The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-03-08
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THIS coLuNv Is OPEN To ALL.
hot The Cecil Whis
The Shad and Herring Fisheries of Cecil
County.

Fifty years ago, about the head of the
bay, there was season of activity and ex-
cltement, As the time OF fishing approached.
Al! through the Winter the coopeIs we're
busy max ing fish barrels, aud the ringing
OF tho adZe could be heard in all directions
as they were driving the hoops Herring
barrels were not required to- hold pickle
and were generally made of black oak
stun, and honpsd with twelve hoops The
shad barrels were made tight, of white
oak, and had fourteen hoops. knitting the
sencs WAS also Winter work aud was gen
orally done by women aud children. Cot
ton Irvine was coming into use. the hemp
having been previously used. The cotton
was cheaper and more lasting and the
hemp was abandoned. The shad and her
ring fisheries weIe IN all their glory fifty
years ago, and there was lively time
about North East for month OF two he
fore fishing commenced
The first run of herring dashed up into
the creeks and preparations were made for
tHking them, and prominent among the
creek fishers were two old men, who spent
their '" inter evenings in talking over the
SUBJECT, Specializing on the probabilities of
\ good season hard Winter was ALWAYS
considered favorable and in fixing up their
tackle Tor the early Spring. One of them
boosted OF his bran new seine that had
cost live dollars before il ever touched the
water: lie SAID 1t was a perfect j!ooi sucker.
ne DEVOTION OF these two old men To the
creek fishing was proverbial. Capt. Camp.
bell said that when sailing down the bay.
IN tue cary Spring, large herring jumped
up out OF the wafer and asked If the two
al nI n
Swcred IN the affirmative, and he heard it
say To us comrades, as 1t returned to the
water we may as well turn back
Church Point was 4 stirring place in the
month of March. Fish barrels were being
hauled and piled up III long rows; boats
drawn up to be repaired, caulked aud
pitched: scinrs were being meud-d, tarred
and hung: the boiling tar perfumcd the
AIR, ana men moved in = hurry Hands
were about To enlist for the season. Wits
Ky iinwtd freely at the fisheries, and that
WAS great inducement to certain class
ami gathered a rough crowd tn the shores
The wages were about $li to IL month
They got plenty OF fat pork corn bread
aud rye coffee with muiasses There wa,
very seldom any sickness at the fishery.
though the hands would come in at night
with their clothes soaked with water. and
go INTO their bunks filled with straw with
only blanket for covering, but there was
generally large fireplace in the room AID
they Stood around the large fire before
lying down. Their freedom from sickness
was NOT attributable to the whisky they
drank, Tor there were some who did not use
any whisky. and they stood it quite as we'll
IN cold weather and much better when
warm weather set in. Then the hard
n E.at
a generally demoralizsd appearance. Dur
ing the fishing season Their. were many -x
travagant stories aiinat, and an old fisher
man used To say there were more lies told
during the fishing than in all the rest of
the year.
Herring were abundant and could be
caught At almost any pi1cc along the river
AT the very head of the North East was
The Old o;chaid fishery. and a little below,
on the east side, was John B Simpers'
then Burkes now G.. W Furd's after
that Rutter's, iiauccs Point Rpach's,
Negro Swamp. White Point. Red Point,
Bulls Mountain. Maulien's, White Banks. !
elders Hole. Beaver Dams and Money
Landing.
II was about ls2a that John s. Matii,t /
and DAVID Dlckey. fishing ct Bulls Noun
tain, caught the largest haul of shad ever
taken on the river. Ny rrcnil-ction is that
the number was about II, 800. The shad
caught at the Mountain were not large.
and the prlce for many years was about /
ak dollars per hundred.
Many herring were sold from the seipes
To men on the shore who had prepared !
themselves with salt and barrel, for putting
them up. and who paid about fifty cents
per barrel for the herring. These were
lines enyapet ali ip,nro h.f,..