The daily gazette., 1883-03-24
THE ovsrERmAN's Lor.
He Tells of His Experience aud OF the
Difficulty Experienced by the Dredgers.

Difitculty Experienced Dy thS Dfo"BoiS
[Phlln. Times Intcrviewl
The planting season includes April, MAJ
and June. / have iifty acres sta ked on on
the Delaware side Of the bay, below kittr
Hammock, about twenty miles from Cape
Henlopen. pay S25 year renta TO The
State of Delaware. In addition 10 this
pay tonnage fec of $3 per ton, WHICH
amounts TO S4ss7 The State Of Delaware
squeezes out OF me each year s73.S7 Bur
the tonnage fee is TO be reduced to 81, so
that nope to fare little better.
"There are no ground rents on the Jersey
side, but have to take out special license,
which costs S9.15 and allows me 10 catch,
plant and grow oysters in Delaware bay and
Maurice River Cove. Uncle Sam compels
me to take out license, the items of which
are hospital dues, S11.73; enrolment, rs
cents; oath, 40 cents brokerage, 81; total,
S13.3S.
"Then, again, pay wharfage during the
season-20 days, at .25 per day, S25; COM
mission for sale Of oysters, 10 per cent, say
Sf70; commission for collecting, about $102
We haul the boats out every year, and the
repairs average $500. The wages of the
men for nine months foot up $500, and the
provisions for the same period $500 more.
The expenses of this boat for season are
not far from 1900; the work is exceedingly
hard, as you may imagine, and If 1t is poor
year or the oysters are of an inferior quality
it's long hunt for profit and | count my
self lucky If come out even. Some oyster
men barely make a living, yet the schooner
j. w. Fenimore frelghted $4,000 worth of
oysters to the Philadelphia markets.
CATER the 1st of April the State of Della
ware allows us to dredge on the natural
rocks for plant oysters. When our decks
are well loaded we goto our planting ground
and, sailing backward and forward, shovel
the oysters overheard. These plant oysters
are from the size of a shad scale TO a half
dollar. When our ground is planted we let
the oysters lie until the following year be-
fore we use the dredge. The planting ground
on the Delaware side is from 'Mahon's' to
the Breakwater, and on the Jersey side from
Egg Island Point to Cape May, or from 20
to 25 miles on each side. The planting is
concluded in June, and in July and August
we have the boats out, and overhaul, paint
and reft them for the seasons work.
"There are watt h-boats kept on each side
of the bay to guard the interests of the
States and keep away intruders who have
no license. The boat on the Delaware side
is an old sloop yacht, called the Blue Wing,
while the Jersey grounds are guarded by the
schooner States Rights. Each of these
boats has a crew oil fOur men.
"When our days work is done we either
lie at anchor on the ground or, if on the
Delaware side, run into Little Creek Land
ing, and on the Jersey side into Port Norris
or Maurice river. One thing forgot to tell
you. When we have oysters enough to
make a trip to market we run into creek
where the water is fresheI and, shoveling
the oysters over the side, let them lie ovel
two tides, which makes them fatter and
better for the market. We are not allowed
to work for plant oysters on the Delaware
side, on account of new law which ex
cludes non-residents. In 1871 a Jerse!
schooner came off with SO men on board
armed with guns and pistols. They cap
| tured me, put me into prison and sold m.
boat. There is hardly ever any trouble ol
the Delaware side, although boats are oftei
seized for trespassing on grounds which d
not belong to them.
'tIfa Philadelphian goes down the bay tC
oyster he has to get licenses from Delawar
and New Jersey before he can drop a tont
over the side OF his boat 1t looks to me a
though the government should own thes
waters and one license should cover all''