The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-12
Ch0sapoaka's Supply Larger
Than for Five Years.
Que TO PROJECTION OF LAW
TsHapln Ere Rapd'y disappearing, Wills
Ones the Waters Swarmsd With Them.
Wero Fed 10 Slaves.

Baltimore. Nov 12.--Some interesting
conditions confront the denizens Of the
eastern shore of Maryland. whose main
source of income includes the products
OF the Chesapeake bay. As result OF the
reformatory laws. which have been In
force for several years tho oysters are
more plentiful this year than for at least
a half decade.
A good season is promised as the re-
suit OF a law which provides that the
dredges on tongers shall not catch oys-
ters below certain size. making 1t an Of
fense TO have such oysters In ones pos
session.
More than fifty licenses have been is
sued To vessel owners thus far to prose-
cute dredging operations. As the dredg-
ing opened In the Potomac river. which
is the common property Of both Mary
land and Virginia. on October 10. the bi-
valves are already on the market many
vessels having arrived with large car
goes.
The oystermen report that the young
growth Of oysters has never been greater
than at present or course. these oys-
ters will not mature in time for this years
market. but their presence indicates that
unless the winter OF next year is very Sc
we're, there will be a bountiful supply Of
the bivalves in ts0s-190i
This outlook is pleasant to the small
oyster dealers. who look forward to the
sessions of the legislature with dread.
fearing that there will be some law pass
ed which will deprive the moi their maens
OF making a living through stopping all
longing and d~dredging for a time on the
ground that the oyster will disappear un-
less the beds are allowed to increase.
DEPLETION HAS STOPPED.
The present condition appears to give
some assurance that the rapid depletion
OF the oyster beds has stopped and that
there will be something like the oldtime
prosperity In the oyster line. AS the
tastes Of Baltimoreans and OF Maryland
ers In general have turned somewhat to
oysters and kindred edibles because OF the
high price OF meats, the news that they
will soe plentiful and cheap this winter Is
good news to the public here.
While this form Of food Is growing
more plentiful. the famous Chesapeake
bay deiicacy. the terrapin,is on the wanue.
and II the same conditions prevail for
few more years are no reformatory legis-
lation Is enacted II is anticipated that the
terrapin will only be a memory. The sup
ply has been steadily diminishing for the
past IS years, and dealers are now maxi
ing anxious search amid the mud OF the
Chesapeake for a few specimens or this
once plentiful animal.
The best method Of preventing the ex-
tinction Of the terrapin has long engaged
the attention OF Marylanders. but no So
kac kaat a ad n
yet Probably the ssuly solution Is 10
prevent or to restrict the catching or the
animal for a time and thus allow 1t to
multiply .
II is curious to recall that at one time
so plentiful we're terrapin that legisia-
ture of Maryland passed law TO pro-
hibit slave owners from feeding terrapin
TO their slaves more than once week.
This was due to the fact that slave own
ers took advantage Of the abundance Of
terrapm In the waters adjacent TO their
estates, realizing that they would make
cheaper food then pork or beef to feed
TO the slaves.
HAD TOO MUCH TERRAPIN.
The black people grew so disgusted fin-
ally with terrapin diet that on one plan
tation a serious insurrection broke out as
n protest against too much terrapin, a
circumstance which may be or interest,"
to the connosseurs who esteem the ter
rapin as one OF the greatest OF dainties.
Some dealers along the shores OF the
|! Chesapeake are endeavoring to save the
terrapin from extinction by artificial
means. and have established pounds
where they raise numbers OF them, and
the question now is can the dealers
multiply them I'm such numbers as 70
| make the undertaking profitableP
a few years ago all the terrapin one de-
| sired. could be secured at $40 a bushei OF
| less. but now they range from $50 to Slo'
| n dozen and II Is hard To get them even
| at that price in the sizes desired by cpl
cures.
Age makes the terrapin large and alsC
| the more delicious to the taste and one
| OF the species hundred years old Is said
| 10 be the kind most desirable for the
| table.