Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-11
Monday, May H, 1883.
FAIR HAVEN.


 The oyster Interest and the Layout
 The Churches.
 The widow of the late Orrin Doolittle, of North Ouinnipiac street, will receive $2,OOO from the Masonic Mutual Benefit association, of which her husband was member.
 The Rev. MT. Cunningham, of the Congre- gational church, spoke at the temperance meeting which was held at the rink yesterday afternoon, An orchestra of seven pieces furnished good music number of ladies also spoke.
 The Society of Christian Endeavor con nected with the Second church met last ever- ing at 6:3O o'clock. Tho meetings were for merly held Tuesday evenings. They are laroelv attended by the young people of the church. .,,
 Captain Charles Leeley, it is reported, will soon assume charge of an oyster schooner at Baltimore.
 The late cool and rainy weather has made the catches of shad far from satisfactory, the hauls below the Tomlinson bridge being the poorest for number of years. The hsh dealers report that some of the catches do not pay for hauling the nets.
 The following relating to oyster grounds will interest many Fair Haven oystermen:
 In April, 1883, nine suits were brought by the town of Clinton against as many own CTS of oyster grounds in the Hammonasset river, asking to have the designations set aside under the statute of lS7O, on the ground that the oyster beds were natural at the time of designation. Motions, were made to erase material part of each complaint on the ground that such parts were irrelevant The cases have been in court ever since, awaiting the decision of Supreme court upon a general petition brought under the statute of 1881. All proceedings under the last mentioned suit were set aside few months since by the Supreme court and the
 
 committee to try the cases. The new com mittee will begin sessions on May 2Sth ln Clinton Friday Judge Stoddard in the Su- perior court at Middletown heard arguments by Judge Lynde Harrison, who appeared for the oyster growers, and Washington F. Will cox, who represented the town of Clinton, upon the motion to erase, and reserved hls decision. At the same time he appointed Judge Pike a committee to hear the cases after the hearing before the shell fish commis- sioners.
 During the past six months the shell fish commissioners have investigated to ascertain if the mapping of the oyster grounds of the State conform to the layout. When there is found to exist difference between maps and records persons interested are notified to ap- pear before the commissioners. The differ ences are then settled, if possible. The work is very important, as it will afford @ dehnlte layout of all oyster grounds where conflicting
  Timothy Reynolds, the joiner living at III Saltonstall avenue, fell from Conductor Burke's new house in course of erection at 372 Grand, near Fillmore street, Saturday morning He was standing on scaffolding near the roof, thirty two feet from the ground A young man, an apprentice who was working inside the building, loosened the bolts which fastened the staging to the side of the house, not knowing that Reynolds was on the outside of the house, as he could not see him. Reynolds body landed be- tween two large cellar stones, His right thigh was broken and he slightly in- jured internally. Dr. Robertson was called to attend him. He was resting quietly last evening and was thought to be out of dan ger.
 The gossip about the postoffice still con- tinues. The prospect of change in post rnastership grows more definite as the time for Postmaster English to take possession of tine main office grows shorter. prominent Democrat said the other day that there didn't seem to be spunk enough in the party here to go in for a change as if they meant bus1- ness. The present incumbent, Postmaster Moore, and his assistant are willing to resign quietly to the young and old men whose ambition will be realized if they can get 8 chance to work from twelve to fifteen hours a day in the postoffice. It is considered doubtful, however, whether Postmaster Eng fish will try the experiment of removing MT. Moore, who has acquitted himself very cred itably during his term of service, and is an old soldier, who has special claims owing to the loss of limb in the service of his coun- try. The State railroad commissioners have def initely appointed May 19 for hearing in the matter of the proposed bridge over the East Grand street crossing. It is expected that there will be little or no opposition to the ordering of bridge, as this crossing has long been known as 8 very dangerous one.