162 



THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Licenses of scraping-boats.— "The number of scrapiugboats licensed during the past seven years is as 



follows: 



Size of scraping-fleet: Character of boats.— "The above figures have been kindly furnished to me by 

 the clerks of the respective counties, and, while they embrace all vessels that are licensed, they by no means 

 include all that are scraping. From personal inspection and fvoin reports of reliable persons, I feel safe in placing 

 the number of scraping-boats at 550, carrying 2,2(!(> men. The additional 330 boats are working without license. 

 The pay of these men will average about $1S a month each, for the seven and a half months employed, amouutiug 

 to $135* for the season, and making a total of $297,000 received by the 2,200 men, including the captains, whose 

 pay is of course larger than that of the men. 



"The average value of scraping-boats, including their outfit, is $800, which gives a total of $440,000 invested 

 in scraping. About $27,500 is annually expended in repairing these boats. 



CuAUACTER AND PROFITS OF OYSTEUiNG: ScRAPERS AND TONGERS.—" Socially and morally the scrapers are 

 somewhat superior to the dredgers. Tougiug, altliough employing less capital and fewer men than dredging, is 

 probably of greater value to the state than the latter, because the men engaged in it are of a better class, are 

 better remunerated for their labor, and are less ]irone to evade the laws than the dredgers. While this much may 

 be said in tho tongmeu's favor, it is yet an unpleasant truth that they, like all others engaged in the oyster-trade, 

 either as catchers or shuckers, are, as a class, indolent and improvident. The majority of them live uear the water, 

 often owning a small house and au acre or so of land (the value of which depends upon the proximity of good 

 oyster- and fishing-grou.nds), and a canoe oi- an interest in one, used in winter for oystering and in summer for 

 hshing. Having secured a house, their ambition seems to be satisfied, and but little time or money is spent in 

 beautifying or improving it. It is too often the case that tongers, especially many of the negroes, who comprise 

 about one-third of the total number, will work only one or two days at a time, and then remain idle until necessity 

 forces them again to earn a few dollars. 



"By others, however, tonging is pursued as steadily and systematically as the wind and waves will allow, and 

 when this is done I think it may safely be said, that the remuneration is equally as fair as in other trades. Those 

 who pursue tonging in this way, form the most intelligent class of oystermen in the state. In some cases farmers 

 and others, holding prominent social positions, may be found oystering during several of the winter montlis, when 

 their legitimate business does not require close attention. Tonging necessitates very great exposure to the cold, 

 but is, however, hardly as severe in this respect as dredging, and moreover the tongers suffer less, from the fact 

 that they are generally better clad than the dredgers, and seldom work either during very cold or very windy 

 weather, on account of the smallness of their boats. From this cause I find that even the iudustrious ones will 

 lose, on an average, at least two days out of every week, and when the time wasted by the idle ones is taken iuto 

 account, it will be found that 120 days out of an oyster-season of eight months is about the average length of time 

 for each tonger. In this actual loss of at least one-half of their time, may be seen the cause which prevents the 

 tongers, as a class, from making any improvement in their financial condition, and upon their financial condition 

 depends their social position. 



"Wliile seeking information from the county clerks as regards the number of boats licensed, I also requested 

 answers to the following questions, with a view to obtaining home-opinion upon the character of the tongxrs: 



"No. 1. What is the moral and social condition of your oystermen? No. 2. What is their occupation during 

 the summer-months"? 



" In answer I received the following from Somerset county : No. 1. The oystermen, as a class, are generally poor 

 men, residing near the water-courses, living in and mostly owning small houses, with an acre or so of laud or less 

 attached to their premises, and in morals are equal to any body of men similarly situated. No. 2. In the summer, 

 oystermen work on their lots and do some job work for their wealthier neighbors, but it is still to be feared that 

 much of their time is unemployed. From Worcester county: No. 1. Of a rather low order; some of them good as 

 to morals, but a large majority reckless and improvident. No. 2. Chiefly as day-laborers; others cultivate small 

 ])anels of land. From Dorchester county : No. 1. As a class, only fair. No. 2. Most of them have small truck- 

 farms to cultivate. From Saint Mary's county: No. 1. Fair. No. 2. Fishing and agriculture principally. From 

 Anne Arundel: No. 1. Unable to answer the question, but believe they compare favorably with other industrial 

 classes. No. 2. Crabbing and bedding oysters. 



