The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-03-01

visited bv the poorer classes, who hail
ed the first RtN of herring with delight,
and who. il they had no better or
! swifter means Of CONVEYANCE. would 90
in ox-carts for long distances to share
in the annual piscatorv harvest.
The Charlestown fair, that was origi-
/ nallv intended for more legitimate use,
during the latter part of its existence
was held about the close Of the fishing
season. MANY of the hands employed
al the fisheries We're hard eases, aud
they resorted 10 this fair To have i
spree and spend the money they had
earned during the fishing season
These annual drunken routs probably
did more than anything else 10 inlure
the reputation Of that long-establshed
and historic village. which was bene-
fitted, rather than injured, when the an-
nual fair was discontinued
Early in the history Of this branch of
industry, MANY SHORES were iished that
have long since been abandoned We
learn from plot OF plantation in the
land records of the county. that there
was q fishery on the east side of the
SusqGehanna river, Immediately below
the mouth Of the Octoraro. in 1909. Ii
was Of such value that when the place
was disposed Of. few years afterward.
the fishery was reserved There il
reason 10 believe that large quantities
OF fish were caught by the first settlers
land the generation that Immediately
succeeded them. al the head Of Ek.
The point of land at the junction Of
the Big and Little Elk Creeks was
known at one time as Fishing Point.
which would indicate that there was a
fishery there There is tradition that
the first habitations built where Elkton
now stands were few fishermen huis.
built by the Swedes and Films, who
lived along the Delaware. and were in
the habit Of coming there TO fish for
Shad and herring in the Spring. We
are of the opinion that there is little
truth in the tradition. Chose of our
readers who are DESTROYS to know more
upon this subject are referred To the
chapter upon Elkton. heretofore pub
lished.l We learn from a history of
Maryland, published in Philadelphia,
10y Joseph Scott. in 1907, that 5000
barrel of shad and herring were an
nually cured aud packed in the county,
anu that SIS 900 worth were sold fresh
We have no means of verifying the ac-
curacy of this statement. but it shows
that the fisheries were a source of con-
siderable wealth at that time But
there is reason 10 believe that much
larger quantities Of fish were caught a
few wears later We have been inform
ed bv Johnson Shippers, Esq. an aged
citizen of North East that lie fished
shore on the North East river, in 1919.
and c.aght 100 barrels of herring in
twenty-slx days, making oniv one haul
a day. He then quit fishing because
he had filled all his barrels Mr.. Sim
pers has informed us that in 1921 or
lS22, 5000 shad were caught a, one
haul at Bulls Mountain. Shad sold
that year rs low a. 81 hundred
About 1920, 800 hogsheads Of herring
were caught at one haul at Spesulia
Island. The seine used upon that oc-
casion was of great length. and about
one hundred men were employed at the
fishery. SO great was the quantity Of
fish caught at that haul that il was i'm
possible To LAND them in the ordinary
manner and the fishermen were Obliged
to buoy the cork-ine Of the seine bv
fastening it TO boats placed at a conve-
nient distance from each other. and
land 4 part Of the immense haul with
scoop nets Herring sold that wear as
low as ten cents a hundred As early
as $50. the supply of fish So far en-
ceeded tho demand for them that many
thousands Of them annually went TO
loss, and were left upon the shores of
the Susquehanna river and the head of
the BAY. where they became such an in.
iolerable nuisance that the citizens of
llavre de Grace petitloned the legisla-
ture. which, in 1910, passed law com
polling the proprietors of fisheries in
The afore-named places TO remove the
fish and oiial from the shores. within ten
DAYS after the end Of the season under
penalty Of fine of 50 la case Of
failure tc remove il. within FIVE DAYS
after being notified, fine Of $50 was
inflicted. Large quantities of fish were
used in the early part of this century
for manurine the farms Of those who
lived near enough the fisheries to appl,
them protitably, for owing to the en-
pense Of hauling them they could only
he used with profit near where ,hcv
we're caught The suhjoined account.
which we copy from the American
Farmer" of October 2ith, ls23. will he
found both interesting and instructive
FISH AS NASURE-sTATEMEST FOUNDED
On EXPERIMENT.
SIR promised you when | had the
pleasure Of seeing you here last year, that
| would give you the result OF an expert.
ment made by using herring is Il manure;
aud since ! have fully tested the expert
ment. now give you tho result with all
its minuti;r In may, is22, | purchased
- 900 herring, and placed them in drills 1