The New York herald., 1875-10-25
F I S H
The Mysteries of Fulton
Market.
THE FINLAND OF THE EAST RIVER.
History of the Place and Charac-
teristics of It's People.

The supplies yearly furnished by the Fulton Market Tar
exceed those OF the famous Billingsgate and far
greater Is the extent OF inland territory which shares
the benefits Of those live the seaboard plscno
luxuries for the table
Our market is not triumph Of architecture nor are
marble slabs and translucent tanks for exhibiting the
fish alive features of it. II Is truly democratic rough
and ready sort OF structure, but emineny business
like, and it has negative well many positive vr-
tues The language INDUCED in around its precincts is
not like that OF "Billingsgate synonymous with all
that is foul A somewhat desultory interview with
patriarch OF the market and sundry other discourses
with other elected the following very interest
ing facts
EARLY DAYS
Forty years ago the fish dealers had for local habi-
taton the cutters front Of Fulton Market There they
''squattedn They had bond of brotherhood any
particular privileges In 1884 the corporation Of the
city built shed for retail fish market where the
present salesrooms stand and moved the dealers from
the old sidewalk stands over to II. This
arrangement lasted five six years, when,
under the administration OF Mayor Harper the corpo-
ration passed resolution to tear down the shanty
which had been erected and the fishermen
back to the wing of Fulton Market before which
they had been accustomed to ply their trade. The
shed torn down, leaving nothing but the floor and
this for some years unoccupied except by stands
LOT the sale OF poultry, IN
something like the of affair the Long Island farm
would so very much like get established now.
This went until 1s47 up to which time the whole
saers sold their fish in the street. without any
PROGRESS
In that year Jim Kelly anerward Postmaster OF the
city then the Alderman Of the Second ward succeeded
in getting resolution passed to rebuild the market
where it is at cost not exceeding 81 600, and to
the outside wholesale dealers under the
building thus giving them some protection. It
not imposing ednce, being merely a
She'd but nevertheless it improvement for
which the dealers were thankful They moved in and
until 1869 they occupied the same old shed The
foundation was on twenty seven piles and the floor
had been patched and repached often that there
no chance TO mend it. and the frail structure
daily tottering to its fall Why it did not fail remained
mystery which puzzled the dealers while its insecure
condition urged them to adopt some remedy
CHARTER BUILDING
The parties interested assembled and determined to
apply the Legislature for charter to build decent
market They went about the business with due de-
liberation and counsel before they took a step
advance Some individual idiots such may be found
everywhere coggng the wheels Of progress streve by
their protests hamper the efforts Of their more far
sighted neighbors charter obtained in 1869
granting permission the city to lease the bukhead to
u
ing years and 10 permit the association to put up
building in accordance with plan filed in the Comp
troller's office.
The building it at present stands was then erected
on a foundation OF 2l5 piles. The old beams under
the flooring found split and rotten TO such degree
that they could not possibly have held together SIX
months longer. The market put up IN two
months
The interests Of the members Of the Fishmongers
Association only identical in far regards their
Joint proprietorship Of the building Each business is
as separate and competition is brisk as it
VARIETY FIsI
Our market claims justly to exhibit for sale greater
variety Of sh than that Of any other city in the world
There are over $50 kinds. They from the fresh
water lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, from
out at and along the coast from Maine down to
Florida in their respective seasons bv thousands upon
thousands Of tons. smets chiefly come from
Maine and shad from the nearer coasts
ana rivers. Halbut, which used 10 arrive only till
june obtained all the year round by scientifically
following up the migrating fish even as far as Nova
Scotia Salmon used TO be rare and the season for It
very short 1t is now thanks TO the universal freezing
process to be had in the finest condition all the year
round
There are thrty-nve smacks now at Sandy Hook
which in, being handy to the market every four
days full Of fresh fish. Cod is now being received
from Nantucket shoals, and haddock and bass from
Cape May. Blueish is also brought in from OF the
Jersey coast and haibut from Browns bank between
Georges Bank and Nova Scotia. Weakfsh small blue
fish, porges founders and many other small fish
from Jersey and the south side OF Long Island whence
also the Spanish mackerel Green turtle is
brought from Florida and Holsters from Cape Cod
Crabs from Staten Island, Long Island and
Jersey. No oysters sold in the fish market
Scollops sold in winter They come from Con-
necticut and Long Island and the largest from
Rhode Island The arrivals, on an average, are es.
tmated al about 25O,OOO pounds a day, more, OF
course, being sold on Fridays, that being fish day
for Roman Catholics and Epscopalinns while very
rigid Puritans put themselves on hsh diet on SaIur
days 10 mark their dstaste for superstition. Per-
haps half Of the arrivals shipped to points
within a radius of 500 miles. They 20 TO Phllade
phia to Charleston ST. Louis, Cincinnati Chicago
and to the inland watering places and pleasure re-
sorts in the summer. Times now are rather hard
collections bad, and thirty cents dollar is
considered rather good than otherwise by the whole
salers.
THE TRAVELS OF FISH
The intermittent cry for protection and laws to
prevent capture of fish at certain close seasons
regarded by old fishermen az arrant humoug. In
1889 there great hue and cry about the FISH
supply dwndlng. The fact y that, Notwithstanding
the enormously increased consumption, the supply IS
to-day greater than II ever Fish travel and
the smacks travel after them. Cod hshed for ut
Sandy Hook up November 10; they then followed
on their way down South. During the very cold
weather they NAV be found of Sandy Hook In the
spring they go to deeper water and cooler climate
The Nantucket Shoals IN summer produce richer crops
than tho wheat fields of California the prares
Of the nearer West The pursuit IS great school for
sailors II hardens and trains men 70 feed their coun
trgHeH IN peace anu " pIOlttt iHeHl III During
the the best sailing masters aud pilots the navy
graduated from smacks. Nearly All the Jersey pilots
are old fishermen IL teaches men the and In
stills habits Of caution when they have run along
night and day catch tho fish and bring them market
promptly while salabla.
sMACKs.
The schooncrs and sloops from the big halbut and
cod smacks 10 the smaller craft which ply for buefsh
are many Of them, very beautiful boats. They number
about $50 sail, plying to and from Fulton Market
They swift, and could give considerable odds
III i match 10 some yachts they are very stanch
and lie in the heaviest weather well as better
than the largest ships and rival the plotboas n
worthness. This IS partly attributable 10 the well
with which they all provided for the purpose Of
preserving the dsh alive. This with the comparatively
still inside, to act Of anchor and
tends greatly To prevent the boats drifting seaWay
In ls49 four smacks went 70 California round Cape
Horn and followed nshng of the coast Of the Golden
State until they A saitboat was also
taken there BY o three named Zach Taylor.
Albert Rogers aud John Miller the deck the hall.