Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-10-14
POTOMAC OYSTERS.
WALNUT BAN, Oct, ard 1881.

suo an as the m0squitoe Until with
IN The last few wears It was scarcely
known beyond the limits Of our county,
md dare say full description would
have to be given before Charles Coun-
tan would know from what section you
were, if you spoke of Cedar Point
Neck d" unless you were addressing one
familiar with this part Of the county -
The Neck in reality is peninsular Of
land living between Port obacco, and
Nanlemoy Creeks, and fronting on the
Potomac river. containing several thou
sand acres, which are divided into farms
have been told, many years ago. il
was the finest agricultural section Of our
county, but now | fear its glory hath
departed The property | believe is
owned by the Jesuit Fathers. The
place from where | write derives its
name from an old walnut tree standing
Immediately on the bank of the river.
and judging from its appearance it shell
tered the wild savage before the advent
OF the white man. Just out in front Of
the old walnut, about two hundred ward.
commences what is know as the walnut
bar, and continues for several miles ont
to the channel of the river The bar i
broken in places, but rocks and shoals
are to be found all the way out. ana Az
Of them are covered with oysters These
oysters beds commence Just above Popc's
Greek, and continue along within the
month of Port Tobacco Creek. and
thence to a point above the mouth Of
Nanjemoy creek, distance of ten miles.
by three to three and half in width.
and contain | will venture to say hun
treds OF thousands Of bushels of oysters.
These oysters are larger and far superb
or to any | have seen caught in the Wi
comlco river, except in favor and are
preferred to the Wicomco oysters for
bedding purposes If these bars had
the same protection as those in the Wi
81 ppSa sS M o any , @ Siiowed to
work them their Yield would be hum
drcd per cent greater.
As there is no law to protect these
oyster beds, or if there is the State au-
thorities refuse to enforce it, conse-
quently they have had no rest this sum-
mer There are a dozen vessels with
their crews at work on the walnut bar
to-day. 1t seems very hard that we
should have to submit to these Virgin
ians coming here and taking our oysters
away and we to derive no profit what
ever from them. These parties are from
Accomac and Northh.mpton, the two
pcninsular counties of the Eastern Shore
belonging to Virginia, and from York
river section Of the State. Some of them
are the men who attempted to take the
oysters from Wessmorcland county Viz
GINA, and were driven away by the citI-
Gems Why cannot we do the same.
4 either compel theH a. luy our e4stcrs
or leave our waters. They have no
more right to come here and oyster than
a citizen Of New York has. and they
acknowledge it, and say we have no law
to stop them, and will continue at work
until stopped by force. This past week
two of Capt Allman's scbooners loaded
and sailed for York river, the two car
ryiug ten thousand bushels besides
I
many more. Capt. Altman has amas-
sed an enormous fortune by catching
Potomac river oysters and planting them
IN the York river to remain short time
and then shipping them TO the Baltimore
and Norfolk markets as York river oy,-
tiers. lie las twelve large vessels en-
gagged IN catching oysters in the Poto-
mac all the year through | am conf
dent if all the oysters caught during a
season in Charles county waters. that is
from the mouth Of the Wicomico riyer
up to Namemoy creek were sold at 25cts
per bushcl the net product would equal
~ value the largest tobacco crop ever
grown in cur county. And yet our cit
lzens take 0 interest in protecting pro-
perty that would ultimately Tighten our
taxes, take part Of the responsibilities
from the shoulders Of our over taxed
farmers. And it would also give en-
poymcnt to a great many Of our citizens.
Capitalists would soon begin to see that
canning factories could do better bust
ness where the oysters are caught than
carried in hnl, so% % ,Gn o 't lave 10 DC
taton oreotlv cnbana .'o 0t ti,o ~ ;aa"sPor-
sold in that market TbeI P' oo',, I"f tn
caught and canned here much oLcanc or
than in baltimore
1t is time Mr.. Editor something was
Done by our State authorities to stop
these oyster pirates Where is the Katie
Hines: for heaven 5 sake put her to some
use. No rational man can deny that
,'"' .tuo n"S hot inc rl9ot 10 protect
wbo, I'@o T " S'f oua.,,gi .; 'ne river
WIZ ,r,e, 'i''% y 7' c. - ~ u no1'-