Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-11-19

the Housewife with Blanc Mango
Fair old Scituate boasts an industry
In which. If in no other. it is the lead
ing town In the country. 1t has, a.
none OF its more wealthy sister towns
have, its moss From the rocks that
carpet its harbor and make its shores
feared by the sailor Is gathered an in
come every year that may not be
~princely, but is still large enough 70
compensate the town for the lack OF
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 q Ii was used principally by
the people Of the south of Ireland, near
the seacGasL Many people have made
the claim that they Introduced the in
dustry in this country. but eve the
oldest inhabitants Of Scituate are IN
doubt as % who was the first
The particular locality where the
business is carried on is called Peg
cotty Beach" Little Pergotty village
is punched here, and here the mossers
and their families ply their trade
There is no loaing Everybody is ex
pected 10 do bis share of the labor.
While the father is out in his boat rob
bling 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
neal 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 u 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 will
answer" and he must watch the tides.
With garden rake he levels of a patch
on the graveled beach. always being
careful not 20 leave a footprint. Then
he carries the moss that his wife and
daughters have washed out the night
before and spreads il on the smooth
spots IL is of many colors, from the
maroon. purple black 10 a delicate yell
low. according to the washings and
bleachings il has received.
A low tide In the morning and a
westerly breeze-not a wind--is what
the men pray for. Out by the rocks Of
Third Cl.f 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 20 take him out in
his dory.
How do you know when you are
over mossr wgs asked Of man whom
the guide called father
'Oh. / can see &C." was the answer.
The ~uuiuitiatcd could not distinguish
one rock from another 40 the bottom,
but the experience Of years dor some Of
these people have been here MS many as
thirty years. makes their sight wonder
fully Aeen.
The rake used In scrapius the rocks
has a handle fifteen feet long fitted into
a heavy iron head The teeth are ST
very close together and are sharp
pointed. over the back part Of this
head there Is a guard that keeps tAe
load from falling back into the water.
As much as two pounds Of o can BE-
torn of the rocks at one shove Of the
rake. a good days work for one maj
is 125 pounds Of mosa The cargo sci
dom fails below seventy pounds
Should the mosser lose run Of "a rocb
which offers a good yield, and th'
RULED waters interfere with his finding
it. a bottle Of oil is brought into requi
sitionsand a little of it is thrown On th'
water TO quiet the ripples.
The moss gatherers are met on tbs
beach by the young folks, and "%creels'
holding a barrel each of the weed ar
filed 70 the brim at the boats, and it 4
, then spread TO dry on the beach II
bleach the moss TO the desired colo
, eight washings must be made; it /
housed, when perfectly dry, in tn
J shanties.-Cor Boston Globe.