The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-25

pean who brings to our Northern ATT
lantic waters a skipper not bred to them
carries a heavy handicap. Likewise the
sailors used to European waters have
an advantage of their own, which even
the hardest product of America, even
though he may have used the Defender
as a whip on the Earl OF Dunraven's
back. may yet find special reasons to re-
spect."
There is something radically wrong
with the port Of San Francisco complains
the Bulletin. Shippers OF foreign vessels
complain of dock charges. pilotage
charges and the slowness of our mer-
chants. Not long ago a British ship
that docl1ed at a south end wharf had
to pay over 5000 in state wharfage tolls
while she waited for O slow local firm to
put her cargo on board. Now comes the
British bark Helenslea, at Spear street,
loading for London. The Helens.ea mas
taken on board strictly Californian car
go of canned fruits, honey and other
domestic products, but she has been 81
days in doing so, and lner wharfage bill,
presented today, is alone for the sum OF
$427. The barks officers are angry and
say that this is the slowest port in the
word, and that the cargo should have
been put on board in ten days at the
Emit. The vessel wifi lose $500 through
her California venture, and the out
rageous charges of this harbor are partly
to bame for the deficit. The revenue
officials are banned by sea captains, as
are the pilots. Our piotage charges are
too high and the matter should be
brought to the attention of the proper
law makers. 1t is time to sound the
aCarm for our business is gradually drift
Ing out of our clutches and being turned
over to northern competitors. The ship
perS should do their part for the good
OF the common community and try to
remember that this is an age or progress
ion and not of siluranism, and IL we
do not give foreign ships fair treatment
and quick dispatch We shall become
terror to all craft owners who are send
ing ships into american harbors.
There was a big seizure OF shark early
this morning at the Clay street market
Over a thousand pounds OF the carrion
fish were captured by Market Inspectors
Davis and Jordan and arrests Will be
made today, the inspectors claim. They
say they can prove that the sh,Srk has !
been sold on the market as sturgeon
and that the captured fish was being |
offered for sale to the many customers
who are unable to tell the difference be- |
tween shark and sturgeon. There Is, how
ever. a. great difference between the |
carrion and the edible fish, despite their
exterior resemblance. and Inspector
Davis says the carrlon fish Is rank |
poison. 1t may not cause death immedl- !;
ately, but serious zymotic disease al |
ways enSue from the eating of shark |
1t was after 1 o'clock when the seizure
was made, and Clay street market was
just beginning to wake up for the big
Friday trade. A good deal of excitement
was created when the inspectors put in
their appearance and began to look into
the contents of the fish bins and ice
boxes. Some of the fish seized were
skinned and frozen stiff. In this condl-
tion 1t is almost impossible to tell them
from the sturgeon for which they are
sold. The proprietors Of the stalks were
on hand ,and some of them mildly pro-
tested against the work OF the market |
inspectors. None of them denied the |
however, for the inspectors |
caught them bringing the cawion fish |
out OF their ice boxes In some cases, |
and in all cases the shark was prepared |
for the retail counters. A quantity OF |
tainted halibut was also seized The in
spectors declare that the proprietors OF |
uneSe ilsn STARTS VIII De vigorously prose- |
cuted and that all the evidence needed |
for conviction was secured in the carrion |
fish seized. One of the sharks captured |
was full six feet in length and weighed |
about $50 pounds 1t was black In color
and of the variety that is considered
especially dangerous as an article for
table consumption. The other sharks
were about three feet in length and of
the mottled varleties.-CaM