The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-04-25
The Fishes.

ds-5 80 APRIL %, 1878. :
5t Editors Dispatch: agreed at church
Yesterday to be with a fishing party to-day
You: have rare, might say sometimes
queer, things in your semi-weekly paper,
among them some time since one on fish
and the James river, on which reside, and
as sold to-day several barrels and half-bar-
rels OF behring's at an average Of $3.50 each,
deIivered-mQrE that-fish are not scarce
in this section, and the fishing party to-day
expect to catch in the Woodbury. mill-pond
as much fresh fish rs theyslike with hook
and line. did read some time since in
your paper. an article on fish in the James
river, also about the raging canal, also about
two stone-dams across said riyer-Bosher's
and Maiden's Venture-the roar Of the
waters Of the latter now refreshing my
memory Of the thing, and as I have not your
paper before me, and made onlya cursory di.
gestion of the article on James-river fish,
&C., should drag fish story into my article
I hope you will Gull the scales, fins, and
tails, and make my fish edible IL not read
able. I do recollect that this fsherman's
article spoke of the canal as an "abor.
tion ''-a hard word, even il fact-but said
canal is convenience to me sometimes, AND
takes my grain to Richmond at four cents
per bushel, the boatman furnishing bags
which article, with me, is even scarcer than
my flooded grain. Again. it Frequently saves
me a hotel bin in Richmond when ]
come up from Norfolk, where we; dc
have some fish, by taking q chance night
packet for twenty miles travel-twenty-
I'VE cents. Indeed, Bosher's dam backs
the water ten miles, and gives me
steamboat aid to tow my boats within
nine miles of Richmond, and deliver one
hundred and twenty cords OF tan-bark to
the Manchester tannery-fTeight less than
one dollar per cord. . My profits throw to-
'bacco in the shade. Indeed, the cheapness
OF the freights has caused many OF my
white-oak trees to be upset into railroad ties,
and railroad cars at the Tredegar Works,
as well as many Of the old-tield pines to go
into ashes as tire-wood. Break Bosher's dam
for some imaginary fish to come up and go
to. the mountain streams once year, and
NIL Of mine as well as my neighbors' real
yearly advantages to make our liyings are at
an end; and ali this for an imaginary shad,
as herrings and rock do not come above
Richmond; aud whilst have had seven
years' experience Of fishing below Bosher's
dam, have seen q few carp and suckers
caught, but not one shad. / resided on the
Roanoke river fifteen miles above Weldon,
where there are no dams, for thirty years,
and made trips on said river to the
mountains every year, as we'll as my
hsh-trap experience at home, and can truly
assert that OF TIE many eels, suckers, and
occasional surgeons, never caught or saw
caught single shad or herring, or heard OF
one being caught, lin any OF the upper waters
OF this dam-uu0bstrncted river, and am
very sure that your correspondent and fish
hatcher, should he succeed in destroying
the canal and dams, will be compelled to
make the fish to luxuriate our tables at this
season OF the year. W. H. .WEssos.
Onr correspondent does no more than
Justice to the James River. canal ii tiescrfb.
ing the advantages il eonfers upon him when
It is in operation. Tt is indeed q good sub
stitute for nothing better. The suggestion
about the removal Of the riveg-dams was
made with the understanding tiat nobody
could think OF such thing while the canal
was the only dependence OF the community.
II Q railway be built along James river that
community would find that tho canal has
been Indeed anuisance, and being no longer
needed, OF conrBe there can be no need OF
the dams, which are required to feed it.
Their removal would permit the fish to
travel from tho sea TO the tributaries Of
Jafaes river. s 4. SIS Is, ].
as % ta aair, WEgsoN cannot ex-
Dees by THE example he adduces 10 change
aaetz and nature, too, VIZ regard til the
the spawning. ggoundsi
winch their nature lesds them 70 select