The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-10-20
OYSTER Lore.
Governor VOORHEES, Inspects
Maurice River Cove
Dredging.
ASKS PILES OF QUESTIONS
Finds That the New State
Laws Give the Men
Satisfaction.
Tspeelal Q ..The jersey city Newg..l

Especial to 'The Jersey City News."l
PORT NORRIS, Oct. 20, 19G0-The fu-
ture oldest inhabitant of Port Norris
will fix the date of all events of local
history to ''the time the Guv'nor came"
And this was Goernor Voorhees,, Sec
ond trip to this town, which prospers on
the oyster. He came down last May
and had his eyes opened to the asst ex-
tent of the industry of Maurice River
Cove and Delaware Bay. Then he saw
the work of gathering seed from the
natural beds for planting upon proprie-
tary beds of the vast expanse of Cove.
Yesterday he saw the great fleet Of boats
gathering the oysters from these beds
to be shipped to markets all over the
United States. He got new ideas, too,
of the operations of the laws made for
the protection of the industry and of
the future needs of those thousands who
live by it.
With the Governor, as guests of the
State Oyster Commission, were mem
bers of the Legislature, officials and
prominent men. The Governor and
State Senator E. C. Stokes, the author
of the Oyster Commission law and of
many Of the statutes which govern the
Jersey oyster, with several other promi-
nent men, were the guests last night of
Commissioner Edward Sites, Jr, at his
cosy home, while the other members of
the large party were entertained at
Daviss Hotel, where there was a very
merry gathering. Among them were
State Senator Lewis Evans. of At
lantic County: Solomon Stanger, of
Mercer; Assemblymen William J. Moore
and Jesse Steelman, of Cumberland,
and William P. Buck, of Gloucester;
Judge William B. Trenchard, Sheriff w.
G. Hendee, Prosecutor of the Pleas ].
Hampton F'ithian, former Assemblyman
B. Fl. Minch, Edward III. Stokes, Alex
ander R. Fithian, former Judge Mulford
Ludlam, former Prosecutor William A.
Logue, ]. B. Rumbf'P. S. Spooner, 7. C.
Wheaton, r. l.. Howell, A. H. Townsend,
S. M. Sheldon, S. NJ Souder, B. F. Buck,
l.. w. Hinchman, B. F. Hires, J. W.
Richardson, G w. MCGOWAN, William A.
Logue, former Assemblman Wilson L.
Shropshire, Camden was represented by
Frank S. Fithian and Captain u c. Lee,
of the Water Department.; U. s. Gauge,
James H. Long, and Deputy County
Clerk Chester Van Dyne, while DR.. A.
H. Lippincott, of that city. and DR.. w.
l.. Newell, of Millville both able practi-
tioners, were pressed into service as
hospital stewards.
At the instigation of the Commissioners,
wide-awake Superintendent Thomas F.
Austin, abetted by Commissioners Riley
and Ogden, the party was routed out of
bed while the cocks were growing, and,
rubbing their eyes open, were hauled
down to the wharf to board the trim
schooner Virginia for the sail out Maurice
River to the cove and bay. A fine
breeze was blowing at the start, but it
grew to rough nor-wester before many
miles of water were covered, so that in
the swells of the bay there came a sharp
demand for the kindly advice of the hos
pital stewards, and not much interest was
taken in the commissary, although all on
board had fine opportunity of practical
ly testing the qualities of luscious Maurice
River coves fresh from the water. The
virginia's cook prepared them appetizing-
1y; the crew stood by with knives to open
for all comers, and some of the fortunate
ones enjoyed them immensely. 1t was a
hours over the cove and in and around
the floating white city, of boats, all at
work dredging the toothsome bivalves.
One who saw this fleet of full 500 boats,
on which at least 1900 men were toiling,
asked
do these all catch oysters?"
"Oh, yes," responded Captain Somers
Whildon, who is skipper. of the fair vir-
ginia.
"Then Wen catch oysters. too, I sup
pose?''
mo; stewed oysters come from Frying
Pan Shoals
A committee of six saved the inquisitor
from death.
The Governor was one big interroga-
ton point from the start until the trip
finished at the big .wharves of former
Senator Maurice A. Rogers. who is one
of the most extensive shippers in the
cove, and whose boat gave the party such
a pleasant trip.
The Governor got some new facts of