The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1886-03-03
Special Correspondence NEWS
YE LUSCIOUS OYSTER,
How the BivalVe is Cap
tured-HardshiDs Of
the Dredgers.
Tricking the Police BOats-A
Brief Account of the
Industry.

III every grocery lh Ihe west ana
Northwest is met the placard Baltimore
Oysters It is not an unpleasant sign,
save to man without means, and makes
one exceedingly selfconscious of an in
ward craving that must be satisfied with
out delay.
Oysters are peculiarly a Baltimore
specially. At no place along our eastern
coast are the conditions so favorable for
the traffic as at this city. The water
here is especially adapted to their pres
ervation in packing and canning, and in
every way Baltimore holds the fort as
city where the lucious bivalves can best
be obtained, either in their native state
or made into the numerous delectable
dishes of which they form a part
The oyster industry of Maryland is
truly marvellous. It gives employment
to over fifty thousand people. Twenty
five years ago it was so insignificant rs
not to be taken into account in the
statutes of the State but now the waters
OF the Chesapeake Bay and its tribu-
taries furnish the world, directly or in
directly, with a large percentage OF all
the bivarves consumed. 1t is estimated
that $4,000 600 worth Of oysters will be
shipped from Maryland alone to all parts
of the world before the close OF the
present season-and it is not a good one
either The cities of the West afford
the principal market, The great bulk
Of the oysters intended for cooking pur-
poses is sent West in cans, but many
barrels of oysters in the shell are also
shipped toward the setting sun.
BY far the greater portion Of the
oysters caught in the Chesapeake and
the streams that enter intoi brought
to the surface blythe dredger, and so i'm
portant has this industry become that
legislative action regulating it comes up
about two or three times a year, before
the general assembly OF the State.
There is considerable strife between the
tongmen and dredger over oyster terri
tory which has caused considerable
legislation and law has been passed
for the protection OF the former against
the constant inroads of the latter 1t is
thought by many that further protection
must be extended or else the complete
depletion of the oyster beds of the bay
is only question OF time.
There are engaged in the oyster
dredging business in Maryland waters,
between twelve and fifteen hundred
schooners, pungies and sloops, varying
in capacity from five hundred to twenty
five hundred bushels each, and to in
force the restriction laws of the State a
navy of four steamers, three schooners,
and seven sloops, is maintained from the
100000 annually paid into the State
treasury for dredger's licenses.
An oyster dredger, referring to the
vessel is almost always a two masted
schooner. When her windlasses are re-
moved from the deck, the only differ
ence between her and any similar craft
is about midships on both sides, where
the rail is cut down to the deck for four
or five feet and an iron roller inserted
flush with the deck, over which the
dredge line works. A pungy is proper
/ ly smaller than dredging-schoOner, but
/ OF the same rig, and sometimes has no
rail out strong stanchon Just absft the
roller. Each vessel is provided with
two iron Windlasses, which are fastened
to the deck near the openings in the
rail. As the use Of steam in casting OF
hauling in the dredges is prohibited by
/ law, these Windlasses are arranged so as
to admit of four men working upon
each, two on each side of each windlass.
The dredges are iron bags capable OF
holding a little over two bushels. They
are about thirty inches square, and up
on the lower edge Of the opening, are
/ provided with an iron bar with project
ing teeth, which scrapes the bottom OF
the stream as the dredge is being drawn
after the boat, and guides the oysters
into the bag. To the dredges is fasten-
ed a rope which goes around the wind
lass, which is called the dredge-line.
This line is from twenty-five to sixty
feet long, according to the depth in
which dredging is done.
The crew Of an oyster dredger is usu.
ally composed of eight men and a cap.
tain, who seldom own the boat, but
work it on the shares. In selecting his
crew a captain picks out a good sailor
whom he makes foremast-hand, place
synonymous with mate or a trading yes
sell OF his seven other men he ap
points one cook. These two are usually
what is known as shoremen. The bal
ance of the men are engaged for what
ever wages they will agree to work
usually So to IS a trip, or SO to $40 pei
month The captain usually takes
boat from the oWner-generallyo owner
of houses Of entertainment, grocery o.
chandler stores, furnishes the dredge
and a few other things, and "victuals"