News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-24
FROG HUNTING.
A DESCRIPTION OF HOW 1T DONE.
The Queer Means BY Which Some People
Obtain n Livelihood.

From the Philadelphia Press.l
Among the people who inhaDit the
lower section of the city, commonly
known as the "Neck," are class who
obtain their livelihood by what can be
picked up in the "M'ash." Many of
these can be found in ''Smoky Hollow"
and Frogtown's population is almost en-
tirely composed of this class. During
most of the year they gain their susie
nance by what they call ''frogging, " and
are known as ''froggers." The frog
hunters outfit consists of canvas suit
an old hat, pair of long boots, large
bag made of some coarse material, and a
dip net mounted on a strong iron frame,
securely fastened to pole from six to
eight feet in length. The bitches and
marshes abound in bullfrogs and the
frog hunter dredges these pools of stag
nant water for them. They find ready
sale for their ''game" to a wholesale
house on Market street, the price vary
ing from thirty to fifty cents dozen,
according to the size. The people en-
gagged in this business generally live as
near their hunting grounds as possible,
and the row of little boat houses Oh the
Delaware, below the salt works, on the
old Point House road, is peopled by
them. The hunters make trips twice
week to- the city, to dispose of their
f-cos- o-,1 I rl,4o;,, 4b DIV 1i4+1a etoroS Their
mode of life is primitive in the extreme,
and they are generally quiet, inoffensive,
and hospitable.
A reporter called at the cabin of
George W. White, the Oldest frog hunt
er living in the Neck. His cabin is stu
ated about the centre of a row of boat
houses on the Delaware banks, near the
spot formerly occupied by the Point
House, and consists of one room. Mr..
White received the reporter pleasantly
and said eyes, I'm frogger. Frog
ging isn't what it used to be when [ was
Younger. I've followed this business for
twenty-seven years, and all my family
were froggers before me. My father fol-
lowed it for nearly forty years, but he's
dead now, and I'm the oldest frog hunter
living. Twenty years ago it was no IN
common thing for me to catch from
thirty to forty dozen frogs in a single
day. but now I'm satisfied if I get from
eight to twelve dozen a day. When L
first went into this business with my
father frogs were only worth from six to
ten cents a dozen, but then they were
more plentiful, and a dollar went much
further than now, but / guess L make as
much on the whole as we used to. There
were a great many more hunting them,
too, in those days, and often the market
would be glutted for several days. Now
they have either all died off or gone out
of the business entirely, and but few
young men engaged in it except for fun.
s.It is no easy task to tramp all day
through tie mud end water ZEit2..~a Z5g.:s 2
heavy rake or net on your shoulder and
bag full of kicking frogs on your back,
and most people prefer an easier method
of making a living. But it's trade,
| UIl6 SdI1O AACShdulCttl WOIh, IL
: takes brains and muscle both, and,
above all, rugged constitution. The
!; marsh is as full of malaria as an egg is
, of meat, and no one not born in the
Neck could live here a year. / start out
shortly after daylight in the morning
with my bag and rake, and go to some
point in the mash and begin operations
} work the ditch toward the cabin anG
get somewhere near it by noon. Then
: put my frogs in barrel and cover then
with ditch grass. After dinner I go of
again, this time somewhat further, ant
dredge the bitches until near dark, wher
return home and after supper clear
and bunch the game.
Chow do you know where the frog
are ?" was asked.
''At this time of the year they lie
buried in the mud, on the warm side O.
the ditch-that is the side having {
southern exposure. During the winter
the frogs lie in the mud, and some
/ times carry hatchet to break the ice sc
as TO get at them"