While he seems to say to the youth 
of the present day, by his independent step as he walks 
the streets: boys go work as I have done and take care of 
your labor, and when you get old you will have something 
to lean upon. 

Captain Young's father died quite a young man, and 
left a widow and three children to support themselves as 
best they could. It is true they had a little home but it 
was merely a staying place. 

The mother and elder son Edward would work at any- 
thing they could get to do. She at the spinning wheel, 
hoeing corn, and sometimes in the fodder field saving 
fodder at twenty-five cents per day, and he tending the 
gardens in town and working on the farms for twelve and 
a half cents per day. 

After a while James grew old enough to work, also, and 
would work, sometimes, for five cents per day. At the 
age of sixteen he was put to the tailoring business; he 
continued at the trade two years, when his future pros- 
pects seemed to be beclouded, and as sitting on the board 
did not agree with him, he concluded to make a change. 
At the age of eighteen, he engaged with Captain James 
Riggin as cook on board a small vessel, similar to that of 
a ship's long boat, at four dollars per month. 

This was the day of small things, but it was the begin- 
ning of a successful course of life. At this period he was 
very destitute of clothing; he had saved, however, as he 
thought, three months wages with which he intended to 
clothe himself. When lo! the tailor with whom he had 
been living, had by some means collected his wages, and 
he was still left destitute. This was a terrible blow to the 
little fellow, for he was very small for his age, however he 
continued persevering and became a hand before the mast, 
in the bay and coasting trade. Some time after his 
maturity, by his industrious habits and temperate course 
of life, he won the respect and sympathy of John U. 
Dennis, who one day told Captain Young that he ought 
to buy a vessel or part of one. Captain replied that he 
was not able. Mr. Dennis told him that he would make 
him able, he would lend him the money, and did so. 
Captain Young then joined Thomas W. Hargis in the pur- 
chase of a schooner. Mr. Hargis at that time was keeping 
store at Wagram, Accomac County, Va. How long this 
partnership lasted I cannot tell, but after their dissolution 
he joined Col. Wm. H. Merrill in a schooner called the 
Sarah Ellen. Finally he bought out Col. Merrill and run 
the vessel in his own name until 1854, when he engaged in 
the steam mill business. 

Although Capt. Young had made up to this time $8,000 
or $10,000, yet here was the gold mine which he struck. 
The first few years of his milling life, however, were not 
so successful, but after the war commenced the tide of 
success set in, and money poured in upon him like a 
flood. 

In 1866, after making money enough to satisfy his 
ambition, he sold out to Polk & Powell, as before stated, 
and retired. 

In making a few desultory remarks relating to Capt. 
Young, I will say he has been a great worker and has had 
a constitution to stand it. He has been unyielding in his 
perseverance until the prize was gained. 

There is one feature of his business life which is spe- 
cially worthy of record, and that was, Captain Young 
never did business on the Sabbath day. This is worthy 
of all praise and should be an example to other business 
men to act likewise. He owns ten farms aggregating two 
thousand acres of land, which cost him between forty and 
fifty thousand dollars, he also owns about twenty houses 
and lots, some of them valuable ones, besides his private 
securities and other personal property. 

Captain Young has been a member of the Methodist 
Protestant Church, in Pocomoke City, for many years, has 
been twice married; has eight children living, four by 
each wife. He is now living in a green old age at about 
three score and ten years, and looks back upon his life- 

work as master of the situation.

CONTINUES NEXT SATURDAY HERE AT THE POCOMOKE PUBLIC EYE.