Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-12-28
HEsAPEAKE BAY, in
the war Of 1912 the anchor
age Of the British feet
which bombarded Fort Mo

4 \ ~
8$;S Henry, and in the civil war
the scene Of the decisive
battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac,
is now, in the year Ammo Domini eighteen
hundred and eighty-eight, infested by pirates.
type however. Not heroic cutthroats, gener-
ous thieves, with athletic figures, handsome
bronzed features, long hair, piercing black
eyes and gay Spanish costumes fearless fel-
lows, who snap their fingers at the fury Of
the wind, bare their breasts to the lightning
and confront all the elements with immortal
defiance They are not picturesque corsairs,
with zone virtue linked to thousand
crimes, these Chesapeake bay pirates And
their vessels are not "long, low, rakfsh
crafts, !" which spread their white wings and
speed away to the horizon with the speed Of
the wind. The pirates Of Chesapeake bay do
mot scuttle ships or sack towns, and they have
never been known to make captuged young
women, vainly pleading, WALL ssh9 9basbaisous
plank. This is not due, however, to tRs,ir
suufulous moral principles, as will be sesh
The Chesapeake bay pirates are oyster
pirates Inothing meae nor less than men who
unlawfully dredge oyster beds that do not
belong to them; the term sspirates," by gem
erzal usage, is therefore somewhat stretched
In its application to them. But the booming
OF cannon and the crack Of rifles are now the
frequent sounds that disturb the quiet that
broods over the beautiful waters of the
Chesapeake.
Several battles have been fought between
Ehs oyster police and the oyster pirates, and
many lives have been lost in the undecisive
war thus far this season But it still con-
tinnss, and will no doubt continue indefn-
ftely. The police are at disadvantage The
pirates know it. They have combined, and
are now a feet Of many hundred sail, manned
by esperate;characters, to whom conscience
and humanity seem to be unknown quanti-
ties ts.---.--- ------
The causes and nature of the oyster war
cannot be understood without some knowl-
edge Of the Laws on the subject and Of the
methods OF pursuing the business.
1868 the Maryland legislature assumed
control over the oyster beds of Chesapeake
baysand all its estuaries, channels, creeks and
the,rivers debouching into it. The law was
designed to protect the industry by placing
It under governmental supervision, for even
at that day the growth Of the oyster business
threatened to destroy the oyster beds faster
than they could be naturally replenished.
By the Law the oyster gatherers were divided
into three classes, and the territories within
which each class might operate were defined
as sharply as possible. An appropriation
n was made for the purchase of a steamer to
act as police guardian of the laws.
or the three classes into which the oyster
men were divided, first in the order Of origin
\ come the tongers This class is usually COM
po,ed Of the poorer men, and they take their
name from the chief implement of their
work. a big pair of rakes, with handles
usually about twenty feet long, Joined to-
gether by bolt hinge near the lower end
iss The teeth of the rakes are set facing each
other, 60 that when the handles are brought
/ s.ogsther the teeth shut up like pair Of
jaws, and whatever is grasped by them is
bound to come up Tongers, as rule, use
rude canoes, sloops and e'pungies" for their
Il work, and generally work in paira They
have not the capital necessary to provide
themselves with large boat and dredging
Z machinery, or to employ large crew, there
4 fore they are tongers These men are usually
"a inn6snsive, ignorant, hard working men and
Fpscters Of the law.
Next 70 the tongerD are the scrapers, and
1 4 the only difference between them and the
.dredgers, who constitute the third class, lies
I'll Me tonnageof their boats. Their methods
a al the same. but as the scrapers are re-
sst eted 20 the shallower waters their
Z md chimes are built upon smaller scale.
ThS scape or dredge consists Of heavy
rate. without q handle. A net is attached to
~ ~ such . way that whatever is torn up by
h thS teeth is caught in it. In place Of q
handle long rope runs from the rake to the
deck Of the boat and to a windlass. Every