Evening star., 1902-01-10
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT
STORIES OF sBLooDY OYSTERS. DE-
CLARED TO BR ERRONEOUS.
Old Operators Says There Are None
The Freight Carriers Cen
eral and Personal.

eral and Personal.
There has been considerable talk of the
so-cailed bloody oysters't in the Potomac
river but 1t is authoritatively stated that
the stories have been greatly exaggerated.
Old oystermen, who have grown up in the
business, say that as matter OF fact
there is no such thing as bloody oyster.
They have seen oysters with slightly red
dish streaks through them, produced by
some unknown local cause, but they are
perfectly harmless, and are as good to eat
as any other oyster. The cry of "'bloody
oyster is said to be one of the tricks Of
the trade calculated to injure the oyster
crop of certain localities. So far as known,
none of these oysters has been brought
to this market.
The handsome new sailing sloop of Mr..
Hewins, which was built in this city during
the fall, has been put overheard and taken
to Alexandria, where she will be fitted with
spars and sails and made ready for service
this summer. The sloep, which has not yet
received it's name, is a handsome little
craft, and will prove great addition to the
Potomac river fleet of pleasure craft.
The officers of the steamer Harry Ran
dali report having seen large f1ocks of
ducks and geese on the river from about
Blackistones Island up to Maryland Point.
and among them were many of the cele-
brated Chesapeake bay canvas-back ducks.
Tie demand for fresh fish of all kinds was
very good at the wharf market this morn
Ing, and the supply was again small, the
ice preventing the catching of fish. Prices
this morning were as follows: For roe shad,
81 each; buck shad, 30c. each; white perch,
&c. to 12c. per pound; jumping mullets, Sc.
per pound; carp, 4c. to sc. per pound; pan
rock 121ac. to 15c. per pound; medium rock,
14c. to 16c. per pound; boiling rock, 2Oc. to
23c. per pound; green pike, SC. to lOc. per
pound; black bass, Sc. to 12c per pound;
salmon trout, &c. per pound; river mullets,
1Oc. to zoe. per bunch; catfish, 15c. to 35c
per bunch; cells, 20c. to 30c per bunch; yel-
low perch, 1Oc. to 40c. per bunch, and
winter shad, $1.50 to So per hundred.
The supply of oysters at the wharf mar
ket is quite small this morning, the three
vessels which arrived in pore with about
900 bushels aboard having sold out. The
demand for the bivalves is good, and they
are still selling at high prices, the small
oysters bringing 65c. per bushel the me-
dunn grades 75c. to soc. per bushel and the
larger selected oysters $I2O to 81 % per
bushel. The recent arrivals are the Sea-
belle, Zephyr and Waunita, all with Poto-
mac oysters aboard.
The Freight Handlers.
The barge Jackson is lying in Aqua creek
loading large cargo of cord wood for Car
ter & Clark of this city.
unloading of her cargo and sailed today for
the lower river to reload.
The small three-masted schooner the John
Connor, laden with pine lumber from a Vir-
ginia lumber port, has arrived at Alexan-
dria for Aitcheson & Bro.
The steamer Randall brought up in her
cargo this morning a quantity of oysters in
barrels, besides other freight
The tug Favorite, which has been laid up
at Alexandria for several weeks past is
again in commission and has gone to the
lower Potomac.
oyster boats, sailed this morning for lower
river points to load.
large barge laden with railway ties is
lying in the mouth Of Piscataway creek,
Maryland, and will be brought to Alexan-
dria today, where her cargo will be put
aboard the schooner William Marshall,
which Is loading for Boston.
The schooner Grace G. Bennett is at New
bern, N. c., loading cargo of pine lumber
and shingles for Johnson & Wimsatt of this
city.
The schooner Sarah S. Tyler is at the
wharf of Thomas W. Reilly, foot of 11th
street southwest, loading a cargo of fer
tiiZer for Norfolk.
The tug Peerless has sailed for Baltimore
with tow of several barges laden with
hard coal for the dealers there
The tug RoSalie with several sand and
gravel laden barges in tow, came into port
evening from a river port
The schooner Irene has completed the un-
loading of her cargo of cord wood on the
Eastern branch and has sailed for a river
point to load.
The steamer e. James Tull, loaded with
general cargo from Alexandria, has sailed
for Nomini and other river points.
The tug Stella, with a Standard Oil barge
in tow, has arrived at Baltimore from this
port.
The steamer Lily and Howard is lying In
Aqua creek loaded with lumber for the
dealers here
The Mary Francis is still laid UP at Alex
andria awaiting the opening Of navigation
on the river. l
The Ada Ballenger is expected to arrive
at Alexandria within the next day or two
with cargo of oysters.
General Matters.
The Lottie Carter of this city, which is
in Nomini creek. is reported ashore on the
side of the dredged channel, not far from
the mouth of the creek. She will be easily
foated on the first good tide.
The cattle dealers are securing the river
of Maryland and Virginia, buying
up all the beef cattle and sheep they can |
find and shipping them to the dealers of |
this city Within the past two or three |
days the steamer Estelle Randall has
brought fifteen or twenty head of oxen !
from Glymont, and the lower river steam |
ers brought twenty-five head on their last
trips.
Owing to the ice in the harbor the work
Of raising the United, States army ensi- |
neers' snag-pulling boat progressed but |
slowly, but Wednesday evening Messrs. |
Cumberland & Son succeeded in raising the |
craft and pumping her out She will re- |
main at anchor in the harbor during the |
winter.
A large force of hands Is at work on the |
steamer Wakefield giving her general |
overhauling and preparing her to resume |
her route to the lower Potomac about Feb |
ruary l.
The large covered scow Of the AIexan- |
drfa Fertilizer and Chemical COMPANY. |
which has been on the marine railway at |
Alexandria for several days past under |
going repairs, has been launched, the work |
on her having been completed.
The steam launch Joe Blackburn has |
been laid up at the wharf foot of Sth street |
southwest for the winter For protection |
against the weather she has been COM |
pletely covered with heavy sail cloth
The canal being closed by the ice, the !
steamboat companies are obtaining their |
supplies of coaa by the carloads, the fuel |
being brought from the mines here by
rail.
Al