Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-26
cLanoaous clAx.


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Chefssa y ara Nsge ssf-
The itnnarsassg natter 10 come before
III, ,.,,y,,,,,is... ..,t ,x -H.,r, f,s,1erl.s was
The ustifsau fur !. re,,,-aE III the Law of 1871
; which .xve 10 tie tyx n OF Cumberland n,u-
tual rights il. the clam fss.s In what now
,..,sts,if,s.e,. tl4s. tuxux .,f Yarmouth, anj
t.,,u,f,sris.n4 ss-saf DEAL Of fater,ss, was
rn.uifesf.d. hi. .ares. ;E,s,Itiarv rooms
where Tia. bearing vas he.E.i being filled
w;,Y reonts. r,anr corning from Carnba--
i Land AMI Yarmouth. Hon. II. NJ. UeatI.
III augusta ..s,s, z. Ile,Ilsv Freeman Esa..
Of Portland snTs.aresi Tor toe petitioners
sri Han cf,ss E thlag Of Portland f,,r
tho r..utan.trant..
Mr.. Freeman. IN oneaiau. said ti.at the
,,esitian was rYct in ls.s.sase If the prescott
rate Of digging g1es on tissre Is in1nsi-
uent danger Of The determination Of eisyns
within few years. The firm of Hamilton
& Co. are barge PACKERS OF clans on Che
beazue Island and dir an enormous number
of elans. Then ths.re Is eant.iag factory
on Chebcagae is.an that Eses 4 large ng.a-
Der. many of which are small ami should
be permitted to grow. He said that thev
came before the committee on n matter of
pure business and to secure the same rights
in their own town clam aats as other towns
hare. In 1921 conditions were altogether
different. At that fine there was no dan
ger of the determination of these CLANS.
He called attention to the statute provi,iiag
that ,own us NAV pass ordinances to regulate
the taking of clam. AMI argued the much
greater need of such a law a9v titan when
i. was passed But the town of Yarmouth
is powerIess IA the matter nov stands.
Capt Nicholas Drinkwater Of Yarmouth
was called and testified that IL, hal always
lived near those fats anil tia, L, years ago
a man could dig Ave bushels Of clans
where he can one now He could rehem-
her shen those fats were las fall of clans
as the stars in Heaven He went on 10
tell of the large number that came there to
dig clans. Sometimes 70 boats would eome
over from Chebeague loaded with elan
diggers. Portions Of the flats had been dug
over so that one couldn't find clam there
TODAY. He thought that at this rate they are
being dug in other parts of the flats.
Cross-examined-The best clam flats are
today in the limits of the tow of Yarmouth.
Had seen them dig clans there that weren't
bigger than a quarter of a dollar.
Q-What do you call an old clam, cap
tain?
A-From 20 to 10 wears old. Laughter
Can't. Lorenzo Hamilton of rousens' is
land testified that in the neirhborhood of
Cousens' island he thought the clans were
fast diminishing. Fifteen wears ago a man
could get from five to seven bushels in three
hours. They DIG now eight hours a tiay
where they used to dig but three hours a
dav. and they take all sizes of clans now.
Cross-examinea-Ilad dug but very few
clans in the past 10 or IL wears. Didn't
know AS to the propagation OF CLANS. The
largest aud best supply of clans in that
vicinity he thought was on the north side
of Co,isen's island.
Others testified particularly to the same
purpose, among them being ex-Representa
tive Buchanan of Yarmouth.
Hon. Chas. +. Libby ARMED for the re-
monstrants. He doubted The power of the
Legislature to take from thusc people the
right that was granted Them when they were
made town. being set off from Old North
Yarmouth.
The p4oule of tha.e rocky isiaa,is gain
their livelihood bt his clam industry, which
if is propespa tIr LEGISLATURE. shall take
from th,,m. There worl l,c no equity in
such an act If the Ip,i. litur.. ha,, the mower.
and he cited decisions to >how the Legisla
ture had no power to rass such a bill.
When Cumbcrl,r,l 60 set off from the old
town of North NarnlAah this section re-
fcrring to tie riph. of taking CLANS
on those flats. w,. npt. af the consideration
un,Icr wh,rh HE pao,,,s of that ,art -; of
consented TO the ARRANGEMENT. They were
separate1 in the faith that they should
always retain their common fi.it..
Because, the people nf North Yarmouth
have got above digging clans and the peo
ple of Cumberland die more CLAIMS. those
neonle of North Yarmouth rise IN and ask
that the rigtts of the town of Cumberland
under which she received her charter. shall
be taken from her.
He had % of his constituents here who
are practical clam dicpers and he proceeded