Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-03-27
Tac Potomac Fisheries.
TIE Washington Star Ct yesterday says:

VIM. il. Stewart several Interesting facts re-
spceling the fishing business. Capt. Stewart is
q veteran fisherman aud game hunter, hayi5g
spent lifetime ca ard aleu-: the Potomac riT-
er. Most OF The nrod1c!s from the fishing sh6rea
which come 10 this District arc clDsgEcd 10 bin
aud TO Mr. Il. 4. Golden. They sc, 80 agents
for the owners Of tho landings, and dispose Of
the fish to our market dealers and others. They
elso, when The supply will admit OF Il. pack
shad 10 Ice and ship them 10 other markets.
large number ordinarily being sent 10 New
York, Boston and tho Western cities, where
high prcas arc realized. This industry, here
tooro quito profitable, has almost ceased, owing
TO the scarcity of shad, md doubts arc enter
| tanned that enough shad and herEiog will be
| caught this season fo- tho supply CT cur OVID
local markets.
Of the macy fishing shores which for the last
| fifty or morc years hayo been busy VIII gangs
of fishermen, the following only have been rent
ed The present scason ald at greatly reduced
rates u sckson City, south OF the Long bridge,
is fsted by Mr.. Henry Knight; Fairy Landing
by VIM. Kuieht Stony Pojat. Wa. Knight /;
Frcs Stone Point, Jacoh D. Fsurco; (this Iaod.
ing will be tishcd With pound uels, s:incs hav.
Ing been discsrded) CIiltor, Capt. Waller
Guns, Jevro Raub; Windmill Point, CAPT.
Mitchell, snd CsyTood's landing BY Jamss
CayHcoG. Tho above arc on tho Virginia side
of the river, AID embrace al the shores which
! arc ropted.
Ga tho Maryland side arc The folic1iHg:-
Rudd's Ferry, ishcd by Capt. DsEncy Stump
Neck By DaEIey & c.. Chipnan's Point,
Mrs. Chapman PanuDky Point, "a cortinua-
ton Of last years leaae.) Gut Landing, VIZ.
Elliot organs Point Capt. Conrad Fauccc
Mtxloy's, James Skidmore. Tie above are all
The landings known 10 be under pay TO the oTn
crs, and the united rent Of them is rot equal tc
Hhat in years past has been paid fer : single
shore.
The shorea not reatca this year arc as follows !:
White House, Sycamore, High Pciet, tls.sh
Point, flarsh Hall, Cockpit Poiat, Postum
Nose, Hooe's Shore. ArkclGalc, TuupS, Split
Rock, Maryland Poiat. Morris Gut, Smith q
Point, Goose Bay, Crauey Island, Indian Head.
Grccnwsy. Haton's Point. Tent Lanaiag,
Sandy Bar, Stick LaudiDg snd msDy other
smaller landings, which 10 clien times were
valuable shores aud rented ct liberal prices. All
these 10y idle this year. aud it is doubtful Hhcth.
er the franchise Of any OF them would be &C
captcd as gift by responsible fishermen, they
having to man and equip ther;, aud take the
chances Of q return OF outlay
Those who have their entire Etan5 la7csied
10 boats, nets aud parsphernaG. aGd rlen com
pcllad 10 60 down. have dorc so under mao9
misgivings as to the results. Speaking about
tho producliveDess cf particular !grGiGga Which
in former years were so desirable aO0og fisher.
mcn, Capt. Stewart says thcro is bat little choice
ID them Stoney Point SD White House lard
ines have run out entirely. TIE Bclvoir or
White House landuZ formerly belonged to the
Fairfax family. aud was for u,anY years ono Of
the chief fisheries.
| IL 1857 four huGdrci aoi !i:i3 THOUSAND shai
were taken from this shore, moro than the
average product 10 later years CT all Tho l.nl.
logs OF the river from the Chesapeake bay tt
the Littls Falls. 1T that time in the G!s:"rCo
Of hundred miles below this city ituG huadred
thousand barrels CT lerlings wtra caught,
cured, and sent to all parts Ct the c1untry,
farmers generally laying ia suppl" for year.
Long after this shore passed into the possession
oil the late Philip Otterback its reputation was
kent up and 10 1870 it rented fer II, 1C0; Sgca-
more for 81 ,7CO, and Story Ptin. fer s.. 1000.
These shores nov all belong e. tie OucrbscS;
estate. For ever twenty years sha cd veteran
Captain John Gibsou paid En- annual rem. OF
50 500 for Stony Pom. 1t now Tcrs f,r less
than hulf that sum, ard White House laaliag
now lGy5 IDLE for tenaat g: amost cry nomi-
ua sun. Ia 1865 tgcn'y Thousand sliaG wcro
taken cut in one day st Ston7 P1iat, moro than
was caught there during The cutirc season last
ycaT The same ratio Of depletion Is epplica
| bic TO ell the shores on Tho iive., and the only
resul. in tho near future will probably &c tho
onirc extinction CT beth shad and hc;riGg from
this river, unless tho Strong s.nl o. tho !sT be
iaterpossd fot thtic protection by FTg':la and
Maryland, tbs tao Statts most VltaIy interest
cd. la the ce.ly days Of these lisEo1:a these
States passed laws for Tie protection OF Ssh
As carly Gs l16S an &C. IVES passed By tie L:s
islaiurc OF Maryland, which in 1893 bco1mo Z
permanent law not to destroy ylu0g Gjh by
Weirs or doms 10 tho tributaries CT the Potomac.
| The penalty WAS twenty pounds Of the currency
Of that time. Another &C. vas passed in 1876
to prevent ptr5aDs from haeliag tho PaiuXent
river with cords or poles from the ccmmelca
mcnt CT February TO that of jurc. TITO penalty
for the otfense by white person was hun
Grcd dollar; if slave, he received ten iashes
On bis back 10 default OF the payment By bis
master of ten doliars The Virginia laws were
also strict, nnd appropriate regulations were
| made for different localities.
% the subject of keeping Up the sleek CT
| snad for our river by patching artilica!ly from
the spawn as conducted by the u. 5. Fish
| Commission Capt. S!ewsrt is a skcpi:c, and he
cites The fact that 10 tho spring CT 1878 two
| to the river a. jackson City laudiug at the
south end Of the LoUg bridge, Cd the thcoIy.
that in three years time they woala return to
this river full grown fish, that the season OF 1876
was ro.sbiy bad one, end the fisheries have
been growing wois, every scar si1oa, not.
wiibs!ardicg tho continued mud decreased
5unb:r Of youcg shad put ia tho same
place the two following years-1S7t AID 1915
by the Gsh commission. Ia order 10 o.
tain the stock Of spawn requisite fox this puT-
peso, the government employed Mr. Knight
tor ten days after tho fishing season closed,
paying him $50 per day and giving him all the
fish caught to run this landing With his full
gang Of men. All the shad caught were strip
ped Of their spawn which was hstchcd aad tho
young shsd transported to various points. lie
says facts do not bear out the theories Of the
professors, who, however, Harmed ia ether
things, don't kooW bow to stock the Potomac
river with sbad. Tho theory too that gas tar
has the effect Of killicg young fish, he takes no
stock ir, but contends that the most practical
and sure remedy is fer the t|o States or tee
- Law n n