Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-04-17
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Don't waste your time. You will
need it all before you die.
Coffee drinking people, it has been
demonstrated, are little given to
alcoholism.
For work on the Panama Canal
the West Indies and the Southern
States viii be drained of negro labor.
Over forty thousand Virginians,
white and oolored, and nearly ten
thousand West Virginians are now
residents of Maryland.
The so-called "corn wheat" is mis-
nomer. The u. s. Department saws
there can be 10 hybrid of corn and
wheat. The new grain is Polish
wheat, and because of its big yield is
beginning to End favor in this
country.
The prominent position iu which
recent events have placed Judge VIM.
Hodges Mann, OF Nottoway, in the
public eye has started the political
tongues to waggiug along the line that
he would make good gubernatorial
timber, and there ia much talk of the
possibility of his entering the race.
Judge Mann is 3 fine lawyer, an esti-
mable gentleman, and has long been
one of the most faithful workers in
the ranks of the Democratic party.
Should he heed the call of his friends
and enter the race, there are those
who believe that he would make a
fine run.
The people of Newport News and
Norfolk are not the only ones who
were disappointed at the failure Of
the Legislature to do its duty in re-
gard to the matter of redistricting
the State. The Suffolk Herald goes
after the influences which defeated
reapportionmentin this style: "There
is not a member of the Legislature
so ignorant that he does not know
the Second district contains too much
population and that Tidewater Vir-
ginia has not her proper representa-
ton in Congress. The present Legisla-
ture is above the average in ability and
is noted for it's hard work. 1t ought
to be able to adjust the inequalities
in population in the various districts
without the influences of any con-
gresham or his friends. 1t seems
hard to impress upon the Legislature,
as well as the Democratic party, that
Eastern Virginia has any claims that
should be respected" - Nss1pors
Nefos Press.
B. Frank Wood. superintendent Of
shellfish Of New York State, in his
last annual report says: "The Fish
cries Co. reports that the menhaden
catch during the season of 1902 has
amounted to 1875, ,7S6 barrels, from
which was obtained 55, 900 barrels of
oil, 1900 tons of dried scrap and
$4,000 tons of acidulated scrap.
Not only has the catch been large,
but the price also larger than last
year. It ia said that the catch of
the year now closed has not been
equalsd in 20 years, and fully so per
per cent. more fish might have been
taken had the factories been of suffi-
cient capacity to handle them. It
has been determined that food fish
and menhaden do not school together,
scarcely enough food fish being taken
by the menhaden steamers to supply
the wants of the crews in that dIrec-
tion. The United States Fish Com
mission caused a searching investiga.
tion to be made, with a view to de-
termining this question, and has re.
ported as above. Regarding the
periodical scarcity or abundance of
food fish many theories have been
advanced, but no good reason has APP
peared for the sudden changes from
scarcity to abundance and vice versa.
Those who from experience and study
OF the subject would be deemed most
competent to answer such questions
say that it is beyond the power of
man to explain why fish, after having
been supposed to be almost extinct
along certain lines of coast, will sud-
denly appear in great quantities.
The difficulty of regulating the ocean
fisheries by legislation is therefore
apparent, and serious results are apt
to follow euch attempts"