Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-13
Potomac Fisheries.
To thu Editor of THE EVENING STAR:

To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
Mr.. S. NJ. F. presents in his yesterdays
communication the same line of argument. and
in the same spirit, that has ever characterized
OILERS and trappers on the Potomac: ''Wea re
poor men and you are greedy capitalists; you have
no right to acquire property in any way that will
conflict with our interest, and II you strike at
our interest, we will employ every agent we can
to silence you, and. If necessary, will apply the
TORCH" This is no exaggeration. The torch has
been applied to fshermen's property more than
once. At one time the fishing shores along the
Potomac rented for more money annually than
the aggregate value of all the fish caught from
It's waters in any one year since 1875. Now,
science teaches US to believe that there never
existed result without an agency, and, If this
be true, what are the causes that has produced
this change and ruin of millions of dollars worth
Of property? Seines were hauled on the Pcto-
onward quite number, and while the catch in
some years largely exceeded Others the supply
was always abundant until 1643, when those
ungreedy gillers fshed their nets through the
capes of Virginia Let us hear some other
argument besides I'VE are poor men," Hciti-
economy have no rights that OILERS and trap
pers feel bound to respect, there are other poor
men who have. Thousands of workingmen
once could and did secure all the fish their
IAWlll0S TeQuITcO LOT q low OOaoIS, VINO cannot
now afford to take home pair Of good shad,
much less Law in years supply. This may seem
fight In the eyes of the OILERS and trappers, but
does not in mine. As regard to my attacking
the fish commission In my off-handed letter to
the honorable Commissioners Of the District of
COlumbia, and charging it with the destruction Of
the y0nng fish is absurd. No one except OILERS
and trappery understood me as making any such
charge. On the contrary, said the former IRE
ferrng to the gillers) so efIectually blocked up
the lower part of che river to force the fish to
spawn In the lower creeks, where increase was
destroyed by the inflow ct flood tide OF salt
water, and the latter (referTing to the trappers)
had been known to catch hundreds OF bushels OF
young and destroy them, without securing as
much as basket Of marketable fish; facts
that can be proven, and II I mistake not
the United States fish commission
hold the written declarations OF Baltimorean
setting forth the fact Of his having purchased in
barrels containing other Dish some of the young
salmon put into our waters BY the 1sh commits
sion. As regards Mr.. F.s sbOrtive attempt st
ridicule. do not care anything about that Kind
OF bosh; all pay any attention TO IL moral.
fact and point, and look upon the operations OF
the OILERS &C this season Of the year 6 an ont
rare on public good, which see BY this morn
ing's Post Is still going on below the District
lines. If the United States Is nation possessed
of the right to collect duties and imposta. II
owns all the navigable waters within It's limits
to the highways OF nations, and should assume
its rights and put stop to all such opcrstions.
The general welfare demands It. Respectfully
yours, ROBERT q. ARMSTRONG