The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-04-15

The New York Tribune Is publishiug
interesting letters from special com.
missioner sen. from the TSibanss Office
10 Baltimore 10 Investigate the extent
aud condition OF the various branches
and ramitcatioas Of the oyster interest.
His researches seem to have been very,
thorough, and his statements, We think :.
may be relied upon as correct, though
to what extent his figures arc truthful,
We have not tho official data at hand to
determine The following extract from
one Of his recent letters will give our
readers some idea Of the magnitude Of
this busiacss;.
The number Of vessels engaged in taking
oysters in the waters Of Maryland, with
scraps, drag and dredge, is from $50
TO $50. These all belong ostcnsibly TO
the counties bordering ON the MARYLAND
shores Of the CHESAPEAKE, bnt many are,
contrary TO law. owned 10 Philadelphia and
New York. They average 20 tuns custom.
house measurement, and pay as license fee
an average Of $40 each per annum. The
amount, then, which should be paid into the
treass.s-, on this account alone, Is from
S37, 100 TO $40, 200 These vessels (pun.
gics, as they ire called carry an average
load of 1000 ushcls, aud make, perhaps,
two trips to market each month. This n
monthly aggregate Of from 1860, 900 to l..
l20, 900 bushels, or 10, 000, 900 bushels per
season Of Q months. 10 this vast WELD
must be added the oyster product taken by
1900 canoes which scrape, or tong from the
shallow waters m average of 400 bushels
each daring the oyster season. total OF
! ,4S0, 000 bushels, about three fourths of
which PRE- sold to vessels engaged in the
carrying trade. These 6gures--as near nm
approximation to strict accuracy as can be
reached-show that from the MARYLAND
waters Of the Chesapeake alone (inclndine,
Of course, the tributaries Of the bay) no less
than u, SOC, 900 bushels Of oysters will have
been nipped a,.d dragged by the LIST Of June
Taking one season with another, they sell
at about % cents per bushel from the water.
Here, then, Is u money value Of 50, S75 900.
from which the State derives, directly or
indirectly, no more than 100000 from
fishermen, carries, retailers, packers and
picklers. Il must not be supposed, how
ever, that 70 cents is the ruling price for
Maryland oysters in q season like this.
Along the close of the last year they were
held at 80 and IS cents at the Baltimore
wharyes. and after the FIRST week in January
had fallen only 10 cents.
The number of men and boys employed
on the PUNCHES Is about 5000, full crew
consisting of n captain, boy, and fcur men.
In the carrying trade. IN which from 200 TO
800 vessels are engaged, there are fully
1000 men employed. Nearly half of these
employees are negroes. The wages are from
$40 to so n month, with niions, but the
poor negroes are frequently allowed to work
tor months without being paid anything at
all except the paltry sum they receive on
being shipped ] he white pungy- men some
times work on shares, and the captains are
generally owners or part owners Of the YES.
sells they command, or else receive one-thiri
OF the profits, out Of which they pay all the
running expenses.
There are 200 canoes and other small
boats engaged in taking oysters in the waters
OF Maryland, with tongs and scrapes. These
are distributed among the tide. water coun-
ties IN the following proportions: Anne
Arundel, 400; Calvert, so; Charles. 40;
Dorchester, 400; Kent, 800; Queen Anne,
800; st. Mary's, 400; Somerset, 500; Talbot,
400; and Wicomico, the new county, $50.
The canoes are very graceful little vessels
of from Is to So feet in length. three or
three and half in depth, with but little
beam, and no deck. They are ''dug ont
OF the trnnk of the large yellow pine, and
are made IN one, two, three, and sometimes
as many as six pieces, They nearly all
carry two masts, with triangular sprit.sails,
the foresail somewhat larger than the main.
sail, are very fast, and can live under full
canvas where few larger vessels would be
safe with everything doublereefed. A fleet
ofthese long, narrow, saucy looking, rakish,
exquisltely graceful boats cutting through
the white capped waves at steamboat speed,
with the light masls bent like bows, the lee
ward gunwales under water, and the sailors
poised away up on the windward side, each
helmsman siraining hard TO keep his tiller
well a-port, is most animating sight and
reminds the Eastern traveller of tlolilla OF
Arabian pirate dows or baggalas in the In.
dian Ocean, bound on predatory excur.
sion to the Laca ives, or scndding homeward
with their spoils from the shores Of Ccylon,
or the coast Of Malabar. These canoes ON.
ploy an average of two men each, and carry
each from 10 to 80 bushels ofoysters, which
they sell TO vessels Of larger growth.
Each canoe pays license of from 81 TO
$40. which nets the State this year the sum
OF S23,03l, provided there be no delin.
qaents. The canoemen, who fish generally
with the tougs, sometimes with the serape,
take, in the season nearly ], 500, 900 bushels
for market, beside what they consume them.
selves. Some of them who have other
means Of livelihood, do not sell their oys.
tors. hut take only enough for home con.
sumption.