Pony Penning 1924 - Before the Carnival And CFVC Participation
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company (CVFC) was "given birth" in May 1924 by a group of 14 intrepid men; but they were not allowed to take over the fire-fighting equipment of the Chincoteague Fire Brigade until a Town Council decree on 11 June 1925. That same decree gave the new CVFC permission to stage a carnival to raise money for fire-fighting equipment once a year.
Therefore, the Pony Penning after the second big fire on the island happened without a carnival, or with any funds being raised by the CVFC. On Saturday, July 26, 1924, The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, ran on page 1 the following:
"Chincoteague Pony Penning Next Week - Annual Event Attracts Many From Wicomico And Other Sho' Counties - The annual pony penning on Chincoteague, an event which is largely attended by people from Wicomico County and other sections of the Peninsula, will take place next Wednesday, July 30th.
This has been an annual affair on Chincoteague for many years and every effort will be made to have it just as attractive as in the years gone by. The ponies will be penned and offered for sale privately and at public auction.
Besides the penning of the ponies there will be other attractions. In the afternoon there will be a baseball game between the Cape Charles railroad team and Chincoteague. Both teams have made most enviable reputations this year on the diamond, and a game for real sport may be expected this time. Also visitors to the Island will have an opportunity to see an aquaplane drawn by the fastest boat on the coast. A large crowd is expected to attend this annual affair and large preparations are being made to feed all those who make the trip.
Clarence Beebe, who resides on the southern end of the island, and is without doubt the largest owner of ponies on the island at the present time will have 75 ponies penned at his home. In this drove will be found ponies of all sizes, colors and ages. In addition on that day he will have for sale 100 head of cattle and 50 sheep."
On Tuesday, July 29th, The Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia, had on page 3:
"Annual Pony Penning On Chincoteague Island - Cape Charles, Va., July 28. - (By Associated Press) - On Wednesday, July 30, Chincoteague Island will suspend business and declare a holiday for the annual pony penning. The penning of ponies that run wild and feed on the grasses of the marshes to the South of the island has been an annual affair of Chincoteague for half a century and has drawn thousands of people annually to witness the affair and buyers who purchase them by the carload."
On 5 August, The Daily Times of Salisbury reported on page 2: "Many Wicomico People Present At Pony Penning - Over 2000 Gather From Maryland, Delaware And Virginia At Chincoteague Event - Ponies Not As Wild As In Former Years - Old-Timer Hears Many Versions Of Their Origin On Virginian Island - Many Wicomico people attended on Wednesday of last week, July 30th, pony penning day on Chincoteague Island, an event in the raising of horses known no where else on this Peninsula. The present method of penning is a very tame affair as compared with the pony penning of years ago. First the ponies are owned by a few people and are not so plentiful or valuable as they formerly were. The ponies are not as wild as in other years and the penning is more easily done and this year the ponies were in two pens ready for inspection or purchase. In each of these pens were about 75 ponies, ranging in age from colts of a few months to the aged veterans of the large pasture lands of the island. There were a few sales made ranging from $25.00 to $75.00, the sales were mostly of the colts. The ponies, young and old were in fine condition and perhaps there were two thousand people from Maryland, Virginia and Delaware to see these little wild horses.
Perhaps the most reliable source of these ponies getting on the island is that the Indians brought them to the island as the island was inhabited by the Indians before the advent of the white men. One published account is that a vessel carrying a cargo of these little horses from South America to New England was beached near the island and that many of them swam ashore from the wreckage. But it will be recalled that the early settlers found horses running wild in many sections of the Peninsula, and in Talbot county they did a vast amount of damage to growing crops.
The ponies live, winter and summer, exposed to all kinds of weather. There are wooded sections where they are sheltered from sun and storm and on this island nature seems to have provided for them in the growth of the low, thick limbed, squatty pine trees. Nature has also provided them with fresh water lakes, located in various parts of the island. Here they repair for their drinking water and if the lakes are frozen the ponies break the ice along the shore with their feet, and if the ice is very thick they rear on their hind legs and come down on the ice with both front feet and never fail to get a drink. If the grass is covered with snow they paw the snow off the grass and by this method sustain life until the snow melts away.
Another interesting feature of the island is the wild goose farm, owned by J. W. Whealton where he has propagated wild geese for at least 50 years. In addition to the geese, about 15 years ago he bought 20 pairs of black Australian swans which he propagated on this farm with great profit, until the dogs proved such enemies to the birds. Many varieties of ducks were also propagated such as mallards, Indian Runners and others. The wings of these birds were clipped when they were young and propagating the wild geese with the domesticated geese not only changes the habits in a measure but greatly improves the food quality. The wild geese and ducks were purchased in Canada. Sometimes this farm had 800 to 1000 birds.
There was always a market for these birds at high prices, the swan sometimes brought $150.00 per pair and the geese from $5.00 to $25.00 per pair and a fine pair of goslings would bring much more. This industry is not kept up as it was in the early days of its development, but it still marks a peculiar feature of island life. The several small lakes in this farm produce a peculiar grass especially fine as food for the wild fowl. It bears a very close resemblance to the grass that grows at Havre de Grace.
This is land first brought to notice and taken possession of by Jennfer and Cor in 1740, and like all other places on the Peninsula bears many evidences of the Indian life, many relics, skeletons and other findings indicate beyond doubt the dwelling place of the American Indian."
(I think the author of the above article got a little off point....)
I am attaching a video which claims to be a filming of the 1924 Pony Penning. I can't find any photos attributed to the 1924 Pony Penning, and I really have doubts about this film being from 1924. It is labeled as being from 1924, and has a little bit of film from a Fox News Reel, with written descriptions. The reason I doubt the year is due to one single part of the film - it show ponies swimming between Assateague and Chincoteague. This did not happen until the 1925 Pony Penning, after the CVFC took over the management of Pony Penning, thanks to their Carnival Grant to raise funds for fire equipment. - Other than that, it's a great 10 1/2 minutes of silent film, some of it with tears and discolorations. But you can see a palomino pinto pony, as well as other pintos and solid coats, in the herds. A few scenes show 3 or 4 round-up men and one is leading a horse/pony that has an English saddle on it. That saddle looks a heck of a lot like Clarence Beebe's riding saddle - I spent a lot of hours keeping it cleaned and oiled while I spent time with Maureen Beebe.... While this video is labeled 1924, I believe it was filmed between 1925 and 1929...
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