The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-16
mACKEREL FISHING.
Origin and Growth Of One Of the Great
Branches OF New Eugiand's Endusify.


Il is ct about this time Of the year that the
mackerel fishery becomes one of the principal,
II not the principal branch, not only of Names
but of all New England's industry. The
sohOoners, especially the Massachusetts schoon-
ess, usually stsrt out on the southern catch
about the middle OF March. They vie with
each other to see which will get to the New
York and Philadelphia markets first. Later in
the season the fleets work northwAfd, spending
much of the time during July. August ard
part Of September along the Maine coast,
where msckerel Of the best quality are caught.
Thsy find the best markets in New York and
Philadelphia. Boston is another good market;
Portland, also, on account of location, ranks
among the beat.
The origin of this great industry dates many
years back, aud its growth has been steady
though not remarkably rapid. We read that
Governor Winthrop stood "to and again"
within sight Of Cape Ann all one Day, in Juno
$780, and "took many mackerels." 10 1858,
the expectation of this fish from Boston had
commenced. The growth of the industry at
the start was very slow, and ii was not until
ITO that any considerable number OF vessels
we're sent out TO engage in this industry. At
that time the town Of Scituate had thirty
'achooners "out a mackerelin'." 1t appears,
however, that Gloucester fishermen and those
along this coast did not give much attention to
1t until 1920. At that time the old Chebacco
boats, so-called, were enlarged, and il was
common to furnish them with a bowsprit and
call them 'iggers." The Chsbacco boats
were Of peculiar construction, and were FIRST
used at Sandy Bay. A tradition is current
that the first one built was made in o garret at
Chebacco, now the town of Essex, and the in
Uerest thus started has continued until today,
and large number of the fishing vessels en-
ployed in the Gloucester fisheries are built at
Essex.
In 1889, forty.four sohooners engaged In the
bank fisheries, took 426, 700 fish. Tho average
earnings OF the fishermen were small, and
they were kept in a condition Of poverty. The
number in 1904 had dwindled down to eight
vessels of more than thirty tons burden that
were engaged In the Gloucester fisheries. A
corporation was established in 1910, with $780,
600 capital, and six schooners were built. Bah
sons history says: "With visions, perhaps, of
renewal of the ante-revolutionary prosperity
of th5 town, they commenced giving their
vessels names having initial letters in alpha
betical order. The AmitY, Borneo, Crescent
and Diligent were of the old model deemed
best for the Grand Banks fishery, while the
Economy and Favorite were built according
to a modern style, and sent in pursuit of cod
and mackerel on our own coast"
The remarkable abundance Of mackerel In
Massachusetts Bay in 1920, led the fishermen
to prepare for catching them on large scale.
They built 'iiggers." and made trips for
msckerel only. The first great year OF the
mackerel fishery was 1925, in which year a sin
gle "iigger," carrying eight mon, took over
1900 barrels of mackerei. In 1880 and 1881, the
fish were abundant. This fish is very capri
cious Not long after 1881 they became scarce
in Massachusetts Bay, bat Gloucester's enteY-
prising fishermen pursued the mackerel TO
their retreats in Bay Chaleur.
1t was in 1882 that the first vessel went to
this bay on a mackerel voyage.
Since 1850 nsekerel have been more abun-
dant, and the number of vessels has largely
increased. Today there are hundreds OF
Maine and Massachusetts, schooners engaged
in the Inaekerel fishery alone.