Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-09-19
THE FISH WITH 65 NAMES.
lSarneEat Fishermen Amazed at His DO.
sIructiOn.
A HarneU.t 1ntfor tn tho larSov (titv

lsarnegat Fishermen Amazed at His DO
sIructiOn.
A Barncgat letter to the Jersey City
Journal says:
''Tho fishermen arc in the dUleful dumps
over the destruction Of the mcnhaden
alias mossbuuker, fat fish, bOny fish, OF
almost anything else you like, since be-
tween ST.. Johns and FlOrid;. no has ~
less than sixty five local names. Whence
he comes or whittier lie goes no ma1
knows the one important fact is that he S
numerous and good to eat. lie has no
friends, but hosts Of enemies, aud where
he is there arc weaklish, bass, blue fish,
Spanish mackcrel, sheepshcad and bonito.
Where he is not they are not to DO found.
Ie is above all else the fish food for food
fish, and that is why the fishermen along
shore do not like to SEQ linn
caught by tho million and turned
into oil and manure. The especial an.
noyance is aggravated by the fact that
almost all the steam fishing boats belong
to foreigners, while their most fruitful fish,
ing ground is tho New Jersey coast. They
come all the way from New Brunswick
sometimes, frequently from Maine and
Massachusetts,, and scores from Us far
east as Sag HarbOr, to prey in Jersey
waters. Scores Of steamers are engaged
in the trade, and more fish have been
caught this year than ever before. There
have been few factories in New Jersey
until recently, but they arc increasing in
numbers, and one enormous concern, which
runs three steamers and mex! season will
run six, has been completed on Staten Is
land sound, near the mouth of the Railway
river. 1t is known by the pathetic title OF
tho stink factory" The fishing is totally
unlike anything else except for herring, and
does not greatly resemble that in machi-
merry or methods except in the character
of the nets used. The seinos are q thOus-
sand feet long and sixty feet wide, with
immense floats and heavy sinkers, and
you can see miles of them laid out on the
white sand dunes near the fish factories
of the Long Island coast. The boats have
a capacity of from zoo, 600 to GOO, 600 fish,
all handled by derrick shOvcls and other
machinery which can be worked by tho
steam winch. They are manned by ten to
sixteen men each, and are owned, prOvi-
stoned, fitted out and officercd by the COM
panics which have immense capital. One
third of the catch goes to the boat, that is
belongs to the company in consideration of
its investment and outfit. The other two
thirds belong to the crew, whom tho com.
panics pay at the rate of 81 per 900, tho
present current rate. Fish are not dear 1T
ten for a cent, especially when they will
run half or three-quarters of pound.
Occasionally boats catch as many as 1, ,OOO-
600 fish in week, although that would
be very heavy catch, which, if there
were only ten in the crew (pilot, engineer
and skipper being paid by the company
and not sharing in the catch) would net
tho men $50 each. They, however, earn
from $50 to $40 per week on an average
and expect to earn years livelihood be-
tween May and October. The immense nets
of course taken all that comes, bluefish,
sharks, dogfish, toadfish, or Staten Island
wOodcock, bass, hordes of weaktish and
else that may he feeding
on the school, which is completely
by the net, which is
then pursed, drawn close to the
steamer and scooped out. If food fish
happen to be present in sufficient numbers
they are culled, packed, iced and shipped
to market. As rule, however, they 20
with the menhaden to the factory ten for
a cent. The menhaden themselves are
excellent for the table, but very fat and
full of bones. They are as handsome as
the spanish mackerel, and in sparkle and