New-York tribune., 1883-06-03
NORTH RIVER SHAD-FISHING ENDED.

The men employed in the shad fisheries
along the Hudson River from weehawken to Yonkers,
were paid of yesterday and went home. Fishing vir
tually ceased Thursday morning, when after examn-
ing the nets they unfastened from the poles and
placed in the boats The poes themselves then
moved by the aid OF the rider. which Is stout spar
braced to the poles by in the fashion OF ordi
nary spar OF a vessel When the poles being sunk
the men get upon this rider aud stamp vehemently
gether keeping time. When the poles are removed the
action ia the opposite and the put their shoulders
under,the rider and hoist 1t upward On Friday the
poles stacked away and the cleaned and dried
and put by years fishing. For though in bad
years the who engage In Establishing generally de-
clare shat is the last time, that the Hudson Is no
place for fishing anyhow and that they will try 1t
again. yet the season comes round they yield
TO the fascination buy nets get fresh provision OF
hickory poles, and engage gangs OF men, The present
year has been bad one In consequence OF the cold
weather The fish did arrive until late and the big
runs began about May 3. AT that time the rows
aged $50 fish. In each there thirty nets there
fore this is not quite twelve fish to net
Old fishermen who profess to remember when there
were no steamers in the river except Colonel Sevenss
ferries and those lower down at Jersey City, say that
eighty and even ninety shad have been taken from
single net this diminished figure of $50 shad TO
row did continue for more than few days for there
was return OF coa weather and she snad cropped on
To fifty row, and at last TO hfteen or sixteen II
the prices had not kept up there would have been con-
siderable loss, f0r shadnsning Is costly operation IN
sucn deep water. Some OF the poles ITO feet long,
aud it these poles that constantly beng carried
away by the steamers, 80 that every morning several
have TO be replaced The Ludlow family, of Weehawken
had seven OF shad poles this and is cac
lated costs Its equipment and mainte
nance $780, that the outfit cost the family $500 be-
fore single fsh was taken
so great this year that at the time of the
big runs the price did not materially weaken that In
those few good days considerable money made Had
there been no return Of cold weather after the beginning
of the spell the Ludlows calculate that they would
have made enough money TO pay for several bad years
For while OF steam craft In the ryor does
make havoc among the poles the centre OF the river
the increase OF population and especially OF rich people,
keeps up the prices wonderfully. IL known to con-
nosseurs that North River shad is other shad
just KcnneDeo salmon is not good as California
salmon In those days OF old, when eighty and ninety
dsh were taken from single netit impossible often
20 sell the catch at price But now there Is such
steady demand for North River that tue Ludlows
never this year got less than $50 hundred They draw
the twice day The morning run Is inconsideraoe
in comparlson with the evening Establishing, IL
may be presumed Will be resumed next year about tue
end March, when the losses OF this year may perhaps
he m u