Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-12
LOG L 1T e III S.

0l HSn WHICH cOlue Will opElHS Inlo tiO
Potomac river-greater, perhaps, than into
any other stream on the Atlantic slope Of
America--have, from the first discovery of
the river, been one of its peculiar character
istics. When Capt. Smith came first into
the Potomac, some two hundred and fifty
years ago. eve found" says the chronlcler,
''in divers places, that abundance OF fish,
living so thick, with their heads above the
water, as. for want of nets, our barge drl-
wing amongst them, we attempted to catch
them with a frying pan, but we found 1t a
bad instrument to catch fish with; neither
better fish, more plenty, nor more variety
of small fish, had any of US ever seen IN
in any place SO swimming in the water; but
they were not to be caught with frying
pans" Capt. Smith, himself, says of the
Po,omac-.'the hills yield no less variety
and plenty of fruit, than the river eXceedeth
in abundance of fish" The Indians used to
catch the N0ughmasS. as they called the fish,
in great quantities. They had divers traps
and methods for this purpose, which soon
came to be initiated and improved upon by
the white pioneers, who came into the will
derness of the Potomac region. One OF the
principal of their methods was in use until
within half century. 1t was To drive, at
high tide, row Of stakes across the mouth
of any small branch Running into the river,
to weave willow withes between the stakes,
so as to form net work that would permit
the water and small fish to pass through,
and yet retain the large fish, Thus, at low
tide the fish would be left high and dry, and
in Indian days, this was, emphatcally-a
fiSh-landing We have seen somewhere in
an old deposition, that, i'll 1879, the gut
which now empties into Hunting Greek, near
Jones' Point, and which was then called
"WhHc oak B7unch," was famous among
the whites for this kind Of fishery.
The decline in the number of fish, made
this, and many other Indian methods, use
less Then tackle and seine took the place
of primitive methods, and fishing became a
branch Of business. Fish was All article OF
trade with the back country, In 100. AS
the population grew more dense in the trans
Montana and Piedmont regions, this trade
grew heavier But the first indication OF
this trade we meet with in print, is the fol-
lowing advertisement in the "Fuyinia i'd
ceytizer," published at the corner Of Fairfax
and Princess streets, (opposite the present
Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire depot, J
in 1888:
ALEXANDRIA. MARCH ,. 1855.
ITO TIE INHABITANTS or FAIRFAX. LOCDOuN,
/ SHENANDOAH. FAUQrlER. BERKELEY, and FRED
ER!Ck COuNTlES-Thc subscribers intend I" keep Scv'-
raj Goats running from the different landings on this River
in order To supply the above mentioned Counties IN me
most punctual manner, with FScithcr SlAD or HER
RINGurng the season ut tn" current rates OF AlsXa-
dri which they will deliver at the Wharvcs of Mr. Th"S
Kirkpatrick. Capt john lIarpAr, Mr. Thomas FlcmmlnS
They will take i'll payment, WHEAT FLOUR, BUTTER,
BACON, or TOBACCO, at the current prices OF tins town
ALEXANDER CHISHOLM co.
The trade continued to increase, and at
the beginning Of the present century, the
Fish Wharf was fixed at keth's wharf, NOW
the lower Ship-yard,) at the foot of Frank
lin street The wharf was continued at that
location until 1872 During that year a
Fish Market was opened at Jones Point,
pursuant to the following notice:
FISH MARKET.
4 FISH MARKET is established AT JONES POINT,
n just below the Old Fish " hart kcltlIs whari whc"
wagons and country people meet with ready supply
and the hest accommodation will he formed tOr men and
horses safe road for will be made Tho>" who
wish to meet with pnnctna supply OF fish on the best
terms are respectfully invited this place has been pro-
missed the patronage of the principal fishermen on the
Potomac TIE pROpRiEToHS.
March 29 81
In the Spring of 1918, the City authori-
ties passed law, fixing the County Wharf.
as it was then called, as the place for land
ing fish.
On the 18th of March, in that year. the
Superintcndent of Police, John Vaudeville,
at 10 o'clock, rented, at auction, the lots on
which the boothes were afterwards built
Immediately afterwards, the trade commence
| ed, and FISuTowS was inaugurated by the
following proclamation, which may lie con-
silered as the Charter of that interesting
city:
FISH MARKET.
TIVE citizens of the Town hereby informed that. for
this tho Fish Market is fixed at the County
Wharf
The Constahes are scvcr:lly required to that the law
upon the subject be regularly compile with.
JOHN MANDEN1LLE,
March u Superintendent of Police
The County Wharf to which the Fish mar
ket was thus removed, was in great part the
property of the Corporation. 1t had been
known as Point West, and was laid oft as
public property by the original Trustees OF
the town. in l14S, pursuant to the charter,
which authorized them to lay off ''such por-
tons of land for Market Square and pub
lie Landing, as to them shall seem cOnvc-
Hicut."
Fishtown has since been enlarged by the
purchase of additional land. Last year,
however, its limits were again contracted by
the erection of the American Coal Wharf!
Since the establishment Of FiShtown, the
trade has gone on with varied success. 1t
has laid the foundation of fortunes, but in
less prosperous times afforded poor return.
This year, however, we are happy to chronl-
Gle, the catch has been good, and the prices
rcmuneratiye. We hope it may be Il token
of series of good fisheries, which will
richly repay the energy, enterprise, and
toll that 50 well deserve success.
MANASSAS Gar RAILROAD CoMrANY.--
We are authorized to state that the work
on the line of the Manassas Gap Rail
road, between Mount Jackson and Timber
Vile is now let to contractors, long tried in
the service Of the Company, who will get
to work next week with a strong force, and
will on make up the lost time caused by the
unexpected REIMBURSEMENT OF the contract BY
the parties who held il previously.
The operations on the whole line between
Mount Jackson and Earrisonburg, viii be
now pressed with all visor, and every step
will be urged TO ensure the completion t.!
the Road TO Harrsonhurs by October Il
mouths, the time promised by the Gem
panv The work cannot be finished sooner,
IN compatibility with the interests of the
Company.
The following is an extract from a commu-