The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-02-13

shores, and the bushels of spawn that are
hauled in and mixed up with the grass
and the thousands of young shad and
herring that We see hauled in every
spring and destroyed. For thirty years
Or more we have had the opportunity of
knowing something about the quantity
of fish that are caught along these shores.
Nearly every spring there are times when
great quantities of herring are in our
waters. When this occurs, shad, no
matter how plenty before, would drop
off, and would not make their appear
ance as long as the gut of herring re-
manned. How was it last spring? The
Susquehanna river and flats and the
North East river were, might say, lit
orally alive with herring from the 18th
of April to the lst of June. We had,
comparatively speaking, no shad. With
this evidence would it not be safe to say
that Shad would not mix with herring to
any extent? 1t is claimed by some of
the wiseacres that the pounds on the
lower part Of the bay back the Shad off,
and prevent them from reaching their
natural spawning ground. We don't
know how far these pounds run out in
the lower part Of the bay, but we don't
believe hey reach the deepest water, and
We believe there is plenty of room out
side of them. It Is to be supposed when
Shad come in from the ocean out of deep
water they would be apt to follow the
deepest water up the bay, If the pounds
III the lower part of the bay last spring
caught any shad worth while, that was
evidence that the sha1 were on their way
up; but When they found they were mix
ed up with such vast quantities of herring
they backed off and went into the Dlla-
ware bay, where there were no herring,
comparatively speaking. With this evil
dence from common Sence view of it,
it was the herring that drove the shad
out of the Chesapeake, not the pounds,
it's to be supposed that the Susquehanna
fishermen would be opposed to pounds.
Why? Because under the old order of
things they had market in Baltimore
for their fresh and salt fish that paid
them good profits. The people had an
idea at that time that they coald not
catch these fish any where on the bay
except the Potomac and Susquehanna
,.iI Inn. will, thn .l,no,,
that have been introduced of late they
can catch shad and herring in waters
where they never used to think of fish
ing. BY rapid transit Baltimore is sup
piled aud the price brought down before
the fish reach the Susquehanna. The
Susquehanna fishermen have great deal
of money invested in their floats and
fishing tackle, and their experience for
the past three years has been quantities
of herring, no shad, no market for their
fresh herring, and their sailed ones bring
ing but $l.30 and $l.40 per barrel. hardly
enough to pay for salt and barrel. With
this experience they see nothing but loss
ahead of them. They can't fish pounds,
for they have no place where they can
reach the fishing ground with them. Be
tween Spasutla Island and IIavre de
Grace they think if they can get the
pound law abolished, under the plea that
pounds destroy the fish, they would get
back under the old order of things and
they would be all right again; but that
day is passed. The fishermen on the
North East river side saw this and some
| soon as possible, for they had had too
much experience to risk selling about
| three Thousand dollars worth of fish be-
| fore they could make one cent, and DO
that in about thirty two OF thirty three
days. To attend to the details of fish
ing shore and to manage 81 or 10 men
(the majority of whom having in object
only to put i'll time, get enough to eat
and get their money!, and with the Gle
ments to contend against, it is hard on q
man. constitution, religion and patience
Our pounds interfere with 30 reasonable
person; they run out from 200 to G5(
yards from high-water mark. The Gil
lerS have about 9, miles outside of them
to the Hartford county shore and from
| Harris Point to Spasutia Island, Is miles
If that room don satisfy them they cal
so to the capes. The pounds destroy nC
! spawnS, nor young shad or herring; they
haul no fish on the compost pile, and i
| they catch more than they want they cal
be let 90 again; and if the Havre-de
| Grace or SuSQuehanna fishermen prefer
| hauling seines, let them fish hauling
seines, we will not interfere with them
and We don t want them to interfere witt
US by sending their petitions throughout
| Cecil to get them signed by people wht
/ allow their prejudices to govern then
and who know nothing about pounds
Following is the heading of the petition
mailed from IIavre-de- Grace for the PEG
| PIE to sign:
To tie UonoraJlc, tie Lcgislut,lre .
! Na1ylWd:-We, the undersigned, citl
zens of Cecil and Hartford counties il
Maryland, recognizing that the use o
pounds, stake OF wing nets, on or in tn,
waters of Chesapeake bay, in Maryland
and to head of tide water on the Susque
hanna river, greatly lessons the catch o
Shad and herring and prevents then
from reaching their natural spawnin:
grounds; therefore, we pray your honor
able bodies to enact some law to prevent
further use of them in the waters named
And, as IN duty bound, your petitioner
| VIII ever pray, etc.
We have no hesitation i'll saying tina
this petition is nothing but a fraud. L
the name of heaven how many herrin,
do they want? Haven't they had her
ring enough the last two or three years
| We contend that the bulk of the sha
move along up the bay in the deepes
water on account of the great qGautit
of herring that every body knows W
had. From this evidence we contend i
was the herring that drove the shad on
of the bay not the pounds.
FISHERMAN.
Years have not seen and time shall ne
see, the people sit down quietly to suf1e
pain, when enterprise can afford such
panacea rs Salvation oil