Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-10
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT

The POTOMAC nSneTInen anticipate d
larger catch of sturgeon in the Potomac
this summer than for many years past.
Big fish are numerous in the bay.
Spikes or young sturgeon. seem more
plentiful in the river recently than they
have been for years.
Sturgeon are now among the most val
liable fish caught. The spawn commands
a high price. The fish sell in the markets
at about IL cents per pound wholesale.
There was a time, about twenty years
ago, when sturgeon were SO numerous In
the Potomac as to interfere with the
working of nets for shad. herring and
bunch fish. There was little demand in
those days.
Fishermen regarded it as misfortune to
get one in their nets. Now the fisherman
who catches two or three in the course of
a summer thinks he has done good sea-
sons work.
A large sturgeon will often net the fish
erman a hundred dollars or more. The
spawn shipped to New York brings 81 per
pound when cleaned and salted by the
fisherman shipping it.
The big four-Inasted schooner Van Lear
Black. which arrived here a day or two
ago from a Florida port with a large
cargo of lumber aboard, while an old
trader to the Chesapeake: is paying ner
first visit to this port. She is hand
some coasting vessel and modern in all
equipment
She has steam power for hoists and
pumps. so her crew has but little heavy
work to do in handling sails. The living
quarters of the crew-forward on the YES
sel-are bright and airy. Cabin accommo-
dations of her master and crew are equal
to those of many passenger-carrying
steamers. They are heated by steam
have bathrooms with big tubs and other
conveniences.
The schOOners accommodations are in
big contrast to those aboard the old type
of vessels built in the seventies or even in
the early eighties The schooner has
aboard a cargo OF about a million feet of
lumber and will be here two weeks or
longer unloading.
The old-type two-masted bay schooner
Urbana, which unloaded lumber here
discharging, has been lying at the nth
street Ash wharf. sailed today for the
Rappahannock river. where she will take
aboard another cargo of pine lumber for
this city.
The I'rbana, on her way up the bay to
this city on her last trip ran into a heavy
gale In the lower river and had her fore
sail badly torn and other canvas dam
aged. The delay in leaving this city was
caused. it is stated. by repairs made TO
her sails: This work was completed yes
terday evening.
She left port early this morning with a
tug in front of her to assist her part of
the way down the river. The vessel will
return 10 tnlS CITY In ABOUT Il month.
Arrived: Schooner SidOnia Curley. lum-
Der from the Rappahannock river for the
dealers; bugeye Goldie c.. cord wood
from a river point for the dealers: bug
eye Kathleen, light. at Alexandria to load
merchandise for a river point: tug For
tuna with tow of four coal-laden barges
from Philadelphia for Georgetown: pungy
s. G. Clayton. cord wood from Potomac
point for the dealers; bugeye Edith Muir.
wood from river point for Georgetown:
tug Meade. with a tow of sand and gravel
carrying lighters for river point
Sailed: Schooner S. l.. Bowen. light, for
Nomni to load lumber back to this city;
tug Fortuna. with barge Appomat+ox
from Georgetown for Philadelphia; tug
Capt. Toby, for Powells creek to bring
back lumber laden lighter: schooner L.
B. Pratt. light. for the ST. Mary river to
load back to this city; scow Sea King,
light, for Pohick creek to load railway
ties schooner Fannie ]. Croswel, from
Alexandria, with lumber for Lower
Machodoc creek.
laden with phosphate rock from Florida
is in the river bound to Alexandria
schooner Mary Pendleton. plaster. from
Nova Scotia. at Alexandria; schooner
Edith Verrall is at Cherry Hill, Va, with
railway ties aboard for barge Atlantic,
loading for New York; schooner Nettie is
on her way to the Rappahannock with n
cargo Of pine lumber
the tug Fortuna Of the fleet of the
terday delivered at Georgetown the coal
carrying barges susquehanna and Della
ware, with gas-making COAL and tie
harses Good VIII and Bailey. with stove
coal Each OF the vessels has aboard
about 700 tons of the fuel