Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-13
Tae Potomac Fisheries
THE GOOD CATCH riIs PAsr SEA soN-cnANeE IN
METHODS oP ffsuiNG-vsE or GILL AND TkAP

The Official records Cf inspections &c marine
products for the year ended June Sa. 1851. show
the number O: shad which entered onr markets
q, 45a. .ois. and herring 9C22 p,9 an Increase OF
saad over the number caught hast year of IS2 sf2.
and Of herring ., ssS. 80 This Increase In num-
bcrs was unexpected and OF Course Is due in n
great measure 10 the increase I'm the number o6
fishermen engaged Ia the business. mostly hy
the use of gill and trap nets. The bulk of these
bsh were caught I'm the months of April and Nav
during which time the markets were over
crowded. ana the prices Were so low 10 pre-
e.ude n Wide margin OF profits. ana tie result
has been that yer, few fishermen have realized
much for their labors. The seine fishing has
proved 10 he almost disastrous .ailUre the out
lay for fishing outfits. labor &c being SO much
greater than 10y gill ami uap nets The profits.
such as they have been. have hsea divided up
| anon" the small fishermen. or those who have
| not invested heavily in outfits.
THE TENDENCY or THE srsINESs
on the Potomac river now points towards more
moderate Investments in OUTLAY for paraphrr-
MALTA. and increase in the number of fishermen
and. of course. diffusion of profits In this busi-
ness. The appliances for trap-net iShng are
comparatively inexpensive. and are REGARDED by
dealers with favor. as the destruction of fish by
this means is much decreased. The tran or
pound nets are stationary. are hauled up 40
pleasure, and such fish as are desirable
taken out, and the Others turned out
again into the river Smaller mcshes
are used for leaders. which prevent the saad
and herring from being caught until they enter
the pound. and this Kind of net does not inter-
fere so much with the process of spawning as
does the seine. The bottom surface of the river
is not disturbed. aud ii is believed that If this
process Were generally in Use very little dcstruc-
ton 10 the fish would ensue
THE SUNDAY FISHING Law
Inc passage 10y Congress OF the act prohibitinn
all fishing between sundown SATURDAYS TO sun
rise Mondays SO far as the Jurisdiction of the
rfl.lSn Il
law. and is warmly supported by fishermen who
state that similar acts should be PASSED by the
legislatures of Maryland and virginia. such
laws would bear equally upon all interested i'm
the business. and no one would benefit at the
expense of Others. The agitation for the past
lew years or the subject of shad and herring
nsheries i'm the Potomac river has il is believed
h;id the effect of attracting attention of many and
Oh adding to the number of iisiennen. IL is
thought that there We're not less than 200 mar.
ties engaged i'm the business the uaSt season.
between the mouth Of the river and tide water
much larger number than has ever been knowu
To be engaged in any oae year in the business
THE BUSINESS OF TRANSPORTING FRESH sUAp
in ice to other markets. north and west has
also been over done the past season and hut
little profit has been realized 10y dealers in this
District. This business is closely followed on
the Susquehannah river and other fishing shores
on the Chesapeake bay. the competition being
so great that some have abandoned
h altogether. The inspection and
condemnation OF marine products was es,ab-
lished in this district 10y the board of health in
1875 since which time faithful record has been
Kept OF the numbers of fish and shell fish
brought TO the District markets.
THE FISHERIES SINCE 1878
The following shows the numbers for each
year of shad. herring bunch fish sturgeon and
oysters: 1873 So, 800 shad 31S9S 500 herring.
553. 96l. bunch fish, 496 sturgeon and 44s. S5S
bushels of oysters 1874 63S ts3. shad {. AZ. 24O
! herring fish, 60,
559.392 bushels oysters. 1875. 4642l5 sIad.
l614. 465 herring, So 203 bunch fish 240 stur-
geOn. and sos. a37 bushels oysters. 1876. 3l9.-
079 shad. Ass $50 herring. Asa. III bunch fish,
9l9 sturgeon. and 355. 451 bushels oyster. 1877,
131, 1873 shad, 2.572. 1a4 herring 3Gl .49 bunch
fish. 6S5. sturgeon and 295 997 bushels oysters
lSsS-12l. 7S5 shad. 250s500 herring. 271 ~
bunch fish. LOGO sturgeon and 35l 81 bushels
oysters. lS7s-S27. $50 shad. S,4s7 .259 herring,
2l9.635 bunch fish. 352 sturgeon and 3l6271
bushels oysters. 1SS0-32l 235 sllad. G. .S5S. $50
herring, 1855 bunch fish. 1.G94 sturgeon and
36l 421 bushels ofoysters. Ii will thus be seen that
the years approaching nearest to the present i'm the
production of herring We're those of 1874 and
1880 Also. that whenever there is a signal in-
crease In the number of herring there is corre-
spending increase in the number Of shad There
has been marked increase in the consumption
OF crabs and clans in this market in the years
indicated above.
THE COMBINATIONS OF MARINE PRODUCTS
are some years more and some less according
to the mildness or severity of the months en-
praced In the hshing seasons. but condemnatonO
appear to be growing less year by wear showing
an Improvement in the appliances for preserving
fish and i'm the facilities for quick transportation
to markets. 1t is stated that several Of our old
fishermen propose to abandon the business
altogether, and that Others who have used
seines for many years will discard them for trap
and pound nets in future. The expenses of
fishing will thereby be materially decreased. and
by judicious system of traps the profits in
creased. While nearly all engaged in the bus-
ness the past season have made fair living,
very few have made large profits.
DEAHNAs AFFIDAvTT.-E. III. c. DeAhna ex-
collector at Sitka. made an aftAla ii yesterday
at the Police Court for warrant aganst Mr..
Gorhan, editor of the Republican. for an alleged
libel in which il was stated that DeAhna was Of
unsound mind and dangerous By direction Of
District Attorney Corkhil the warrant was not
issued.
j. Shillington sends the North american Re-
rietc for August. and the current numbers Of
Pock and Leslies Illustrated containing assas-
Sination pictures.
Prof. Truman Cook is lying at the point OF
death at his lodgings on Sth street above q
street northwest.
Commissioner Twining has been engaged to-
day In making report OF measurements Of
street improvements for the Court of Claims.
Thirty-six dog tags were sold to-day. adding
$72 TO the District revenues. and making 55i
sold since the year commenced. July lst
Conference with Little Chief.
Little Chief, the Secretary of War and Gen.
Sherman had a conference at the Interior de-
partmeht this morning with Secretary Kirkwood
and Commissioner Price. with the view of ar
irving at some conclusion as to Little Chief and
his band of northern Cheyennes. These Indians
are very much dissatisfied with their present
location i'm the Indian territory. and want to 90
nolth to the Missouri river country. They would
prefer to locate at Fort Keogh. but there is no
Indian reservation there. 1t was decided that q
delegation of Missouri River Indians. including
Spotted Tail. Red Cloud, Standing Bear and
Others. should be invited to Washington early
in September. to discuss this and other vexed
questions with the authorities here.
THE OCCUPANTS OF Room So of the POD.
have gotten over the shock attendant upon the
attempted assassination of the President and
have resumed the investigation Of the star route
frauds.
FRANK La FLEsCHE, the Indian brother Of
Bright Eyes. went on duty to-day ia the Office Of
Tor, rx.<,to Ao.,