The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-09
OAMER0N'S CAMPAIGN
IN THE VIRGINIA OYSTER BEDS.
The EG.ct Of the War-A Description of Carter.
Greek, Its Oysters and lts sPsOpls-ProtsetIcn
AEalnIt the Plratss-Captain Turner's Is:
eape-A Joke on the Drtdser.

Governor Cameron against the oyster
pirates who nave infested our waters has
ended with so little substantial benefit to
the people OF this section OF the State, who
were the greatest sufferers by their depre:
dations is matter Of great surprise as
well as regret. The unanimity OF feeling
among all who live in the neighborhood OF
the Chesapeake Bay is in no way remark.
able when the fact Is considered that
ninety.lve per cent Of the population sub.
sist entirely upon the traffic in the luscious
biyalye. All are loud in INSTRUMENTATION
OF thedredgers who steal from grounds set
apart for tongmen, and 1t is doubtful II q
jury could bU found in this or any OF the
Underwater counties which would not at
once convict any dredger brought before
1t. Carter's Creek is located upon branch
Of the RappahannoCk River which
puts in on its northern shore, about twelve
miles from It's mouth. The settlement con.
sists OF about two hundred houses, inhab-
tied by between five and six hundred
people. Nearly every house has u water
frontage, and, with the exception OF the
shoemaker, the blacksmith and the car
penter, every man, white or black, Is
engaged in what is termed "oystering"
They are all, or nearly all, tongmen, and
those having water frontage have the
exclusive right to plant and take oysters in
front OF their own residences. All these
grounds are not, however, reserved, and
any one, whether he owns or hires house,
or merely boards with some housekeeper,
can, II he is the happy possesser OF canoe,
use his tongs anywhere except upon
reserved grounds without fear Of molesta-
tion, or even complaint. The residents of
this settlement are contented with their
lives Of continual toll, and from peaceful,
happy community. The men are industri-
GUS and sober and the women vir.uous and
fair, and have only the happiness and COM
fort OF their husbands, fathers and brothers
in view. They have q couple OF non.
sectariau churches, chapel and two school
houses within easy distance. They subscribe
liberally to Baltimore weekly papers. They
have Good Templar lodge OF over 100
members, debating society, number OF
amateur musicians and only one bar.room.
The proprietor Of the principal country
store is the postmaster, and he Is the only
official in the city. There are no consta.
bles, no magistrates and no lawyers. There
is no intemperance, no crime, no vagrancy,
no poverty and no idleness. The propor.
tion OF colored people in the population is
small, and they are thrifty, many Of them
owning canoes, and others working on
shares for others. There is an oyster.
house which affords prompt market for
all oysters taken, and fish factory, where
menhaden is ground into fertilizer during
the entire summer, and which gives em.
ployment to large number Of people
during the season. There is no regular
hotel in Carriers Greek settlement,
but mine host John Hume is willing to
accommodate few guests, to whose comfort
his wiieattends, while he, with his canoe
is busy day after day picking up the oyster
from the bed OF the river. Down the north
bank OF the Rappahanuock, two or three
miles from where Carriers creek empties
into the main stream, is wharf known as
River View. There are but one or two
houses here, but from the bluff back OF the
shore on clear day one can have view
way out on the bay. Across the Rap
pahannock, on the southern shore, is Deer
Creek, similar settlement, or rather
steamboat station; and eight or nine miles
further east on the northern bank, Just a
the mouth OF the river, is Wilson's wharf
the first landing OF the Weems line O.
steamers, and commanding view oil the
Chesapeake Bay which Is unexcelled any
where. Here, at the entrance to the Rap
pahannock, where peace prevails-whert
scarcely diversity OF political opinion
exists-is
A six-PoUEDRR BRONZE CANNON,
mounted on the bluff as defence for the
river against the entrance OF any dredgers
Across the river, on Stiner's point is {
similar piece Of ordinance, and on eithel
side are fifty breach loading rifles OF ap
proved pattern, to be placed in the handl
OF the first fifty men who reach the spot in
case OF threatened invasion OF theil
rights. The men who are detailed by
common consent TO man these guns, re
ceive no remuneration, and, while they
are oystermen, are willing AT any time tc
drop their tougs and hasten to the defence
Of their waters from the depredations O.
dredsers, whom they term "oyster pirates
A couple Of years ago, before the State
placed these cannon in their present posi-
ton and before the rifles for the defence O
: the river was furnished, the residents O.
this section OF the country were astounded
on one occasion to sec dredging schooner
enter the river, make for the private beds
throw out her .dredges and tack every
: time bringing aboard bushels OF planted
oysters. Their indignation was naturally
| kat lad ~ Ia 0lae
quickly given, hundreds Of citizens gather
ed on both banks Of the river, and, will
antiquated rifles, modern shotguns, revo
yers and old fashioned duelling pistols, be
gan o iusiiade upon the intruder. Many
Il not all, the shots fell short, but the pirate
crew deliberately returned them-fortu
nately, with no more fatal effect. The
steady firing Of the Virginians compelled
the vessel TO beat hasty retreat-not
however, until the crew had secured sew
eral hundred bushels OF oysters. This in
cident excited the authorities OF the State
: TO such an extent that they supplied Ian,
caster and Middlcsex counties with sucl
artillery arms and ammunition as wal
deemed necessary to defend the mouth o
theriver. Since then no dredger has haC
the hardihood to venture up the Kappa
hammock, and tho people are free from
: their inroads.
You who only know the oyster as to Id
quality or possibly its quantity, canno
, naturally comprehend why its growth, Id
, history and its natural surroundings are o
80 much importance to others. The canot
. in which the tongman leaves bis houst
daily is craft narrow in the extreme, III
model is strictly that ofthe Indian, anC
the only improvement made since The
J aborigines cut their vessels from logs OF
constructed them from bark has not beer
an improvement in shape. The vesselt
are long and narrow, they vary in size and
, they vary in the number Of sails they carry
They appear to be that kind oil a Graf
: which puff Of wind would capsze, but
! yet the accomplished mariners who man
, them are seldom II ever shipwrecked. Somt
are large and some are small, butthe SAINT