Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-23
SuurllaI allo Goluier.
Thursday Morning, Dec B. 1880.
Local News.

The Oyster Interest-The Fleet Of the
 Chesapeake Bay.
 The extent and proportions of the Chesa- pealze Bay oyster trade have been made the subject of an article in the Sec World, which says
 ''From the report on the Oyster Trade of the Chesapeake,' lately prepared by Mir. R. H. Edmonds for the United States census, we have compiled some statistics as to the num- Der of boats and men. The number of dredg- ing vessels working in Maryland waters is given at 700, with an aggregate tonnage of 16, 156.23, worth at the present time about $1, ,O5O, ,0O0, to which must also be added the value of their outfit, making total of $1,- 10000. These boats carry 5,6O0 men, whose wages (including their board and the cap tains' pay) amount to about $916, 300 year. Scraping, which is simply dredging on 8 smal scale is carried:on in $50 boats, having total tonnage of $500, and worth, probably, ! $44O,O 900, which includes their outfit. There are 2, 200 men employed on these boats, re- ceiving yearly as wages $297, ,O0O.
 Engaged in longing there are l, ,825 canoes, carrying 5, 148 men, whose wages and earn ings aggregate $1, 158, 300 season. The runners engaged in carrying tonged oysters to market number 200 valued at $500, GOO, and paying annually $166, 400 to 800 men who compose their crews. In Virginia dredging is prohibited by law and hence the oysters caught in that State are taken by tongers, of which there are 8, ,S6O, using B. 4S1 small boats The number of runners in Virginia waters is 1, AT, manned by 5,376 men. A large part of the oysters caught in Virginia waters are carried to Baltimore, and hence it is that almost the entire fleet of the bay is working for the trade of that city. II. $224, ,O5O, runners $79O, 200 and the total amount of wages and earnings of the two classes annually aggregate about $2, 794, 172. Summing up totals it is found that the value of all boats engaged in the Chesapeake Bay oyster trade is $3, ,056, 75O, while the number of men employed in these boats foots up 28,- O34, who annually receive about $5, 832, 112 as wages and earnings.
 "Of course where there are so many boats engaged in the same business there Is great rivalry as to which one will make the best record as 8 fast sailer. Many of them are very finely built and would do credit to their modelers in race with the crack yachts of New York's milionaires. ''The crack boat of the feet however, is one which has lately attracted great attention by her splendid build and by her ability to leave all others behind in race. She was modelled by Mir. Philip Ellsworth, the famous oyster dealer of New York, who superintended her construction, and built by Alonzo E. Smith for Mrs. Flora Elsie Bunnell, wife of Captain Bunnell of Messrs O. w. Miller & Co.,, Bal timore. Mr. Ellsworth has modelled some of the finest sailing boats afoat, and among them there is the yacht Comet which, out of | forty-eight races in which she has engaged, | has won forty-seven prizes.
 "The total cost was about $7,0O0, equal to | $85 per ton, as she registers, according to | measure 80 tons. It is now an admitted fact that she is the faster sailer on the bay, and in an oyster boat this is very desirable l She is named the Flora Elsie, after Mrs. Bun, nell, her owner. It may be truthfully said that Flora Elsie is a 'thing of beauty" and ar honor to Chesapeake bay. Up to ten ol twelve years ago nearly all of the oyster boats were built in Baltimore, but a strike of the ship carpenters lasting for some time, drove l the great bulk of this business out of that l city, and since that time small shipyards an6 marine railways have rapidly multiplied il many parts of the two States, and especially in the lower counties, and at present but few of the vessels intended for the oyster trade are built at Baltimore"