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APPENDIX. 



embraced in the customs district of New York City. The onlj district 

 which at all lepresents Suffolk County is the customs district of Sag Har- 

 bor, embracing the waters between Oyster Pond Point and Montauk Point. 

 I will have the tonnage of that district made up for the last five years and 

 also the amount of tonnage belonging to that district for the decennial 

 vears back as far as 1830. The only customs officer on the north side of 

 Long Island is located at Port Jefferson. He is a Surveyor and reports to 

 the Collector of Customs at New York. I will send you a table extending 

 as far back as possible, of vessels built at Port Jefferson and the tonnage 

 owned there; also the same as to Patchogue. Some time ago I tried 

 to formulate some commercial statements in regard to Long Island and re- 

 gretted very much that there was not a Chief of Bureau of Statistics of Suf- 

 folk County, clothed with ample powers to collect information. 



The most valuable commercial expression which you could get would 

 I think, be a statement of tonnage and of passengers carried by the Long 

 Island Railroad to and from Suffolk County; but there again jou would 

 meet a difficulty, for the Long Island Railroad Company does not separate 

 its traffic by counties. I think, however, that they may be able to give you 

 something which would show the growth and present magnitude of the 

 traffic east of Farmingdale. I would advise you to apply to the secretary 

 of the Company for such data. The railroad is now the principal highway 

 of the commerce of Suffolk County and railroad cars are the vessels in 

 v/hich she carries on trade with the outside world. As we know, there are 

 many sloops and schooners trading between New York and points along 

 the entire shores of the County, and a few steamer lines, but their opera- 

 tions, I fancy, embrace only a comparatively small part of the commerce of 

 the County— what part it is impossible to tell. The collection of such in- 

 formation in full as to Suffolk County, would not only be a serious incon- 

 venience, but I fear be an insufferable perplexity to the people of this 

 county. As neither the National Government, nor the State, nor the 

 Countv itself, raises any revenue from internal commerce, there is no suf- 

 ficient reason why the people of the'County should be required to report all 

 their commercial transactions. 



In regard to the Fisheries of Long Island, the difficulties in procuring 

 exact data are even greater than those with respect to commerce and navi- 

 gation. Many years ago Long Island was, to some extent, engaged in the 

 whale fisheries. I am having prepared for you a statement upon this sub- 

 ject which you will find enclosed herewith. During the last century, and 

 first part of this century, those monsters of the deep were so accommodating 

 as to present themselves as living sacrifices to the temporal interests of the 

 people residi..g at the east end of Suffolk. All those people had to do was 

 to go out from the shore in whale boats and capture the welcome visitors. 

 But that has long .-;ince ceased, and the vessels engaged in whale fisheries 

 have also disappeared. 



I also enclose herewith astatementshowing the value of the products of 

 American Fisheries of all kinds brought into the United States at the Customs 

 District of Sjg Harbor. This embraces only small fisheries, but Long 

 Island has to-day fishing interests exceeding in value those hereinbefore 

 mentioned. I refer to the fisheries of the Great South Bay, and all along 

 the eastern and northern shores. But the value of these fisheries cannot be 

 esdmated upon any trade standard such as obtains in Fulton Market The 

 chief value of the ie fisheries is in the liae of sport «d of recreation from 



