Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-02-16
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES

] lJlI ANU VIJIck VVIcy|
Norfolk's Board of Trade has taken
up the question of the preservation of
the fish supply and the protection of the
fish industry, and the general assembly
will be asked to pass laws to stop the
catching Of fish for the purpose of max
ing fish guano.
State Geologist Holmes, of North
Carolina, has called on the United States
authorities to cooperate in clearing the
waters of Albemarle Sound and tribu
taries and other waters on the coast. of
net and other Instructions SO that shad
and other fish may have clear course to
reach their natural spawning grounds.
On the sworn statement of Cope Ster-
ling. of Crisfeld, an FISHERMAN, that
the planters have located and were
holding natural oyster rocks as planting
grounds in the waters of Somerset
County, Md, contrary to law, over a
hundred people engaged in planting
oysters were accused of the charge
named and summoned to appear before
Justice Thomas X. Wheaton, of Girls
field, on Wednesday of this week.
Dredgers and tongers are pushing the
cases.
The bill introduced in virginia's
legislature to prohibit the fishing of
pound nets and stake nets In water OF
twenty feet in depth and over, in any
OF the rivers of the State, or within
one mile OF the mouth Of any such river.
with Messrs- Powers, Curiett and Mon
cure as patrons, viii doubtless stir up
Tidewater fishermen. 1t is claimed by
the patrons Of the bill that the deep
water fishermen honeycomb the mouth
OF the rivers with nets to such an ex-
tent that it is impossible for any great
number OF fish to enter, thus depriving
the up river fisherman of sny catch
worthy of their efforts. The bill is not
to go into effect until January LIST.
1907.
MORE ABOUT THE WINDOW.
In addition to accounts of the Win
dom's cruise extracted from Richmond
reporters sensational writings, published
on our first page, the following comes
from his pen:
In answer to the question" Why does
not the Virginia oyster navy take up
the mstter?' Sergeant Billingsly.
Chief of police of Colonial Beach, said
that the Virginia navy had not been in
Potomac waters for year, and that
when it did come, it absolutely did
nothing. He said that On the other
hand, the Maryland oyster navy gave
excellent protection to the MARYLAND
people and that in many cases. it had
come to the assistance of virrinians.
when United States Marshal Treat
and his deputies visited the oyster boats
in Maddox creek, below Colonial Beach.
where perhaps half hundred of them
were at anchor, Sergeant Biilingsly said
that there was hardly crew on any
boat that would not escape, if chance
were given. At Reedville, seven cap
tains of crafts came on board the Win
dom to pay their respects to Captain
Mcconnell, and all these men stated that
the Virginia oyster navy was no protec-
ton to the people of that section, and
that it was joke amongst them that
the navy was kept only for James river"
Statements from writer's in Norfolk
papers would discount the blood-curdlinp
tales Of the Times-Dispatch writer
and also turn the joke on the WINDOWS
cruise. On the way to Norfolk the
Window called at Charles City, where
Roy d. White, attorney for Captain
William E. Justice, had agreed to have
his client await the arrival of the mar
shall, but when the cutter arrived the
attorney informed the marshal that
Justice had declined to remain at Charles
City and had set sail for the Potomac
IN his boat, the Daniel, saying that he
was going after oysters. Captain JUS
tice remarked that he had waited for
the much advertised trip of the Win
dom but feared it might be again post
poned, and he did not propose hunting
up the Window any more to be served
with papers. Norfolk reports say that
when the Window returned there Sat-
urday night from her expedition in
search Of the 'shanghaisd'' men of the
oyster boats in Chesapeake bay, Uni
ted States Commissioner Stephenson as
the law officer Of the Government, de-
cisred that while the condition of many
OF the men on the oyster boats is bad,
there were few Of them hailing from
Virginia who were willing to make
complaints.
There was raid on 80 other oyster
boats at Maddox creek, but there were
no complaints, other than on the Daniel. -