The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-11
The OYSTER La ".


general observations, but Oy drst duty
shall be vindlcation OF Ensign Drake an
honorable southern gentleman and an oti-
cer of the United States 1Avy, who has
been accused of having been merely 90 9
iunketing tour. and. having been bribed 10
omit some Of the natural beds OF Chatham
county on his charts. Ensign Drake has
friends and connections in GU. city, having
married the daughter Of DR.. W. ~ King.
formerly of Savannah Soon after the ar.
rival of the schooner Ready 10 our waters
Mr.. r. Paf and my eldest son. at Ensign
brakes request, Indicated on separate
charts the natural beds as far south IS Sapelo
Island without any regard to their CON-
curative degree OF exhaustion. and natur-
ally the nearer home the more exact were
che indications. aud do not believe sin
gle one CT The least consequences was omitted
h Chatham county.
He was. Of course, not guided In his sur
yey by the Objectionable and unfortunate
definition of a natural bed nov repealed
of the law Of 1889 that ground became al
natural bed iD proportion az 1t could BE-
proven to have been fisbed or resorted TO-
and therefore exhausted, and under which
the valuable beds of the lower couu ties have
bseD taken up in violation of the iu tent OF
the law ODuST tDe pTeteXt bG6Ft neV Gao never
feen previously resorted TO by means OF
tougs by the public Ensign Draks pro-
eeeded under the only proper and lawful
definition, a. fixed by Judge Colds borough
Of Maryland: Land cannot be said TO be q
natural oyster bar, or bed, merely because
oysters are scattered bers or there upon II;
but wherever the natural growth Is so
thick ard abundant that the public resort
to 10 for livelihood. It is natural bar
AoJY IEharauar NbarnfOra ~
by personsI examination that anv
OF these indicated beds failed TO come up
10 this reQuisitioD be omitted them, know
ing that private occupancy and cultivation
were tbs only means OF still preserving
them for the future general welfare These
examinations car be made 30 accurately
that the number OF oysters to the square
yard are calculated Prot Brooks. of the
Johns Hopkins University, the best author
ity on the subject in the United States tpos.
Ebiy in the world. eaysI After ar oyster
led is thoroughly exhausted there is no
reason why another natural bed should
ever grow up in the same spot rather than
anywhere else. Even il the waters are
loaded with spat from adjacent beds, there
is no reason why the young should gain a
foothold on the site of the exterminated
bed. The regrowth of such a bed is, there
fore, exactly like the original formation Of
a natural bed. and it must be a very slow
process indeed. How slow 1t is very diff
cult to say, as we have very little infofma-
ton which viii help US to decide. although
we have facts TO show that a century
may not be long enough" In conuec-
ton with this danger of wiping
these natural beds out Of existence
and of Ensign brakes omission to indi
cate them submit letter received to day
from Mr.. John d. Battle for publication.
The writer was a class and roommate at
college of our esteemed fellow-citizen Hon.
f. g. duBignon and an assistant of Ensign
Drake's
If Ensign Drake was bribed tho Inference
is that l must have been the briber. The
survey was made through my instrumental
ity, and Mr.. Drake and myself became init
mate. After he had finished his work here
without rejecting about the impropriety, /
wrote to HIM at Brunswick inquiring wheth-
er he considered Wilmington river ft for
artificial oyster culture, and receiving no
reply asked the question subsequently, but
again in vain | never knew his opinion
until saw it in his report after the lease
had been granted. Very properly he had
first to report to the government before he
could do 80 to DR.. Oenler.
The legislature Of 1889 provided for the
appointment Of commission, which was
q TO recommend what future legislation would
be necessary for the development Of tho
oyster industry. ana amendments were,
therefore, contemplated at that time My
BILL as it passed the House, was in strict
conformity with the recommendations of
the commission, and was prepared soon
after the visit Of that body to Brunswick.
One of the most important then and
always urged by myself, was the preserva-
uon "the yet valuable natural beds, not
merely IN order 10 support few people
precarlously for few years still, but be-
cause they are indispensable TO any new
oyster companies From the very first !
have contended, and do now contend, that
nave devised the safest, most unQuestionable
ana conclusive means to that end in the
adoption OF Bulletin No. 10 in such manner
as shall obviate litigation. This question
concerns the welfare OF the state, and not
merely the access to a few exhausted beds Of
Chatham county Of a certain number of
oYstermen. No claim is made that any have
ueen omitted in any other county, for there
Sney have never been f1shed so excessively.
Without this reservation, which the adoption
OF Bulletin No. l9secures, S22, 900 will be lost
to the school fund, and %. 600 acres will not
De returned for taxation at a possible val
uatlon OF Zoo, 900. l did say had heard,
OF read, that Mr. Lewis had applied In Con-
necucut Tor persons to take out leases, but
never IN violation Of the law in order 10
secure natural beds; and ] prefer TO leave
Others
The bill as framed by myself and intro.
onced by Maj. Ryals had no validating
CLAUSE Neither he nor myself, are there
lore, responsible for that Senate amend.
ment.
botb he and stated that my bill had
Seeh lett at Ihuuderbolt for examination.
out neither Of US mentioned Bulletin No. 10
az having been exhibited there. Ons could
uaFe neen seen in the Office Of the county
commissioners, however.
ABOUT ten days befors the conference
was 70 take place, and did afterward take
piaes at Mr.. Clifton's Office, / asked him to
HGT,Iy al parties IN interest to attend IL
a. ne article OF to-day and the memorial to
onI governor abound in MISREPRESENTATION
eaicuialea TO mislead his excellencY and the
ptoIo; Conhning myself TO few OF the
'aSSer ne says, for instance:
th; tuaI vast area of the public beds tn
Is County nad been staked off under the
i rito1 VI loo1, conining the oystormeu to ter.
10y outside Its limits, whereas, with q
90 oele exception, lat Thunderbolt) not a foot
auy natural bed has been applied for
II 0 0e5 Vne law of 1889. OF the total area OF
49, 49,, acres In Chatham county $40 havu
'09n taken up In 6-acre leases.
4 do-. 1uao persons applying for ieases have
bsd 80 phoer the pretext that natural beds
latt. n y, oeen located on tile charts OF bull
lsssa.- .o. A. whereas n large uum Der OF the
NIL, we're granted before the bulletin was
pretext. "0'e' Gus Oeeh "Seu as q
Xlim;r.uaO inc survey was gotten up pre-
uihinary 20 the passare Of Tho Ierv ~ 1850