Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-06
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT

What has become OF all the fish, when
year or two ago they were SO plentiful
In the Potomac?' is question asked sew
eral times day about the wharves.
Fishermen to whom the query is address
ed are forced to give 1t up.
The fact is that fish of all kinds. from
the big sturgeon down to the catfish and
perch. have been more scarce this year
than ever before in the history of the Po-
tomac. Where fishermen would catch a
dozen barrels of fish in a days work, IL
they catch enough to fill half a barrel
they are doing we'll.
Catfish are practically the only fish
taken from the waters of the Potomac
now and they are scarce. The scarcity
OF the finny tribe is not confined to the
Potomac. however. but seems to be gen.
eral on the Atlantic coast. For the first
time in several years the receipts at the
local fish wharves Monday were prac-
tically nothing. but there was some little
Improvement in conditions this morning.
Fish are commanding high prices and
the local dealers are considering the ad-
visibility OF bringing frozen cold storage
fish from New York to meet the local de-
mand. If this is done 1t will be the first
time in the history of the Washington
market that frozen fish were on sale
here In hot weather.
The Oyster-taking season on the Po-
tOmac Is now but little over q month
away and at the oyster wharf the discus
sion as to whether the coming season will
be a good or bad one has begun. Reports
coming from the natural oyster beds in
the lower part of the river state that the
long spell Of dry weather has kept the
waters of the lower Potomac good and
briny. and that the oysters have thriven
wonderfully this summer.
The weather conditions have been such
as to make the oysters fine, both as to
quality and size and the oystermen are
OF the opinion that the Washington mar
ket will be supplied with as fine a grade
of the bivalve as has ever been seen here.
II Is expected that the first cargo OF
oysters from the lower Potomac will ar
rive here about September ], from private
beds. as the laws of both Maryland and
Virginia do not allow longing to start
while the watermelon will hold the boards
at the 18th street wharf and for a time
will divide honors with the oyster after
the oyster season opens.
Arrived: Schooner Clemmie Travers
laths from Norfolk for the local Dealers
schooner PLUME Smith, cord wood from
a river point for the dealers; schooner
James I. BrenOn, wood from NOmini to
Eastern branch dealers; schooner Isaac
Solomon. lumber from downriver point:
schooner Sidonia Curley. lumber from a
Rappahannock river point for the deal
ers: schooners Clara and Hattie. Lily
Smith, Stephen Lark, s. A. Marsh, Louie
Bruen and Little George. melons. from
a river point; tug ROsalie, with .tow
from river point; schooner s. l.. Bow
en-. cord wood from a river point.
Sailed: Tug William III. Yerkes, tow
ing schooner Sullivan Sawin, light, from
Alexandria for Newport News, to load
coal for Boston; schooner Five Sisters.
light, for a river point to load back to
this city; schooner Mary Ann. Shea light
for Aqua creek to load lumber; tug
James o. Carter. towing cOal-laden barges
for Indian Head; schooner Isaac Solomon,
for Potomac point to load cord wood
back to this city: tug Rosalie. with a
tow Of sand lighters for Piscataway
creek: schooner Silver Star light, for
Occoquan to load: schooner Bill Ney,
light. from Georgetown for Virginia
point to load lumber.
Observation-Disclosures Elisha Adkins,
with Ice for this city. is due at the capes
of the Chesapeake: schooner Bertha May
is at river point loading for this city;
schooner Grace Bennett is at the Alex