Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-01-02
DELvING In OYSTER LORE.

Some who know, and about every
body who does not know anything
about oysters Ia Richmond, is talking
about the bivalye, and many and de-
yious are the peculiar designs being
put up against him. 10 Richmond
paper recently were interviews with
u .s'former member of the Legisla-
ture, and one of the present mem.
bers," who the reporter thought
..knew it all" 1t is really amusing
to see the reference to 'schooners, %
|"dredging," powerful glasses -
none of which are realistic, and as
little true as the act of throwing
tools and implements overheard and
of going "tishing, or the possibility
of retaking the oysters thrown over
board. Some-of the points made are
correct, but in swinging around
a circle the least Informed person
strikes the nail once in awhile. 1t is
really interesting to hear these So
Ions talk, so we give below the in
terview asst appears:
''The unlicensed oystermen," they said,
"would have their schooners at work
dredging oysters on some prolific rock
when the police boat hove in sight. The
oyster schooners and sloop masters have
powerful glasses, and can see and identity
the police patrol boats long before they
themselves are seen. Detection would
mean fine and the payment of license.
lone or two things is done: Either the
pirate schooner shows her heels to the
policemen of the seas, as nearly all these
swift schooners can do, or the oysters
taken are quickly thrown back into the
water, together with the tongs and inn
plements of the craft; the decks secured
and cleaned, and when the police boat
comes majestically along the representa-
tive of the law finds the schooner's crew
quietly fishing and apparently innocent
of ever having violated a law.
when the boat passes the schooner's
crew quickly RECEIVERS the tongs and the
stock of oysters hastily thrown over
board, and the days work is not lost,
nor is the license paid. Thus the States
oyster wealth is being filched away, with
no revenue In return. In some localities,
it is said, the oystermen openly defy the
law"
The oystermen object to the lease of
the barren rock for the reason that 1t
VIII, Iney contend, soon become prOllnc
again and much of the best oystering
ground in the State will thus be leased
to private parties and the public will be
barred from taking oysters thereon. The
men contend that it is not fair to allow
all the oyster rocks from which living
may be had TO be leased to oyster pack
ers and wealthy syndicates, and that in
a few years, under the operation of
the proposed law, the poor oystermen
who depend on their catch for living
will be driven out of business or forced
to poach on private property.
They say it is not fair that the law
abiding oystermen who pay their taxes
should be deprived of the opportunity to
make living because a few violate the
law and evade the tax. There is great
deal to be said on both sides, and the
problem involved is not merely one OF
revenue TO the State, but of the struggle
of existence to thousands of citizens. 1t
is openly threatened that the passage of
the Jordan bill would swing Tidewater
Virginia to the Republican party through
resentment to the Democrats for enact
ing such legislation imposing hardships
on the masses of the people of many
counties.