Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-11-28
puoKs IND oYsrERs.


| Fears that the Luscious Canvas
Back VIII soon dsccOMie Extinct.
BALTIMORE, Nov. also far the duck.
shooting season slong the head of the
Chesapeake bay has been failure. The
ducks, especially the canvas backs, are
unprecedentedly scare. Havre de Grace,
the town on the Susquehsnna which
Lafayette named, generally gets its chief
source Of revenue from the ducks. This
year it has made no money at all. Many
OF the professional gunners have tied up
their yachts and found other employ
ment. 1t is the opinion of experts that
the great floods OF last spring covered
the fats with sand and debris and thus
killed the growth of water celery on
which the ducks feed and from which the
canvas-bscks and red heads get their pc
culiar flavor.
There is another reason. Each year the
ducks have been slain almost to eItinc-
ton. Clubs own every available point
around the dueking shores Of the Gun
powder, Bush, Middle and Back rivera.
On the Susquehauna are special yachts
for duck shooting, owned by rich men of
New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and
Baltimore. All in all, over 81 100000 is
invested in the sport. There are Lun-
dreds Of sink boxes and and sneak boats,
equipped With from 400 to 700 decoy
ducks. The largest OF the clubs ia
one of the most exclusive associa-
tions in the country. 1t was organized
by 20 New Workers, five Philadelphians
and five Baltimcreans, each Of whom
took share at $4,000 each. The last
sale Of one Of these shares was for 81 900.
The canvas back comes all the way
from British territory to the Chesapeake
to spend the winter, but it is anything
but healthy resort for him. Very few,
if any, ever reach their birthplace again.
Years ago they came in myriads. The
| fats were covered with them. They
were killed in hundreds by mounted guns
worked by slaves hired for the purpose,
and 80 plentiful were they that in some
of the old contracts II was specified that
these slaves should not be fed more than
twice week on oanvas-hack ducks.
Pot hunting-that is, hunting OF night
with big guns-has been broken up, but
the general shooting has gone on With an
industry that has mad telling efect. The
hes: course now saems to be to forbid
shooting for season or two, so as to al
low tho ducks to recaperate. This is
advised by good judges, but its success
is problematioal, since the professional
gunners want oil they can gst, AMI they
control votes that tho politicians desire.
The fate OF Law to close the season
for one or two years will consequently
be matter Of great doubt in the iegisla-
ture which meets on the 1st Of January.
Unless something is done, however, the
greatest ducking territory in the country
will soon be worthless for sport.
THE OYSTER COMBINE.
The oyster combine, which suddenly
advanced prices 20 per cent does not
promise to be permanent affair. The
competition Of tie dealers in getting
western trade is leading to undertaking,
which will probably end in disruption
OF tho trust. So far the dealers have
made q great deal of money, as the de-
mand is large. The uuppiy, however, is
not up TO the usual mark. Many of the
oysters are poor, and by the time the
season gets under way most of the best
beds will have been worked over.
A curious feature of the situation is
that, while prices have advanced, many
OF the western retail dealers sell ct the
same price. They buy at dollar gal
Ion in Baltimore, pay freight, make o
profit, and sell at dollar gallon in
Cincinnati or Chicago. The secret, of
course, is a plentiful watering of the
stock.