Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-20
The Potomac Fisheries,
he editor of the Erepin0 Star.

ny father the Oldest on the Potanaa. high ~
tho waters Ct whci, was bagr. aud tron, ;;,.'
time ! vas old c0ough 10 hapdlo an anc!n..
rod, unto this day / have been engaged il fish,
! leg aud curing fsh Although very yoang, Gi
| tho time, ! we'll It:ucmttr The fGasoa Of $3.50,
when so many ish we're caught from the 1:,'ci.
Of tho Potomac tii.t parties c0n,d n0i be inCl.
who were wiling 10 psy TIC city whaFfaac -
| lSs cents rCr N Of ilcr!ing aud l&i c4nts DGr
| & oG shad, and vessel loads were cast again 49,"
the river. 10 1897 ny lst"cr a1d others H2rc
| rui0ed through the 1uant'li"s cangG'. E:y1i
1910 our fish have, with t,W eZcnpliOnai
years shown steady decrease; VIVA! ;.c can;'5
| we're that produced tho decrease prior t. It..
erection Cf Our gas Wot,: ! g. u0t !iGoT % g.
| personal knowledge, tut DO kDow that q r;,
days af:er those managing those "nrks inTp.'!
the reiusc tar iuto the r!ysf that The eoc CO.,
from P1iut West to DaggclG.fi's Poini W.
covered With dead fish GI every KIDD nmou -
our Haters The SAM w., the c'-" 10 li:oy q
our docks if not all # TIM; and rcaa!,~>' Il
tho time that q c,ntinns!lon oi III + 'h:"l
would eventually dcalro3 cir Spnna tishcj.'".
la fact. Y goruusiy opposed j.: hui uQi"?:i
oatey for PutomGG Ii-hCIG4cj god u!hrE5 ::
tcr@a:cd ID it. y; nave il City courc;l DE-
scr7ea tho proni,, HIiiiuut c,uptnsanun al!
like all other c0mmun!ticy gIy,rG@G IS G.2aI
men. argument EraIltu mGtuLg, AMI Tic g:..a.
lice has bacp a!hcryI u tlG:l lie present ;i:iA
20 tie great i, Jury Of oni fj-h::ira. Th:To '9
scarcely log, sOHc, spa#uuS rom! " 3 ic:.
that Que can pix M On cithcr -ida o. !hc i'r,r
for mel b1Iuw tbs cl j, ih.5 i: no ..I.i' 81
less be6mtsTrd With gas !aT, uad 10. & J':'t''"
of spawn that tUuGt2. il ever raturH5, Erl:H.
when | Was boy, the fi5h of!.' tnsl2 Oh ;i@
city fish wharf by cuiin. fish Was cast iGto j..'
river, and around this wharf in suunci e9s!a
be caught millions Vi yv;lGg nhai aHi L"!.iyE,
but iu tbe cJnf=c 0. tiile tbc Ic5sccs Of t,.'
wharf established The h;i5iiess OF sc'lIn: tH'
roe and othtr portions ii th0 h,:s CO. i! :"
cleaning them, for agricu.,GrAs rG,.4scs, -;
gradually the Business grew 81 Rics! ih"t ~
roc aud vtfa is scarcely out OF he H:h hy',G''' ID
is pto wagons or 90 cars for agricultural! ait 3...
CT purposes; audin the same proportion ia' t@'
business has g.oWa Tie YUuog fish WhlJ" y.
used to see 10 such uu.:brs h,sc gra:".::-
disappeared. nv it IS ;s T~rc ;hsia1co white
oao oau be caught arcuud the wha'i. No.
mistaken idea does u0u exist thaG that ilih c:1-
not BE- produced from ito 8pa@a .. dcid it,
that have no: hcra hca;e@, Ct, IL rialncf " 10,
spoiled
the late Richard g. Barton, trJm tho cox "
washing the knife sho Vas accustomed 70 N:f
10 cleaning fish for tho table N SAID hlgshr4@.
and Notwithstanding the reputation o; H,r,
Bartoa ioT truth =0u1 ucubir! ii. DID u1..
from the fact that observations IN earlier
years, had Impressed upon lily mind tn%t IL,
countless milIioUs OF young TN that ',a'.
