The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-06

FIsugRIgs OF GLoucEsTER.-It is very crafty
lag and pleasing, IN taking retrospective glance
at the condition OF Gloucester twenty years since, ana
comparing with its situation now says the Gloucester
Telegraph to find thai II remarkable and sudden in
in other communities our beloved native
town has steadily aud uninterruptedly improved In APP
pesrance and In business aud navigation with
every succeeding year. branch OF its business Is
this shown so forcbly in the fisheries, that great
pursuit and calling which has been the main stay and
support Of population for two hundred yearA
This business Ia 1927 insignificant and pconidar
able indeed, in comparison with late years Rockport
had larger interest than and out
twenty vessels. There were owned in our port
that year sixty schooners i've of the number
under ftytons total number of tons employed In the
business 3lll large proportion of these vessels were
what called ggers'' pnkies,n and probably
might have been worth III average IRON eight hnn-
dred to thous md dollars each With the excep-
ton Of few large schoones that fitted for the
Grand and Western Bas;s tho whole feet were en-
ployed in shore fishing, and ever within snort
distance OF the land Georges Bank and Bay Cha
leur were fishing grounds unknown to the Glouces'
ter people at that time This port occupied secondary
position regard to the fisheries when compared with
AIarblehead and Beverly But mark the changes pro-
duced in twenty years. the above two towns united SEND
out now but forty vessels and their interest in the s
ing business has decreased than two thirds There
in Gloucester in 1877 but firms engaged in
the business and the total number Of men employed did
not exceed four hundred. The msokerel fisheries at
that time had not attained much importance but in
few afterwards they very and the
obtained were not half much as At present 1t
success of the mackerel fishing and the prose
cution Of the fisheries Georges Bank that gave the
wonderful start to this business at Gloucester NOT
in the pamiest days of the maskerel fisheries in
the $780, 1891 and 1892 did this branch industry
occupy the position regards extent and Importance
that has The shng interest at the port of Gou
cester Oct lS4 presents great contrast with that OF
1927 The wing believed bv the writer to
be nearly correct 1870 vessels; 81 IA tons employing
400 men; average worth, $500 to $1,000 each. ls47
$50 vessels; 900 tons employing 1900 men; average
District of Gloucester in 1897 vas CO. 80 qusntals
fish, 27225 barrels mackerel 2204 barrels OIL value d
the sa,ne. 100000. This amount will appear small
when compared with the returns from the port Of Gou
cester alone in lsl7 By this it will be that the
fishing business in twenty from this port has been
trebed and the worth OF the vessels employed is five
times more ia lS47 than in 1927 Notwithstanding the
revulsions that foreign ia 1929
and 1884, and which almost annihiated il for season.
the tonnage of this port alone that of the
district in 1921 The aggregate fisheries Of the county
Of Essex then was probably not larger than that
OF Gloucester alone. Twenty years ago, the wharves,
stores Ks; employed in this business poor and
convenient, and in some cases in ruinous condition;
convenienoes for cutng the shsreG; eomodious
wharves and stores in perfect and complete order
Inow eaa. ,ae n,nssss ase vs liable to spaden Hue
preoarious pursuit. that it may be said, "let two
three disastrous years and they will dwindis
away as those Of Marbehead rnd Beverly, to al
most othiug" Yet still think that managed
with prudence and enterprise 1t may be made
business 1t is not very probable that total failure
viii take place in all deparents OF this pursuit. and
what i'll success there may be in one branch may be
fore thAn made good BY the good rstnrns OF another
With Our present vessels aud there be such
thing failure if great enterprise and holiness
firing industry and perseverance, insure deserve
the fisheries Of Glouocser will continue to in
and prosper and think destined to
rank and Importance greatly exceeding our fondsst
expectations tits somewhat singular that while there
has been such great ncrsass Of fishing vessels at the
port Of GlcScester sncs 1927 nsighroYs Rockport
and AnDsquam have not n ar SO many vessels as
they had twenty years ago. Manchester has the same
Thus be accounted for at Rockport by the
ms OF other branches Of Quarrying
stone farming manufacturing Sc This also may be the
ia az ter In m md
The wing statement will show the number
ses 40 tens engaged in 1927 and Is46