Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-10
Tb. potomac Fisheries,
TIE SEASON NEARLY CI0sRp--A SLIGHT d
PRoyBMKNT ON LAST YEAR

TIE SEASON NEARLY CLOsRp--A SLIGHT I'M
PRovBMENT ON LAST YEAR.
A brief visit to our fish wharf this MORNING
exhibited a depressed state Of business and a
group Of Respondent fishermen lounging about.
The tug. boat d. M. Key, Captain John Lewis,
makes two trips every twenty four hours to and
from the lower Potomac and brings up most of
the fish from the landings which reach our mar
kets. When the tug arrives ripple of excite
ment is created among the dealers for a short
ouie} a again tn et sa IL disposed Of and all is
caught at the Stony Point and Fairy
Landing shores are all consigned to
f naPa The o Wa9 asor E. and those
who furnishes the outfits for many of the fisher,
men, and consequently is pecunarily interested
IN me results OF the catch. The season this
part OF 1t has already passed, not more than
IN tnIee weeks now remaining before the catch
1or snaa and herring Will be over. After chat
WIN some or the old fishermen upon the stua-
tlon all that can be said is that the season has
Deen slight improvement on the season of last
year year; yet far snort Of what was hoped for by
lnose Who have all they possess Invested In the
business. NO money has been made but then
ITO heaVy losses have been sustained
Low PRICES THIS YEAR.
1 He Sliie}S ana trappeFS as general tntny
nave doLe better than the seine mon for me
reason That their outlay is less expensive An
acmlt that there has been more fish cought this
Sear aaan last, out the prices for both shad and
neTIlng nave ranged much lower. Herring are
now selling from IS to Sc per thousand, aud
shad 1rcm IS to $40 per hundred, which is con-
sGieraDly below last years prices. This, it is
sa1o, is not so much due to the abundance of the
supply, as to the scarcity OF money, and the
general stagnatton of business. Farmers from
MAR MARY and and Virginia; who formerly used to
seId their Jour and six horse teams from twenty
10 n1ty miles for load of herring packed In
coarse salt, several thousands 10 one load suf-
nS1ent TO last their slaves for year. now pur-
formerly. ~ o'''' '''' n'0ne' " 'p0nu ''iau
VERY FEW sHAD HAVE BEEN SHIPPED
heretofore been the case, owing to their scar
CITY and an increased demand for home cor
Sumption: The continually increasing popula-
cIeases the demand for river products. and
dealers say they can do better by depending on
our own markets than by sending long DIS
returns, excepting in cases Of glut, which do
not often occur now. Whenever there
has been supertluity OF shad this year the
dealers instead Of forcing them upon the
they find no difficulty in disposipg OF
them to couut1ymen at paying prices
A growing demand for shad thus cured is found
In the Baltimore markets. Besides the fish sup
piled to consumers through olr market men,
thousands are daily supplied to housekeepers
by the peddlars who take them fresh from the
cons1gnees at the wharf on every arrival OF the
tug, and the slOopS which come from the OILERS
ana METERS 10 the upper portion Of the river
sometimes during scarcity, Messrs. Golden
Stewart are besieged by this class of dealers,
who will insist on buying In advance Of the
arrivals taking chances as to quality and
quantity.
BUNCH FISH,
The salt water ta1lors and trout taken.in the
flVer are much 10 demand in our own market,
and are becoming "a favorite fish generally "
Doarding-houses and hotels. Rock are also
popular. Tney are generally abundant and In
expensive, especially the smaller ones sold In
Dunches Ike perch and sunfish. These bunch
ilsh are caught at all seasons OF the year in the
lower river, and constitute an important factor
In what Is termed the "winter' fisheries As
before stated.
THE sHAD AND HRERING RUN
VIII WILLIE oe over In about three weeks from now.
river landings have "cut OUT and are on the
return homewards. SeiDes have been cast at
nine places on the Virginia ard at six on the
failures. tThe last to pull up stakes win be
the OILERS and trapperS In the upper
river, but 1T Is hoped there Will be general
and mutual inclination among the Potomac
fishermen this year not to protract the season.
put to give our migratory finny tribes some
show to increase and multiply.
TN In justice to Captain Stewart, from whom
Tor chapter On the Potomac fisheries several
weeks since, 1t should be stated that he did not
intend to be understood as favoring an entire
cessation OF shad and herring fishing for Sc.
rles OF years, but stringent law ngidly en-
forced, by which sufficient spawning time may
NC duOWeO the DSn every week during the run
ming season. To cut Off the entire business
would work great hardship, If not ruin, to many
VINO have large pecuniary interests involved In
the business.
WHITE OWL ON TOP OF THE MONUMENT
ire Workmen employed upon the Washington
monument caught large white owl on too of
the monument Thursday night. They had
been for several days bothered at the dtsar-
rangement Of plumb line extending from the
TOP downwards, and finally sent up some men
10 ascertain the cause, when they discovered
the owl in close proximity to it. It was secured
and Col. Casey has had a cage prepared and
intends to keep 1t on the premises. He has
named 1t George washington. 1t measures
three feet across the extended wings.
SUIT AGAINST A Observation-Disclosures Melville
to-day by II. B. Moulton filed q suit against the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company for
81 600 damages, because the defendant In No
vember, 1878, refused to allow him to get OF
the train at Fort Runyon, Va, but carried him
several miles beyond to Four-mile run.
BIG BARGAIN.-One case silk damasse grena-
dimes, rs cts, selling In every city for IS cents
ToWson's, 636 Pa ave., south stde
MARRIAGE LICENSES have been issued to
Lloyd West and Anna BOwens; John K. Pfeil
and Amelia GreSS.