The Opelousas courier., 1883-11-03
THE CAPE ANN FISHERMAN.


AWV0mtMEUsas Trade Its DaMRera
smu fronts characteristics or the
q Chichester, Mass, letter to the
New York Eoening Post, says: "The
more n studies the Cape Ann fisher
man, the greater becomes his respect
Tor him. Really the courage, energy
and fortitude displayed in the found
ing and building of a fiourishing city,
among these sterile crags, is most adj
mlrable. Fishermen have reared it
from the beginning. The fourteen
men who may be said to have founded
the town in 1923, were fishermen, part
OF the crew of vessel despatched to
this coast for a fare, by a fishing COM
pany in England, and left here with
the design of founding a fishing station
and depot of supplies; and since then
the prosecution of the fisheries has
been the only inducement for men to
settle or remain here. The town has
literally grown up through and in spite
dSdisaster; every year Neptune has
Typed its population, and every year
W. gap has been filled, and the town
given u sturdier and more tenacious
hold on life. From lists kept in the
town, it appears that between 1886,
and April, 1882, 1851 men, in 438 ves-
sells, were swallowed up in the sea. OF
the thousands lost before the date, no
record has been kept; they are as utter
ly forgotten as though they had never
been.
Singularly enough, the most terrible
gales, involving wholesale destruction
of life have been of comparatively re-
cent date. The February gale of 1862,
swept down on "George's". from the
northwest with terrible force; thirteen
Of the seventy sail there at anchor,
were sent to the bottom with their
crews, two were abandoned, the crews
being rescued, and of the remainder
not one escaped unframed, all losing
anchors, booms, masts, or being SO
badly stove a. scarcely to be able to
make port. In a few hours 100 men
were overwhelmed, leaving behind in
the home port, seventy widows, and
$50 fatherless children. The reader
can imagine the Genes presented, be-
yond all power of description, when
the battered remnant of the fleet came
weeping into port, bearing news of the
disaster. In the northeastern of March
%, 1864, four vessels, with ffty-seven
men were lost. The gale of February
20 and q, 1879, was the most destruct-
i've to life ever known, 249 men being
lost in it, leaving fifty-seven widows
and 140 children, to MOURN their loss.
In an economic sense the condition
of the fishermen is much better than
it was a quarter of a century ago.
With improved methods they general
ly cur a better fare; they have a
larger share, and more care is taken
by the fitter-out for their comfort.
Crews still ship ION the lay; that is,
for a certain share of the profits, after
expenses of sailing, packing, barrels,
ETC., have been deducted, the owner
furnishing vessel and outfit. The lay
at present is one-half the profits.
From some fares brought into port
during the last ten years, one would
conclude that the hardy toilers must
soon become wealthy. For a long
time the largest "stock" ever made in
a season by a banker, wa that of the
schooner, Racer, in 1866. Her catch
brought $4,000, William Thompson
who was "high lines" that year, re-
ceiving $1,000 for his seasons work.
The schooner Mary Carish, in 1871,
after an absense of thirty-four days,
brought in 1888 pounds of halibut'
$500 pounds Of Goldfish, netting 81
1881, the crew sharing $236.25 each.
Capt. Benjamin Hines, however,
eclipsed both by arriving in October,
1880, with $4,000 pounds of Goldfish
and 1000 pounds fetched halibut.