The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-20
TIE OYSTER INDUSTRY.
Some Points Relative to the Sale
the Marsh Lands.


men and to the oyster dealers that l. in the
interest Of the Oemler Oyster Company.
had originated the idea, or inspired the bill
now before the legislature to sell the marsh
lands of the state. | assure the public that
the subject has never been mentioned to or
by the company; nor did | know such.a
bill was contemplated until | saw it men
toned in the MORNING NEws about SIX
weeks ago.
My bill to amend the oyster law. in &C
cordance with the recommendations of the
oyster commission, and this one of Mai.
Ryals' are separate and distinctive meas
ures, standing upon their own merits, and
no possible opposition TO the latter should
be allowed to affect the chances Of the
former. The present grounds of the
Oemler Oyster Company do not lie opposite
to the public marshes of the state, hence the
passage of the bill would make no appreci-
able effect upon its success. Should it acquire
any other territory, however. hope II may
not hesitate to avail it,elf of any privileges
the passage of the bill might offer.
In fact, my belief has been that the
marshes + Chatham belong to the Chatham
Academy and to the Union Society. and
that this county would be excluded FROM
the operations of the bill. Whatever be
the result of the agitation, the question
with which committees and commissions
have wrestled in vain for years will be
definitely settled, and these Institutions will
ascertain whether the marshes were in
cuded in the grants of the legis ature, and
if SO, whether they have become invalid
from non-use. Having been compelled to
address the public again, L do not hesitate
to say. while disclaiming any credit for the
paternity Of the bill, that ! am in favor of
the measure, because | believe besides the
money it would bring into the treasury that
it would inure to the benefit Of the public.
to that of the laboring man, and to chat Of
the oyster industry. Ii lessee OF oyster
ground could control the marsh land
opposite his leEsehoid to low water
mark he would not only ACQUIRE ad-
dltHnal valuable territory for breeding
purposes, but no would be better enabled 10
protect his grounds against theft of his
planted oysters. AT best the oyster farmer
will be more exposed to losses from this
cause than any other class Of citizens and
and every possible safeguard should be
freely afforded him. One Of the most i'm
portant clauses of the oyster bin reserves
the natural beds fer public use. and 10 sale
of all the arshes could possibly deprive a
single oystermap19 Of access to auYpnblic
bed beyond low water mark. 0uly fAcoon
oysters" will gFewId in any qusuttsy above
low water, and thsse have long 1aGosbeen
practically extegminated in Chatham
county. BIZ rvos .sl 4fT
Ensign J. C. Drake. U. S. ~. tho most
competent (and impaPtiaD anthority npun the
subject III the service q4ieut. Francis Wins
low having retired to the SUPPLEMENTARY
of an oyster company ia Chatham county,,
writes as follows of the condition and value
of the natural beds ia our waters in his re-
cent report accompanying his Georgia oys-
ter survey: In regard to the condition of
toe natural oyster beds of the ate of Geor-
gia. it was observed that there was a gen
eral depletion caused by excessive fish
ing, anu that the nearer tie market the
more were the beds dapleted In fact, the
area which | have Indicated on the uhatts as
natural oyster bedsgeaily dnelude gall that
area where oYsteFahaveg grown, aud praoti-
cally nothing but shells now remain; it also
allows for a reasonable expansions of the
heds. So few aud sosspall are the oysters
which now remain scattered alonEthe shores
that 1t wonld be to the interest of the state
II its citizens we're permitted to lease any
area, the state selling 70 the highest bidder
the pow almost depleted oYst tier lSsdsao E.
"As MEANS QfIs rapidly deplstiogsithe
natural beds no more slfsctfVe nIeS odFcoaid
be instituted tiHsa tbs vestAb lishmetfts of
factories for the Canning of, oysters These
IN the end Will be off great benefits to the
state, because the sooner the natural beds
are depleted the Soonerewill the7cibizens en-
gage in private cultivation that ~ III give
inducement to capital!p la1l moTT
The report concludes as follows t'Under
the present law the 80, 600 acres, IL leased
would turn into the soheoI fund 900. 600,
and, after having been reduced 10 cultiva>
ton, at no expense to the state, IL taxable
property wou d have increased Ss,00QUOO.n
The comparatively small bodyiof marsh
land east OF this island but not including
that of Little Tybsea bounded by Tgbee
river, Warsaw sound and Wilmington
river. comprises about 9,a00 acres, inclusive
OF Its water courses. The length of the
shore lines or its rivers and creeks, bat not
Including the numbarless ramlfications of
the latter, is about forfy-four miles AS
taken from the chart tbs extent OF the nat
ural oyster bed Rlpertaning thereto is
thirty-six miles. With artificial help nearly
this entire shore line of forty-fOurb miles
could be TRANSFORMED into a continuous
bed OF coon oystersIN Is it UNREASONABLE
to expect that fortHfour miles -ofUoyster
beds could support 7nfoEes labor than ahs 8.
miles OF exhausted natural beds hedf so,
then wild strawbsfry patch of oaeacre,
the plants being distant from each other
and hidden by weeds, is competence to
support more than e highly cultivated
strawberry farm of twelve acres
The same senseless. cutlery is being made
raised about my previous oyster bill. viz:
That it would take the food out of the
mouth OF the poor man" The oyster In
ouslry Is still in its infancy, yet it has al
ready given support to q greater number
OF poor men, and gives it permanently, than
was previously derived from all the public
natural beds of the states 1t has contributed
So,UOO TO the school fund and returned 5000
acres Of land for taxation. If encouraged
by adequate protective legislation So, 900
more may eventually go into the school
lund and II, 900 acres more be returned for
taxation without any reference to the
marsh bilD, reducing the tax rate
OF the state. To what extent this
reduction may be effected can be
surmlsed when single acres of oyster ground
nave been sold in Now York, where oyster
culture IS more uncertain than in Georgia,
at SooO. What new local industry has ever
before conferred such benefits upon the en-
tire population from the mountains to the
seaboard, and which one can, therefore.
appeal more powerfully and confidently TO
u Tor generous countenance and support7
! ne Cemler Oyster Company has 87,47S
bushels OF planted oysters and an abundant
set Oh young oysters two months old now
growing on ground previously as bare as
the streets OF Savannah. a new dredging
steamer is being built at Wilmington N.
", to be delivered here in November A
canning outfit is being prepared in Balti-
more to be placed in the factory.
ready Tor operation in Sep
tember. Ten houses are already
up as quarters for employees and work on
the factory building has begun. We shall
probably can other products of the water |