The sun., 1890-07-20
AFTER Big GAME.
Hunting for Whales at
ProVincetoWn.
FUN and BUSINESS FOR FISHERMEN.
They Enjoy the Excitement of the Chase
with an Eye to the Profits
Film AND BUSINESS FOR FISHERMEN.
WATCHING ALSO FOR PORGIES AND NACKEREL

Nethods OF whaiinE To-day and the
oonernl Fishing business arc Set Forth.
Together with Some Wonderful Tales
or tho Past and . Near Wow or the
Fr,hermau,s Life OF tho Present.
pRoy1ScErowH, Mass, July 1s.-"We think
around here that It's pretty good fun to chase
a vhale-and catch him." said Capt Ed wal
tar Smith OF the fishing steamer Dolphin the
other day The tone In which he added and
catch him" implied u good deal in business
eense, for Provinootown people have no time
10 20 whaling for fun. but It meant no more
than similar words would from man with
sportinG blood In his veins who might speak OF
front or 'ooons. Some men extract satisfaction
from sitting all day on log dangling make
belioye flea over pool: but the true Sports
man wants some semblance oil game anu ne
nrefers the game that can make good nHht
for 1t. No living thing will answer the latter
purpose better than the whale, and the cape
Odd Bay whale in particular. so far as running
powers are concerned.
b" Catch up with o whale ina steamboatr
soornfully repeated Capt William Smith, one
Of Capt. Ed Walter Smiths partners. Huh!
they'll run faster'n any train OF cars"
So much the better for the sport and the
excitement OF the chase. but the Captains hore-
excitement for tho extra barrels OF oil that
would result II the monsters were easier to
catch.
Whales never wholly deserted the waters
around Cape Cod. Long atter New Bedford,
the Vineyard, and Nantucket whalemen were
compelled to sail to distant seas In search OF
the big game. tho fishermen OF Provtncetown
found 1t worth while to cruise about in the bay
and ocean near by with their harpoons and
lanees. Nowadays mackerel. porGy. cod, and
herring attract the most attention: but the
whale may not whisk bis tail too near the porgy
fishers or come up to blow in school OF mack
erel. He has his pursuers. THERE'S one steam
boat here popularly known as tho whale boat
from tho nature OF Its business. and nearly
every craft that goes outside the harbor for
fish carries o set Of implements for taking
whale should one be met within reach. Several
have been caught this season. and hardly q
day passes that one or moro are not seen. Now
the Lending Of o whale does not excite nearly
as much interest here as does good catch OF
mackerel; for the tiny mackerel taken IN sufd-
cient quantity. as much as may with good luck
and hard work be taken in day. Is worth more
money than q single gigantic whale: but
elsewhere the emotions are more deeply
stirred at the thought Of chasing cetdceus
Oalaenidas. as the ancient Romans called them
when they lived on Cape Cod. That, undoubt-
edly, was what induced two young men to
como down from New York last week intent
upon fishing for whales. One OF them was an,
artist, armed with sketch books and tools.
They went out upon the sea. burned their
noses until prohibition Provincetown looked
asKance, heard and swallowed stacks OF sail
ors' yarns. and-but walt,
THE ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUNG MEN
The first day they got lost on this towns long
street and arrived at the docks several hours
after the last boat had put out. Not to lose
time, they hired Q sloop and set sail for the
porgy grounds where largo fleet OF boats.
steam and sail, were at work. Tho Cape Cod
porgy. by the way. is not the toothsome fish of
the Same name that is popular in New York
during the spring. For porgy read moss
bunker. and the reference will be clear. These
fish are taken partly to sell for bait and partly
to be turned into oil. IN June barrol OF por-
Ries will yield about two gallons OF oil. The
oil product grows greater as the summer ad-
vances and the fish grow fatter, until In Sep
tember four gallons may be made.
The New Workers caught no whales on their
trip. Three We're sighted from tho steamer
that afternoon. but they were too far away4to
mako a chase advisable. The young men ac-
cordingly put about and came back. sQuall
struck them as they were approaching Long
Point. For few minutes they tried to mako
the point with the mainsall set on the wrong
tack. The staysail fiapped Rngrily. refusing
to i'll. and the sloop persisted In making for
the sea wall In front of the lighthouse. This
was at once dlseouraging and exciting for the
young men. and 1t wasn't tho kind OF exclte-
ment they had come a-hunting for. After a
time they got the craft out Iinto the open bay,
where there was moro leeway. Then much as
the traveller docs who drives through strange
country where many roads meet, they left the
Intelligent sioop to her own devices. Some
how or other she promptly filled and started
through the white caps alta spanking gait for
home. Those proceedings were viewed with
considerable interest and anxiety by the
owner Of the sloop from the top OF Town Hill.
whittier he had gone with glass. He said he
didn't care 30 much for the sloop. but he was
afraid the young men might get permanently
wet which would be unlucky for the town SO
early In the season.
EXCITING "REMINISCENCES.
That evening they called on David Copwell,
Q fish dealer, who was the Representative in
ago @ Gr. Gonwell and lis neigh6ors. who
dropped into the store for chat. told about
tbs Sa dfss Efsa hSs S %s' almost
The bay used to be full OF them" said Mr.;
G4T1 n the 4S 0s ss %bs whale ts1 SSI
1t was the custom for the youngsters to 90 ,up
on Town Hill and watch the bay for whales
and when one was sighted the village would be
notified. and lots OF people would run to the
boats and 90 out to get It. There are not
enough Of them now to mako 1t pay TO 10 that.
but fnbaoks are caught every year. Tho fin
back is the hardest kind TO take; no won't
fight but he III run, and it's almost no use TO
chase him; He isn't worth as much rs the
other whales either Now and then. though.
they get right whales here. Cap'n Ed Walter
got two last year in his steamboat not very far
out in tho bay"
O. a neighbor " is tho gtttin Of EN- giler
They've ben struck. was comm up from
Barnstabl0 a while ago. I'd ben down there
Tong with Capp Cook when h9 was short .
whale. hn', gave chase Iio ris Iust forward,
an tho CaI'n grabbed his boom gun an give
II 70 him. 1t struck an ALMOST at once tho
whG!s began to spout blood. | amt much o. .
EhalOr nYsGli, most Of nv life bou' spent on
shore. IN never see such time In my He.
Tho whale kicked up Il dreadful 20 do, sendin'
the loan wgy VI mo tho al. hut ho was -
cio,'t lhnt tho tap'n managed 10 stick an iron
Into HIN. Then tie wnaie began 10 run. an
We lot the l,he out after linn; ] noyor s"e any
tGlng 20 10 ,nei. We'd n had 20 cut loose
IL A0u run .ho ouEth 0l the llDc
OGt an l0Hed as I he'd q towed the nose VI
our boat right under water But every nuw
Rn ihen 10 SiOU ~ toni ROUND 4 Ckiu' ilFst