Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-08-07
OUR OYSTER ROCKS

Under the above caption the
Mathews-Gloucester Tribune last
week strongly objects to the PROPOSE
ton of Messrs. Willing & Irving, of
this place, being granted Eve hun
dred acres of shore back of Gwynn's
Island. From the Tribune we CLEAN
that the proposition is looked upon
IN Mathews and vicinity as request,
out and ont, for assignment of natu-
raj rock. If this lisa correct view, un-
doubtedly the oyster interests should
oppose with all its might the request
OF the petitioners. The applicants
are as much entitled to legal assign
ments as any one, and we should like
to see them get what they ask if with
In the proper bounds; on the other
hand, they are no more entitled than
Others to illegal grants. The Board
OF Fisheries in ali probability will
decide wisely and Justly, but we fear
a grantof this kind means the break
ing up of the natural rock as heri-
tage of the people in common. Hence
all who have the industry at heart
would regret to see the breach begun.
The Tribune probably impugns
wrong motives to the applicants in
some respects; but anyhow here is
the way our Mathews contemporary
dlseourses on the matter:
AT the meeting of the Board of Fisher.
les, held on Wednesday, the 22nd inst.
IN Norfolk, two oyster planters. living
up the Rappahannock river. presented
an application to the Board for five hun
dred acres of oyster bottoms back of
Hwynns Island. OF course. the appli-
cants contended that the bottoms an
Piled for were not in the BAYLOR survey.
nor portion of what is known ms
Gwynn's Island rock. We are informed
however that the grounds are buoyed
on, and the oystermen contend that the
grounds marked of by.these buoys con-
tam good natural rocks and are worked
oy the tongers every season.
Messrs. j. Boyd Sears and l.. C. Gar
nett, at the request OF some of the oyster
men, appeared before the Board in oppo-
sitlon to this application. and at their
suggestion, the Board postponed consid-
Grafton oil the same until their August
meeting, which they agreed would be
held at Cricket Hill, where the oystermen
VIII have an opportunity to be heard.
we believe that theparties making this
apphcation are DESTROYS of renting n nor
tion oil Gwynn's Island rock. and that
,hey have buoycd offnatural rock within
,he Baylor survey, but whether or not
THESE bottoms are within the BAYLOR sur
Ney 1t Is evident that the applicants de-
sire them Tor no other purpose than that
oi depredating upon these great natural
oyster beds, and robbing thousands of
people OF living, and we call upon all of
the people interested in this great indus-
Try, tonger, planter, merchant and farmer
and ali citizens indiscriminatciv tosce to
1t, that the people are protected in their
rights. ~
10 the oystermen, especially, we would
say that 1t behooves them to bestir
themselves to see that they are properly
represented before the Board of Fisheries
and that their case is properly presented
10 that Board.
Ii these applicants are given these five
hundred acres as basis of onerotio,
their dredgers and scrapers. csneciallv in
the closed season, will rake Gwynp's Is
land rock as with fine-tooth comb and
the people OF Mathews cannot be too yip-
liant and active in saving to themselves
'he greatest oyster rocks in the world
40 properly protect themselves. we
would suggest that the oystermen form
an organization and secure counsel to
present these facts TO the Board of Fish. |
cries