Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14
LONGING SEASONON
12O'CLOCK TONIGHT
Oysters Expected to Arrive To-
morrow Night or Tuesday
Morning.
RIVER WORKERS READY
FOR OPENING OF SEASON
Vastly Improved Conditions to Greet
Public at 18th Street Wharf
This Year.

y, aiefs III oysters " the ilth street
wharf look for the arrival Of boats with
oysters aboard from the beds in the
'ower Potomac tomorrow night or Tues
day morning, as the oyster longing sea-
son on the lower Potomac opens at mid
night tonight, and by daylight in the
morning the tongers will be on the oys
ter-ta"ing grounds hard at work.
For several days past in every little
cove and harbor on the river between
Lower Cedar point and Point Lookout
the men who engage in longing oysters
have been busy putting boats, tongs and
other paraphernalia in trim for work. If
the night is clear many will be at work
long before day. as the moon nearly
full, will give them all the light they
need. At many points along the river
the boats that bring oysters from the
tongers to the market here are lying
waiting cargoes which the masters of
the vessels have arranged to take from
the tongers as fast as they can put
them aboard
From now until the middle of October
the supply OF oysters will be taken from
the river beds by tongers. hut after the
middle OF October the dredgboats start
starts can the oyster season be said to be
in full swing. as the catch made by tong
ers is necessarily limited. as 1t is slow
and hard work
Now Using Power Boats.
The longer in AL kinds of weather.
leaves his home long before dawn and If
the wind is favorable sails To the tong
ing grounds. II there is no wind he rows,
often a distance of six or eight miles, be-
fore he Is where the oysters are and
where he can work. Few of the tongers
have boats equipped with power. but the
number Is increasing and IL will be only
"A few years before the tongers boats will
all be power equipped
Arriving on the longing grounds the
ronger anchors his boat and with long
tongs cuts the oysters from their beds
and brings them to the surface and places
then on the culling board. There are gen.
orally two men In a longing boat. and if
not equipped with two sets OF tongs one
culls while the other gets the oysters.
Culling consists in separating the oysters
from shells and understood oysters. as
under the oyster protection laws all shells
and understood oysters must be thrown
back into the river and tongers found
with oysters smaller than the law allows
aboard their boats are liable to heavy
and may be sent TO prison.
As q general thing tongers work in
about twelve or fifteen feet of water.
though at times they will take oysters
from beds twenty-five feet under water
with hand tongs. OF recent years a pat
ert tong has come into use that enables
toAgerS to take oysters from much deep
Z. .,,..sr Than was possible with the hand
operated tongs When everything works
well and the oysters are plentiful, a
rnnD vii IN kk. fyua IN
bushels OF oysters In a days work. More
often. however, the tongs bring up more
shells than oysters and the days catch Is
small
"Runboats'' Take Catch.
The longer disposes of his catch to the
runboats that bring them to the market
here for sale and it takes the catch of
many tonger to make up cargo for
runboat. According to reports received
from down river the outlook for good
oyster season Is said to be unusually
line. Investigations have shown that
there are plenty of oysters on the natural
rocks and all engaged In the oyster in
dustry are anticipating profitable sea-
son.
1t Is expected that the boats coming
into port In the next two or three weeks
will bring but light cargoes. a hundred
and fifty to two hundred bushels at u
time. the masters of the vessels not car
ing to take chances OF warm weather
coming and causing oysters to spoil be-
fore they can sell them In cold weather
cargo Of FIVE hundred bushels Is not un-
common and often the vessels coming
here bring many more.
Until the season of 1912 the torgers
started work September ] and the
dredge boats month later. The new
laws enacted by the LEGISLATURES or Mary
land and Virginia cut down the oyster
taking time at both ends of the season,
and tong.ng does not begin until Sep
TENDER Is and ends in the middle OF
April instead or May /, as under the old
laws.
Protective legislation, which was start
ed fifteen or more years ago, has had q
beneficial effect on the oyster beds. and
beds that had been barren for years
are now found To Dc producing good
marketable aoysters Both Maryland
and Virginia keep a fleet of armed and
fast boats on the oyster ground for the
enforcement Of the oyster laws. When
the laws We're first enacted there was
much opposition TO them. bur tie oys-
termen are now realizing the wisdom OF
protective legislation, and comparatively
fcw arrests have 10 re made of men
taking oysters oft OF season. When such
arrests are made. II - said, that tEe
state authorities push the prosecute.
o. the Offenders to tie limit.
Conditions Vastly Improved.
these who v the oyster wharf In
the season now 4..s ming will find condi-
lions vastly improved over that Of
previous years.
Under the regulations adopted BY the
District authorities. every Tom. Dick and
Harry. drunk or sober. Will not be al
lowed to shuck oysters Only men
recommended by the wharf dealers will
he sivsi u license 70 shuck, and the fact
that they have such license viii be
shown by badge they will wear
Shucking VII only be permitted in
booths the District Will provide the
licensed shuckers. hut this docs not
mean that a person cannot come to the