Middletown transcript., 1899-08-19
BARREN OYSTER BEDS
Maryland's Great Industry in Danger


say concerning the depleted condition
Of the oyster beds in the Chesapeake
and it's tributaries:
In Baltimore City and in all the tide
water counties of the state, active pre-
partitions are now being made for the
opening of the oyster season. In the
counties the tongers will begin work
September 1. This is by far too early, ,and
even those who are 10 measure bene-
fitted admit it. The success of an early
season depends largely upon the con-
ditions ofthe fruit crop 10 the country.
If fruit is plenty in the West the sale
Of oysters is dull always, and oysters
are rarely ever in good marketable con-
dition before October.
Time was when the oyster beds of
the Chesapeake and its tributaries we're
a source of revenue to the State far in
excess of the gold productions of the
Klondike; but what now? A compari-
son of the conditions of to-day with
those Of 10 years ago will show how ne
glectful the people have been in look
| ing after this natural wealth producing
industry.
The Herald correspondent has within
the past few days, accompanied by an
old and well-informed oysterman, Wis
tied the oyster grounds of the Chop
tank river for the purpose Of taking
observations, and the knowledge gain
ed is we'll worth the serious attention
of all interested in The oyster supply.
For instance, upon rock where few
years ago an ordinary lotion scraper
could take 100 bushels Of selects in a
day, the dredge was thrown four times
and only secured two oysters of market,
able size. Five years ago the catch
upon the same grounds would have
been nearly peck at each throw Of
the dredge.
A visit was then made to the tongers'
grounds on Howell's and Horns
Points, and here the conditions were
even worse. At either of these places
few years back tonger could catch
from II to IS bushels in day under
favorable weather conditions. To-day
he cannot get at HowelI's Point more
than three bushels, and at Horns
Point this season no effort will be
made to put in a days work. Above
Cambridge, where dredgers have al
ways been prohibited from working,
the tongers have better show to make
a livelihood, but the conditions here,
too, are very bad. Five years ago,
where a tonger could take 80 bushels
in day, he cannot now get more than
five bushels.
What is true of the Choptank oyster
grounds is equally true of those of
ether rivers. That our rivers must
be closed to dredgers or the bottoms
will become entirely barren is very
plain to all careful observers. For
instance, 10 years ago the supply of
oysters from the Choptank river was
greater than the oyster-houses Of Cam.
bridge, Oxford and Secretary could
handle, and Baltimore buy-boats were
constantly in the river getting supplies.
To day two-thirds of the oysters pack
ed at these points are brought here
from down the-bay rivers, principally
from Virginia.
Capt. w. FL. Robbins, one OF the
best informed men in the State, who
has been engaged in the oyster trade in
all its branches from his youth up,
says: SIT is all idle talk to say that
our oyster supply cannot be entirely
cut off. l made my money out of
oysters, and followed dredging in the
Chesapeake Bay until was forced to
abandon it ON account of the scar
city of oysters. l have in two days
loaded big pungy on some of the best |
known grounds of the bay, and have |
seen these bars become so barren that |
one would have thought an oyster |
never did grow upon them. When |
was forced to give up dredging went
into the oyster commission business in |
Baltimore, and this. too, soon became |
so Improbable, on account of the scar
city Of oysters and consequent high |
prices, that / dropped out of the busi-
ness altogether. When oysters were |
plentiful and s,ld even from Is to 20 |
cents per bushel, the revenue to the |
people of this State was simply incal-
culable. Now, at so cents per bushel,
there are, indeed, few people engaged
in the business, from the catcher to |
the packer, who can make both ends |
meet. l have maintained ever since
my experience as dredger that the
rivers should be closed to all scrapers
and nonresident oystermen, and I am
more thoroughly convinced nov than
ever that this Is the only hope we have
for the protection of the oyster. Close
the Choptank to scrapers for three
years, and no gold mine in all the land
will yield as much revenue as will our
oyster beds. The people of Talbot
county attempted to have the Choptank
closed at the last session of the Legis-
Iature, but we of Dorchester fought
against It and prevented it. The same
effort will be made next winter, and,
If I mistake not. Dorchester will not
attempt to stop it"
That it is hard to legislate so as to
satisfy the packer, the scraper and the
tonger-the interests OF one conflicting
with the other-is well-known, but
that something must be done to save
the oyster all are now forced to admit.