The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-06-25
TONS Oh Else
CATCHING MENhAOEN OFF THE
COAST OF NEW ENGLAND.


Pitching his voice high the lookout at
the masthead of the menhaden steamer
shouts out gleefuly: "a schooll A
schooly' and immediately all is hustle
and excitement on board.
Gas this is a new experience to YOU
sir, you shall have a seat with me in my
boat"
"Thank you, captain; am only too
eager to see the fun"
The crews now take their places in the
seine boats, while two of the party,
known as drivers, go out in advance in
little thirteen foot boats to learn the
direction in which the school is moving,
and to mark out its size. The jolly cap
tain-a true type Of the traditional Cape
Colder, square built, sturdy, genial, his
face bronzed by years of exposure to
sunshine and sea breezes and very intel
Ggent withal-takes his place at the in
side bow oar in one Of the seine boats
and the mate corresponding position in
the other, and by the time they reach
the school the drivers describe the move
ments Of the fish.
They now begin throwing out the
seine, each boat going in an opposite di-
rection around the school, the drivers in
the meantime splashing the water to
keep the fish from escaping. Soon the
boats meet, and all hands now pull at
the purse line, the net and cork line
The steamer is brought alongside, and
after the fish are driven we'll together
the net is fastened to the steamers side
and they are baled into the hold by
means of large dip net run by don.
key engine.
The next thing on the programme is
to prepare the menhaden for sailing, to
be used as bait-for which there is great
demand. This is simple process, but
to me its novelty invests it with partic-
ular interest. The head of the fish is
taken in the left hand Of the workman,
and with peculiarly shaped knife held
IN the right hand he cuts slice, longi-
tudinany, from each side of the body.
leaving the head and vertebra to be
thrown away or occasionally to be
pressed for oil. The sivers are sailed
and packed in barrels.
| This opening act of the days drama
ended, Captain Williams invites me to
accompany him into the cabin, and the
jolly skipper there entertains me with
some interesting points about the fishery.
"It's queer how many different names
the menhaden is known by" observes
| the skipper Fact is, it has more ali
Rses than veteran criminal-more nick
names than there were colors to Joseph's
coat. Besides the more common name
of menhaden it is known as pogy, bony-
fish, mossbunker, hardhead. whiteish,
bunker, oldwife, bugtish, cheboy. ell
wife, alewife, fathack, greentail. wife
and yellowtail shad. It's about as long
as the common sea herring. but is deep
er and more robust looking. It's aver
age length is from twelve to fifteen
inches hardly need tell you that it is
valuable as a bait fish, it excelling AL
others as such; that as a food resource
it is thought to have great. qualities
that its chief value is as a ktilizer and
and that it is also valuable for the oil
and scrap produced by cooking and
pressing them.
|
utes made in my memorandum book
in regard to what was done in the year
1890, which was fair representative sea
son. That year the total weight of the
catch was 900 pounds--eQuivalent to
about 100000, 900 menhaden in number
Pretty big army, Ell! Quantity of oil pro-
duced. 2,O66,3 1896 gallons. and of guano
68,004 tons, having a total value of
g, 034 ,641. Capital invested in steamers,
etc., and their outfit and in factories,
$2,362,S4l. AS compared with previous
years, however, the yield of Oil was
small"
About how long, captain. does the
catching season lastY'
well, you see. as soon as the men,
baden make their appearance in the
spring. vessels start in pursuit Of 'em,
and continue capturing 'em till they dis
appear in the fall. From the menhaden
oil and guano factories along the south
ern coast of New England, New York
and New Jersey shores, the fleets of
steam and sail vessels begin their cruises
early in May, chasing the fish along the
shores and in the sounds, wherever they
can be found. The vessels seldom cruise
more'n ten or fifteen miles from land.
The total area of the ground is estimated
at $3.50 square geographical miles.
THE average steamer is about the size
of this one. That is to say, some 20 tons
measurement, 80 feet long, II feet beam,
~ feet depth of hold and seven feet
draft aft and costs $4,000. It costs not
far from 81 900 a month for wages, fuel
and provisions to run it. Like this boat,
they are screw steamers and are rugged
with one mast for'ard. which is fitted
with crane for taking in the catch.
The mems quarters are in the for'castle.
The fish are stored in bulk in the hold.
The engine house, as you see. is astern
the main hatch, with coal bunkers open
ing on deck each side. All Of 'em have
fitted to the bulwarks on either side.
near the stern, cranes for the boats and