Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-11-11
For the Ellsworth American.
Then and Now.

In the war Of 1912 and IA there lived a
family in North Hancock who had sick
and lame boy, whose attending physician
prescribed pouitice Of boted wheat -four.
As the family had none they sent mes
senger through Hancock to find some. but
he re'arned without any; they then started
him for East Trenton. now Lamoine. lie
went all through the town and oil he could
ind was about pint, which Young lady
had put away for starching purposes. He
procured that and returned The poultice
was applied as directed and soon the boy
got we'll That was then, and now think
/. Hour could be procured at every house on
that route.
About that time two men started from
North Hancock on fishing excursion down
Skillngs river to Mt. Desert Bay We will
call them {. and l.. c. was a real dandy
with his ruffied bosom shirt and wrist bands.
l.. was rough old joker, ready for joke
any time. In due time they arrived on the
fishing grounds near Bald Rock and com
menced fishing; pretty soon they hooked
good sized hslibut which after considerable
trouble they succeeded in getting alongside
and gaffing When they got it into their
boa, It began TO thrash on the bottom Of the
boat, and L., all ready for one Of his Jokes.
called 10 {. to hop on 10 the halibut and
hold i, down or i, would hop over board C.
considerably excited lest they should lose
their fish, matted on it face down, With arms
extended from fin TO fin. After while he
looked back to L. and saw him grinning.
and his sides shaking with laughter. Jump
ing up and locking down he noticed his ruff
iies had an extra polish Of FISH gurrv.
About twenty years since C. b. Lord of
Ellsworth. ard myself took team and
weeks supplies for fishing excursion via
South Hancock. There We procured
skif and proceeded dowr the Bay. our des-
tina,ion being the Porcupines and Schooner
Head. " hen we got between Crabtree's
Point and Bald Rock we fell in with the
late Ephraim Crabiree pulling iraul. As
neither Of Us ever saw the operation We
pulled alongside. He hauled in the most
Of his trawl without securing single fish.
He told me then and there that before FISH
ermen put down travis. IN day or two
with hand lines he could catch years sup
ply Of good fish. but nos be could ge: only
enough for his immediate use. He gave
me his reasons why fish we're so scarce IN
Nj. Desert Bay. The fishermen would put
down their travis and there would be high
wind and storm, and perhaps FOR week Of
ten days they could no; pull them and the
FISH would die and decay on The grounds
As fish are rather sensitive species the
most Of them have been driven ou, Of the
bay
When vas boy, ii was nothing an
common for two men TO load their boa, IN
day on the same ground with large cod AID
pollock, which brought only from sl.0o to
Sl.25 per qun;al, (ll2 pounG,.l Now the
same quality Of fish is worth from $500 to
$500 per 100 pounds.
The FISH caught in the bay now consist
OF small hake and haddock and there are
but fo~ Of them
Sixty years ago halihut we're caught with
in a mile OF Peck's Narruws, Uhe mouth Of
Skillings river.l think now a man might
fish n Noun, Desert Bay from spring to fall
and no, ge, nibble from haibut
WA>AW