440 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



Since 1874-'75 the number of licenses granted Las decreased from 2,814 to 1,825 in 1879-'80. 

 There are several causes for this, the principal one probably being the unprofitableness of tonging 

 for several seasons past as compared with former years. From 1865 or 1806 to 1874 or 1875 

 touging was quite profitable, as oysters commanded a good price, but since the latter year prices 

 have ruled very low and many have turned their attention to other occupations. It may be that 

 some few tongers are working without license, but from the testimony of those well posted in the 

 business I am led to believe that 1he number is comparatively small. Mr. Benjamin F. Lankford, 

 clerk of the circuit court of Somerset County, makes the following statement in regard to scraping- 

 boats, which is equally applicable to tongers : " The oyster business has been gradually declining 

 in this county since 1873; during that year the number of dredge [scraping] licenses issued was 327, 

 and the money received therefor was $3,270, which sum was paid into the public-school treasury. I 

 do not think, however, that the great difference exhibited between the years 1874 and 1879 shows the 

 actual amount of the decline in the business. The present oyster law is inefficient or is inefficiently 

 executed." By referring to the table showing the number of tonging licenses issued during the past 

 ten years it will be seen that in Mr. Lankford's county (Somerset) there were 329 in 1874-'75, while 

 in 1879-'0 there was not a single license issued to tong. The size of the tonging canoe ranges from 

 15 or 16 feet to 30 feet or more, the larger ones being called " bugeyes." Owing to this diversity in 

 size it is very difficult to estimate the value of these boats, but a fair average is about $100, which 

 would cover the entire outfit, making $182,500 the amount invested in tonging-boats. 



OYSTER RUNNERS. Connected with the tongers, and each dependent upon the other, is a 

 branch of the trade conducted by vessels generally known as runners, of which there are owned 

 in this State about two hundred, carrying about eight hundred men. The oysters caught by 

 tongers are either sold to these vessels, and by them carried to some market in the State, or they 

 are bought by boats owned in other States and carried to northern cities. The runner wiJl anchor 

 near some tonging ground, and an empty basket or a small flag will be hoisted to the masthead as 

 a signal that she is ready to receive oysters. In one or two days she will be loaded and is at once 

 off for a market. On some occasions half a dozen or more runners may be seen in the same 

 locality surrounded by forty or fifty canoes. As soon as a tonger has caught as many as his small 

 boat will carry he sells out to the runner and returns to work. The men employed on runners will 

 average about $18 a month, including their board, which, with the pay of the captains (about $50 

 a mouth), will amount to $166,400 for a season of eight months, that being the length of time that 

 these vessels are engaged in carrying oysters. Reckoning the average value of the runners at 

 $1,500, will give a total of $300,000 in this branch of the trade. About $30,000 is annually spent 

 in repairing this fleet. 



STATISTICAL SUMMARY. Summarizing the statistics of vessels, their value, &c., it is seen 

 that there are 700 dredging boats, paying $916,300 to 5,600 men; 550 scraping boats, paying 

 $297,000 to 2,200 men; 1,825 canoes, with 5,148 men, earning $1,158,300; and 200 runners, with 

 800 men, at $166,400 for the season, making a total of 13,748 men engaged in catching oysters in 

 Maryland, with wages and earnings amounting to $2,538,000 during every oyster season, or an 

 average of $184.60 for each man. It is utterly impossible to obtain the number of people supported 

 by this $2,538,000. Perhaps not one-half of the dredgers support any family, but with tongers 

 and scrapers it is different. Five is usually reckoned as the average number of a family, but as 

 very many of these men are single, it would be too high in the present case. It can scarcely, 

 however, be too much to reckon that for every oysterman there is an average of four individuals 

 dependent upon him. This would give 54,992 as the number of people supported by the catching 

 of oysters in this State. In addition to this, there are hundreds dependent indirectly, as shop- 

 keepers and in other ways, upon the oystermen. 



