Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-02-04
(Ccmmunicated.l
The Tongers' Rights.

Mr.. EDAToR:-Will you kindly allow
me space in your columns to bring before
the people of Anne Arundel county and
the citizens of Annapolis q matter, which
should cause eyeTv one TO take an interest
and help US 10 defeat what is proposed.
We have in this county and in the city
Of Annapolis, al the lowest estimate. nj
teen hundred men who are engaged IN
longing oysters We have in the pack
ing houses about four hundred engaged
in shocking oysters; and then there are
number of men otherwise employed In
the different packing houses At the
lowest estimate the packing houses pay
out here in one season one hundred and
twenty five thousand dollars. This money
is paid out to the tongers, the shuckers
and laborers, who have families depend
ing upon them and the money Is spent
here. The oysters to supply the packing
houses are caught by the tsngcrs and are
caught on what are known as Sunday
Point bar, Hacketts Point bar, Tolley s,
Thomas Point and the Three Sisters.
The Bill or alteration proposed now by a
member from Baltimore city is to allow
dredging on portion of all those bars.
We we'll know that portion means all
ever them, and ii would be emily matter
of short time before the oysters there
would be totally destroyed; and as they
are the places where Annapolis gets heE
supply and when they are DESTROYED it
will close up the oyster industry in this
city, and throw all the number of people
out of employment and turn away from
Annapolis that large income during the
oyster season. They have broken up all
the oysters elsewhere whrre they
have been allowed to dredge. On
Kent Shore, where were only short time
ago twelve miles of dredging ground. and
where there were every day during the
dredging season fleet OF four to eight
hundred vessels, now it is seldom vessel
ever goes there, and | am Informed that
a catch of fifty bushels of oysters in one
day is large quanty on those grounds.
And who is it that they propose to give
our oyster grounds to Are they people
who reside in the State of Maryland
No, they are men who come from every
section of the globe and some OF them
are taken directly from emigrant ships and
put on board these vessels. They are
often men of the lowest elements OF So
ciety. An old vessel that cannot be used
for any other purpose is pressed into
service; the owner is perhaps resident
Of the State of Maryland or at any rate
he makes out that he is, when he comes
TO get his license that is if he gets one.
lie may not go on the vessel himself but
finds some man who has some idea of
sailing boat and he is made captain. He
selects a crew, as / have said, from emf
grant ships coming in or of men who are
detained in Jail in default of payment OF
a small fine for drunkenness or disturb
ing the peace-the owner paying the
fine and then the man receipts for so
much money having been advanced.
They are then started out with orders to
get oysters wherever they can find them
without regard to law or any thing else.
This is the class of people that the Leg
islature of the State OF Maryland is asked
to give the grounds to-the grounds where
we and our fathers before us have made
our living and earned bread for our little
ones; we who were born on the soil, law
abiding citizens, and many of us tax-pay-
ers We want the people Of this county and
city to come to our aid and not let us be
driven away to other fields to earn our
living We propose to call a meeting to
be held at the Assembly Rooms next
Thursday night February 9th, and ask
all those who want to protect the oyster
interests of this county and city to at
tend. OYSTER LONGER.