Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-31
ON THE RIVER FRONT
OYSTER BED OWNERS PREPARING
FOR A LARGE YIELD.
Heavy Shipments Of Coal Leaving
Port-Overhauling Power Launch
Alice-Other Matters.

The owners Of the oyster beds on the
| lower Potomac are taking steps to replenish
| the depleted beds with shells, SO that the
| oyster spawn will have something to fasten
| to and grow. The oyster spawn, those ac-
| Quainted with the habits of the oyster say,
| floats around in the water until it drifts
| against some object, to which it clings. If
| the object is hard like a shell, stone, log
or the like the spawn will hold on and
thrive, and In year or two will become
| big oysters and good to eat. But If the
| spawn falls on muddy bottom 1t is choked
and dies. For this reason the oyster beds
are covered with shells to the depth of five
| or six inches, SO that the spawn will have
firm bottom on which to rest. During
the past month several vessels with shells
aboard have left here for the lower river
and for the bay, where their cargoes were
used on the oyster beds. Today the schoon-
ers Annie A. Crosswell laden with shells
cleared for the lower river and the schoon-
er II. B. Ely for bay point.
inere was fairly large supply of trout
ana butterflsh from the fisheries in the
but the supply of other varieties of fish
was light. The demand was light for all
kinds of fish.
There was fair demand for oysters and
CLAIMS, and the supply on hand was ample
to meet the demand.
Crabs, both hard and soft are In excel
lent demand, and the fish are comma nding
hagn prices This morning the dealers re-
celved number of barrels of hard crabs
from river sources, but soft crabs are
scarce. The bulk of the supply is coming
from Chesapeake bay sources.
Shipments Of Cumberland Coal.
Heavy shipments of Cumberland coal are
being made each week from Georgetown
in the big schooner barges of the Consolida-
ton Coal Company to Boston and other
ports in the north. Barge No. this morn
ing completed the loading of a cargo of
about 1900 tons of the fuel and sailed in
tow of the tug Yerkes for the mouth of the
river where she will be taken in tow by
seagoing tug and will be carried up the
coast to her port of destination. The three
masted schooner o. D. Witherell, which
discharged cargo of ice here, is lying at
the coal piers al Georgetown taking aboard
cargo of the fuel for a New England
port. When barge No. Q, now unloading
ice, completes the dscharging of her cargo
she will also go to Georgetown for a cargo
of the fuel Several of the large Consolida-
ton Coal Company barges are on their way
here and are also to take coal from this
port to northern points.
The power launch Alice owned here is at
Cumberland's boathouse, to be hauled out
for general repairs to her hull and for other
work that will fit her for service The en-
CINE has been taken out the little craft and
will be overhauled while the boat is being
used for pleasure on the river during the
coming warm months.
Launch in Need Of Repairs.
The steam launch Cygnus. belonging to
Mr.. G. w. Forsburg of this city, which has
been in the service of the army quarter
master at Fort Washington for the past
year or more, is lying at the wharf foot of
K street southwest, to have some repair
work done to her machinery. She will re-
turn to service at Fort Washington in
about week or ten days.
A large barge, laden with bricks and
other material for the new almshouse and
other buildings in process of erection for
the District on the river near Shepards
landing, was taken down the river a day
or two ago, and is lying the river shore
waiting to be unloaded.
Complaints are made by the steamboat
men of the nude bathing INDUCED in along
the river shore by young men and boys.