Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-11-05
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Editor Telegraph 1T is probably new to
the readers OF the Telegraph that this place
once had the best prospects of any Lake Erie
port. Those were in the days OF lake steam
boat and canal inland navigation. Time
changes, and Sandusky was one Of those places
that suffered by the introduction of railroad
communication, to the enlargement of other
cities. Speculation dropped, and her immense
warehouses and grainaiies were allowed to de-
cay and fall to pieces. Despite these disod
vantages, the place has increased, and has ma
ny good business advantages 1t has good
stone and lumber trade, beside much manufac-
| turing. In the summer MONTHS the Islands are
visited by many cxcursonists; but the advan-
tages would write of, arc the fish trade and
grape crop.
! This end of the lake is filed full of islands
of all sizes, from a few rods to 5000 acres in
extent The shallowncss of the water be-
tween them furnish NEST excellent fishing
grounds. When there, you can look in no d-
reciion without seeing long lines. of pound
poles To which are fastened the nets. Many ol
them are over q mile long. In order to draw
these nets there is necessary host of pound
boats Tho fishing season has now fairly
commenced, and the boats are coming in, load
ed down to- their gun-wales The fish are
mostly herring and white fish, with some pick
erel and many sturgeon. There are so many
fish caught, that the pound boats are not able
to carry them all to the city, and the three
steamers running betw cen the city and islands
are required to help them. So great was the
number of fish caught few days since, tha
the largest fish house did not have storag,
room enough for them, so that box after boz
had TO be cmptied over the side of the steamer
into the bay, 300 barrels of fish are shipped
from here daily, or over $4,000 barrels cacl
season.
The grapes of this section are far famed
and with reason, too, IL the luxuriant growtl
the delicious flavor and complete ripening o
fruit Is any argument in the ir favor, The cro
this yoar is decided success, and the lat
pleasant weather has done much to increas
the already unusually large crop. The grape
mostly cultivated here are the COncords, Dol
awares and Catawbas. Considerable atientio
is paid to the Isabella, but not to the extent Q
the above named. The Catawbas are cultiva
ed more than any other grape, and arc by f.
the most delicious. They are also tho lates
! and are now rapidly comeing into market
SO large Is the crop, that it is difficult to 81
pic1ers enough, or, to get boxes TO pack ther
in, supplied. There are many hundred acre
of vineyards around tho city, and many MOI
, on the Peninsula But the great grape lant
. are the islands, MS they there grow more lux
[ rantly and completely. There are over 25t
v acres of the island actually under grape GU
!. ture Besides the island steamers there is OF
4 running 20 the Peninsula, and all cOme in dl
IS ly, loaded deep in the water The one fro
n the Peninsula alono brings from 30 TO 20 to
le each day. Many of the catawbas are ma
into wine, for this purpose they are worth DC
t. per pound, and when packed for market Al
e. Sets. per pound The secret of succcssI
IS grape culture here Is that tive limestone f
10 nation here. Is covered with very thin Sc
y Iunfting il for the cultivation of anythi
sK belse, but making II the best In the world
's' grapes. The roots are thus prevented fro
p, lrunnag down deep, and absorbing great mt
ol ture An abundance of water produces n
"a dew and rot, and sparseness of moisture
lis favorable tothe ripening Of the fruit.