Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-04-06
Shad Fishing in Olden Times.

The Berwick Independent publishes
letter written by Gilbert Fowler to
the Secretary of the Wyoming His
tolical and Geological Society OF
Wilkesbarre, Pa, on the subject of
the shad fisheries along the Susque-
hanna river in the "olden times.
The letter reads;
Ny DER SIR Your letter request
ing me to give your Society my recol-
lec.ions of the shad fisheries IN my
early days was duly received. 1 viii
do so with pleasure. But first let me
premise: l was born February %,
1892, in Briarcreek township, North
cumberland county, now Columbia /
write or dictate this letter on my
eighty-ninth birthday. I have lived
near the Susquehanna river ever since
1 was born. My knowledge and rec
elections about the shad fisheries ex-
tends from Wikesbarre to old North
umberland. The first shad fishery
near my house WAS Jacobs plains.
This was located just above the town
of Berwick and one of the most
productive fisheries ON the river.
Here l have assisted in catching thou
sands upon thousands of the very
finest shad, weighing eight and nine
pounds.
The next nearest was Tuckaho fish
cry, situated about one and hall
miles above Berwick, on the same
side of the river. At this place many
thousands were caught night and day,
in early spring. The next was down
the river about six miles from Ber-
wick. This was the fishery of Benz.
Boon. AT this fishery 1 have known
so many caught that they were actu-
ally hauled out by the wagon load on
Benny Boon's farm for manfre; so
plenty were they. The next fishery
was that of Samuel Webb, located
about four niles this side of Blooms
burg. This was an immense shad
fishery. From the banks of the river
at this fishery could be seen great
schools of shad coming up the river
when they were a quarter OF a mile
distant They came in such I'M
mense numbers and so compact as
to cause or produce a wave or rising
of the water in the middle of the
river, extending from shore to shore.
These schools, containing millions,
commenced coming up the river about
the first OF April and continued dur
ing the months of April and May.
There was something very peculiar
and singular in their coming. The
first run of the first great schools
that made their appearance in tine
early spring, were the male shad-no
female ever accompanied them. In
about eight or nine days after the
male had assembled the river, then
followed the female in schools, heav-
lily laden with eggs or roe. Those
We're much the largest and finest fish,
and commanded the highest price.
Those shad that were successful in
eluding the seine and reached the
Matching ground at the headwaters of
the Susquehanna, after depositing
their eggs, returned again In June
and July. almost in a dying condi-
ton, so very poor were they. Many
died and were found along the river
shore. The young shad would re-
main at their Matching places till late
in the fall when they would follow
the old shad to the salt water. Dur
ing the summer they would grow
from three to four inches in length.
The Susquehanna shad constituted
the principal food for all the inhab-
itants. No farmer, or man with a
family, was without his barrel or bar
rels of shad the whole year round.
Besides furnishing food for the i'm
mediate inhabitants, people from Ma
hantango, Blue mountains and, in
fact, for fifty miles around, would
bring salt in tight barrels and trade