The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-25
A LOBSTER WAR.
Disturbed State of Affairs at Port Clyde
The Wardens and their Launch are Dis
liked by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Trouble
Possible.

There has been renewal of'the short"
lobster war of last year, and for some
years back. According to reports re-
ceived from Port Clyde, there is bad
state of affairs there, and very bitter
Feeling exists on the part of the fisher
men against the wardens, who are now
on the grounds" with their steamer the
Protector, and are making life burden
to the fishermen. Last year it will be
rememp ered the war was carried on
largely in this city. Many suits were
brought, but they were mostly against
the big firms, and resulted in a series of
protracted legal contests and much hard
feeling, but the business went on, and
there was no interruption worth talking
about in the business of the fisherm en-
This year there issa complete change in
the programme. The campaign instead
of being carried on about the wh,nves
here, and against rich firms and indi-
viduals, is directed against the fisher
men, who, if arrested, would be unable to
get bail, or to employ attorneys. Erom
the reports received It would seem that
the fishermen are greatly disturbed, and
that total breaking up of the lobster
business may follow the WAR. 1t is
said that SO great is their dread of the
wardens, that many fishermen will not
venture to their traps, fearing that the
Protector may come down on them be-
fore they can measure their Holsters, and
throw the short ones overheard. The
wardens in their swift little boat have
the advantage of all the fishermen, and
can pass rapidly from schooner to
schooner, and from trap to trap. The re-
suit SO far has been to greatly :. interrupt
the lobster business. The @smacksn can
not be counted on now to make quick
trips, and if the present state of things
continues, there will be real distress. it
is said, among the lobster takers. who
have had bad season, and must now
earn enough to get in their supplies for
the winter.
While the dealers here feel the decided
interruption to their business, caused by
the movements of the wardens, the worst
feature to them is the trouble it has
brought on the poor men many of whom
have been long in their employ. "The
worst thing about it, said j. W. Ire
fethen yesterday " is that the men who are
thus troubled are poor, and are unable to
defend themselves in court. They have
had Hard luck and this renewal Of the
short lobster war, means the taking
away from them of their hope Of getting
a living the coming winter We can but
feel that the present state Of things was
not contemplated when the present law
was passed by the legislature and that
this is disgrace to the sialte."
The fishermen are exasre5rated, and are
making many charges against the war
dens They say that their traps and
marks indicating their ! location have
been cut away, leaving them so much
the poorer in purse, and so much more
uncertain what to do in the future
. The wardens have made one arrest, that
of Levi Hooper. of Port Clyde, but he
proposes to fight the casa in court. 1t
must be understood that this is only one
side of the story. The wardens are
not where they can he communicated
with, and their story off the campaign
obtained, and it msU be that they
will claim that they ere acting with no
greater degree Of vigor than is absolutely
necessary in their augment, but reports
from Port Clyde, and, other points GER
tainly Indicate that the fishermen feel
that their business lsas been seriously in
terrupted, and that trouble may follow
continuance of the war;
H..o. De- CIR Ell VI q