Virginian-Pilot, May 6, 1912

Untitled

Sea -- Finfish - Catch : SturgeonTransportation -- Road - AutomobilesInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Maryland-Virginia boundaryfields -- Crops - White potatoes : Prices

Eastville, Va, May 5. -- Sea fishing on the part of the watermen of the Eastern Shore has been a prolific and profitable employment so far this season, which only recently opened. All along the seaboard side from Chincoteagueto Smith's Island there are a number of men and boats engaged in the business. The most important points of the business are Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Hogg Island and Oysterport. The latter place is what was known as Cobb's Hill years ago. In the past ten or twelve years a considerable village has sprung up there. During the height of the oyster season in several years past as many as a hundred oyster boats could be counted there in the evening when the day's work was over. With the close of the oyster season some of these boats go into the sea fishing work, which in recent years has grown a great deal. The sturgeon season opened last week and about twenty boats at Oysterport are engaged in that, together with other fishing. Last week Captain Asbury Mitchell caught one sturgeon that had an 80 pound roe, which alone was worth over $100. E. B. Ireland brought in one yesterday with a roe that will bring $100, while on the same day about a dozen others were caught. The roe is, of course the most prized portion and is selling at $1.50 a pound in the markets. The carcasses of the sturgeon are also shipped and sell along with the other classes of fish. The fish landed at this point are shipped from Cheriton station, and it is a daily matter there now to see a large number of sturgeon carcasses together with a number of barrels of other fish, taken on by the local express bound for the Northern markets. The Hugh Stoker Co., represented by Mr. T. K. Hale, is the chief buyer at Oysterport.

Mr. L. W. Nottingham of this locality has purchased himself a handsome automobile. The number increases all the time.

The election for bonding the county of Northampton takes place next week. It has stirred the people considerably.

The Irish potato crop is now looking fine in nearly every case. The truckers are exceedingly hopeful of the outlook. The prices of Hasting potatoes which are now worth $7 a barrel in the Northern markets indicates the scarcity of them in that section. Mr. Walter Fitchett of this place has just returned from a trip to the trucking sections of North and South Carolina and reports that the crop will be short there, so that will insure good prices here, as the Northampton crop will follow close on North Carolina and go in along with Norfolk.