seen IN my boyhocd ar0uld !hc c.ty III
wharf were The pfo juctioG O; tho Foa"n ;D&'
had beer cast io'o tho river Eryu the m1a,
during the season. NoJ,r,GC!css, i IL. -.
strate the matter bryoud Gonnt, on ~" -
May, perhaps th" % 81, 10 1871, rit s1aio -
taken lfom shai VS. thee r&TioH GU. !'.n g:
hogsheaG We had suuk in ir2nt nj or i!>h''%
establishment for the purpose OF oftairiGg c''rf
Water 20 make hrion o!. hticc solao enc
weeks or uou,h aopped watoh'u& ~
nceshcad aud concluded ina. tl3 Spt#. w.~
too stale tc produce, hut sometime about ia
81 Of July hsd oocasIva 10 e. ro'."H va.
the hogsuead wss. aud to ny a.io"tennGn. -.
spawn had Disappeared aHG il tho w-tcF1. r2'i
the Eogshcad, which the .lL2 " u. H2@l .;i".
oycIAJw, (thG men having SG"k u to ,".'.
we're hundreds Of youcg s5ad, II: se>H::.,
anxious to get into the hoE-hcad. J w'.@h"!
them for soma time, aGd | tn!pk aeon. t''
middle Of September ihey t.opp:i p'a%'"t
thoroughly satisfied me tha, f~t could b. T."
duced from tho spaWn OF dead E,h that "rT"
not spoiled. aud l attribute the immcn@" dr.
crease in the supply Of fiab to The lao .! a"1'"
for agricultural purposes aGi ~ SHiiDE ""'
sale Of tho same for tat!u us".
AS regards the gill Gets, caE state ga. )
am pot Interested in any Gi tnCin, .or "a h.i!.
log scincs, either, ct the prca:ai 'in". 4 49,
therefore propose tAal uy GG!cd IL rel
cucc to either Ul tucm shall H. 5l7".. / t!t,..
couclu;ous. As rcgsrt- lhc iga'roy' 3 ct';~t@
by crlftipg gill metz, hit ii TO t1u', - -"
sense that many %ppy th.:r "'5am 'H."
against those rcla Fish spawn on logs, s'on.s,
gravel, and sometimes SAID, aI' C7 III"
tho gill nets criFt without ma'"ra''v q
Interfering with tina spawn Ncysr;he;'S tG":
do incalculaols ii jlry to tao lncrna.c i -
| by ob.tructing the passage sd 'o7:II2 IN / "
mo The lower crcsks u; cob lido an "f go
! & ,ods the "a t water goes in ADD irsLr - s-9
| vitality of tho spawn rs c!ieclu1iiy IS tEo432
| it was sslted il nsherman's sand wh!c ine
lead lines Of hauling scid,s arc ever q :sIG Ii:'6
AS regards Maryiaud owning she W.T.. 81
The Potoalac, lha! might have bc.u th" c.: -.
| colonial times, no, siLco the estab Is H.4 :.
| E the national gGvGr"In:nt. 'TJ!~!2
might, with equal consistency, cl.lm T."
ns lonal treasury g p-rt Of the tsh" y-"s c"a,'-
| mefce from which it mainly derives ne Dfih"'-
pal revenue Of goYefnnchL Were mu~n ".'s'
- constitute the hipn sras. there i uivrs i: :n1
| Chesapeake By than in the Potomac. ~H4 IN -
in the Atlantic than in ths Lhes.pesEe. all M"
in the Farrfc than in the .tlnnt!c ahI c'u Il
tbi. ale O! affairs we u.d be ua.b!I to d.
eide what really did constitute the h'fh A.., -,
The idea of Msrylsu UwLin1 the ch'nHr'
msu of The potomae or any o!her -tatC o""-
in9 The chsu1el ways Ct rivers rum nS tIr'"c (.
or dividing them from some othoE, Is an no
enrduv. Ths highways of Commerce belong
to n.tionslilies, and not the subordinate Prov
noes thereof; ind until tbs nation i go7etn
Hahinq the chsnnel.wsy, and states ths iH!":6
, and Authorities the letting out OF gas tar ih''
the river, and the carry ing off Of sps~ tom t&'
several ish wh.1ves located on tho river the eH y
neriencs of tho past teaches Us to kroW 10 =