The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-14
.MARYLANOERS
ROB Virginia
Wholesale Depreciation
Destroying the Oyster
Bottoms of State.
VIRGINIA OYSTER
NAVY NEVER SEEN
United States Marshall Morgan
Treats Tour Has Already
Brought Splendid Re-
suits, Returning At
ter Somewhat Fruit
less Search.

UNITED STATISs GLITTER WIN
DOM VIA GLOUCESTER POINT.
yA.-Fcbruary 13.-Thc United States
Revenue Gutter Window. with United
States Marshal Morgan Treat, Deputy
Samuel Bendie. and q Deputy Marshal
from Maryland. aboard dropped anchor
at Gloucester Point tonight after three
days frliitiess search for captains OF oys-
ter boats. for which warrants have been
issued. charging them with cruelty and
i'll treatment OF seamen. and holding
sailors prisoners on board their crafts.
The search was difficult as find
ing the medic In the proverbial hay
stack. for the oyster boats. numbering
perhaps thousand or more In these
waters move from point to point. ae-
cording 10 the fancy of their captains.
Invade Virginia.
Maryland boats were found in vir-
ginis waters ia larger numbers than
Virginia boats while not a very few Yir-
,:inia oyster craft We're discovered on
the shores Of Maryland.
II is said that the Maryland authori-
ties make It hot for outsiders. and that
the Maryland oyster navy reientlessly
drives the Virginia boats to their own
side.
This rule, however does not obtain
In Virginia waters. for the Marylanders
make themselves at home. and operate
in the most open way
asked a captain OF Maryland boat.
why he did not keep on his own side,
and his reply was Because the Virginia
side is better our side has been over
worked" 1t was good reasoning. but IT
showed a sad neglect of Virginia proper
ty by the Virginia authorities.
No Protection.
AT Cobbs's Point, the Governor
Thomas" a Maryland police boat. was on
duty. looking out for Virginia trespassers
and again, in Wicomico Bay, on the
Maryland side. a police boat was sta
toned, but not n single Virginia oyster
navy boat has been seen on the trip
which has lasted eight days. during which
time practically the whole of Virginia
waters has been visited.
Captain Mcconnell of the Window, who
has been on the Chesapeake Bay station
for nearly two years. and who Is up and
down the bay and in and out Its rivers
every week, told me yesterday that ne
had not seen a Virginia navy boat since
nc had been in command of the station.
This absence of Virginia authorities is
resulting in an enormous loss. not only
10 the State. but to the citizens, who
are engaged in the oyster industry. The
oyster beds arc being so worked to death
that there is scarcely a living for those
engaged in dredging.
Plenty for Virginia.
There are. it is said. a plenty of oysters
for yireinians but too few to be shared
With outsiders. This state of affairs Is
bad enough, but n still greater wrong is
being done the oyster industry in Virginia
waters Hundreds of thousands of feed
oysters are being dredged from the Po-
tomac River and sold to planters and this
is being done openly. with no pretense OF
concealment. / boarded Maryland
schooner, 1.-THE w. III. Taylor, of Bal
timore, on yesterday, off Colonial Beach.
and found that she was loaded with 1;2oO
bushels of seed oysters, taken from Vr-
ginia waters. / asked the captain why
he did not throw them overheard, as to
take that kind of oyster was against the
law.
Did Not Know the Law.
He replied that he knew nothing about
The law; that other boats were engaged
IN the same kind of dredging, and that
ne intended to keep up the business until
ne was stopped He said that he sold
the seed oysters at fifteen cents a bushel,
and that he could dredge 1000 bushels n
aay, but that this was more profitable
than taking sixty bushels of large oysters
/ and selling them at Sixty cents u puSnel, 3ft
The Virginia oyster beds are being re-
moved bodily, and the Maryland boats.
ara the ones that are killing the goose
Mat lays the golden egg.
..,rhe w. IT. Taylor" The William
Thomas of Baltimore, and the Christie,
bher G. Sallen." of Baltimore, all Mary
land boats, were dredging for seed
ovsters ana had only that class of oyster
IN their holds on board.
Wholesale Robbery.
Hundreds Of oyster boats are engaged
IN this unlawful practice, and will con
,inue until they are stopped by the Vir-
ylnia authorities, or until the Nirs'ni'l
waters have beenNstripped ofsone of the
most valuable assets belonging TO ,the
people Of the State.
The vigorous stand that has been taken
NY tho United States government anu
lha evident intention Of President Roose-i,
welt to break zip white slavery on oyster
boats have had. n most happy effect and
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