Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-26
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS.


DOVER, Feb. lS.-t some OF lHE
GAzETTE's readers had dropped into
the State house parlor between 2 and 3
o'clock this afternoon they would have
seen three dozen oystermen swarming
over the revised statutes committee for
all the world like big bumblebees over a
rotten apple, all gesticulating and all
trying to talk at once, and he would
have heard something like the following:
. "That's Just what we want-let every
body have q show-to chaw chaw over
his fill of-dead oysters four feet deep
the dredgers want the earth-to plant
reed oysters in--apd an appropriation
Of $10,000-to buy half bushel of
shells-all over the natural beds-on
Joe Flogger Shoal--toolz them six years
10 go through-from Leipsic creek to
Sand Post Point-where the tongers got
fat-on five dollars a year-and don't
represent anybody-outsideo of low water
mark-where the majority rule-and
each take one dredger and one tonger-
and go straight to the devil-with As
yawl boats-as tough as sole leather
lust what the people want-all the year
rounds three men and their attorney
togo to Millington's and get drink Of
salt water off the Jersey shore" &c.
Occasionally there would come brief
intervals of comparative quiet, during
come of which brief speeches were made
by Captains Reed, Fennimore, Buxon,
Muncy, McGonigal, and others--all the
oystermen present seemed to be captains
--but no one man could hold the floor
long before the hubbub would begin
again. Naturally the more the commit
tee heard of this, the more mixed-np 1t
got. AT times the tongers seemed to
have the best of it; next the dredgers
would get the advantages; then things
would get so mixed that nobody could
tell "tother from which" incidentally
1t came out that some oystermen are
dredgers during three months and
tongers for the rest Of the year; that
there are 2S Delaware dredging vessels,
about half of them over 10 tons burthen;
that dredgers pay $50 annual license
and SO State tax per ton for oysters
taken from the natural rocks and 81 per
ton when taken from private beds,
while tongers pay an annual license OF
$5; that the dredgers paid $l,747 and
the tongers about $500 into the State
treasury last year; that oysters must
have fresh water TO breed in; that oys-
tiers breed In salt water; that oysters
spawn in June and July; that oysters
spawn in May; that it is not known
when oysters spawn; that the oyster
rocks off the mouth of Leipsic and
Simons creeks are bare of bivalyes; thai
there are plenty Of oysters on the afore
said rocks; and many other things abou
oysters, equally contradictory.
As before stated, six years ago space
IN hn how . v 111ilna fran
the mouth of Lepsic creek and averag
ingtwo miles wide, was set apart fo
sAe exclusive use of the tongers. Thu
oysters on this preserve are Tough ant
unit for food, but when transplanted 4
the "rocksn below the preserve the
Ratten. and become edible CONSEQUENTLY
the oysters tonged on this preserve ar
mainly sold by the tongers to TIL
dredgers for planting purposes. Tn
dredgers would like to go on this pre-
serve and get their own planting oyster
and the tongers are willing to permi
this if the dredgers will surrender
space south of the mouth of Leipsi
creek to the tongers exclusive use
This desired spot is part of the "natura
rocks" section of the bay, which ex
tends down the cost from Lepsic cree
to Mahon's Ditch. Only bona flde cit
zens of Delaware-here is reminis
cence of the late Representative Morn
arc allowed 70 take oysters on thes
natural rocks. The dredgers can tax
them here for three months of the yea
the tongers can take them all the yea
round. Below Mahon's Ditch are til
private grounds; where any one ca
rent specified space from the State an
plant his own oyster bed thereon. Her
the dredgers can work for seven month
in the year; each on his own rented sec
ton; and here are sections rented b
Philadelphians, who have some 20 ves
sells engaged in the trade on their ow
individual preserves only. So much ft
what is most readily comprehensive
about the oyster middle.
Out of the chaos in the committe
room was finally evolved propositio
that the tongers and the dredgers shout
each select three men, who should e
together and, with or without the aid {
one lawyer for each party, try to g
together on some oyster bill that shout
be acceptable TO all, if possible
PEACHES IN DANGER.
The warm, moist weather of the pa
few days has so swollen the peach but
that there are some trees in SUISSE
county nearly ready to bloom. A fe
more such days would so forward Il
buds that the next frost would do irr
parable damage As there were r
peaches last year and but short ere
the year before, another failure til
year would mean financial ruin TO mar
growers.
Jacob G. Brown, who has from 40 0l
to 10000 peach trees in his orchards
Rising Sun, said this morning; Il car
bear 10 think about the possibilities Of
continuance of this weather. Nj
Brown, as has been previously state
has Withdrawn his opposition of ty
gears ago to the extension of the pen,
yellpws eXtirpation bill, provided, 2
says, '.they do not make the law i
burdensome.e If Michigan has gott
the upper hand Of this disease by d
etroying all diseased trees, it folio,
that the only thing for Delaware 10
is to follow her example. speaking
the disastrous effect Of the phenomeHal
mild winter weather of lSs9, h4Wcyt
Mr.. Brown points ont that tile wealth
lione will not explain why tile abr
crop, as well rs the peach crop, fail
all over tile United States, since iii so1
sections the weather WAS cold egGus
He has come 10 the conclusion that @
must take 10 spraying our trees, d
has contracted for a pumping apparat
70 be drawn by horses through lis
lizards and to have a capacity for spra
ing, with IA solution OF Paris grGtm
some other solution, 1000 trees per Il.
There is no use he remarked,
going into this business on ii five q,