Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-13
ILLEGAL OYSTER FISHING
Police Boats Endeavoring to Capture
Violators of Law.

The Maryland oyster police force is max
Ing vigorous effort to put an end to the
taking of shells and small oysters from the
beds In the river, and the steamers Gov
Mclean. Gov. Thomas and the schooner
Bessie Jones have been patrolling the river
oyster beds constantly since the season
opened.
Capt. Turner, in charge of the Mclean.
was cruising of Lower Cedar Point and
Matthias Point Monday. and chased a large
fleet of boats from the beds near Upper
Machodoc creek into the mouth of the creek
where the shoal water prevented the steam
from going after them further. Notice
has been given the oystermen that arrests
will be made of all boats found with
dredges and cyanks aboard no matter
where the vessel may be found. AS the
dredging season does not open for a month
yet, the presumption is that those who have
dredgeS aboard have violated the law or are
preparing to do So In the creeks a large
number of tugboats are lying, and all are
buying oysters, shells and scrapings from
the oyster beds at 10 cents per bushel.
These are taken to other points not only
in Maryland and Virginia, but all along the
Atlantic, and are planted and allowed to
mature into fine oysters. 1t is the scraping
of the oyster beds and the taking of shells
and small oysters that the police are most
anxious to break up, it is this that de-
pletes the natural oyster beds and makes
them worthless except for replanting. which,
under the system of public ownership, is
never done.
Commodore c. B. Howard, commanding
the Maryland state fishery force, is in Bal
timore to report to Gov. Warfield on the
conditions In the Potomac river and to ask
that the governor of Virginia be requested
to send one of the Virginia police steamers
to aid in preventing oyster-law violations on
the Potomac Capt. Howard has been oper-
ating between Swami Point and Cedar
Point on the Potomac, and several arrests
have been made. 1t Is estimated that fully
500 oystermen are working on the river on
the oyster-bearing grounds. and the greater
number of them are waiting an opportunity
to take oysters in violation OF the law.
The growth Of oysters on the Potomac is
good and the catch is unprecedented. The
oystermen are taking them by the whole
sale for bedding and planting elsewhere.
Capt Howard and his force have In a large
measure put a stop to these illegal depreda-
ginia force is wanted in the bays and creeks
on the Virginia side of the river, where the
oyster violators seek shelter In order to put
a stop entirely to II.
1t is probable that Gov Warfeld will.
make the request to Gov. Montague of Vir-
ginia today, and the steamer Rappahannock
VIII be detailed for the work.
Reports coming from the oyster beds in
the Chesapeake and along the eastern shore
OF Maryland Indicate an unusually fine
growth of oysters. In bushel of oysters
taken from bed supposed to be depleted,
Off the mouth of the Chester river, a large
number of small oysters were found cling
Ing, and by actual count just 2,290 of these
little oysters were found. In three years
these oysters would have matured to mar
ketable size. that the oystermen are of
the opinion that the outlook for oysters in
this vicinity is fine, II the beds are allowed
to mature and are not disturbed by the IL
legal dredges.