Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-21
ON TIE RIVER FRONT
SUMMER FISHING SEASON RE
PORTED A FAILURE.
Vessels to Bring Cargoes Here-over-
hauling Schooner Edith Varnell-
Personal and General.

The summer fishing season on the Poto-
mac has been a complete failure, 1t is
stated, and those who have been employed
in this work are money out of pocket, be-
sides having lost valuable time in their
efforts to coax the fish into the nets. For
some unknown cause perch, rock, mullet
and other fish which usually very plen-
tiful at this time seem to have deserted
the river almost entirely, seldom are
they found in the nets Ordinarily twenty
more barrels of fish from the nets in the
lower river would be brought up on every
trip of the river steamers, consigned to
dealers the fish wharf, but now If the
steamers have five barrels they have big
shipment Catfish seem to be about the
only fish left in the river; at least they
constitute the bulk of the river-caught fish
now being sent TO market here from down
river, and they command high prices.
While the fish seem to be more scarce in
the Potomac than in other tributaries of
Chesapeake bay. they are scarce in all Of
them, as the daily receipts a the local fish
market show No reason can be assigned
for the scarcity, by the fishermen, who
constantly look for better catches.
There was but light demand for fresh
fish at the wholesale fish market on the
wharf today, and the supply on hand was
larger than it has been for several days
The small demand and good supply
caused a drop in prices.
There was an ample supply of all grades
of watermelons on sale at the oyster
wharf this morning. Selects sold at $40
per hundred, and prices ranged as low as
s. per hundred for small culls.
Both hard and soft-shelled crabs were
on sale, and the supply of each was ample
to meet the light demand. Hard crabs bs
sold at 81 to So per barrel and soft at 90
to 60 cents per dozen.
The Philadelphia barge Florence Nc
Naughton has taken on cargo of asphalt
paving block at the manufacturing plant
.ha For Of ont "a nj
sailed with 1t in tow of tug bound for
Richmond.
General River Matters.
The schooner Edith VarreIl has been
hauled out on the marine railway at Ben
netts boatyard to locate and stop leak
that appeared in her hull on her last trip
up the river with a cargo of cord wood
aboard. The hull of the Varrell will be
caulked before she goes into service in the
wood-carrying fleet again.
Capt. Ollie Crowder of this city, master
of the tug William H. Yerkes. jr., who has
been on duty aboard his tug for several
months, with but few opportunities to spend
a day at his home here, has changed COM
mands with Capt. Bob. Brown of the tug
JAMES o. Carter, employed in river towing
in the vicinity of this city, and which comes
to this city for harbor every night.
Capt. Frank Taylor, who spent several
days ashore here during the past week, has
returned to the command of the tug NJ
on Chesapeake bay and its tributaries. The
Davis, 1t Is stated will shortly be taken
to the shipyard of her builder, at Solomon's
Island. Md, to be fitted with masts and
sails in preparation for engaging in ocean
towing.
II was stated several days ago that a
new and larger tug belonging to the quar-
termaster's department OF the army had
been assigned to duty as tender to the ar
tillery stations the Potomac in the vi
cinity of this city, and that the vessel
would arrive here about the 10th of Au-
gust AS yet the new tug has not been
heard from, but the officers at Fort Wash
ington are expecting her this week. The
tug Is said to be about thirty feet longer
than the tug Gibbon, now in service ten
der to the forts. The Gibbon, 1t is stated,
will be sent to south Atlantic coast sta
tion for service
The schooner Mary Ann Shea has arrived
in port with cargo of about $4,000 feet of
pine lumber aboard from Aqua creek. con-
signed to the local market
The bugeye Ella and the schooner Osceola
have arrived at Georgetown with cargoes OF
cord wood from points on the lower river.
The schooner Columbia F. C. has arrived
at Georgetown with cargo OF fertilizer
from Baltimore for dealers.
The tug Peerless Of Philadelphia cams