The New York herald., 1871-05-02
WAR ON THE sHAD POLES.


Tho Anti-shad Expedition Up the North
River-Why and Whcrefore-Todd's Pirate
Crew Hook Cenmissioncr Blunt-The Law
Triumphant.
When the dainty ladies Of New York are balancing
fork they little dream through what dangers the
purveyors Of their favorite fish have passed. When
o poor man in his garret re1oices his
corned beef lined inside with cheap slice OF
this fnny delicacy he blesses Providence,
II anybody, and not the shadman. North river
shad has peculiarly fine flavor when caught In the
reach Of the tidal waters. In the sprngtde the nsh
ascend the river With the ..... a. 80.
:. '-'-- 4 nxTEMS1k OBJECT OF SPAWNING, 'No's-
and when up in the fresh water they become
soft and lose much OF their hne navor and
market value. The best, therefore, are netted close
to the rivers mouth. He who sticks down
shad poles near the rivers mouth ofends against
the State laws by obstructing navigation-so the
Pilot Commissioners say. The shad man AYERS that
that he does not DISTRICT navigation, for the boat
that cannot bend shad pole Is not t to trust ones
life in. The Pilot Commissioners demur to this
TESTING or sHIPs' BOTTOMS,
and say that though the shad-pole test may have
some pretence OF patriotic forethought in 1t, the
tearing OF copper Off large ships bottom TENDS 70
show that the test s as crucial and destructive as
killing the goose for the golden eggs therefore,
they continued to say, Messrs. Shadmen II you
don't remove your poles Wen do it. To which OIL
cial bluster the patriotic ship-testng shadmen re-
marked, threateningly,
Yesterday morning the police boat under the
command OF captain Todd got up full steam and
loaded their broadsides OF six five hundred FOUNDER
Do nocn III
hooks. A tug approached under full
press OF steam and canvas, and Captain
Todd after glancing through his telescope
ordered signal salute to be fired. The master
fion and could not be fired without hooking some
body. The gallant captain, with that consummate
tact which Is never wanting in an alternative, put
pETwEEY HIS LIPS AND wHIsTLEp.
Upon this the tugboat manned the yards and ran
..Put her head up strealnv said Captain Todd
The taut craft obeyed the pilots wheel M 70 mira mira
Gle and both vessels beaded up se none e TveT
Ing the bloody drama which was Then rehearslng on
board the steamers upon Its breast.
Captain Todd refreshed himself with his captains
toddy, and then seized his speaking trumpet. After
stridlng the deck for few moments he turned
round and bent gloomy brow upon the STRIPPING oy
'.say, George clear out the scuppernoles, for, by
my marnspike, If an those traitors board u.s. there
must be free passage for the blood that Will 1OW."
AYE, aye, sir,u said George.
"Boys,U said the captain, addressing his pirate
recruited crew, ".long have you known the dangers
BY PAUL JONES. COOPER AND MARRYAr,
ks C e a u e @
destroy those batteries we must Besides this In
terruption Of your war on loose private property
shall be but temporary. Do your duty for once,
husky cheer greeted their bronzed commanders
o s r s
when in the act OF
ON the other craft different scene was enacting.
six stalwart men stood beside wlndass, near
long. A perfect silence prevailed, save when one
"Got a cnaw, Johnnyw
Beyond this no sound was heard, save the steam
Kissing from the boilers and the pash or the
paddles the occasional oaths of the captain were
fnaudibie, because he swore under his breath.
was at length made out three points on the weather
bow. and the tugman became pale as aches. In the
excitement ne BIT hawser IN two. mistakng It ior
tow from his mouth he waved his hand nervously
and the tugboat stopped He pointed to the shad
poles, now only two inches from the PROV, and the
men with tbs deliberateness Of automaton
demons, set about their work. .Yo. heave 20, y and
| were twenty poles In the row and one by one the
4.ooO yards Of rope proceeded to drag them from
the river bed When the tenth pole was reached
| Captain Todd observed thin curl OF
| SMOKE ON THE JERSEY SHORE.
dogs" he muttered, "they would fre on us; yon
| and give them br0ad5lde.n
Responsive to this command, with the speed Of
Jersey lightning the twelve fvc-p0unders vO.nted
fshhooKs and grape and canister at the curl OF
smoke. A cry went up from the Jersey shore and
when the powder smoke mad rolled away Captain
Todd observed a form wrtning in agony upon the
bank. He adjusted his telescope ana, horror
of horrors he discovered 1t to be Pilot
Commissioner George w. Blunt, his face all studded
with fshhooks and huge one holding his lips
tightly together.
.Never mlnd," said the grim Todd; 'it win
PREVENT HIM SwEARING.n
From the throat Of the unfortunate Blunt there
gurged FORTH
III ever come up on the quiet again to see the
boys pull up the shadpoles, may be id" The
fshnoOk prevented him finishing the lmprecat0n.
WITH THIS THRILLING EXCEPTION
the expedition passed or without any incident wor-
thy Of notice. The shadpoles, TO the number OF
sixty. as far Spuyten Duyvil creek were torn up.
and four hundred poor men were deprived OF their
means Of subsistence. New York was thrown on
Delaware for her shad supply; but then, you know,
the majesty OF the law was vindicated and in these
days that Is or ought to be considered great matter.