Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-02-18
letters Fro,a The People.

Mr.. EDlToR.-An effort WAS made i'll
the Legislature during January TO cur.
tail the destructive OPERATE ms OF pound
ncis. fyke and other like nets. Several
petitions were sent from the county 10
orr members, and Senator. lMgging that
the people of Accomac might have a
! little chance to get IL fish nOw and then,
and that the county OF Northampton
should not monopolizc. almost entirely,
This great interest. These petitions.
together with PEI itions from The pound
nets were duly presented to the iionse.
and referred to the Committee on the
Chcsapeake and itstrihutaries. ON this
committee is Mr.. SIS. Wilkins OF North
ampton. whose duty it IS TO represent
tie county of Accnmac as well as
Nnrthamntnn. lie is stnt there by bnti!
counties and neither lie or any other
person could represent the latter except
hy the vote Of the former. Nineteen
twrntirths nf the people of Accnmac
IRE opposed to the use of pound Nets dur
ing the Spring season WHEN trout, null
let and she epshead are coming NJ from
the cares to the waters of this county,
when the fish could he taken Inv the
hand line. AMI draw seinns. A large
majority Of the people IF Northampton
are aISn opposed to the use OF these
nets. The committee met. think it
was on or about tine 9th or Sth of jan
uary. One speech was made b 'fnre 1t,
and then on motion Of Mr.. wilkins the
committee adjourned.
II again met about twelve days after,
ut 10 o clock, a. m. AT this meeting
there were present two lawyers. one
from Accomac and one from Norfolk
(whoever selected these two men
showed considerable shrewtlncss Tor
reasons not now necessary to mentlon,l
ard number OF men owning and run
ming pound nets and fykes. THESE lat
ter were called on TO testify i'll their own
hehalf and the burden of theirtestlmony
was that it would be great loss to
them to stop their traps ut amy time he
cause they were making 50 much money
and distributing thesame in thernrlgh
rorhood.-that the fish increased hy
pason of their traflic-that it gave EN-
.lovment tu so many men. and tlia. 1t
DESTROYED M small fish. On the other
side petitions were presented setting
forth The destructiveness of pound nets
and fykeS. and the absence OF fish III Tile
creeks of thu county Of Accomac since
the introduction and use oI these nets,
ard their abundance before the intro
duction and use Of nets. chat the people
of tins county now scarcely ever zee OF
can buy Il good fish, because tn y rlinct
eli them with hook aud lin or draw
seine, and those caught i'll their traps
are sent off to northern markets. These
facts so set f0 tn in a number OF petit
tlons signed by good and reliable men
were not needed. and had no proper
considerations. At u O'Clock, M, the
committee adjourned 10 meet at
o'clock, u. m. At this meeting Dr.
l;well was MT present. After hearing
the testimony of one or two more OF the
pound netters, anil IL short speech from
the ether side, Mr. :. S. Wilkins, WIFI
hot haste ANA a sort of fiery indignation
moved the bill then and there be Killed
so dead ;liat the hand of the resurrection
would naver reach it. And there it dle'i,
and then the interests ana rights OF Ac
comac on this question died with II.
Now I will state bv nay OF information
that all we asked for WIS that the law
passed in 1879 might lie so amended
| that where the word pound nets occurs
IN that law, the words "fyke and other
like nets" might br added or 81 amend
ed; this btiLg refused, we then asked
for two months intermission of the use
of nets. This proposition was refused.
Ii was seen, and was so declared before
the meeting OF the committee, that
neither May or June would Da given up,
nor Wis it in my opinion agreed lpon
hy these men that any month should be
yiven up They wanted all and cot all.
Now to suspend the setting or use OF
these nets during the month OF May is
what we in Accomac especially want.
In this month the trout, mallet, spot
and s!ltepsi!ead, all game fish are wend-
ing their way UP the bay to our creeks,
where hy the hook and line and by the
haul seine they could be taken by our
people. and thus furnish to them q sup
ply of delicious and wholesome food.
Spme years since the creeks Of our
counties were IL veritable meat house to
hundreds and thousands of our poorer
class of people who would catch in II few
hours enough lish-tr0ut nullet, Sleeps
lead. ard spot, to feed their families.
and to buy the neceSSarieS of life. But
NOW they may fish whole day and catch
half dozen or dozen small trout. or In
IL week IS fishing they may 10y good luck
catch one shcepshead. The fish of our
waters are common property, tley be
| long to all The people of the State alike.
and the State Should holl this interest
In trust for the use and benefit Of all,
and not allow Il few greedy men who
lave money TO mono police it. | am OPP
posed to all monopoles and especially to
a moHopoiY of this kind when property
that belongs TO all is made the property
Of Il few. These pound nets are quasi
corporation, and the corporation is for
tile most part wealthy and influential.
bound together by the line of interest.
and mutual protection. They are aS-
gressive and defiant, out of seven fish
ing months they are not willing TO give
US the one ne ask for, they are not will
ling to take six out of the seven, they
must have all. Let the people Of Acco-
mac and also the people of NORTHAMPTON
arise in their power and strength and
demand their rights. Let them see to
it that they demand that the candidates
for the Legislature shall express their
views OF this and other local questions,
and let them send men there who Will
when conflicting interests arise between
tile two counties settle the question by
fair and just compromise.
ACCoMACK.
H.xuo, t. to, Ioo,, choyrn in