Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-02-10
DEPOSITION, OF DR.. JOHN MAYO.


Summoned at the instance of Mr.. Bcalr, and
examined as follows:
think revenue can and ought 10 BE- raised
from oysters in the Virginia beds. | think
the revenue could be collected by means OF one
or two steamers, and that those steamers would
be Of great advantage to that section Of coun-
try between Newport News, on james
river, and up the bay to Blackstonc's Island,
on the Potomac, for the purposes Of police and
protection. | do not think that section Of
country can be placed under proper police and
protection without these steamers. With It's
The persons engaged in catching oysters are
slaves, free negroes and the poorer class Of
white persons. In Richmond county, where
formerly lived, when slaves were employed,
the custom was for the master to require his
slave to bring him one dollar each night and
the slave would earn for himself n dollar extra
sometimes more.
have no particular knowledge as to the en-
tent OF the oyster trade, but have seen an ar
ticlc in the Baltimore American Annual State.
mcnt Of 'irauc Of January l, 1860, as TO the
oyster trade Of Baltimore, which refer 10, and
may be herewith filed:
n.lTlMoRE AMERICANS ANIMAL STATEMENT.
in the preparation of oysters for expectation,
foreign and domestic, was first brought 10 the
notice Of the public in our last Annual Statc-
ment, and its extent shown by the amount OF
capital invested in it, and the large number OF
persons to whom it gave employment. We
learn that the business, this year, has opened
with greater activity, and that there has been
largely increased demand for the article, both
at home and abroad. This activity commenced
with the setting in of cool weather, and was
first experienced in the demand for raw oys-
ters packed in ice, for the various Western
cities-the increased facilities Of railroad CON-
munication allowing the transportation to be
made with rapidity and certainty. We learn
that the quality Of the 'stock" coming to mar
ket this season has been very superior To that
Of several previous years, more extra large Sca-
side oysters being brought in than were ever
before known. All prime stock sold a; high
prices The leading packers of the raw article
nave been at work day and night for several
weeks. and ii sufficient supplies come in, VIII
continue very busy as long as the cold weather
lasts. The stock preserved or prepared for
foreign expectation has also been in large de-
mand, and ready sale has been found for all
that could be put up. Though the prices
in the shell have generally been high,
the preserved article has ruled lower
than in former seasons. The quantity OF oys-
tcrs in the SHE'LL now daily taken BY the pack
ers and consumers. is about 25,0OO bushels,
ranging in price from thirty to eighty cents
per bushcl, according to the size an' fitness. -
The regular packing houses in this ciii are
now thirty in number, one-half of which de-
vote their attention principally to the dispatch
Of raw stock, and the others mainly to pre-
serving; the former, however, resort to pre-
serving later in the season. The business ol
oyster packing may now be set down as one OF
the permanent branches Of the trade OF Bat''
more, none being on moro solid basis, as the
demand for the article is incesSant. and the
purchase and sales almost exclusively for cash
a very vexalious impsdiment to the prosecu'
tion OF this businesses found in an ordinance
of the city, which prohibits oysters from being
brought to market between the 10th OF May