The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-06-19
TRAFFIC IN WORMS.
Merchants who Sell Large Quantities e.
the Fishermen For Bait.


A number of people In this city find
nm extensive and profitable business in
selling sand worms to fishermen for
bait. says the New York San. One
merchant of this commodity in Wes'
Forty-sccond street has sold in busy
season as many as thirty thousand
worms in week. There are two
varieties, the sand worms or blood
worms, as they are commonly called
and the white worms.
The blood worms are moro plentiful
than the white, running in the ratio OF
one hundred blood to one white, The
blood worms are found on rocky
beach and in sand in which there is
considerable vegetable matter. This
variety is obtained along the north
shore of Long Island, in the vicinity OF
Fort Hamilton, and along the shores
of Staten Island. The white worms
are found in clean, white sand, along
the south of Long Island, Sandy Hook,
and the coast of New Jersey.
Both varieties are dug at low tide.
When the weather is hot they come up
to the surface. and when it is cold they
go down deeper. They are about six
inches long; the white worms rather
fiat, blunt ut both ends and lined along
the sides with short fringe; the blood
worms smooth, more pointed, round, re-
scmbling very closely the earth worms
found in n rich soil.
Thousands Of people nre engaged in
digging them, and make n good living
in supplying the market for them. An
entire family devOtcs itself To the work,
earning $2S to $50 week. A single
man has earned, ut times, Sl2 a day by
digging and selling these worms.
There is great demand for them,
and il sometimes happens that dealer
is not able to fill ms orders. The
Forty-sccond street dealer referred to
has u box full of telcgrams and letters
from Ocean Beach, Asbury Park,
Philadelphia. Newburg, aud other
places, asking for Information about
these worms and inclosing orders for
them.
The white worms command a price
of 25 cents n dozen, and have been
known to sell for S. hundred. The
blood worms generally sell for 10
cents Il dozen. They are dug with a
hooked fork, and are found about
eighteen inches below the surface. They
must be alive to be salablc, as they are
not fit for bait when dead. They can
be kept alive for n week, and even
longer. Hot weather soon kills them,
and a man must understand this busi-
ness or he is liable to lose a thousand
at time.
These worms are used for catching
striped bass mostly. Shcdder crabs
are used forcatching wcakiish. In catch
ing bass men but ON bathing-suits and
go into the surf, where tho fish are
larger than in deep water. The fish
are very fond of these worms. Some
times a man need merely lay worm
across his hook, toss it quickly into the
surf and he may as quickly pull it out
again, with a fish on the end of his
line. 1t is not an uncommon thing
to pull in fish that weighs twenty
five pounds. At Ocean Beach short
time ago a man landed striped bass
weighing forty pounds. Along the
Hudson this fish is often found, but not
rs large rs at the beaches. Bass
weighing three or four pound are also
caught from the piers.
Women are quiet enthusiastic over
the sport of fishing, and the dealers
frequently receive orders from them. A
women will visit worm-store in the
course of her forenoon shopping and
leave an order for one or more dozen
in view OF Il fishing trip next day.