Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-05
Mr .Lohu lY. Winder. of Accomac h.t,fe..

Mr. John w. Winder, of Accomac test,fes:
"I reside in AccOmac, and have been engaged in
The oyster trads in dredging for and selling oysters
The trade in oysters In the neghborbood of Accomac is
not 80 great as formerly. sm satisfied that have
sesD oysters sold to the OF 70 500 in one day in
about l6s cents bushe which would show the quan.
ti,y to be about $4,000 bushels. There were many
more oysters caught at the same time by Phiadelphi.
as who dredged for themselves which were not sold
on the ground. In the rangier and Pocomoke sounds
believe have seen $50 vessels in day dredging.
At the same time have seen ongers at work, who,
ut the price statsd above could earn from Al to SlO
day, and enough of them to load 10000 bushe yes
se in two days. The dredging vessels average 100
bushels each day.
the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds and doubt wheth.
they could catch more than twothirds as much in
day as formerly. Philadephians still continue TO
dredge in those waters. l don't know whether they
dredge in the waters of Maryland at this time or NOT
II allow the oyster rocks mentioned above TO rest
two years, they will be restored-one bushel would
be worth two. have tried the experiment on rocks
which broken up and allowed 10 rest not quite
two years. and have been able to catch nearly as many
oysters in day fresh rock and one bushel OF
the oysters caught would be worth two bushels caught
on fresh rock. believe that an oyster on any of
me rocks there would grow in two years large enough
for market.
"I believe there is ledge of oyster rocks in the
bay all the way down the Eastern shore nearly to
Cape Charles. There are seven creeks on the East.
ern shore-four in Accor.ao, and three in North
ampton-whch had oyste, rocks. but they are pretty
much broken up now. i am satisfied that as much
~ rs 600 bushels in one were carried of
Occahannock creek. This ten years ago. Now,
man could not catch more than five bushels day.
but the value of the oyster s increased. Those i've
bushels are worth as much the quantity which
one man could catch formerly in day. If those
rocks were allowed to rest two years now, q man
could catch twenty bushels day Of good quality,
because they would be fresh growth The qusnti-
~ OF oysters which can be caught in email space,
is extraordinary. / have known ten or fifteen
sells, carrying OO0 bushels Of oysters each loaded of
one rock, which did not contain more than three
acres. II you were to protect the rocks, which have
been broken up in those creeks &c. for two years,
will say that an open boat would pay from the earn
ings Of ono day reasonable tax for the whole year
when L was engaged in dredging and broke up
rock, by sounding could always find another one.
don't think that there are any oyster rocks in the wa.
ters north Of the Chesapeake Of any consequence
There were some in Delaware bay, but they nave
been broken up, and ] have been told by the Phs.
delphians, that even in Delaware bay dredge could
not catch more than five bushels day. and it is my
opinion that the Chesspesks bay and it's tributaries
furnish nineteeltwentisbs of the oysters consumed
in the United States aud If Maryland and Virginia
we're to combine, they could control the oyster
kets Of the United States.
"l believe the day has been when thsre was more
money realized from the oysters Of the Chesapeake
than from all the farms bordering on the Chesapeake.
"There are plenty Of Oyster rocks the side OF
Aocomao and Northampton which can be- made more
valuable than any other oysters in the Chesapeake
bay. They can be made more valuable. if they are
broken up and carried to the proper grounds to be
planted. There are considerable planting grounds on
the sea side of Accomsc and Northampton. On the
sea side they will coat, about 10 cents bushe to
take them up and plant them the heads of the
creeksi and when they remain planted sx months,
those oysters will sell at the place at average OF 5O
cents per bushe; and W told by man just be.
fore came here that he as selling those oysters at
62t cents bushel. can plant from sou to :, OOl
bushels of oysters to the scre-and there is ground
enough to plant all that they want to plant.
