Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-25
OYSTERS.
Arc They Conducive to the Happiness
and Prosperity of Tidewnter VAT
MATHEWS G. H., Va, January Is, 1891.

MATHEWS G. H., Va, January Is, 1881.
To 1e Editor of de Dispatch
In my last article to your valuable paper
T aava hrief history of the oyster and the
manner of propagating the species. The
nnestion now is. Are they q blessing OF
curse to the land in which they grow The
answer is briefly told by survey OF 1ide-
,yo,er from the mouth of the Potomac TO
tbe canes Look at the land out OF cult;
yation. and the growth of pine bushes and
sedge. and the squalid huts OF the oyster;
men: look at the very numerous stores
or whiskey-shops at the FORK OF most every
road and on the shore OF every creek. uo
10 one of these shops on any stormy, DAY
when the oysteTmen cannot WoIA' anu see
the motley crowd.
BEFORE 1850. when we could control our
labor we could fill our coves and creeks
with oysters. and Mathews county being
nerfect network of such water-courses,
besides the rivers and Ravens ana
"harbors," and the bottoms Delng wen
suited to grow and fatten oysters, OF the
very best quality, they COMMANDED me
price. But great changes nave taken pace.
AJAX the farmer now why his coyes are
empty. he will tell you that he cannot run
the risk of having them removed by thieves.
Ask him WHY his fields are not cultivated,
ne will tell YOU that the rails are decayed
and that he cannot afford TO purchase new
ones and that the stock OF the FISHERMAN,
running at large throughout the country,
break in and destroy the crop. We ask
our men in authority to give US some relie1
nv excluding the hogs from the pubic
roads. and tell them that ii is easier to
fence against cattle than hogs, and but
few hogs ere suffered by their owners TO
RIM at large, only q few old sows remain,
but we have to make miles of fencing to
keen them in place: and although these
gentlemen In authority have promised to
have the matter attended to-. we INFER tnat
the old hogs have q vote, and ss these gen.
tlemen have fat little office which they
wish to retain, two oystermen's VoteSls Det-
fer than one farmers. Hence we infer that
these gentlemen are afraid that the move
might make them unpopular TO certain
class of citizens and they give the farmer no
relief. We appeal to the member OF the
| Jepislature TO introduce bill to exclude
the cattle from the public roads. We tell
them that the law has been tested IN the
Legislature of Maryland aud decided that
| no one can turn stock on the property OF
his neighbor, and very intelligent law
yer of this county Is OF the same OPINION
vet no action is taken on the subject.
| Oystermen who have no land turn their
| cattle out TO shift for themselves, to depre-
/ date on Others, and the presumption Is
that each old COW or dilapidated OK has a
vote, and the move for relief to the farmer
may be unpopular. We wish to raise a
few sheep, but almost every FISHERMAN has
one or more dogs that soon destroy our ef-
| forts and we contend that as these dogs
are all voters that they ought to help to
paw our taxes, Foxes come IN our poultry
yards in midday and help themselves, and
the dogs are of no real service except to
give to some oystermen an occasional din
ner of "coon and taters." Hence, Mr.;
Editor. the farmers are bound hand and
foot to the oystermen. We are helpless,
and, although we have natural advantages
surpassed by no county in, the
State, they are not developed. In
conversation with one Of our most intelll-
gent farmers, who has been very successful
in connection with the oyster trade, he tells
me that oysters have a baneful and de-
moralizing influence on all who come IL
| contact with them,