Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-04
Getting then adjourned.
eao 600 AoRrs or OYSTERS.


Ten million bushels Of BIvaIves Gathered
Annualiy-An Oyster Capable Of Pro
ducing Millions Each Year.
The Maryland oystermen and oyster
packers are preparing for one of the big
gest seasons that they have ever known
The storms did not injure the Chesapeake
oysters and the lew that have arrived in
market are fat and fine, and they com
mand lusually good prices.
The danger is that as soon as the dredg-
ing season opens there will be a repetition
of the piracies of last year. when organ
lied depredators pounced upon forbidden
grounds and stripped them Of the oysters.
1t required full month of naval battles.
in which several men were killed and
several vessels sunk, and as a result of
which several dozen pirates are now serv-
ing terms in Jail to bring about proper
respect for the law. There is an oyster
navy of twelve sloous, two steamers and
one hundred men. which costs the State
$4,000 year.
In the Chesapeake bay and its tributa
ries ore the finest and largest oyster beds
In the world. The oyster is Maryland'S
chief source of wealth. In the waters OF
that state not counting the Virginia ter
.iloiy, the oyster beds cover 120, 900 acres
aud they yield annually over $4,000 ,000to
about 30, 900 people. There are 700 boats
engaged in the business. Forty years ago
no one dreamed that the enormous supply
could be cxhau, ted, but at that time the
shipments from Baltimore were few
hundred gallons a week. Now there arcsev-
cral oyster express trains daily. So contnu-
ous and merciless have been the depre-
dations that unless more enlightened legis
tion is passed and enforced the permanent
d,pl, lion Of the territory is certain.
The oyster laws of the State are mon
grel compromises between the conflict
ing demands of the dredgers and tongers,
two CLASSES Of oystermen whose votes art
desirable, and who want all they can
get without regardtO the future OF the
supply. Five years ago Maryland ap-
pointed Commission, with Pro-. Brooks.
of Johns Hopkins University, at the head,
to investigate the condition of the crop.
1t spent several months at the bay, and
the result was an unusually full and val
liable report. L" Under our present pol
ICY" said this report, " our beds have
yielded about 10,000,0O0 bushels Of oys-
ters year from grounds which are cap
able of yielding over so 100000 bushels
annually" The reforms that it recon-
mendcd were: The prevention of the
sale of immature oysters the placing OF
young seed oysters on the bay aud river
bottoms, aud oyster farming-the rearing
of oy sters from the egg, practical and
profitable culture, since each female
oyster produces several millions of young
each year.
The possibility of intelligent oyster
farming is seen when it is known that
on the bottom of the Chesapeake are G40,-
900 acres of fine oyster lands. This re-
port, however, was too theoretical for the
demagogues, and year by year they have
defeated sensible legislation and allowed
the depredations to go on. The fact
that the next Legislature will be the best
the State has had for years gives some
hope to the thinking people that better
law will he passed. But as no change
can be made for at least five months, the
oystermen will improve each opportunity
and reap the benefits of the advanced
prices.