Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-30
peeeo1rY srAcH Mosseas
A New England Industry That Provides
the Housewife with Blanc Mango

A New England Industry That Provids
the Housewife with Blanc Mango
} Fair old Scituate boasts an industr!
} in which. IL 10 no other. It is the lead
J ing town in the country. II has. a
} none of its more wealthy sister town
have its moss From the roc'-s thai
carpet its h;srbor and make its shores
feared by the sailor is gathered An in
coiue every year that may not bt
princely. but is still large enough tc
compensate the town for the lack oi
noisy. smoky factories and strong
smelling wharves
When the moss gathering industry
began in Scituate no one knows. Prob
ably the value of the moss was first
discovered by accident By some fisher
mans wife The gathering and curing
Of moss for food began in Ireland many
years ago. II was used principally by
the people Of the south of Ireland, near
the seaeoast. Many people have made
the claim that they introduced the in
dustry in this country. but even the
oldest inhabitants of Scituate are in
doubt as to who was the first
The particular locality where the
business is carried on Is called Peg
gotty Beach. Little Peggotty village
Is punched here, and here the mossers
and their families ply their trade.
There is no loating Everybody is eX-
pected to do his share of the labor
While the father is out in his boat rob
bing the sea to put bread in his family's
mouth and blanc mango and Jelly into
the mouths of mankind. the wives and
daughters are wading along the rocks
near the shore filing their aprons with
the smaller pieces of the moss.
The boys are at the same time raking
and turning the patches of moss that
are laid out in regular lots in front OF
each creel house. The veteran moss
er" is on the beach at sunrise. There
is much to do before the tide Twill
answer" and lie must watch the tides.
With garden rake he levels off patch
on the graveIed beach, always being
careful not to leave a footprint. Then
he carries the moss that his wife and
daughters have washed out the night
before and spreads it on the smooth
spots. 1t is of many colors, from the
maroon, purple black to delicate yell
low, according to the washings and |
bleachings it has received.
\ low tide in the morning and a
westerly breeze-not winds what
the men pray for. Out by the rocks of
Third Cliff the double spirits and dories
were already stationed and men were
standing up in the boat poking around
in the water with long poles. In order
to get a nearer view the reporter hired
a typical small boy to take him out in
his dory.
How do you know when you are
over mossf was asked of a man whom
the guide called father"
"Oh, can see it, was the answer.
The uninitiated could not distinguish |
one rock from another at the bottom,
but the experience of years (for some of
.hese people have been here as many as
thirty years. makes their sight wonder
'ully keen.
The rake used in scraping the rocks
las a handle fifteen feet long fitted into
4 heavy iron head. The teeth are set
very c!oae together and are sharp
pointed. Over the back part of this
lead there is a guard that keeps the
Dad from falling back into the water.
As much as two pounds of moss can be
Orn of the rocks at one shove of the
AXE A good days work for one man
5 l25 pounds of hIoss. The cargo sell
lom falls below seventy pounds.
Should the mOsser lose run of a rock
which offers a good yield, and the
'ufIied waters interfere with his finding
{, bottle of oil is brought into requi-
iitionsand little of it is thrown on the
water tc quiet the ripples.
The moss gatherers are met on the
beach by the young folks, and ''creeIs'
holding barrel each Of the weed are
iIled to the brim at the boats. and it is
hen spread to dry on the beach To
bleach the moss to the desired color
sight washings must be made; it Is
housed, when perfectly dry, in the
,hanties. Cor. Boston Globe.