Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-10-18
THE CAPE ANN FISHERMAN.
Ills Adventurous Trade II Its Dangers
and Fronts - ChhrheteristIes OF the

a Gloucester, Mass, letter to the
New York ErcniHg Post, says: "The
more one studies the Cape Ann fisher
man, the greater becomes his respect
for him. Really the courage, energy
and fOrtitudc displayed in the found
ing and building of "A ilourishing city,
among these sterile crags, is most adj
mirable 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 ofa vessel despatched to
this coast for fare by lishing 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 induccncnt 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 population, and every year
the gap has been filed, and the town
given a sturdicr and more tenacious
hold on life. From lists kept in the
town, it appears that between 1880,
and April, lss2, 1881 men, in l3- YES
sells, were swallowed up in the sea OF
the thousands lost before the date no
record has been kept; they are rs 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 1-G2,
swept down on GEORGES" 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 unharmcd, all losing
anchors. booms. ma,ts, or being $50
badly stove rs scarcely TO DE able to
make port In a few hours l2D men
were overwhelmed, leaving behind in
the home port seventy widows, and
$50 fathcrlo>s children. The reader
can imagine the scenes presented, hc-
yond All power Of description. when
the battered remnant of the fleet came
weeping into port, bearing news of tie
disaster In the uprthcas'cr uf March
-, l-|i. four vessels. with lfty-scycn
men were lost The gale of February
2u and II. l-19. was thcm0,t dcslruot-
i've to life ever known, 2iI men being
lost in It, leaving nfty-seycn widows
and 40 children, % mourn their loss
In an economic sense the condition
of the fishermen is much better than
it was quarter of a century ago
With improved methods they general
ly secure a better fare; they have
larger share. and more care is taken
by the ft'cr-out for their comfort
Crews still ship "on tho lay: that Is.
for certain share oi the profits. after
. expenses Of sailing. packing, barrels.
etc. have been deducted. the owner
furnishing vessel and outfit The lay
NJ present is onc-hali the profits
From some fares brought into por,
during the last ten years. one would
conclude that the hardy toilcrs must
soon become wealthy. For a long
time the largest "stora" ever made in
a season ty a banker. was that Of the
schooner. Racer. in l-GG. Her catch
brought $4,000. William Thompson
who was high lines" that year. re-
ceiying $1,000 for his seasons work
. The schooner Mary Car.-h. in ISL,
after an ahscnsc Of thirty-four days.
brought in $3.50 pounds OF halihut
I G,9o pounds of Goldfish, netting 81.
/ 1873. the crew sharing $23G25 each.
I Capt Benjamin Hines. however.
cclipscd both by arriving in October.
/ 1sA : with $4,000 pounds Of goldfish
and 1000 pounds fetched halibut
These voyages might bc often dupli-
Gated; but it must be remembered
that in too many cases the fisherman
tolls for weeks and gets nothing. In
the fresh halibut fisheries 1880 to
$1,000 is considered good trip, and
stocks from $1,000 to $4,000 are rare.
4 Grand Banker averages about nine
trips year, and the trips vary from
5000 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 to the fishing grounds.
took ala pounds Of Goldfish. and pull
ed ashore having spent but three