Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-08-02

squirt promise to outstrip Virginia.
Our State holds the greatest posi-
bilities in the way of oyster culture
of any on the coast. Nature has
more highly favored US in this respect
than she has any of her sisters.
Lamentably, it is sung and reechoed,
we are locking the door after the
horse is gone. Ours is but the his.
tory of those states to the northeast
Every one of them ran through their
natural resources, hampered by pri-
vate greed and petty politics, un-
til depletion and barrenness were
stamped on all their water beds.
Not till then did they arise to the
seriousness of the proposition con-
fronting them. AS long az there
was single moluscan mama left
the people fought over it and re-
fused to energize their efforts towards
an independent livelihood. The
tongers-the gatherers of Gods free
gift, by sufferance of the State
dwindled from legions to hundreds,
and then to tens. Hundreds had to
move away-msny of them coming
south-or go into other branches OF
trade or else labor for those who
by industry began to make the bar
rem bottoms bear again. Few Of
those states had tenth of the area
that Virginia or Maryland has, and
so the time came quickly. With us
the agony is simply prolonged,
because of greater resources, but
come inevitably it will if we follow
the beaten path.
We are not here to tell the people
or the lawmakers all that should bt
, done, even if we were smarter thar
E some of our fellows, for it is a per
O picking situation and one that mus
be wisely solved or Virginia's grea
n wealth-producing interest 10 Tide
b water will continue on the down
d ward road to utter demolition. A
{: that time, if not stayed beforehand
physical, financial and legal condi
- tons will undergo such chaotic up
heaval that will hurt painfully eve
~ if it should effect permanent cur
II The patient, as it were, is CROWN
Is in extremis and the scalpel deferre
!. calls for deeper incision.
b. Two things, in short, must
it; done, and done quickly, if we hoI
81 to recoup what has been lost and g
-, far to the front where we by nature
.. bounty belong. The planter mui
e. have seed, and the natural roct
n. must be Individually marked an
O. strictly guarded. One interest, t
10 thrive, must depend largely upon Il
RI other. The longer is depender
#. upon the planter for a market f,
y his catch, and the more oystel
ar grown by the planter the more pr
~ life becomes the common rock.
yo much for the tonger's dependen,
he upon the planter. The planter Cal
ch not raise enough stock himself for Il
Il, demand, and he needs the seed pr
~ ducing rocks from which to replel
is ish his own beds and furnish spat f
1t. his shells. So the two interest
to while personal and trade rivalry pu
q! them unfortunately at loggerhead
~ are capable of working in harmon
g. to the great advantage of both.
of 1t is to be hoped there will be -four
m wise men enough to diagnose an
Is prescribe eficaciously for Virgins
- sick man. 1t can be done, it shou
"A be done, even at the sacrifice of sor
RI political prospects. Otherwise d,
he will drag along for a little VIII
&C until nature will become disgust
y. ~ and plug up her cornucopis. II
We a crying shame that no matter ht
ry honest ones efforts may be, or f
m how much lasting good they wor
tie the man does not live in Virginia
I elsewhere who can go through t
IN ordeal of reconstructing fish al
Id oyster conditions without being gi
DIV betted by some elements and he al
40 his party affiliations political
En- crucified.
in
sw But when the office holders trust
d. broken, which we hope and believe W
CT be done, and the people can have fl
xNlo ell Al