The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1911-11-25
M|SS|SS|PP|'S MOST
PRODUCTIVE REEF

4 -
From Biloxi, BaySt. Louis
and Pass Christian Fish :
on the Reef.
fstar Correspondence OF the Biloxi Heraid.)
Pass Christian, Nov. 20.
| The most fertile and productive oyster
reefs in Mississippi waters we're thrown
open to Mississippi fishermen last We'd
nesday, Nov. Is, after being closed for
two years under the orders Of the Mis-
sissippi Oyster Commission.
True to the expectations OF the COM
missioners, the Pass Christian reefs
were found in excellent condition. It
has always been known as the most
wonderfully recuperativs reefs In guilt
coast waters. and its recupsrative pow
era we're again manifested during its re-
cent idleness. Oystermen say this il
because of its location. It 10 one-halt
a mile off the beach centre of the town
of Pass Christian. The Bay OF st.
Louis is only few miles westward, and
the waters of Jordan and Wolf rivers,
Rotten Bayou and Bayou Portage sweep
into this bay and thence outward. the
| natural flow being toward Ship Island
Pass, which takes them right across the
territory, whereon the productive Pass
Christian reef is located. These waters,
| with their life-giving properties, serve
double purpose. 1t is said that they
| bring down rich, fertile silt and sedi-
ment from the river beds and valleys
they traverse, enriching the oyster beds.
Their freshets also drive the greatly
feared oyster-destroying conchs out to
the vicinity of Pass Marian light and
along the State line.
the feet of sehooners which assem-
| I'D at the reef " ednesday morning
vas one of tho largest ever gathered in
Mississippi.> There we're Is OF the
| white winged craft gliding 10 and fro
ever the gently undulasing surface OF
she waters. There was not enough
breeze to permit very vigorous dredg-
ging for oysters. but the panorama OF
salts made ~ery pretty picture. some
full enough to propeI the boats slowly
and najsstically forward, others Hap
ping for the moment idly in the au-
tumnsl breeze.
When reached Pass Christian, the
feet was widely scattered over the reef,
covering, perhaps. q mile from end to
end and half q mile from shore to sea-
ward. This was Ia the afternoon. When
| morning dawned, they were closer TO
each other, having anchored nearby in
the night. A slight mistiness inter-
fered with the work OF many devotees Of
the kodak and camera from coast and
some from distant points, who had gath
cred there to get pictures OF the on
trancing scene-the wide expanse OF sea
with here and there sail in the of6ng
and the striking forest of masts and
sails and graceful hulls moving about in
the foreground.
Biloxi packing concerns were largely
| represented. AS is known, there are
more packing houses in Biloxi than
all the rest of the Mississippi coast cit
les combined, which explains why Biloxi
has fifty-flve boats there out Of nor
NAL winter fleet OF one hundred boats.
There will be about thirty more
schooners which will join the fleet later.
making up the total for the winter.
Many of these are at present being got
ten in readiness for the seasons work.
OF the fifty-five which will fish on
Mississippi reefs for Biloxi there are
boats representing at least half dozen
factories, the best known of which are
Dunbar, Lopez & Dukate, Barataria
Canning Company, U. Dssporte Pack
| ing Company, Kennedy Packing Com
pany, Biloxi Canning Company, z. c.
Joullian Packing Company and VIM.
Gerenflo. Thirty boats are represent
ing Pass Christian, fishing for the Pass
Christian plant of Dunbars, Lopez &
Dukate. Fifteen are fishing for the
Peerless Packing Company of Bay st.
Louis, of which Charles Torch is mana
ger.
There are thirty skiffs longing for
oysters on the reef Some are under
contract te deliver their catches to the
Pass Christian factory; others are inde-
pendent fishers.
The schooners catch their oysters
chiefly by dredging, and there are vari-
Gus opinions of dredging, it being gen.
orally admitted that proper dredging
benefits an oyster reef, while there are
certain abuses which constitute real
evils and menace the lives of the reefs
in some instances. Dredging prevents
overcrowding on the reef, which, as in
the case of the Waveland REF, that was
closed for a long time, prevents each
oyster from getting proper nutrition and
makes them thin and poor. For thaI
reason it is contended that dredging i,
very beneficial to an oyster reef. The
fully developed oysters are taken VI
and marketed, and the small ones arr
put pack into the water to grow undel
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