Crisfield

To the Editor of The American: Crisfield is a town with prospects. Make no mistake about that. And when that oyster culture system, which is to be promoted and developed under the new law, reaches a status where it will work while you sleep, Crisfield will make a quick jump for the 10,000 population class. The population is now from 3,000 to 5,000, the variation depending upon the richness of the imagination of the Crisfield man you ask about it. This may be set down for certain, however, if Crisfield has not 5,000 population now, it soon will score that round number. Judging from the looks of the town down on the waterfront, any color goes in Crisfield, just so it is red. The main part of the town lies a mile back from the straits and channels, upon which the oyster and crab industries are established. It is these oyster and crab packing houses and shipping houses that make business, however, for this thriving bay city.

And what a business it is. Just now the oyster is out of the game -- it is his vacation time. But do not imagine that Crisfield shuts down when the first month without an "R" in it arrives. This Tangier Sound town now makes more money out of crabs than out of oysters. If you will make a trip down the Chesapeake Bay on the steamer Pocomoke, you will be certain to wake about 5 o'clock, when you get to Crisfield, no matter what may be you intentions as to sleeping to a later hour. There is a general rumble and roar aboard ship that lets you know that you have arrived at a port that is to receive a large part of the cargo. Glance out of your stateroom window and you will see white sails spread to the breezes in every direction -- hundreds of them. They are mostly crabboats that are making their way out to the broad spread of Tangier Sound, whose bottoms are prolific both of oysters and crabs. I am informed by a gentleman who knows the Crisfield industries in all of their particulars, that there are more than 1,000 of these small sailing craft engaged in crabbing that make Crisfield their home harbor. From the upper decks of the steamer Pocomoke, as far as the eye can reach up and down and across Tangier Sound, these little crabbing ships are to be seen.

Some of the political economists tell us that the day of individualism in the industries is about to disappear; but every crabber owns his ship and trades for himself and serves none. He reaps where he has not sown, and the crop which he gathers annually is more certain to arrive with the seasons than corn, cotton or potatoes. No drouth has ever yet impaired the crab yield, though they do say that the cold winters of 1904 and 1905 thinned out the breed distressingly. A walk out upon the wharf at Crisfield will indicate quickly than the chief trade is in crabs. There are ricks of empty shipping cases -- hundreds of them -- ready for softshells. These softshells are now shipped all over the Eastern section of the United States, or, at least, to all of the big Eastern cities. New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and even Chicago get a daily crab supply from the Tangier Sound city. There is a crab market right here for the thousands of barrels that are brought in daily (hardshells). The packing-houses take large quantities; but there are shippers in competition with the packers, who pay spot cash for crabs to be shipped in carload lots inland.

Baltimore is not getting all of the Chesapeake Bay traffic now; far from it. A brief observation of the pier at Crisfield will indicate that very much of the freight leaves by rail. The railroad runs out on the pier, both the railroad and the steamboat loading from the same warehouse. Of course, this facilitates an interchange of cargoes, but the railroad carries off a big share of the water traffic. There has been objection made by some Baltimore interests to the development of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal into an ocean ship canal at sea level and without locks, on the ground that it would divert Bay trade to Philadelphia. Philadelphia now gets as much of the bay produce as she needs. A ship canal would not affect this a fraction. This bay traffic, however, is of an immense aggregate. Baltimore has the advantage of a great inland-sea commerce from its position at the head of the Chesapeake. It is an advantage which Baltimore cannot lose, except from lack of enterprise and attention to opportunity.

REPSAC.

Crisfield, July 27.