The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-01-26

From the Detroit Free Press.
Having heard and read much of the
perilous adventures OF the fishermen
on Saginaw Bay for the past two win
ters, your correspondent had u great
desire To see some Of this singular
mode Of life, and 10 know by actual
observation whether or not the stories
told were founded on fact. With this
in view | visited Bay City, few days
ago, and upon inquiry learned that
the fishing season had fairly com
menced, and that fishing parties were
daily going out to the bay with their
shanties and fishing apparatus 20 COM
mence their winters work.
at once applied to livery-stable for
conveyance to the curious city. Here
/ was informed that il was some six or
seven miles to the fishing grounds, and
that the only road by which l could
reach them was on the ice in the river.
Upon questioning the safety Of this
kind Of road was assured that il was
perfectly safe, that the ice was at least
IL inches in thickness on the river, but
at the same time was cautioned that
when encountered the cracks in the
ice must drive square across 10 avoid
getting the cutter runner in the crevicc.
The preliminaries with the livery man
being arranged, started for the river,
having TO wind my way amidst lumber
piles, freight cars, saw-mills and salt
blocks for a mile or more before was
able To strike the road on the river.
When this road was reached, however,
l found well beaten track, as easily
followed as most of our highways. The
surface was somewhat uneven, caused
by the motion of the water when the
ice was forming. The road was not
rough enough, however, TO prevent a
good round gait of the horse, and, see
ing none of the cracks in the ice about
which / had been cautioned, soon
gained entire confidence in the road,
and rather enjoyed the ride between
the high tiers Of salt-barrels and lum-
Der that lined the river bank on either
side, and in very short time found my
self in sight of the mouth Of the river
and light houses near by.
The first fishing shanty found about
mile above the mouth of the river,
and in this neighborhood there was
perhaps dozen, being all of about the
same make and size, being about six
feet square, high enough for man to
stand up in, covered with regular
house roof, and built on runners, so as
to be easily Moved from place to place
as the owner desires. A small stove
and blankets for sleeping, form also
an important part of the outfit. The
material mostly used in the construc-
Ia - II. Il. q. -
timber, lined with thick building pa
per. Near the first group Of shanties
and on the high road to the bay, stands
a new rough board building, about IL
by 16 feet, built also on runners, and
labelled over the door, Saloon"
Immediately after passing this group
and the saloon, the road leaves the riv-
or channel and passes for some distance
over an overfowed marsh TO the shore
of the bay. Here was a low, narrow
ridge Of land, and from it could be
seen, as far as the eye could reach out
ward toward the lakes, these small
abodes Of the fishermen. l could see
from this point what appeared to be
quite large building, which | judged
10 be about mile distant from the
shore, and thinking this might be sort
Of headquarters where ! could get in
formation, started at brisk pace to
reach it. | found the distance to be
much greater than it appeared, and
was willing to call it two miles before
| reached it. When once there found
il 10 be hotel, and affords entertain
ment for man and stabling and hay for
horses.
This house is kept by VIM. Fuller, a
fisherman OF long experience on the
bay, and his partner, Richard Cham
paigne, and Is called the Halfway
House, or Fishcrman's Home. The
sight from this point is truly astonish-
ing, the shanties dotting the surface of
the bay in all directions, 50 far as
could see. From Mr.. Fuller learned
that the number Of these shanties now
on the bay was about 800, and that
about 30 were arriving and being put
up daily, and that the average number
Of occupants in each shanty was three
men or men and boys, thus making, in
Guiding the larger buildings and their
occupants, not less than 1000 persons
already living on the ice. Mr.. Fuller
thinks there will be thrice the number
on the ice BY the first Of February, and
that they can remain there in safety I'M
Ill the middle Of March. Mr.. Fuller
could net give any satisfactory
estimate Of the amount of fish
caught or the revenue to be derived
nom them, but the fact that teams are
con sanity engaged in gathering togeth-
er and hauling the fish TO Bay City,
whence they are shipped to all parts 81
the State, and that All these people find
il sufficiently profitable to induce them
70 brave the perils and hardships at
tending this adventurous life, i proof
that the aggregate revenue Of the bust
ness musf 40 nuita LARGE The nppplt