The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-03-31

Now when the first OF April Is approach
ing, and the voice of the herring frog is
heard, the fisherman turns his face toward
the tide water, and longs to be out on the
"sunny sea- There is an unseen treasure
in the waters, and he hopes to enclose it in
his nets. The earliest fishing in this county
by white men was at the Head of the Elk
river where the water was much deeper
than at the present day, and reaches back
some two hundred and fifty years. Before
the grant of Maryland to Lord Baltimore,
there had been for several years settle
ment of SwedeS at Christiana, only a few
miles distant, and the behring's being then
very abundant in the head waters of the
bay i'll the early Spring, the Swedes came
over to catch them, and erected nuts to
protect themselves from the weather and
the situation being a pleasant one, some of
them remained there and fixed their per
manent homes, and became the first settlers
about the Head of Elk"
On looking over IA list of the Swedish
colony at Chrstiana, it will be seen that
similar names We're among the early inhab-
itauts of Cecil county, with some variation
in the form, as Jansen became Johnson.
There being no dams across the streams.
the behring's pushed up them for miles. |
heard my grandfather say that when a boy.
he had caught them at Booths Fording on
the Little Elk, now Mackall 5, four miles
from tide water. The herring and Shad
/ fisheries were carried on to some extent
! before the Revolution, but during that war
| there was IA scarcity of salt to cure them,
| and many had to go to the sea shore, where
! there were salt works making it from the
| salt water. Formerly the run of shad and
| herrings was much more abundant than at
! present, and from 1920 to 1850, was at its
| height. In one year during that period.
| the inspection of behring's in the city OF
| Baltimore amounted to l25 600 barrels, and
the Office of Fish Inspector for the city of
! Baltimore was considered quite an office,
| aud many fishermen were looking to it, but
it seldom fell to Cecil. John 5. Mailit had
the appointment few years. The charge
| for inspection was three cents per barrel
| The largest haul of shad at Bulls Mountain
was during the period before referred to,
| and amounted To ID, 800.
On the approach of Spring it was stir
ring time about the village of North East
| The barrels had been made and the seiues
| knit during the Winter, and now com
menced the hauling of barrels to Church
Point, and the tarring and hanging OF
| senes, the hiring of fishermen. and the
moving 10 the shores. Then there were
men who saw signs of a good season-a
hard Winter and wet Spring were regarded
as very favorable. There was something
in the wet Spring, perhaps, as full streams
of fresh water emptying into the head OF
| the bay was favorable to the entrance of
the herring, which deposits its spawn III
fresh water.
On the east side of North East river were
Shippers, Burk' :, Rutter's, Hance's Point,
| Negro swamp Roach's, White Point, Red
Point, Bulls Mountain, and the Turkey
| Point fisheries, and on the other side, Old
Orchard, Charlestown Wharf, Seneca Has
sons. Green Bank. and Carpenters Point
fisheries. The latter were always conSid-
cred among the best shores. They formerly
belonged to Major Nathaniel Ramsay, All
officer of the Revolution, and brother OF
Dr. David Ramsay, the historian. The
Bulls Mountain property belonged to the
Ramsay family. and | recollect Henry {.
Ramsay when he had charge of the pro
perty. He was son of Benjamin Ramsay,
Chief Judge of the Maryland Court OF
Appeals.
Fifty years ago, the wages Of fishing
hands was from Sl4 to SIC per month and
the foreman got about ST per day. At that
time horses were not used in drawing III
the seine, and all the labor was performed
by the men. Whisky was used freely, and
II was 4 SreaI lhuuctiheuI 10 those " II"
were iona OF tie art'c'e, 10 go 10 hsh.hs'
hey 1heh drank from tne Jug or pot'ie'
but afterwards the J'sser was Introduces d.
a check, but there were some who plead for
two 1t was thought by many that men
! could not stand the hardships of fishing
without whisky, as they had To wade into
the water DAY ana niSht' ana steep III tleii
wet clothes, and frequently when it was
quite cold, as L nave seen spikes Oh ice
| hanging 10 their coat talis, aud IL was rare
to have SICK man on the shore. BHt
have known quite number VINO nshe0