Evening star., 1952-09-14
Maryland Declares
War on Virginia S
Oyster Buccaneers
By J. l. Michoel
Stor StoH Correspondent

Stor Staff Correspondent
COBB ISLAND. Md. Sept. 49,
"Oyster pirates beware! If we can
catch you, that Isl
Robert Lee Shores, commander
of Maryland's tidewater navy,
barked that warning today as his
enforcement fleet prepared for a.
new oyster season on the lower
Potomac.
His words stopped Maryland
would-be dredgers in their tracks
but across the river a tough group
of Virginia scrapers tuned up high
powered motors in sleek, fast craft.
Under a joint agreement be-
tween the two States, only hand
longing is legal on the Potomac.
The season begins Monday and
ends April Is. But at intervals
over a period of nearly 200 years,
the waters of the historic stream
have been Splashed by roaring mo-
tors and whining bullets.
Virginia'S patrol boats enforce
other conservation laws but sell
dom take part in dredger escap-
adeS. For the last two years the
river has been comparatively quiet
because of new laws, shortage of
oysters and dispersal of Virginia's
once 100-strong dredge fleet.
But, boy, it looks like action
again." said Mr.. Shores, "and I'mI
getting ready for it."
Maryland bi-valve pirates are
taking heed but a bakers dozen oil
Virginia buccaneers just grin and
keep on readying their fast craft
Most of them are moored in
traditional bases near Colonial
Beach.
Marylanders are frightened by
a new law by which the Free
State has attempted to ban patent
tongs-a heavy steel shaft version
on wooden hand tongs. Patent
tongs are legal under Old Do
mlnion statutes and Maryland's
ban lacks the concurrence re-
quired by the bi-State compact of
IT'S.
The Virginians believe they can
use patent tongS legally and plan
to carry them on boats equipped
with masts, booms and winders.
the gear necessary for both dredg-
ing and patent longing. Maryland
oyStermen fear they will become
ensnared in the law of their State
even though the statute may not
be valid.
Willing to Risk Prison.
Virginia scrapers also have aI
neat new invention to keep the
maStS Of their boats from sticking
out like sore thumbs. MarylandI
patent longing laws outlaw masts,
boomS and winders. The new de-
vice is socket bolted to the bot
tom OF the boat in which is placed
q removable mast.
This year dredgers envisionI
catches worthy the risk of loss of
boats and probable prison terms.
Maryland courts have warned that
they will order confinement forI
convicted scrapers.
Dredgers can catch 100 bushels
In a few hours and can sell them
at prices expected to start at more
than 50 and advance later to above
So per bushel.
Rivermen on both shores say
the Potomac bars have a better
than usual supply of legal and
near legal size oysters.
"They won't be fat until frost
comes" one FISHERMAN said, "but
they're beautiful"
Patrol Craft Assigned.
The few hand tongers who still
ply their trade are detected be-
cause dredgers carry off every
thing they scrape up, including
shells, and substances to which
young oysters attach themselves.
Mr.. Shores has assigned four
vessels to patrol 20 miles of water
between main bars at Cedar Point
near Morgantown, and Blackstone
Island.
The boats are the Margaret,
Capt. Guy Johnson; the Tiny Lou,
Capt. Chester Cullison; the Louise
D.. Capt. Walter B. Good, and the
Venus. a streamlined, dredger's|
dream. The captured Venus, once
the flagship of Virginia dredgers,
will be commanded by Capt. Will
LOST.
aEAGLE. male. "Penner,': hlack. Rfite