Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT

The river schooner Earl Biscoe, one of
the Carter fleet of wood and lumber car
riers owned In this city, which was out
on the marine railway at Benefits ship
yard for several weeks, was last week
put overheard, and is now at the yard
receiving her finishing touches prepare
tory to going into service on the river
The schooner is now practically a new
vessel. Unsound timbers and planking in
her hull were removed and replaced with
new material. The cabin of the boat
was rebuilt. decks were overhauled and
calked and the hull of the vessel was
calked all over. The schooner has also
been painted.
When she sails for river port, about
the end of this week, to load back to this
city, she will be in the best of order for
hard service during the fall and winter
months. She will run cord wood from
Smiths, Aqua creek, Occoquan and other
points along the river to her owner in
this city.
The rigging of the schooner is being
set up and sails bent on so as to get her
ready for active service as soon as pos
sible.
The watermelon season at the nth
street wharf market is practically over
and for several days past there have been
no vessels at the wharf with the fruit
aboard for the first time in several weeks
While the dealers here have no advices.
one or two vessels with melons aboard
may yet come into port, and it is ex-
pected that the fruit will be on sale until
frost comes.
While melon-laden boats are few and
far between at the wharf market the
vessels of the oystercarrying fleet are ar
irving here In increasing numbers each
day and will continue to do so for several
weeks to come. AS yet the oystermen are
compelled by law to use only tongs in
taking the bivalves from the beds in the
river. but after the middle of next month
dredging will be legal and the oyster sea-
son will then be in full swing
At dozen or more points along the lower
Potomac. on salt water. vessels that have
been bringing melons here are being fitted
out for oyster dredging work and will not
come to this city again until the oyster
season is over next spring. The catch of
oysters in the Potomac has so far this
season been small, but the oysters
are of excellent quality and command fair
prices
The steamers coming into this city from
the lower Potomac are still bringing in
large numbers of returning Vacationists
from landings all along the river, and the
steamers running on night routes are
hard pressed to find sleeping accommodate
tons for all who travel on the boats The
steamboat men are looking for a fall-off
in travel on the river from this time until
the merchants in the river counties of
Maryland and Virginia start coming to
this city to lay in their stocks for the
Christmas trade.
Arrived: Schooner Martin Wagner, oys-
tiers in the shell from the Potomac beds;
schooner William Cunningham. cord wood
from a river point; barge Farmers
Friend, pulp wood to Alexandria: schooner
Mary Ann Shea, lumber from Aqua creek:
schooner Stephen Chase, canned goods
from Coan river; schooner ]. p. Robinson.
cord wood from Upper Machodoc creek;
schooner P. E. Smith, wood from Wades
bay; schooner Bessie Reed. canned goods
from the lower Potomac: schooner Five
Sisters, lumber from Cole landing: schoon-
Mary Francis. cord wood from Pohick
creek; launch Sonny, towing lighter load
ed with wood from Powells creek; Stand
ard Oil Company tug. No II. towing tank
barges, Nos. 50 and Il, laden with oil in