Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-01-22

From the Detroit Free Press.
FRANKFORT, January 12.-The fishing
| fleet OF Frankfort consists Of four steam
tugs Boss. Sweet Brothers, A. Mcmillan,
| Hannah Sullivan, and numerous sailing
smacks. These sail b,ats are about
thirty feet long, eight feet wide and
three feet deep, but instead OF a square
stern are sharp at both ends. They are
called Mackinacs, as they originated with
the fishermen on that island. They are
nOted for their speed, and many a fine
built pleasure yacht coming to these
waters has been left sadly in The rear in
a scrub race by these little craft.
OUTFIT.
The outfit Of fishing boat consists Of
two or three gangs OF gill nets-fOrty
nets making a gang; then follow am
chOrs, bHOys, ropes, etc., costing from
$500 to $500. The crew consists of two
msa and boy. They sail ont to the fish
ing grounds or reefs in Lake Michigan
daily, weather permitting, during the
season, setting their nets from three to
twenty miles from the coast. On these
trips enc gang is raised with the catch
and taken on shore for drying and re-
pairs, and new gang deposited instead.
THE KIND OF FISH.
Tho catch consists of few dozen at
soma hauls, and again the boats will re-
turn laden full to the ganwale. The
largest catches are caused by school of
fish passing through the grounds. The
FISH taken consist principally Of white
fish and trout. Occasionally herring,
lawyers, suckers, sheephead and sturgeon
are caught, but are considered of but
little value for shipping purposes. On
returning to the harbOr the fish are
dressed and packed in ice in large re.
frigeratOr boxes and shipped by steam
ers to Chicago and Milwaukee.
The whitetish are purely fresh water
fish and very delicious; rich, fat, and
agreeable to the palate. la color they
are blush gray on the back, lighter Oh
the sides and white on tho belly. The
average weight of this fish is three or
four pounds, and when quite fat seven
or eight pounds.
Next follows tho great lake trout, also
called Mackinac front. They run in size
from two pounds to fifteen pounds, but
occasionally some deep water ONES are
brought in weighing thirty to forty
pounds. They are OF a muddled greenish
brown; darker and greener on the back,
brOwner on the sides. yellowish gray on
the belly. The fms are gray on the back,
and those OF the sides a muddy orange
color. The sides of the fish are spotted,
presenting notified appearance. The
flesh is reddish celored, firm and oily,
and of a pleasant taste
The steam fishing tugs carry on the
business on much larger scale both in
crews and number Of nets than their
brethren OF the sailing craft. They
steam out to the middle grounds. q dis
lance Of twenty to forty miles. and en-
gage in deep water fishing. The price
realized In the Wholesale market of Chi
cagO averaged six cents per pound this
season.
THE FISHERMEN.
The majority of the fishermen are for
eigners. French Canadians and Yankees
make up the remainder. All are Injured |
to the perils and hardships Of coasting
life, and are considered among the best |
bOatmsn in the world. Among the own
ers of fishing smacks is an old man who |
is aided by his little bright eyed, intel
Iigent boy. he has small, cheap outfit, |
and barely ekes out an existence. 1t il
said he was five years ago the owner Of |
two fine salt water ships, engaged in |
trade between ports on the Baltic Sea
and England; also proprietor Of a ship |
ohandlers store in Copenhagen. Re
verses set in, one ship was lost in col
lisiOn, at sea, the other caught fire and
burned. His wife died, he became dis
and INDUCED too deeply in
grOg. His mercantile business in the
was left In the hands Of care
less employees, was at loose ends, and
the result was failure. Gathering
what little was left he came to America
to try and retrieve his lost fortune. Fate
was still against him. On landing in
New York he fell in with some land
sharks who swlndled him cut Of the re-
of his wealth, selling him WORTH
less alkall lands in the most desOlate
portion of Arkansas. On his arrival, see
ing the complete wOrthlessness of the
,Oil, no struck for the deep lake water,
lrifted to Frankfort and is now engaged
n fishing.
There is also historical old chap In
he person of an old French half-breed,
who has been engaged in boating and
lshing since early childhood. He began
lis career as an assistant to John Jaco b
AstOr's agent In trading with the Indians
Ind gathering furs. I'VE used to travel
Ill around the lake." he said, Gin large
,oats, forty feet keel and twelve feet
'eam, propelled by oars, having a crew
Il fifteen to twenty men. We often
fought the furs of the finest mink, otter,
ear and link for small plug Of tObac-
%. l was at Chicago when there were
My Indians there and h&lf-b trad
RS. At st. Joseph, Mich, there was a
mall settlement"
"Old JOs," as he is called, was one Of
hose daring men who, under the leader
hip OF Capt. Newton, drove King Strang
nd his Mormon tribe from the Beaver
I'D Ia 1QEG LILO La czoad |