The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-28
THE GREAT OYSTER INTEREST
OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Buxton. Y. G.. Jan. o. 1890

To the Editor: notice that many Of
our people who live in the towns are
anxious to keep up" the present svs-
TEN Of dredging oysters in the waters
of the Pamlico and it's tributaries, and
that some are even now advocating Gun
limited" dredging. Why say "unlimit-
cd" when it has never been limited.
The law prior to 1897 limited dredging
to certain depth of water, and | don't
know what kind of law was made III
1897, for, although / am justice OF
the peace in Dare county, | never saw
the laws of 1897, and / don't think
am any the worse for that misfortune;
but | do know that dredging or scrap
ing has never been limited on the east
side of the sound, for the reason we
have not had any one here to enforce
the law. ! have seen six or seven boats
"scraping" for oysters in less than four
feet of water inside the reef. and Mr..
Whites oyster inspector among them.
The honorable gentleman who represents
this county on the floor of the House
of Representatives saw the same, and
he will bear me out in the assertion.
/ never saw lawful oyster measure in
Hatteras township, ana ] don't believe
there can be one found. The oysters
are taken from the rocks and sold, and
I'll sizes that will ''fll up" are sold,
measured in water pals, butter tubs or
anything that is cheap and handy. No
attention is paid to the culling law.
/ am informed that the oyster plant
mt Bellport is paying $4,000 per WeeE
for oysters at ten cents per bushel, just
as they are dredged from the rock-oys-
tiers. culls and shells; and / am inform
ed also that huge barges are in course
of construction at Washington, n. G.,
to be anchored on the rock to receive
oysters as they are taken in that con-
dition. Let that go on and in less than
FIVE years an oyster will be worth as
much as a little brown jug at
camp meeting. Not only the small oys-
ters that ought to be returned to the
identical rock they are taken from to
replenish it. but the shells that should
catch the spawn are dredged up and
carried away. The people of the towns.
where the plants are located, want the
oysters to come, regardless of conse-
quences. / have always lived in this
community and know as much about the
oyster business as any man living, and
/ know that if the Legislature does not
protect the oysters. there will be none
''unlimited'' dredging and ''scraping"
that has been practiced since 1895 has
deprived n portion of our people of their
living. It is not every man who can
furnish deck boat and pair of dredges
or '.scrapers" Only about one-fourth
of the oystermen are so fortunate. The
others depend upon a skiff and a pair of
oyster tongs for their daily bread; but
if the deck boats are allowed to scrape
up all the oysters wherever they can
float there viii be nothing for the
tongers to do.
A proper man for shell fish commits
sioner, who is identified with the oyster
men and who will place competent in
spector wherever one is needed to en-
force the law--the right kind of law
will solve the oyster problem. And
there can be no better man found for
shell fish commissioner than John M.
CLAYTON, of Hyde. He lives among the
oystermen, knows all about the business,
has the brains and experience TO qualify
him for the position, and will fill it
acceptably.
We have the right kind of men in
the Legislature to give Us good oyster
law. Williams, of Dare is a practical
oysterman. Davis, of Hyde, knows all
about them grows them on his farml,
and while our Senators may not have
had the practical experience, they will
stick to the men who fight sleet snow
and "'nor' westers" to catch oysters,
and there is not a man III North Caro-
lima who knows any more about the
people of southern Dare than Hon. i
G.. Skinner, the Senator from Perqui
mans. He is thoroughly acquainted with
their customs. mode of living and how
they acquire their living; in fact he
knows as much about their fish, oysters
clans and yeopon as they know them
selves. 1t is to him they go when they
ret into the tolls of the courts: and
he il was who raised hell' for them
n few DAYS before the late election; anc
to him they look to raise the devil
for them in Raleigh, and help to make
for them an oyster and game law that
will protect them for all time
Just think of the material that repre-
sents the poor, hard-fisted, sun-tanned
oystermen and fshermen-Abbott, Bush
Leigh. Williams, Davis, Nicholson. Rus
sell. Miller, Ward and Skinner and
good old Harry Stubs. What need we
fear with such Improvement on the old
stock? Stop dredging and 'scraping'
in less than ten feet of water; compel
every one to return shells and small
oysters to the rocks, stop the selling Of
plants out of the State; give us com
missioner who will enforce the law.
And we will say. Well done. good
boys" A. WI. slMfsoN.