The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-07-15
FISHING FOR SHRIMPS.
Work of the Chinese Fishermen Along the
Pacific Coast.

The sight OF the awkward Chinese
junk has become SO common in the bay
rs to hardly attrac: the attention of those
who are in the habit of using the ferry
boats constantly, SAYS the San Francisco
Post. Occasionally some jocular. con-
temptuous remark is made on the build
or rig o. one Of the crafts, coupled with
plying allusion 10 the poycrty-stricken
looking crew. The o,ypess of the crafts
can afrsr,i to let the laugh 90 round.
and none of them are Mt all DESTROYS of
correcting the mistaken impression rs
TO their povcr-y and the small amount
realized by their trade. 1t will astonish
many OF those who have ridiculed the
clumsy, high-stcrned boxes. with their
Slated sqrIaresails, to learn that the
freight c;;rricI by these boats amounts
in value TO about 50 .000, o00 a year. All
OF ti.em are engaged in the fishing trade
on the bay and the lagoons or tidal
creeks which run pinto the low msrshy
lands lying along the shores. They are
here TO make rs much money in rs short
a time as possible. and then 90 back 10
China From Vallejo to the extreme
southern end of the bay ;hoy are busy
sli The year round, dragging the waters
of the bay with nets having meshes so
small that nothing that swirns can es-
cape them; salmon fry. minnows. young
herring, shrimps. and large fish, are all
scooped in. The larger fish are sold at
10 to ID cents per pound in Chinatown,
while the smaller ones, together with
the shrimps. are sent abroad. When q
haul is made the wriggling mass is sort
ell out on tie beach. the larger fish be-
ing at once sent to market. The small
fish are again sorted. the larger ones be-
ing dried and packed separately. The
shrimps, after being dried, are shaken
up in sieves or riddles. The shells and
small portions of the shrimps fall
through the sieves and are carefully
gathered up in sacks. The meaty parts
are carefully packed and also sent abroad
as table delicacy; the shells and re-
fuse, together with the refuse fish, azo
ell packed together and sent away to be
used rs food for fowls or for manure.
Every steamer leaving this port takes
away in the neighborhood of 400 tons of
dried shrimps and fish in the proper
tons CT $50 tons of shrimps. 200 tons Of
sardines. salmon, etc. and fifty tons OF
shrimp shells and fish manure. The
shrimps arc The most valuable, bringing
in China an average of $500 per ton.
The s.rdines and salmon are worth
800 per ton. and the refuse $40 per ton,
or total of $4,000 for the 400 tons Of
product. For years the shipments aver
aged three month, or thirty-six ship
ments year. being4.n export of IS, 1922
600 worth of s.ufls gathered by the Chi
nese junks, and their lazy. shiftiess-
looking crews. Beyond the slight
amount necessary to buy the lumber for
their boats and little cordage and
cloth for sails and rigging. hardly a
dollar of this large sum is spent in this
country. Even the nets and the twIne
of which they are made are brought
from abroad. A gentleman who was
engaged for years in searching Chinese
steamers states that he has often seen
Cinnamon land mt The mail dock with
nothing in the world l. the shape of
capital except one Of these nets. In
about month the same Chinaman
would appear us shipper of from three
to ten tons of fish. He had in the mean
time associated himself with four or five
others; they had secured 4 secondhand
boat and gone 10 work dragging the
bay. IL 4 few months he was rot only
a shipper but an importer, receiving
large lots OF rice, sugar, dried fowls. and
other articles OF Chinese food, rs well as
clothing.