Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-02-08
Reply of Officers of State Navy 60
Charges of Oystermeu.

ILD11 Oh Il Lhiu A2AO w NS>~
swer, through the columns OF your
paper, the letter from Sykes, which
appeared in your issue OF the 1st inst.
1t can be readily seen that the
letter was intended as slur, gotten
up by a few soreheads, who have
nothing else better to do. am sure
every fair-minded man, that makes
his living out of Pocomoke Sound,
will be willing to testify that there is
better protection and less violations
of the law, than for years.
pronounce their letter absolutely
false and without foundation. Since
the steamer Accomac has been In
commission there has never been a
day or night, but what she was either
in Tangier or Pocomoke Sound, pro-
tecting the oyster rocks. The steamer
has had to make harbor at times, the
weather being so bad that it was
unfit and not safe for boat to be
out; but even then, she was always
placed in position that the sound
could be seen and the steamer ready
to move at any moment.
take great pleasure in stating to
the public, that both sounds are
cruised day and night, whenever it
is fit for a boat to run, and l have
never seen boat dredge, or even at
tempt to dredge while cruising the
sound at night. In cruising it in the
day, have seen boats that looked a
little suspicious, although l could not
swear they were dredging. In fact,
could not get close enough to them
to know what kind of boat it was;
could only tell it was u small boat
of some description. Several times
of late, have seen boats that /
thought were dredging, and when
| got to them found they were not
even oystermen; whenever a sail is
seen in the sound that does not
always indicate that a man is violat-
ing the law, or even thinking about
it. There have been violations of the
law this season in Pocomoke Sound
and nearly all were from Sykes
Island and they were arrested, tried
and convicted. The Accomac has
repeatedly gone up the sound and
when Sykes Island boats would see
her coming, they would put sail on
and go into Maryland; they knew
they were violating the law, and to
keep from being arrested, would flee
into Maryland waters for place OF
refuge.
am constantly told by reliable
oystermen in Pocomoke Sound, that
make their living out of the sound,
that the sound is we'll watched, and
that their protection is better than it
has been for years. consider l
know more about the sound, in re-
gard to what is going on, than the
entire community of Sykes Islands
1t is impossible for person to stay
on the Island and say that boat is
dredging in the sound that is absurd
They state in their letter, that
on January 9Th, 1S96-'Three boats
dredged on Ledge Rock-and no
police boat in the sound" On that
day every creek in Pocomoke Sound
was frozen over, rendering it impossl-
BILE for any sail boat to get out; the
schooner Pocomoke was frozen in,
and remained frozen in until January
18th, when broke her out OF the ice.
On that day steamer Accomac was
in the sound and cruised the sound
until 6 D. m, not sail was seen Of
any description, wind heavy from
northwest, very cold and ice making
over the entire sound.
On January 9th, they say, dredging
was going on and no police boat in
the sound. The steamer Accomac
was in the sound the entire day and
cruised the sound as far up as the
sand bar, where she encountered
heavy Ice. On that day from 6 a. m.
to p. H., it was a dead calm, creeks
frozen over and not q boat of any de-
scription in the sound.
January 10Th, 1896, they claim,
dredging in the sound. The steamer
Accomac on that day worked Tan
eier Sound, was not in Pocomoke
So nd at all. l am told by the cap
tain of schooner Pocomoke, that his
boat was on duty the entire day, that
it was dead calm with drilling
rain and no boats were out, that his
boat lay out in the sound in full view
of the rocks. I had it in Tangier
Sound calm all day with rain.
On January 23d, they claim, dredg-
ing going on. Both steamer Acco
mac and Schr. Pocomoke were il the
sound on that day. Itwas very stormy.
wind northeast, no boats were seen
out in the sound at all; at 1 p. N. to 6
p. m, it was blowing almost a gale.
On January oath, 1896. they claim,
dredging going on in the sound. On
that day both boats were in the
sound. The steamer Accomac cruised
the entire sound in dense fog, came
across several boats but all were COM
plying with the law, at 4 p. M,
calm, anchored in middle of the
sound; on that day saw no violations
at all. have taken these statements
from my log book, and am willing to
swear that they are correct; my log
book is kept daily and everything OF
note is always set down.