The New York herald., 1877-02-12
FISH FOR LENT.

AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY ON HAND IN THE MAH-
KETs-THE sHAD SEASON
The Lenten days. the hungrest OF the year, arc near
ht hand Tho hours OF balls and carnivals and winter
merry y-makings are numbered, and sackcloth and
ashes viii envelope the Christian world ''Black
astng' as 1t called, is now obsolete, and Lent
tor the orthodox has taken to itself many FASH
ions and dainty ways unknown In tho olden time
Tho astidiousncss OF tho penitent world Is known to
more intimately than to the nshmoDger whp
caters critical appctites during the season of fast
ing This individual has been interviewed by n
HERALD reporter, and his views will be found scat
tered below. When the nshmonger in question was
ntcrrogated the condition OF The market and its
ability 10 supply coming demands he sad:--
awe kin feed fifteen times many Christians as
there is In New York and at cheaper rates than any
other in tho Popc's parish We got herrins
enough keep the town goin' for two Lents put into
one and they amt snyde herrns neither. They're
as lovely as we can catch cm
Ho might have continued his haranguc on hcrrings
but that reporter claimed word Tor the toohsome
shad and inquired II that tavoro at present to bo
had
.Shad We'll, just guess we got few shad," said
he as he thrust his hook into hin and brought
up "Them shad," he continued, 'is the finest eatln'
fish that fried just sweet ii they growod
Staten sland just cheap, too and just as plenty
Them ere fish coined from Florida. and they have
some fish down in them waters they have They
amt so big as our fish up here, but Oh they're sweet
they are j."
All efforts to ccit any statistical Information from
the old gentleman falling the reporter went 10 another
dealer from him obtained the following facts rcla
''can always bo had in the New York market, for all
the year round they bcng caught along the coast
bev bsrn To take them along the Of Flor
ida and North Carolina. About the lst OF February
they begin 10 come from Newbcrn and Charleston.
Then on the first OF the next month the Roanoke
marshes supply us. About hc middle OF March shad
begin to appear In the Potomac and Delaware rivers.
About this time own fishermen down the bay begin
to set their nets but very lew fish arc
caught until about the LIST of April when
they quite plentiful in these waters Tho
fishing around New York lasts until about the middle
OF May AZ the season grows old the fish begin TO
lose their flavor They arc more delicate IN flavor
just alter coming up from the and the longer they
remain in the fresh water the poorer they grow.
During tho second week IN May tho Connecticut River
shad begin to appear in market The height Of tho
season is reached at this time and the Connecticut
shad considered by judges to be tho delicate
10 July shad brought from the coast OF Name
During the summer months shad can also be had in
tho markets. as MI kinds OF fish arc frozen by patent
process"
PREPARATIONS FOR LENT
The marketmen, wao know that during tho holy
season large demands will be for fancy fish, have
prepared for it, and have now on hand an I'm mcnse
quantity OF all kinds. man who has been IN business
Flon Market Tor twenty years says that never be-
in his recollection there much fish in stock
as at present For the last six weeks the market has
been glutied. AT present thcrc nine cargocs Of
herring, each cargo containing 45O 600 herring
AT present they sold three cents pound, but
there is prospect that the price will further
be reduced several cargocs expected
to-day early next week. An inquiry into
the OF this full market elicitcd the
statement that the demand ut present about
mai but that the supply had Increased account OF
the hard times. This seeming paradox is explained
by fact that hundreds OF men, having been thrown
out OF employment in mills and other industries, have
taken to fshing Tor n living. The expense OF hitting
out boat Is very small and most OF these uncm-
poycd men have Invested their little capital fishing
boats. al every IN Now York obeys the rule of the
Church wo will have enough fish TO help them to tho
obedience" said the reporters informant, conclu-
sion.