Norfolk Viginian, January 28, 1891
PIRATES ON HIS FARM.
reprinted from Baltimore AmericanSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : BaysideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PoachingSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Planting
An Oyster Planting Scheme That Did Not Work Well.
Mr. Gunby's Experiment in Tangier Sound
(Baltimore American.)
On Monday a number of oyster pungies raided an oyster reserve on the portion of Tangier Sound which lies in Virginia. The particulars of the raid were brought to the city yesterday upon the steamer Tangier from Crisfield by Capt. Andrew Evans and Allen Bradshaw, of Smith's Island [Md.], which is also in Tangier Sound. During the summer of 1889 Mr. Frederick A. Gunby, having secured the necessary patent from the State of Virginia, planted 28,000 bushels of shells, costing $800, upon sixty-eight acres of barren oyster bottom at Horse Hammock, a portion of Tangier Sound just below the Maryland line. From that time on Mr. Gunby went to a great deal of expense in having his reservation watched to guard against depredators. The increase in the oysters was marvelous, and Mr. Gunby ascertained by careful investigation that there were at least 350,000 bushels in the sixty-eight acres. Last week he thought the time ripe for gathering his wealth. He went to Richmond on Thursday and employed the services of Henry Reeves Pollard, a prominent lawyer of that place. The pair had interviews with the Governor and Board of Public Works of Virginia. Mr. Gunby's object in going before the authorities was to learn if dredges could be used on his reserve, as Horse Hammock waters are within the line reserved for tongers. Gov. McKinney said that the laws regulating dredging, in his understanding of them, applied only to public beds, and that Mr. Gunby or any other individual could use any means which would prove most convenient; that the bottom being his property by public grant, he could catch oysters upon them whenever and however he might choose. Governor McKinney further expressed his satisfaction at the wonderful increase of the former barren rock, and expressed it as his conviction that the farming of the oyster lands both in Maryland and Virginia, must necessarily and logically follow their depletion.
Mr. Gunby received the Governor's congratulations with much pleasure. He came to Baltimore on Friday, and told everybody of his good fortune, and said that before the spring rains he would be a wealthy man. He left Baltimore on the Eastern Shore steamer Friday night, and arrived in Crisfield on Saturday morning. During Saturday he hired a boat, with the men and tackle. Early Monday morning Mr. Gunby put off in his boat, and was soon dredging the rich store of his preserve. Before his boat had fairly begun, a large fleet of boats came upon the reservation and began to dredge. Mr. Gunby remonstrated, but this seemed to anger the pirates. After that the illegal dredgers did many things to keep Mr. Gunby's boat from making successful hauls. Every time the boat of the owner of the reservation would go about to go on another tack, one of the craft of the depredators would be in her way, and he could do nothing. The police boat which patrols the district is commanded by Captain Corbin, who is respected and feared by the oystermen in the neighborhood, but it was in vain that Mr. Gunby looked for Captain Corbin, and at last he was compelled to run for Crisfield before his boat was half loaded. From the rigging of his boat Mr. Gunby counted forty-five pungies in the fleet which swooped down upon him. He says that it is not likely that his beds will be depleted if he can secure police protection for the remainder of the season.