The Red Cloud chief., 1881-04-21
A Town on Ice-The Fishing Camp on
Saginaw Bay.

~ vi AAlO WIN aOSo Dot hAlot
how the other half lives. Narrowing
this down to a local significance it may
be %tru;hfully remarked that One-half of
Michigan-the southern-does not know
how the other half-the northern-lives.
Keenly feeling the paucity of knowledge
on this point burdenIng a large portion
of our common wealth, a representative
of the NeWs resolved the House into a
Committee of One, and, like ''Dr. Syn
tax in search of the picturesque" re-
solved to go forth and investigate the
much-talked-o of fishing town on Saginaw
Bay, believing it to be nearly time for
the annual item with startling display
head of, "A number of fishermen drift
ed out to sea and lost!' to appear.
Being thus empowered to "send for
persons and papers the Committee of
One proceeded to business.
Three large villages forming the SUBJ
urbs of Bay City are largely sustained
by this industry-viz.: Banks, Bangor
and Essexville. A number of fishermen
also live at West Bay City as well as in
thu city proper. At this eason of the
year especially do these places present
a scene of activity, as this is the season
in which the fishing is most extensively
conducted. The fishing grounds are
situated about six miles from the mouth
Of the river and ten from Bay City. A
good road leads out in 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. 1t
is a seem of busy activity as we APP
proach the fishing village, and every
thing seems to be on the trot. Dear
reader, were you ever out fishing
..when they bit good" and you were
out of baitl Well, judging from the
ervou activity displayed On every
hand on the ice here, you would i'm
agine everybody to be .'Out of bait"
But here we are at last, in the princi-
pal street of this town, built upon the
CONCEALED water six miles from safety
and within the grasp of death and dan
ger at an y moment.
Viewed from a distance the ice town
looks as though all the dog houses in
Michigan 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 necessaries are here found,
and also well patronized, if n might
Judge from the number of customers
present in each. A better idea can be
formed of the city by taking one of the
fishing huts as an illustration. These
are about 6xS in size on an average,
some less, some more. They are built
with the usual shanty roofs, but have no
floor. Instead of a floor the whole
concern is mounted upon runners like
q sled, and can be moved from place
to place. Thus the Typographical form
of the city is-cOnstantly changing, as
the fisherman frequently move from
place TO place. Inside the shanty are
berths for. the men, usually three in
number. Like those in the ~forecastle OF
a vessel. A little stove and a platform
and fish box are al the furniture. Here
the men are cooped up for TIVE or three
months, eat, and Sleep and fish. The
fishing is effected generally % follows:
A hole is cnt in the ice about the center
| of the sharty. The men stand round
it. two armed with light fish spears. the
third with 4 line to which q herring is
securely fastened. Tkis he lets down
in the water and then -slowiy draws il
back to the surface. when It is followed
by q number of voracious pickerel OF
trout. The two spearmen stand ready
Ito impale the best, and seldom II ever
miss, as the fish will follow~th 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 il between
| three aud four hundred, exclusive o.
the teanasters 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, OIL
| rather trios, who work the season
| through for themselves. and usually dc
well II the season is propitious like the
present one. Last winter the bay fish
ing was q failure on account oil the oper
water. but the present season promise.
to be one of the best for years. The
principal fish caught are Pickerei,
though perch and suckers are alst
caught; the season for trout IS hardly
opened properly yet. The possibility
of the ice breaking up at almost any
time is one feature of this work that j:
filed with danger. 1t may also par
from the shore, and before the citizen.
on the ice know of the fact they may bt
drifted miles out into Lake Huron
Hardly q season passes that this doe:
not take place, and the same storm
from the south that sends the ice oul