The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-03-27
For The Cecil Wing.
THE POUNDS.
ELK RIVER, March 10th, 1875.

| ELK RIVER, March 10th, 1875.
Mr.. E. E. EwING-Dear jSir:-There
was an article in your paper of the 9th
inst. concerning fishing and its laws, which
if it is a law, and have my doubts about
! it, l think the State should be ashamed of.
This law axes away the rights and prvi-
leges of many poor men. 1t allows them
to drift and haul, but there are very few
who are able to rig a hauling seine large
enough to pay any thing.
Why are hauling seines allowed to fish ?
Simply because they are generally ti>hed by
men who are able to own shores and pay
our law makers 10 make laws to suit them.
on speak of the destruction OF the fish
by the pounds. will venture to say that
any hauling seine on the Susquehauna OF
, Elk rivers. destroys more fish IN one week 5
time, than all the pounds on the Chesa
peake Bay OF It's tributaries. Not only do
they destroy the small fish, but they destroy
thousands of full grown herring, perch and
other fish. Any one that knows any thing
about hauling seines knows that when there
is a run of herring or shad, that the offals
are not bothered with; they lie on the shore
to float off when the tide rises, or are thrown
up to be hauled upon the farms and made
into manure. Many cart loads are used up
in this way. Not only are offals hauled up
and made manure of, but | have known her.
ring to be used in the same way.
have fShed drift nets, haul nets, stake
nets, and pounds, and am satisfied that
there are more fish destroyed by the hauling
seine than all other seines or nets COM
bined, and yet they are allowed to go on
with their wholesale slaughter and nothing
said about it; because they are generally
carried on by able men, whilst those few
poor men who ale not able to purchase or
rent shore and rig big hauling seine,
are not allowed to put down trap of less
expense to make an honest living out of.
You say that our streams have well nigh
become depopulated, which l would say is
a mistake. | think there were more shad
caught last Spring than have been caught
for many years previous; and when, if ever,
were there as many perch and rock fish
caught as were caught here last Summer.
You may say this was on account of the
pounds; but not so, for there were very few
fish caught by the pounds after the herring
were done. They were mostly caught by
drift nets and hauling seines.
You speak against poachers. 1t is true
we are bothered a great deal by fishermen
from other States, especially through the
Summer season; but they use hauling seines
and no doubt destroy great many fish,
and should be stopped fishing in our waters
There is 4 law, and | think it should be
enforced. There are now, while am writ
ing, two or three of those little sloops pass
ing Oh their way to the fishing grounds, l
suppose.
Why not stop those foreigners and allow
our own men to go on with their pounds
Here l would say more in favor of the
pounds. 1t is not true that they catch all
the fish that go up Or down the stream. A
pound is stationary, about 100 fathoms
from the shore, with line of hedging run
any of them will run over $50 fathoms from
the shore. They average from 90 to 25
feet square; the hedging is knit from 2 to
% inch mesh, and | am sure that most
of the small fish go through, and those
that go in the pound are not hauled upon
the sand to perish like they are on haul
ing shore. know that most pound fisher
men throw the small fish overheard while
they are alive and can swim away; they
are not taken ashore at all.
You spoke of shad being taken in
these pounds last August. did not hear
of any being taken in pounds; but saw
shad that were taken in hauling seine in
August. There is one thing sure-there
were very few, if any, pounds fishing in
August.
You speak of a Sportsmen's Association
being necessary in this county. l think if
we had a few more Associations Of various
kinds and few more numskull law. max
ers, that the poor or laborng class of men
had better leave the State, or allow the
nobility and sporting men to rule altogether.
and the poor men be compelled to work
for their board and clothes. l would not
be surprised if the Almighty would send a
curse upon our land and stop all our fish
ing and cunning
What mess has been made out of the
cunning law on the Susquehanna river. Is
it not nuisance? and SO will the fishing
law be. Men are sent to the Legislature
to pass laws to help us on. We, the labor
ing men, send them to the Legislature and
the nobility make them pass laws to suit
themselves. What care they for the poor
man when once they get his vote
Fishing has been free to all men since the
world began, and so it should be until it
ends.
l think the Legislature should be petit
toned. to stop all cells from swimming in
our waters as they destroy more fish than
all other fishermen. Stop the cells from
eating the spawn and then we will have
fish of all kinds in abundance.
| would like to know if there is a law
prohibiting pound fishing, and when was
it passed. Sure there was no pounds on
these waters when the stake-net law was
passed, and l am sure there has been no
law passed since.
l am a law abiding citizen and do not
wish to do any thing against the law know
ingly), but should put pound down, and
some dirty, lazy sneak inform on me, l
would carry it to the highest courts of our
land, because l do not believe it to be con-
stitutional. If it is law, why was it not
enforced last Summer and not left until
now9 If it had been enforced then the
fishermen would have made other prepare
tions. Now it is too late. 1t is down.
right robbery to enforce such law at this
late date. Think of men who have their
little all in these pounds and some who |
have even gone in debt for them. What
are they to do with the times as hard as
they are? Men who have families to sup
port and put their hope and trust in fish