Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-29

| same as now, except that gill nets were mo-
mentioned and pounds were unknown. Shat
| were caught in dip nets at Little Falls and were
| known to ascend every year far as the Grea
! Falls. One hundred and fifty thousand to three
| hundred thousand shaG were taken at each o.
| the landings during the season. The whole
number sent TO Washington from all the land
| ings in 1855 was 125,4OS. The price of shad
| weighing from six TO eight pounds each was 6
| cents, or So to 81 per hundred. Herring were
| sold at 81 per thousand. Rock fish were re-
| tailed at from to 4 cents per pound. and stur
/ geon at 3 cents. A remarkable catch of 45C
| rock 1Sh, weighing $1,000 pounds, is reported
| legislation in 116S and 179S tor the protection
of young fish and of spawning grounds.
The following account of the Potomac river
fisheries in 1880 has been compiled and ar
ranged by Mr.. t. III. Bean, of the u. $. National
Museum, from the book referred to, Jonathan
Elliots Historical Sketches of the Ten Miles
Square forming the District of Columbia" etc.
THE POTOMAC FISHERIES IN $50.
The Potomac abounds in fine fish and water
fowl In the upper part, that Is from the ter.
mination of salt water to the first falls, during
the summer and fall and winter months the
variety OF good fish is small, consisting princi-
paiy OF the large white perch and rock fish OIL
| moderate size, taken with the line, and OF the
carp and winter shad: but at certain times OF
the year the supply is abundant indeed. In the
latter part OF winter and early in spring great
numbers OF large rock fish weighing from %
TO l2O pounds are take4 in seines, just above
The salts, and brought TO the markets OF the
District OF Columbia. About four years ago
t1eTe were taken at one OF the fisheries on the
virginia side OF the river about thirty miles
below Washington the noted fishery called the
sycamore landing, belonging to Gen. Mason !,
at one draft OF the seine, 4oo rock fish averag,
ing sixty pounds each, as is well attested and
was recorded in the newspapers OF the time.
BESIDES these there are vast shoals OF migratory
nsh which periodically ascend from the sea to
the fresh water TO cast their spawn. There are
three species OF these that ascend the Poto-
inac-the large winter shad, the herring and
the sturgeon. The first two make but one an
nual visit. between the last of March and the
hrst OF June; the sturgeon comes up twice a
year. in the months of May and August. He
presses up to the very foot OF the first TAILS, and
Is taken in the greatest quantity within the
District in times OF freshets in the strong water
between Georgetown ana those falls.
SHAD AND HERRING.
The shad and herring are taken in very large
quantities between the salts and the falls ON
both sides OF the Potomac in the spring season.
The great fisheries for herring are situated be-
tween the mouth of Aqua creek, fifty miles
below the city of Washington, and the lower
line of the District OF Columbia. The principal
| fisheries for shad are confined to yet stricter
limits, between the mouth of Occoquan river
ON the right bank and the shores just above
For; W aShington on the left bank of the river,
the first about 80 and the last about 10 miles
below the city OF Washington. Many herring
and shad are caught i'll the fresh and brackish
water, as well below as above these points, but
not in great numbers. Some Oh the finest Shad
in the river are caught in dp-nets. two or three
at a Time at the foot OF the Little Falls, where
they seem to- be selected by their relative
strength ana aD1llty To stem the rapid
at that place, and this fish, by some remarka-
bic agility, contrives to surnounL considerable
falls ON the rivers it frequents. 1t certainly
passes the lower falls of the Potomac, where
the fall is thirty odd feet in the distance Of 3
miles, and Is found every year, though in small
numbers. at the foot OF the Great Falls, twelve
miles above The herring is not so enterprising,
he is always stopped by the first falls. Oh these
(the herring) at the best landings on the Poto-
mac from one to three hundred thousand are
often taken at single draft of the seine, and of
the shad from five 10 ten or fifteen thousand at
a draft are frequently drawn in.
THE SEINES.
These seines, however, are very capacious
from six to twelve hundred yards in length,
and are hauled in 10y means of stout and long
ropes and of capstans fixed on the shore and
worked at much expense for the time being
For shad they are laid out IN the channel of the
river, at some places at a distance of from one
mile To one mile and a half from the shore
The shad fishery being much the most valuable
ana both shad and herring presenting them
the best Shad landings constructed OF
nIeshes so large IS TO let the herring through
because IL Is then found most profitable to
avoid the loss of time that would necessarily be
incurred by saving both and separating one
kind OF fish from another. The whole season
Tor taking the shad Is but of six weeks-to say
from about the LIST OF April to the middle OF
May-during which time the seines are worked
with great assiduity, night and day, by regular
watches OF men alternately received at most of
the landings. However,it is found that the
greater quantity of fish is taken at particular
most desirable; consequently it is on that par
ticu!ar tide that the greater efforts are made.
From 100000 To 100000 are taken in a
season at each of these landings on the Potomac
Half a million barrels of herring is probably
S4lOt too high an estimate for those taken during
the season, but we have no authentic informa-
ton as To the number OF barrels cured and ex-
ported Ii Is certain that greater quantities of
slIad are taken in the Potomac than in any
other river of the United States. In the height
o. the season single shad, weighing from six
TO eight pounds, is sold in the markets OF the
District
FOR SIX CENTS,
and by the hundred Tor from So to 81 Herring
retail AZ 81 per thousand rock from 50 to S4,
sturgeon at three cents per pound. II has been
stated that the great shad fisheries on the Po-
tomac are limited to the small space of twenty
miles In extent ON each OF its shores, and at a
particular part of it. But 1T does follow that
the SHORES for this whole extent are equally
favorable for these fisheries; far from it-there
are but few positions on these shores even
where the shad is taken in abundance. 1t is
about here that the great bodies OF the shad
which are sent from the sea for that purpose
stop 10 cast their spawn, and they detained
for a shorter or longer time in effecting their
OBJECT according To- the temperature of the
superintendent atmosphere, and until the
waters in which they lie may be sufficiently
warmed TO mature the spawn within Them and
during this peregrination they have been found
10 coneregate at particular points, because OF
certain depths i'll the channel or certain shoals
OF for reasons beyond the ken OF man. Yet the
fact being known. he soon learned to profit by
wherefroin TO spread the great net to haul them
IN. Much the same may be said OF the herring
fisheries, except that they extend over a greater
portion oI the river.
The Potomac river, as before remarked, can
boas; OF the best and largest shad fisheries in
the country. The advantages of the herring
fisheries she divides with some other rivers of
the south, but is eGualied in these by none,
unless IL be the SuSquehanna, whose very
large quantities OF herring are annually drawn
in and cured.
In 1.6S act passed by the Mary
land legislature, which in 1898 became "A
permanent law, not to destroy young fish by
wears or dams. The penalty is ego OF the cur
rency OF that time. Another act was passed in
80, 10 prevent persons from beating the Pa
tuXent river with cords, or poles, from the
commencement OF February to that OF June
The penalty Tor the oiiense ii a white person. is
S1UU, II a slave, he is to receive ten lashes on
his back, unless redeemed by his master by the
payment OF $40.
She's False and Foul.
Beware of her. she's false and foul.
She greets with SIN les the Villains howl.
Ann Archy!
she'll pirate about the rights of man,
And steal from you whateer she can,
1 Ann Archyi