Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-28
DIVER NEAR To DEATH 0N TANG|ER SOUND
Takao wanam the Victim of Picturesque Locality East
His Own Invention End of Deals Island.
HIS AIR SUPPLY CUT OFF HOME OF FAMOUS OYSTER
Aboard the Also Among Principal
Monitor Puritan. Products
TRAGEDY NARROWLY AvERTED TOWN THRIFT
mostF ton Of the
HOME OF FAMOUS OYSTER
Soft Shell Crabs Also Among Principal
Products.
TOWN OF THRIFT AND INDUSTRY
Minus Constable, Jail or Lookup"
Liquor Selling Barred-Evolu-
ton Of the Crab.

Special From a STAFF Correspondent.
WENONA Md, July 27.-The township of
Wenona is situated at the eastern end OF
Deals Island on Tangier Sound. 1t Is
most picturesque locality ana known as the
home of the famous Tangier oysters and
soft shell crabs. 1t is a town without
constable, Jail or lookup" In fact. these
adjuncts to the average town has been
found entirely unnecessary here The
people are intelligent. prosperous. sober
and Industrious. Evidences OF their thrift
can be seen on every hand.
Wenona is also a town without saloon
or other place where intoxicating liquors
are sold. but pretty churches are literally
scattered over the island Its post office
and general store is presided over by Mr.
George N Vetra. who Is too the manner
born, and who foresees in Wenona and VI
cinity future popular summer resort 1or
Washingtontans. Baltimoreans and even
people from far away as Philadelphia and
New York. Mr.. Vetra talked interestingly to
your correspondent about the historic past
Of Bears Island and it's sturdy forefathers
and foremothers who have given to this
section a type of stalwart seafaring men
who would make an excellent reserve force
for Uncle Sans peerless navy TO man MS
battleshipS and cruisers In the event or a
long continued naval warfare with some
foreign power.
Born Watermen.
These islanders are born watermen. can
swim like the duck and navigate anything
in the sailing line from polling little punt
or fiat-bottomed booat to handling big
three-master. The value to their country
of such men can better be imagined than
described.
The arrest of a man for misdemeanor or
crime is almost unheard of here. This con-
a fn ha
fellowship ofman feeling that prevails as
to the inherent good citizenship or the
people The government of the island Is
largely a matter Of sentiment and the char
acter of the sentiment is good. The repu-
tation of the Individual appears to be the
bed rock of 1t all.
Wenona is not as we'll known to the out
side world as Is our little Washington sub
urban place of Glen Echo, although both
are In Maryland and both have population
about equal. But Wenona has not its Col
Inns nor a lockup-new or old-and there are
no autosts here to violate any speed laws.
Collins in Wenona would soon be a man
without a job-unless he became crab
catcher or oyster-snatcher instead or
man-catcher-and the little Glen Echo lock-
up, were 1t to be transplanted to Wenona
would become rusty and moss grown from
diSuSe.
Soft Grab Industry.
The soft crab industry Of Wenona is
largely in the hands Of Mr.. Thomas H. Kir-
| wan. one of the substantial citizens of the
island His large packing house is situated
| on the extreme eastern end of the island
| Immediately on the waters Of Tangier
sound. In the little harbor at early dawn
each day except Sundays pretty marine
| picture is presented. Hundreds Of sails are
set and they flap in the early morning
breezcs as the crabbcrs prepare for their
days work Then 1.-The white wings that
never grow weary" f1utter away with their
merry. singing crews in quest of the tooth
some soft crab and other delcacies OF the
sea.
The soft crab fad is said to be growing
one in the large cities and at summer re-
sorts, and Mr.. kirwan said at times ne
| finds it difficult to satisfy the demand for
| them, although the supply in the sound
seems to never grow less. and small
army of men is engaged in their capture.
| He ships crabs as far away as Louisville.
| KY, and they are said to reach their des-
| tination generally in good order.
Caught in Dragnets.
| The crabs are caught in dragnets. some
what after the order Of oyster dredges
| These are dragged over the bottom OF the
| sound by powerful saiboats. being lifted
| at intervals and their contents dumped on
| floats From the mass thus gathered the
| safeties and peeers or shedders are kept
| and the refuse thrown back into the water
The crabbers fish with the tide and return
to the shore with their catches about noon
and "in the dusk of the evening The
pany and are again culled or separated into
| three classes. First, the ''peelers' or
''shedders'' are placed in floats. through
which the salt water has perfect ingress
| and egress. The. next class comprises the
| busters" which are likewise placed In
overheard floats. while the third class. the
| soft shell crabs. are packed In crates with
seagrass and cracked Ice for Immediate
The "peeler' or "shedder." when first
taken, is hard shell crab. but the ex-
| perienced eye of the crabber sees on one
of its fins pinkish tinge, which tells that
| the crab will soon shed its hard outer COW
| erinR and become a "softie." These are
placed In separate floats and are carefully
watched; The pe peel, then reaches e inc NJ,
| shell breaks loose and the crab gradually
| rids Itself of its hard shell and becomes
| soft and marketable.
| This natural process Is an interesting
| one The peeler. somewhat after the fash
| ion of a chicken picking its way from the
| egg she'll gradually works Its body, claws
and legs loose from Its hard shell; lmme,
| diately thereafter 1t becomes helpless and
appears to be dead But 1t gradually
gains strength and is ready to be placed
| in the trays and crates for shipment to
| Washington. Baltimore or other places.
Rapid Evolution.
| The time Of shipment Is between the
| buster period and the paper-shell period.
| when the covering begins to harden. 1t is
| said the average crab sheds and becomes
a "softie" several times each season. so
the evolution from harI she'll to soft shell
| and back to hard shell again Is constant
" going on in the life of this crustacean.
| At the close of the grabbing season the
| present crabbers will also evolute into
| oystermen and>fsEeEmen, and help supply
| the great markets with salt water trout.
| tailors sheepshead and other fishes. and
| the toothsome Tangier Sound oysters.
| which are said to equal in flavor the fam