The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06

shall ever desire an emblem lt VIII hhu IL
IN the Fish. for they are. indeed. the old
est inhabitants. When Captain John smith
PASSED the river front Of wooded Wash
ington he found these Oldest inhabitants
so numerous that they sometimes blocked
the passage OF his boat and far beyond
the time Of the Virginia warrior the race
of fishes extends When in the geological
cons Of which Prof MCGEE has told Us, the
Potomac ran on a bed amid the Potomac
formation higher than the dome Of the
CAPITOL. the fishes lived, but man was not
The fish is still with us for our comfort
and the best behoof OF the Fish Commits
sion.
At first appliances for taking fish we're
needless. The FISH, in the season, could
be taken by any impromptu device. they
seemed to be anxious to make the white
mans acquaintance. for the new country
in the matter Of food was almost as pio-
ductive as the tabled land TO which the
British recruiting sergeant once invited re-
cruits: You will go to a place, said ne
where the cottages are matched with
pancakes. the streets are paved with bar
lev loayes. chickens fly through the air.
and pigs run through the streets with
knife and fork ready stuck in their backs
CRYING. Who'll come eat me?
Forest and stream furnished food until
the needs OF man and the lessenlng bounty
OF nature called on men TO cease 10 be
savage and become civilized by working.
The Indians taught the early white men
to catch fish in the spring by waiting for
high tide and then making wattlings Of
willow across the mouths OF the lit
streams that ran into the river, so mat
the water and the small fry Of fish could
pass out. but the large fish be confined
In this way when the waters went down
rock. shad herring. and sometimes even
sturgeon would be left IN a natural rs q
box or coop. After as many had b7en
scooped up as was needed the willow vat
ties were taken away and the Ash ttat
were left permitted to go untouched. Ihis
was a better way than spearing hsh as
they came through the shadows al the
Little Falls above Georgetown. There is
no small creek near Washington that has
not beer Waited in olden days.
The Tribe Decreasing.
As time ran on. however the supply
lessened. and the seine came into use.
The farmers on the banks Of the Potomac,
selecting the best places on the river
side Of their farms and using their slaves
TO catch shad and herring in the season,
saIted them away as desirable food for
winter. Many Of the large farmers on the
riverside sold fish. Gen. George Washing
ington was busy in the fishing season,
having several shores on the Mount Yer
non estate. The produce Of one Of his
shores was used for consumption on his
plantation The catch at the others was
sold The following is a copy Of con-
tract among Washington papers:
February srd. 177O. Agreed with Mr.
Robert Adam for the FISH catchd at the
Fishing Landing ! bought Of Posey or the
terms to wit: He is obliged
TO take all ! catch al that place provided 4
the quantity does not exceed 800 Bar'ls- /
and will take more than thai this qty If /
be can get Casks TO put them in. He is /
to take them as fast as they are catch'd |
without giving any interruption 10 my I
people: and is TO have the use Of the Fish /
House for his Salt fish &c. taking care !
10 have the House clear at least before I
the next Fishing Season In consideration
Of witch he is TO pay me Ten pounds
for the use OF the House. give SIS a
thou'd for the Herring CVirg. Money and
"a a hundred maryland curry for the
white fish. Mr.. Piper and Lund Washing
ton present"
As early as 1853 Rev. DR. Barnaby. vicar
Of Greenwich. England, who visited this
section OF country and afterward publish
ed book OF travels. gives the following
as the names OF the fish to be found in
the Potomac: "Grampus. porpers Abe
cor boneta flying fish, sheepshead rock
fish drums. shad. black fish. sea bass. and
sturgeon" Warden, in 1916, in his 'Chro
graphical and Statistical Description Of the
District Of Columbia" says: For dis
lance Of about one hundred miles above
and below Washington City. 100000 bar
rels OF herring are caught annually" Jo-
nathan Elliott. in his Historical Sketches
Of the Ten Miles Square" does not speak
OF herring. but be gives the number Of
ehad taken in 1880 al each OF the twenty
great landings as from 10000 to 100000
per annum. or q maximum Of 500 600, 600
shad.
An evidently very much exaggerated &C
count in an article in the National Intel
ligencer" Of April. 1882. gives the herring
yield OF the Potomac in 1881 at $50 600 600.
The nearest approximation 10 the number
of herring caught Is believed to be as fol-
lows. 1916. zoo. 600 600: 1880, IS 600 900;
1870, IS 0oo 600: 1850. 2o,OO0. 600; 1870, T.
600 600; 1850 5000 600.
Farmers ns Fishermen.
Warden. in his "Chorography, already
referred to. gives the varieties OF
caught in the Potomac. near the city Of
Washington. in 1915 as follows. Sturgeon.
rock fish. shad. herring. eel. carp, gar,
white and yellow perch, starfsh, mullet.
and smelt
The plantation fisheries we're continued
up TO the abolition Of slavery. and as late Z
as 1896 there we're forty shores fshed upon
the river, from which shad ana herring
were sent to the markets Of Washington. .
Alexandra. and Georgetown. Gill nets I
began to be extensively employed about /
1888. Pound nets or traps have been in I
use In this neighborhood since about 1870 /
but few years ago Congress passed an I
act forbidding fishing by irregular nets in
the waters Of the District Of Columbia. /
and the stake nets that had increased IN 1
I'll they covered almost the entire fats /.
from Georgetown 10 Alexandria. have been |
cleared away. and under the vigilance Of I
Hsrbormaster Sutton and Captain Dean, I
OF the police launch. Illegal fishing has be- I
come thing Of the past in the District I
Very soon in the history OF the FISH I
trade II was shown that public health and /
the general use Of the sense Of smell /
would not allow fish to be landed inds- /
criminately al the wharves Of the cities, I
so that almost as soon as Washington be /
gan to make police arrangements u was I