Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-12-01

There is slump in oysters. Balti-
more is overstocked with Thanksgiving
oysters and all the houses down this way
have received back orders, |" and things
are stagnant here this week. w.
President Roosevelt has been appealed
to to use governmental authority to stop
shanghaiing compulsory service) among
Chesapeake dredgers. The papers and
people are stirred more than usual on
the subject this season. .rtlds.as ,s.
According to the statements of fisher
men, the presence OF dog fish, or small
shark, is playing havoc with fishing in
Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries.
The dog fish has been the cause of ruin
ing more nets than any other. thing,
and the fishermen are having much
trouble with them. - l'-l-'1- o u" 90
Within the past week the u, S, Fish
Commission has liberated several million
young shad in the Potomac river from
its ponds and hatchery at Washington.
The young shad make direct for the sea
reaching the Chesapeake and the Vir-
ginia Capes in two or three weeks time.
to return in three years and be caught.
Excitement prevailed Tuesday in
Crisfeld, Md, over the arrest of
Ralph Nelson. Nelson was one of the
oystermen charged with taking oysters
from the private planting grounds of
the Tangier Packing Company, at the
mouth Of the Anne Messex river, who,
backed by q, crowd of friends and
neighbors with rifles and shotguns. re-
sisted and defied the sheriff and his
deputy when they went to his home TO
arrest him. oAt that time Nielsen drew
a shotgun on the, officers and they were
compelled to retreat, When a second
attempt was made to arrest the man
Tuesday he was vigorously defended by
armed oystermen and an attempted at
tack on the Jail was made after the
arrest. -, 2 .'.-' p
From Colonial Beach ProgressJ
The Maryland police steamer Gov
ernor McLane" with Captain Turner at
the wheel appeared On the scene of
illegal dredging last week, in the
surrounding neighborhood of Colonial
Beach, and soon got busy making hauls
on those found to have shells and small
oysters on board Our local magistrate
was kept busy imposing fine after fine
on those brought before him. Captain
Turner has expressed his intention to
use his best efforts to break up this
scraping of shells and small oysters from
the Potomac, and further adds that he
means to carry out the law to its fullest
extent. We commend the Captain for |
his intention to enforce the law, and
whilst it is rather late and an unseason-
able hour to begin the raid, yet we
maintain that IL is never too late to /
do good and remedy the great havoc
which has been played on our NATURAL
rocks for the last two years. Upon in
quiry, we find that most all of the oys-
ternneh are in favor of breaking up this
wholesale dredging and scraping of the |
bottom, and have expressed their Will
lngness to abide by the law provided it |
is enforced so as to keep all from Illegal
dredging. Bat they argue that the
police service have allowed others to 90
unmolested, and they will not stand bv
and see others reap harvest from the
andgo without their share.
The police force for the past two years
have contented themselves to simply
impose small fine on those found with
small oysters and shells on board, and
have allowed them to continue dredging
and seraping until they can pounce upon
themand get another fine, which custom
has practically presented itself to the
oysterInen that SO long as they paid the
State fine for the privilege Of catch
ng small oysters, and the inspectors
we're satisfied with the fine without i'm
posing any further penalty, they had
not violated any law, and this has been
about the existing circumstances on the
Potomac for several years. The States
nave realized a great profit out of the
custom of collecting fines, yet with all
he law we have on the statute books to
save the rocks from depletion, there has
lot been any effort made to remedy the
'craping or breaking up the growth of
he small oysters. Up to this writing
We have not seen single boat of the
Virginis police feet In this section. We
viii have 10 step TO the tune entitled