Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-03-10
A Town on lee The Fishing Camp en-.
Saginaw Bay,

Michigan-the s%euthnfn docs not know
how the other half the northern lives.
Keenly feelin9 the pauoity Of knowledge
on this point burdeuing "A large portion
OF our commonwealth. q representative
Of the NcWS resolved The House into q
Committee of One, and, like 'Dr. Syn
Tax in search of the picturesque re-
solved TO go forth and investigate the
mich-talked Of fishing town on Saginaw
Bay, believing it 10 be nearly lime for
the annual item with startling display
head of, "a number Of fishermen drift
ed out to sea and lostl' TO appear.
Being thus empowered TO "send for
persons and papers the Committee of
One proceeded to business.
Three large villages forming the sub
urbs of Bay City are largely sustained
by this industry-vz.; Banks, Bangor
and Essexville. A number OF fishermen
also live at West Bay City us well a. ia
the city proper. AT this season OF the
year especially do these places present
u scene OF activity, as this is the season
in which the fishing is most extensively
conducted. Tho fishing grounds are
situated about six miles from the mouth
of the river and ten from Bay City. A
good road leads out in a north-northeast
direction. The road, as far inland as
the eye can reach. is black with teams
hauling supplies to the fisheries and
bringing back the fish to Bay CITY. IL
Is y scene of busy activity as we APP
proaeh the fishing village, and every
thing cen TO be on the trot. Dear
reader, were you ever out fishing
when they bit good, aud YOU were
ont of taitP Wen, Judging from the
nervous activity displayed ON every
hand on the ice here, you would inn
agine everybody to be tout of bait
But here we are at last. in the princi-
pal street of this town, built upon the
oongea'ed water six miles from safety.
and within the grasp of death aud dan
ger at any moment.
Viewed from a distance tho ice town
looks as though all the dog houses in
NJ chigau had been gathered together
for the purpose OF forming a colony OF
Liliputians. A few are of more preten-
tious size, these being the hotels and
groceries. Don't laugh. dear reader;
all these necessnries are here found,
and also well %p1tronized, IL one might
judge from the number of customers
present in each. A better idea can DO
formed of the city by taking one of the
fishing liuts rs an illustration. These
are about GX8 In size on an average,
some less, some more They are built
with the usual shahty roofs. but have no
floor. Instead OF a floor the whole
concern IS mounted upon runners like
II sled, and can be moved from place
to place. Thus the Typographical form
OF the city is constantly changing, rs
the fisherman frequently moves from
place 10 place. Inside the shanty are
berths for the men, usually three in
number, like those in the f~orecastle OF
a vessel. A little stove and n platform
and fish box are all the furniture. Here
the men are cooped up fortwo or three
months, eat, and sleep, and fish, The
fishing is effected generally as follows;
A hole Is cut in the ice about the center
of the shanty. The mon stand round
il. two armed with light fish spears, the
third with 4 line to which a herring is
securely fastened. This he lets down
in the water and then slowly draws it
back TO the surface, when it is followed
by a number Of %yoracious pickerel or
front The two spearmGn stand ready
TO ifnpale the bestcand seldom IL ever
miss, as the fish will follow the bait to
the top Of the water. Torches are used
also by night. which adds much to the
picturesque character of the surround
ings.
The present population is between
three and four hundred. exclusive OF
the transfers and provision dealers.
Most OF the work is done by companies,
who hire the men at so much per day,
but there are many single fishermen. or
rather trios, who work the season
through for themselves, and usually do
well If the season is propitious like tho
present one. Last winter the BAY fish
ing was n failure on 0 OF the open
water, but the present season promises
10 be one7of the best for years. The
principal fish caught are pickerel.
though perch aud suckers are also
eaughti the season for trout il hardly
opened properly yet. Tho possibility
OF the ice breaking up at almost any
time Is one feature OF this work that il
hlled with danger, II may also part
from the shore, and before the citizens
the ice know OF the fact thew may be
drltted miles out into Lake Huron.
Hardly a season passes that this does
not take place, and the same storm
from the south that sends the ice out
into the lake win usually break II into
small pieces, aud then the danger Is
largely enhanced. Still, tho poor fel.
lows are usually rescued. The men are
principally French and Indians who are
engaged in this work, and the employ.
ment passes as a trade from father 10
son, from generation to generation.
It is considered ia "good iorm IL
whatever that expression means-to
pay q visit to the fishing town, 1t being
one Of the "lionsn of Saginaw. The
drive IL a n,oaf a,s,iGo ~ :.