Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-26

.,,,esmen with our veneration TO-. the hlus'rlous
I'D and that tue character of Washington As P"t
trsyed here this night is dear to US as part oi wv.
own and our cbdren'e birthrght and oil the "e'""S7
of the whole nation. c,,w |
The last resolution he introduced with tue '''''"
ing preamble:- -, Tho. Law
evening February ID and in this place. MI: Eve:r,
viii repeat his celebrated address upon 'Cnarns,;
which has recently elected such enthusiae.e :. ~"
tude and admiration in Boston ana IT'S LII W
cities. The address was prepared az ,' , IN This
ing to the sufferers of the present seasoh' aui ~ @
ease will be- given under the PATRONAGE Oh tue .
Of New York, aud for the benefit OF inc "''h'"
Protective Emigration Society. .o,,oua Mr.
Resolved, That We Will gra'elu,y ~ in hshnlt
Evsrett ON his return February I'd, to speak ln oe.
of womanly charity and that the men anu W. r. n
If New York implore upon him the oless'ng y;
for his service in this city to the cause Vi pa'''''
and humanity.
THE OYSTER TAX.
We take pleasure in transferring f'"' .uo
aArpus," the following lucid and Instructive eu'''''
article relative to the oyster trade MI ha'.'o' ne
author of the article, is now in the oy lof '"e pu
pose of giving information to the committees appoint
ed BY the House Of Delegates to conSider .n'' '''
uorsnt question and report on it. lie has e"'osn'y
investigated the subject with care:
From the Norfolk Argus Jan 33l
THE OYSTER FUNDUM 49,. r.
Virginia presents the anomalous couu. ;,.;"
State overburthened with debit yet X rah,lv
hsr borders a source of revenue which, IL lghuy
managed, would fill to overlooking her eaue Ns Sa
treasury, Our old Commonwealth remnos us VI lhe
adyeptursr Fremont, who. while the lawful owner OF
the rich and boundless fields OF Mafiposa' "'' W."
tinually having his paper protested -;.,,xo and
Underwater Virginia contains in its bays rivers ao
creeks not lees than 2,000 square miles or t'S9uuIo
acres of oyster beds. Allowing one'Ien.n Q, h
eli to every square yard We have upon tne yas pnoN
cum of our State GIG 520,000 bushels OF Oysters
Tbose who are ignorant of the eubect nave no con
ception of the trade in these bivaVes-the
eet OF vessels and army of persons & nnn e
taking transporting, &C. MOI less thah ioVooI 'Uu s
of shipping are annually employed IN the trace ago
AZ the lowest estimate twenty millions OF ousne!s are
taken every year from the rocks and oeos eiRneen
millions of which are carried outside the boundaries
of our State. 49,. .., ,,;,o !, oanactv
from auu 10 ], bOd bushels, and employing rs men,
ara employed in the oyster trade OF Baltimore III
Fair Haven. 80 vessels, varying in capacity from
1000 to 1000 bushels were owned IN 1000, . wn,cn
large number which were chartered by Its lnhaoi-
tants during the busy season. 1t is estimated tha
nearly hundred vessels in this trade are now owned
| at that port. The very large number OF vesseis
This trade are not known. SiI years ago. captain
informs u.s. that he knew of sixty in New YORK city
Boston is known to have at least forty vessels
Providence New London bridgeport and New bea
ford each owns ten sail at least OF large vessels ana
other smaller places on Long leland and elsewhere,
own many Others. We may assert, without lear OF
contradiction, that l000UU tons OF shipping are now
employed in the oyster trade.
II is exceedingly difficult to get at the quantty OF
ovsters taken 10 the different ports from Virginia. but
from numberless Inquiries in every drecton, we ore
justified in affirming land We speak wlnin oounus
that 100000 bushels are carried Snnusy G . ous
vicnity: 1000, 900 to Boston, 1000 OO0 to Phade-
phia: 100000 mot including those from the Mary
land bsds) to Baltimore 5000, 00u to Providence
bridgeport, New London, New Bedford aud else
where, and 900 to the South, making grano
aggregate of $4,000 600.
To give our readers idea OF the oyster trade we
will give some statistics of the trade in Baltimore
and Fair Haven, the two largest entrepots OF the
trade in the country.
During the summer months 1000 men are engaged
in taking the young oysters from the hard anu trans
planting them in the soft bottoms. There are 20
vessels employed; varying IN caPacny ro 1s guy ~
| In the rivers bays and creeks 900 hands are EN-
ployed in getting the oysters and Loading the Vessels.
