The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-08-11
The Lobster Business.
How LObSters are Caught and What Is
Done With Them.

ing in Importance, and has aided large
~ in promotingthe material interests Of
Chester. 1t is now about twelve years,
says correspondent, since the Portland
Packing Company commenced opera-
tons here and gave m impulse To tue
work OF catching, or rather Of trapping,
this delicious crustacea. II has now
several factories located at various
points, within n coast range of 200
miles, SEINE Of which are employed in
the packing Of mackerel. II is astonish-
ing the extent to which this business
has attained. The United States, Cana
da, and Europe offer ready markets for
tho sale of HOLSTERS preserved in this
form, and rs u result thousands Of peo-
pie are employed all along this coast
IN the capture and curing Of the fish.
They are, as has been stated, trapped,
the coDtriyance devised for this pur.
pose being semi.cylindrical structure
made Of rough lAths nailed together,
having a network covering at each end.
In the centre Of this network are two
holes, sufficiently urge to admit the
lobster, and once Gagged it is impossible
for him TO escape, as the net is bent in
ward. In the centre Of the trap is an
upright stake on which the bait is i'm.
paled, the whole concern being, as may
DO supposed, q sort Of "walk into my
parlor" arrangement. The bait con.
sists mostly of a sea perch and sculpin,
the latter being better known perhaps
lis the sea toad, u most unpreposseSsiug
customer, with head nearly rs large us
the whole body, and mouth large
enough for fish fifty times its size.
lie Is in fact monster on n small scale,
and in his color as we'll us in the pecu.
liar shape Of his head, us likewise In his
mottled skin, bears n pretty close re-
semblanre to n toad. He and the fish.
ing frog must be near relations, for
they are "as like as two peas" with
the exception that the latter has one or
two tentacles, or feelers, growing out
Of his head, almost Immediately over
the mouth, and on the end Of these is u
small, soft, fesh.like appendage, with
which, us with bait, lie lures, while
he lies concealed beneath pieces OF
tufts or seaweed, his unsuspecting
prey into his capaciUus nav. This
sculpin or sea toad, if he does not fish
for himself, is used to fish for others,
and this he does with great success.
II the old adage, Handsome is as
handsome does, has any force in it,
he is q perfect beauty. The lobster
traps thus baited are sunk to the bot
tom, by means Of stones, and taken up
between tides, when their unwilling in.
mates IRE transferred to the rOwboAts,
preparatory to being placed in the fish
cars, where they are kept alive till sent
to the factory in the large sailing craft
vessels OF from ten to twelve tons.
In these they are piled up, sometimes
in huge heaps that would draw torrents
Of tears from the eyes Of the tender.
hearted Bergh, and when the vessel nr.
riyes at the factory they are mercilessly
pitched upon the pier in another indis-
criminate heap.
Here they twist and wriggle and Zap
their propellers and interlOck with their
huge nippers, the whole heap present.
ing most animated and lively mass of
crustacea. From the pier they IRE Mt
once taken To the huge kettles, where,
having been sufficiently boiled, they
are packed in Theoretically sealed cans,
and, after still further boiling in these,
the cans arelabelled, boxed and sent of
to their several destinations. The sea-
son begins about the 10th OF May and
closes about the middle OF October, du.
ring which the Portland Packing Com.
pany, in one factory alone, boil and can
nearly seven hundred thousand HOLSTERS.
In the capture Of this number fleet OF
$50 boats, each manned by two hands,
is required, and these range along
shore Of thirty or thirty.nye miles.
In pursuit OF the fish these men some.
times frequent the most rugged and
widest part Of the coast, where the
restless waves, even in the calmest days
surge and boil among the huge rocks,
dashing the foam to the height OF fl.
teen or twenty feet. Woe to the hap.
less vessel that misses its trackless way
across the ocean and in treacherous fog
or the darkness OF the night runs upon
this iron.bound coast. The fate OF the
Atlantic and Of many noble ship has
told tales OF disaster that have sent
thrill Of horror through tho civilized
world. The crash and roar OF these
breakers can be heard ut distance OF
two or three miles, giving, one would
think, sufficient warning OF the danger.
Here, amid these rocks, are the favOrite
haunts Of the seal, and the sea.gull, the
former nfrording fine sport for the skill.
ful marksman. On this lovely summer
evening, the whole sea and sky sufIused
with the golden and purple glories Of
the declining sun and the bleak rocks
rising grim and black above the glitter.
ing foam Of the broken waves, We have
q scene Of grandeur and beauty rarely
surpassed. Here we have n splendid
view of the const for distance OF
twenty miles, with It's beautiful little
bays and coves, the shores of which
are in many places tlickly wooded
down to the waters edge. From this
we can see not few Of the islands OF
Malone Bay, mud which are so nnmer.
Gus as to furnish one for every day in
the year. Where did they find names
for them all? And why did they not,
to save trouble, begin in the work Of
designation with January / and end
with December 81? How economical !
But it is not too late, md the people of
Chester are hereby given full right and
title to the hint, to be by them used,
employed, de-, for the benefit Of them.
selves and their descendants for ever.