Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-16
LOCAL NEWS.

LOCAL NEWS.
UEAraKH PROBABILITIES War Depart
aent, Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Wash
;.oton. D. o., April 16. 1s7S-1O:SO a. M
For the Middle State, rising barometer, mortimer
~ to eaSterly Winds stationary or lower tenn
perstues and general cloudy weather: and on me
Atlantic co st rain. The rivers Will generaiiy
rise slightly. -
TIE Potomac FISHERIES. The Washington
Star says:
1.-THE fishermen on our river arc dependent.
The results of their efforts thus far, this season,
,re almost an utter failure, rot only In The shad
and herring catch. but rock, perch and csth sh'
I'll Cf which are becoming scarce. Both the seine
srd gill net agree that the cause of this dear IN -
the everlasting of the shores, both in and out OF
season and, in the absence of or failure to proper
" enforce existing laws, the cause 10 likely 10
continue. The owners of seines charge that tne
gillnet men are doing the damage, while the la1
,r decl that the former do the greatest amount
f mischief. The seine men advance very plausl'
bic reasons to sustain their prernlsesi among
them that it is i'm possible for the Fl n to ascend
thu river in consequence Of the thousands OF gill
nets TO head them off, forciag them to seek u
spawning ground elsewhere. The gllinetters
Ieny this, and say that most of their nets arc
specially made for shad catching, and DO not
prevent the free passage CT herring and the small
or fish. while the seiues not only goob!o up tne
large h, but thousands of tons OF small perch,
rock shsd, catfish, &C. are annually drHggeu
ashore and left to perish without any care being
made to free them; besides tho selnos utterly
distroy the spawn deposited by the shad and
other favorite species Off NJ which, If lcf: undls-
turbed would keep up tue supply. In TINS VIeW
the gilneuers would appear to have tho pest OF
the srgument but 1t is probable that sn suthori-
tive enforcement of some regul :tons mu.asliy
agreed to by Maryland and Virginia would
remedy The difficulty. From present lndlcalions
there will not be fish enough caught TINS season
10 ANYTHING like pay for the outfits. Many OF
the old places will not be ii she'd With senes TINS
yesr, and the shores arc represented as swsrmlng
with laborers and trsmps looking for employ
lnsnt. Stony Point and Fc:ry Ltndlng ar the
will be used and on the Msryl lana slda tho pros
poets equally discourag ing Perch ana other
bunch fish will. therefore, be scarce ana hlgn
Dressed catfish are even now selling Ill our marx
ct for seven cents per pound, and percn IanSe
from forty to seventy five cents per bunch Tor
good ores. Rockfsh are also becoml 1g .rce
snd good-s:z I'd sturgeon is now reg Tie1 by
fishermen prize The law shsd no V being
brought up the river SIC mostly packed In Ice
and sent to northern markets. the price there
being quite high. jackson City shore at tho
Souh end of the Long Bridge, is being tshed
by Mr. Henry Knight, but with very poor sue.
cess The average number Of shsd taken yester-
day was from seven to ten at each haul ana
this season is most disastrous to the fishing inter-
ests The shores Low down on ths bay and IN
North Carolina waters. both of which are much
earlisr than those on the Potomac, have resulted
in ruinous failures. There i. no doubt but that
it would be for the beneti. of Ill concerned If
iishing were prohibited entirely for about Two
Or three years"
DEATH OF FORMER ALEXANDRIAN.-
Among the deaths recorded 10 New Orleans on
tn, l2;h inst. was that of Wilmer II. thinner.
man, formerly Of this city. and uncle ot Mr..
Joho R. Zimmerman. He let5 hero when he
was quite young man, selected the Crescent
City Tor his home, and at the time CT his Heath
was largely engaged 10 the coal trade taere.
During the war he commanded 20. Is. in tho
18th Louisiana lotantry and several times, es'
pecialIy when he army was on the Peuiosula.
met the friend. Of his youth amoog the troops
from this city He was respected by a.! wh" !
knew him, aud his death will he regretted by
large circle Of friends and relatives.
THE CANAL.-The Cunoerao News says
1.-THE canal is now open for navigation
throughout it entire length, and the companyls
prepared TO make shipments from Its wharf ~
tn city this morning. 1t is not thought mere
will be any shipments to-day, or for some days
10 come ae, so far 80 is known, tho coal COM
ranies have not yet effected any arrangements
MS TO rates with boatmen, and cannot at once, IS
most of the latter are scattered along the llneot
the canal"
Two boats arrived hero yesterday, for the
Usmpshire s. Baltimore Coal Co. and one to-
day for the American Cosl Co. They were
those caught on tho way By tho fresnet last fall.
ADJUSTMENTS. -Dr. Snodgrass. Of Washing
ton, will deliver a lecture GA "Incentves 10
SelECuture," at Falls Church. TO morrow even
ing. This will probably be the last OF the
course of lectures which have been delivered
10 that village during the past winter.
A grand Instrumental concert will be given at
S,repta Hall next Friday week by tho same
parties who recently appeared there.
The Meudelssohn Society, OF Washington,
under the direction of Mr.. J. Remington Fai'-
laub, will give concert 10 this city, on Monday
next.
MASONIC. At the special request OF Od
Dominion Commandery. knights iemplsts, SIR
Knight W. NJ. Dame, rector of Christ Church,
will preach sermon TO the Command on next
Friday, Good Friday,) in Christ Church, ut s
o'clock p. m. as heretofore noticed 10 the Ira
z,tte The Commandery is ordered to ass M
BILE at their asylum at O clock 10 the full dress
uniform of Knights Tempars, and from theuce
march to the church. The pubcis of course,
invited to attend the services at the church.
The choir under Professor Hcyman will render
some choice scleoiions OF music.
PATENTS. Patents have been issued to the
following parties in Virginia: George II. Hess.
Of Winchester, Va, rein holders; John Z.
Miller, cf Bridgewater, Va, fruit pickerst;
Robert Portuer, OF Alexandria, Va, beer cool
ers; G. r. Rickers. OF Farmvllle. pen hold
cls David T. Staples, of Calls Mills, Va;
milestone drivers; John w. Wheatey, of Rap
pahaunock Station. Va, fertilizer distributors.
A patent for oar couplings has been re issued to
FL II. JaDuey Of this city.
Eco ROLLING AT TIE CApIToL.-lt is Gus
tomary among many persons 10 this city to
take their children 10 Washington. on Easter
Monday, iu order tina, they may indulge 10 the