The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-11-03
Our @liu.
The Cape Ann Fisherman.

A Gloucester, Mass, letter to the New
York EUening Post, says The more on,
studies the Cape Ann fisherman, the create
becomes his respect for him. Really til,
courage, energy and fortitudc displayed il
the founding and building of fourishins
city, among these sterile crags, is most ad
mirable. Fishermen have reared it from
the beginning. The fourteen men wht
may be said to have founded the town il
1923, were fishermen, part of the crew o
a vessel despatched to this coast for fare
by a fishing company in England, and lef
here with the design of founding fishing
station and depot of supplies; and sinc'
then the prosecution of the fisheries ha.
! been the only indueement for men to settle
or remain here. The town has literally
grown up through and in spite of disaster
every year Neptune has titled its popula
tion, and every year the gap has beer
filed, and the town given, sturdier anG
more tenacious hold on life. From list
kept in the town, it appears that between
1880, and April, 1882, 1851 men, in ABS
vessels, were swallowed up in the sea. OF
the thousands lost before that date, no re
cord has been kept; they are as utterly
forgotten as though they had never been
Singularly enough, the most terrible
gales, involving wholesale destruction Of
life have been of comparatively recent date
The February gale of 1862, swept down OF
Georges from the northwest with terri.
l.. oe fbo al A1o,./
at anchor were sent to the bottom with
their crews, two were abandoned, the crews
being rescued, and of the remainder not
one escaped unharmed, all losing anchors
booms, masts, or being SO badly stove as
scarcely to be able to make port. In a few
hours 120 men were overwhelmed, leaving
behind in the home port, seventy widows,
and $50 fatherless children The reader
can imagine the scenes presented, beyond
all power of description, when the battered
remnant of the feet came weeping into
port, bearing news of the disaster In the
northeaster of March %, 1864, four YES
sells, with ffty-seven men were lost. The
gale of February 20 and 21, 1879, was the
most destructive to life ever known 249
men being lost in it, leaving ffty-seyen
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 century ago. With improved
methods they generally secure better
fare; they have a larger share, and more
care is taken by the ftter-out for their
comfort Crews still ship "on the lay;
that is, for certain share of the profits,
after expenses of sailing, packing, barrels,
etc., have been deducted, the owner fur
nishing vessel and outfit. The lay at pres
est is one-half the profits. From some
fares brought into port during the last ten
years, one would conclude that the hardy
toiIers must soon become wealthy. For a
long time the largest 'stock" ever made in
season by banker, was that of the
schooner Racer, in 1866 Her catch
brought $4,000, William Thompson who
was 'high lines that year, receiving 81,
300 for his seasons work The schooner
Mary Carish, in 1871, after an absence of
thirty-four days, brought in 58, ,553 pounds
of halibut, $500 pounds of Goldfish, netting
$4,739.75, the crew sharing $236.25 each.
Capt. Benjamin Hines, however, eclpsed
both by arriving in October, 1880, with
10000 pounds of Goldfish and l 1000 lbs
fetched halibut.
These voyages might be often duplicated
but it must be remembered that in toe
many cases the fisherman tolls for weeks
and gets nothing. In the fresh halibut
fisheries, 81 800 to $4,000 is considered a
good trip, and stocks from $4,000 to ST..
900 are rare. A Grand Banker averages
about nine trips year, and the trips vary
from $4,000 to $4,000 As showing the
uncertain nature of their occupation, the
fishermen tell the story of Mr.. Taber, who
launched his dory one day, pulled out tc
the fishing grounds, took 2,114 pounds Of
Goldfish, and pulled ashore, having spent
but three hours on the trip, in contrast
with that of Mr.. Woodbury., who hauled
three tubs of travis, comprising 1,50C
hooks, and secured five pounds of fish; and
with that of a neighbor, who hauled siz
tubs of travis, and failed to secure even &
dogfsh. 1t is owing, perhaps, to this sys-
tenn of 'shares, that wealth is SO evenly
distributed in the town. One sees in his
walks few pretentious mansions, but many
neat and comfortable homes.
The native American goes no longer tC
the fishing banks, prefering to remain al
home, fit out, handle the products, anc
transact other necessary business Of the
city. His place is supplied by men of the
provinces, and by waits and strays from al
nations. There is quite colony of Por.
tuguese, chiefly from the western islands
who occupy a quarter by themselves, and
are worthy and industrious citizens. There
are Irish, Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes
but exceeding all others, the Bluenoses
from the maritime provinces of the Do
minion. These men are born fishermen
reared to that occupation in lack OF any
other. Naturally shrewd, the swift, stauncf
well-appointed vessels of Yankee shippers
and their improved methods of fishing,
early attracted their attention, and led tC
their shipping on them when opportunity
occurred. There has been for years d
steady stream of these hardy fellows flow
ing into port. They make excellent fish
ermen; many of them, rising to be shippers
marry here, settle down, and add much tt
the towns prosperity. There are others
again, to whom more of romance attaches
men of birth and education from England
and the Continent, whom some youthful
error had driven into exile Others seen
to have adopted the business because OF It's
danger and adventure A volume might
be made of the tales told in the town O.
men of this character, who are now, ol
have been, forecastle men on the cod anc
mackerel catchers."
Alberton, the Chicago cattle dealer, de
MES that there is pleuro-pneumonla among
cattle in the United States: He says
''They have been locking up cattle in NATIVE
yards or fields formerly occupied hF tick
covered Texas steers When Texas cattle
are shipped to the East many of them ar
covered with little nests of "ticks, or bugs
and these insects fall off to the ground ane
crawl over the grass. If the herds ar'
changed, as they usually are, it often hap
pens that the native cattle get into tn
Texas pastures. The native cattle eat tn
grass covered with these pOisOpous greer