IL don't believe that the laws now in force or any
others which may be enacted this subject, can be
executed with the present means 1t you pass laws TO
prevent foreigners from taking oysters and regulate
the taking by our own citizens, It would be necessa-
ry to have vessel with officer raboard-Otherwse,
the laws could not be executed. think that steam
ers would be better than sail vessels would think
It advisable that the steamers should be armed
l could not begin 10 estimate the amount OF money
received from the Oyster trade Of the chesapeake
and it's tributaries. have been told that Holt g.
Maltby Of Baltimore used $500. in one season III
the trade of oysters"
Mr.. VIM. H. Parker and Mr.. Me,s Fisher offer
testimony strongly corroborating that of Mr.. Win
der. Both gentlemen state that sea side oysters
sold from the rocks in Northampton at 9. cents per
bushel. These ,oh better for seed oysters than
those taken from fhe bay. Mr.. OF inoI
50 to $50 vessels dredging at the time n Watts
Island sound. Last November he saw the sound
white with sas-sll the vessels evidently dredging
Captain Robert K. Parker, of New jersey testifss
that he has himself shipped from the creek of Cher
iston, 5000 bushels in one year.
Other gentleman of the highest intelligence and
respectability have offered additional testimony val
liable in high degree. Indeed the few extracts We
have given are insufficient to suggest the many and
convincing arguments embodied in the msss OF evi
deuce before US. Weearnestly recommend our read.
srs to study the entire report.
1t lie true that some Of the testimony offered by
persons opposed to the tas on oysters, contradcts dit
isrent points of evidence here sdduced. But these
contradictions are, for the most parcouped with such
palpable bunders and strange incongruities, az to
render them of little weight. Would our friends oi
the Eastern shore believe that some of their county.
men from Acoomao and Northampton have testified
that the existing laws with regard to oysters are
strictly enforced and observed in the waters of Acco
mac that the sea side oysters OF Northampton
are not even fit for plantngl Again, the same men
who assure that the taking oysters affords mere
.tingy and mssgre subsistence, bear witness that
lands adjacent to oyster beds which for agricultural
purposes would not have sold for s5 per acre, have
been known TO sell for from $5U to $780, on account
of their position. Such is the statement made by one
witness. And another witness whom we know to be
an honest and intelligent man, commits slmila
ncongruity. If this should meet the eye o
that gentleman, We beg that he will rest assured
that we intend no reflection on bis veracity 1t Il
evident from his testimony that he knows the Valu
and price of land and that he has been msled bJ
hsarssy as to the profits Of longing and dredging.
Even the ingenious, and, for the most part, inte
gent testimony Of Capt. Ralph Rowe of Gloucester
bears evidence, that his estimates are entirely at va
rance with the facts which he 80 frankly admits
Capt Rowe estimates the probable amount OF oys
ters shipped from the waters of Virginia to the North
ern market at from 100000 to 900 bushels per ar
mum. And yet Capt. Rowe admits that 5OO,ooo bush
els are planted In York River alone! In other words
the oysters planted in York River are equivalent
Eve eiphths of the oysters sent North from all tn
waters of Virginia We must reject the Captain
couiectures, but we are glad to accept with conf
dence more than one Of the valuable statements
facts within his knowledge. Among these we quote
81 think that Holt and Maby have been plantin
on York River for about fifteen years, where the
own small place. I was informed that when hoi
and Matby commenced the oyster business in Bait
more some twenty-five or thirty years ago. they ha
cash capital of about Eve thousand dollars, aud Al
ter Holts DEATH three four years ago. their proPe
ty was estimated at fourteen hundred thousand DO
lara was told this by man in Baltimore, who,
think, had good opportunity of knowing the fact.
"Washington and Peter Smith own lsnds on Yor
River and planted understand, last year fifty lhol
sand bushels. Jefferson Stubbs planted about 1000
bushels.
"In other rivers in the neighborhood, cay on 81
vern River from FIVE to seven thousand bushels s
about the same quantity"
While such fortunes as that of Holt and Maltb
are made by planting oysters in York River at tn
rate of IS 900 bushels per annum-take our word to
It, the oysermen Of Gloucester will never suffer- w
,hrevdy opine that they are nearly, if not fully,
fortunate. g. their neighbors Of Accomac, who, W
hafo oar