Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-08

ENft OF net NllAlf "a AAFN AAttAAfIf NffH
per part bafmg network OF cotton cor
dage The "scrapers'' are something
similar, but smaller, and are used IN
smaller boats, and only in shcal water
The tong" Is worked BY one man. IL
has two handles that are crossed IKE
pair Of scissors. TO the other ends OF
which are two forks. which are opened
when lowered and then shut. catching
the oysters between them and then the
tnnger pulls them out OF the water.
The "tongers" are those who work on
q small scale In small boats. the
',scrapers." somewhat larger. hut the
'dredgers' are the most formidable foes
OF the oyster. The tongers are alreaoy
ut work, having begun on september
l. The scrapers are very few Of late
yeErg. and that form OF getting oysters
81 about obsolete.
The dredger is permitted TO work only
IN deep water, the bnra IN shallow
water being reEcrved for the tnnHar
Consequently, the bulk Of the dredging
IS done down the bay, although the
waters OF the Chester river, Eastern
bay and Choptank river are wen pat-
rnnlzed. pocOmoke sound, Honga
river, rangier sound and the waters ~
the bay bordering on Dorchester md
Somerset counties are the principal
scenes OF dredging operations. while
an these waters nearer shore furnish a
livelihood for thousands of tungefs
These inter people generally live ln
villages or aettementa near the tonglng
grounds. and the majority Of them. be-
ing Industrious ana frugal, own conf
Portable little homes, with few acres
OF ground attached, which they work
IN the summer season. Great many
vessels engaged IN the oyster trade aro
simply runners"
They sail down 10 tho Oyster bars.
sf. 4 mH
run them 10 market The tourist on
the bay steamers has frequently nO-
ticed vesscls lying Mt anchor near como
oyster locality with n large basket sus-
pended from the main mast hen1. This
basket Is the "runncr's' sign, and sucl
vessels are usually seen surrounded by
u fleet OF canoes waiting to dispose of
recantly-gathotcd clutches Al this
time ia tho deep waters other vessels
may be seen sailing about In an APP
parently nlmicsa fashion, hut really
systematically Mt work. These nre
dredging, sailing over the dcep-lylng
oyater bars gathering the bivalvcs with
tholr great iron SCOOP or dredgcr
Sometimes q dredging crew ships for
the oyster grounds 20 the beginning OF
the season, and the men remain down
the bay until It closes. when the vcf-
scl they Hre on 90 loaded. they are trans
ferred 20 another just arrived, aud work
ON that while the first vessel hastcus
away 10 the city TO dispose Of rs load.
This In the busy season also FOR tho
/ Maryland oyster navy. which IL Ia
watch closely ana see that the drcdgerR
/ etc, do not begin too soon. that they
I have the proper licenses. and do not
| trespnss upon forbidden ground,
The condition Of oysters this sea
son. from the reports received from the
tongers, is good. Capt William H.
/ Thompson. recognized authority on
/ everything that pertains to the oyster
/ industry IN Maryland. said yesterday
| that the general condition Of the oyB-
I tiers ~ good. In Chester river they are
I ns tlne as last year. The majority OF
I the TanRlcr sound oysters are good,
! while those In tho llshing bny. Eastern
/ bay, and the Western shore oysters
/ from Wost river down are extra fine
/ this year Tho PatuNcnt oysters are
also good but those In the Pocomokc
are thin. No reports have yet come
from the Potomac, The prices are at
] present high, owing 10 the hard wcn tn
or, and the absence Of scrApe boats,
/ which usually 20 to work before this.
The sorape and drcdgc boats viii be-
I gin together october 10 this year. The
vessels are rapidly Ming their crews.
There Ia always a demand for expe-
( Hcnccd dredgcrH, aud they are paid
I better wages, thinks Cap. Thompson
than most ahorcrs receive. The size
OF tho boats which compose the great
, oyster fleot of Maryland ranges from
the r0wbo0t 10 thcschaoncr OF about
nifty or sixty tons register, These lat
ter VIII rnrry about 300 bushels Of
oysters. According TO Cant. shelton, Il
famous oystermnu, the bont hest
adapted TO the work is the l0O0-huHhel
boat OF about 20 tons.
Many people In Western Maryland do
/ not renigH. perhaps, how very In,
port2nt 60 the state and its peoplc the
oyster industry Of Maryland ls la
! eleven counties of tho state tho oyster
industry Is by far the most Important
Industry and " the principal means Of
support To the population OF thns,
counties, numbering about 100000
This docs not include the Baitlmor
part of the Industry. Eleven thousunt
people In this city are employed In tn,
various departments OF the work al
dredging packing, markC ting trana
porting, etc. Nor probably do IN,
people OF Maryland realize what
milne OF wealth thcy have In theu
oyster beds, a careful student OF th,
subject. writing on the subject soml
time ago. said thgt whereas at tina
time S9,000.0O0 worth OF oyatcrs wer,
taken out annually, thla might be In
creased to hundreds ot millions. I
can be easily seen. therefore. thnt b,
oyster farming taking Into considera
ton the wonderful productive charac
tprisuos OF the oyster Maryland cnul,
produce enough oysters to food man,
times her preaent population shoul
every other article of food be cut oi
entirely.
The amount Of oysters TINT could h
produced In Maryland by cultlvatio
would be practically llmitless. A
Va, there nre estimated to bc Sos suunr
, mlles OF natural oyster reofs In m
bay and its tributaries. Tile numhe
of bushels Of oystors obtained In Mary
, land waters In 1909 was nearly $4,000 O
, hushcls-obout ouc.third The produt
ton OF the entire world, twice the prt
+ duct OF Mgryland's nearest rival vi,
4 ginin, and twice the product Of m
1 world outside OF the United states.
. The careless and destructive method
4 OF dredEera In Year., gone hN led
. the enactment OF many salutary law
{ such as the cutting law. which r,
$ quires that young, growing oyster
must be thrown back into the wntei
r This has resulted In the supply l<eeI
= lng about the same In recent year
r but wastcful methods IN earlier yeaI
Z make oysters moro scarce than fort
. or tfty years ago. when the reefs wei
! simply overloaded with them. m
. number OF vessels engaged In "oyste
"a ints's has iurrDnapl fran. ,h.,,t tnn