375 persons in ALL are engaged IN the outdoor part
of the trade Besides these, 10 the twenty establish
msnts in the city engaged in the preparation of the
oyster for Southern and Western markets, tnefe arr
500 shucksrs and l5U packers, making totai OF 1''
individuals. During the season, these estapiisnens
prepare aud ship about l2ooo bushels Per Iasi Que
scattered all over the West as far as Nebraska ieei
tory Besides the men employed, there 10 quantity
of machinery. In connection with this trade Is tne
conversion of the shells into liue, OF when aoou.
600 600 bushels annually made ana asea ior az
ricultural and other purposes.
THE FAIR HAVEN TRADE.
We have been unable to obtain the statistlcs OF
this place. We know that nearly one hundred yes
ssls VARYING in capacity from 600 to o0O bushels
are owned there and constantly engaged IN the trad.
Decides in the busy the number OF vessels IL
largely increased by chartered crafts. we were ~
formed BY the best authorities that IN 1000 the capi
tai engaged in the oyster trade ia this place wa
Al OOOOO0 The following letter from the New I rrk
Herald, which speaks of one Of the many houses II
Fair Haven engaged in the business will throw come
| light upon the subject:
GALL ABOUT THE OYSTER TRADE. NE"
yosx- December Is, 1851. Il. Bennett Esq
Dear Sir Some very interesting particulars OF The
| ovster trade came under my notice during recen
tour through the West and Canada. which wouio
beg you to publish, rs feel assured many OF you.
rasdsrs will be surprised hear of the extensive anC
efficient manner in which the oyster trade Is conduct
| ed throughout the great West and Canada. Being
great lover Of oysters, feared losing the en]oymen
Of nv fayorite dish when go far away from the sea
board but was sgreeably surprised to find plenty o
GOOD oysters everywhere went and at prices almost
If not quite az low as in New York. AT Buhalo
Cleveland. Detroit, Chicago, Hamilton, London ano
| Toronto, found excellent oysters IN abundance ant
on inquiring how 40 large supply was obtained IRON
| the East learned the following particulars, which
greatly surprised me- had no idea OF the extern
! and magnitude of our oyster business: There ar.
| several firms at Fair Haven Conn, who make The
opening and shipping large quantities of oysters the
| business; but the most extensive firm is Messra
| Rowe & Co., whose headquarters tor opening and
forwarding during the spring, summer and fall months
| are at Fair Haven. The supply OF oysters during
the above mentioned time is brought from the Chesa
peske Bay and transpanted on the Quinapeac river
| and New Haven harbor, and taken when wanted
During the wnter Messrs. Rowe Go. operate at Nor
folk Va, where they have extensive beds reserved IN
case OF extremely cold weather. and they have other
beds farther up the bay, which with those at Norfolk
enable them TO furnish oysters when other dealers can
not get them ON Of the ice. These latter beds
are about six hundred miles farther South than those
of other Dealers and seldom If ever freeze, and at one
point Messrs Rowe, d. Go were obliged to purchase
tract of land of about 800 acres in order 10 become
freehoders and thereby the privilege of catch
ing aud planting oysters, aud have there planted over
40 600 bushels which have been under cultivation over
threeyears. There are many smaller hrms engaged IN
the Oyster business, but Rowe g. Co., are much more
extensive than suy other. l an informed they have
been established over seventeen years, employing
from hundred and fifty to two hundred persons IN
opening, besides great many for packing and ship
ping and their average sales during the busy season
are from 500 to 26Ua gallons per day. The great
extent of Rowe g. Co.'s operations in the oyster line
may be accounted for by the fact OF their oysters
being much longer under cuii2aon, and their beds
much farther South than those OF any other dealers
which gives them decided advantage, both as to
quality AMI the certainty OF supply. Their nearest
point of distribution is Buffalo, and from thence
through Canada and the far West. Yours. respect
fully, AN OYSTER EATER
An idea of the calne OF the trade may be obtained
by multiplying the $4,000 aO bushels carried out of
the State by 80 etc. 1.-THE average worth of oysters At
their bedsj which gives us, the immense sum Of
$540O0U0.
II is we'll known that fourfths OF the profits OF the
trade 20 to persons residing out of the State, who do
not pay one farthing towards the support of our Com
monwsalth. While few Virginians have made more
than bare subsistence oru the oyster beds Of their
State Northern men have anassed princey fortunes.
Not 10 speak Of numberless individual instances
where men have started with scarcely any capital but
their limbs and have reaped by their industry-and
resped where they have not aown-a handsome for