Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-22
A FAMOUS OLD FISHING PORT.
Interesting "reminiscences of Gloucester,
Mass, Now Two Hundred and Fifty
Years Old.

interesting "reminiscences OF Gloucester,
Mass, Now Two Hundred and Fifty
Years Old.
Frederick W. Eddy in IIarper's Weekly.
The celebration of the two hundred
and fftieth anniversary of the incorpor-
alton of Gloucester, the chief and Oldest
tshlng port of the country, took place
at Cape Ann on August gath, 25th, and
10Th. Here daring colony from Ply
mouth isolated itself in 1642, and in the
two and q half centuries since then the
family names of the first settlers have
been perpetuated and multiplied. Glou-
Cester sailors have sailed every sen.
They are rovers by Inheritance. Peril
has been their birthright. But within
the sheltering headlalds Of the home
port they have always hoped to find
their final anchorage. This instinct has
been transmitted through their children
tor SO many generations Us TO impart to
the present event peculiar beauty. The
landing OF the first permanent colony
was honored by those who trace from it
direct lineage.
Gloucester wears with exceptional
modesty tine mantle of age. BY
undoubted record the harbor was dis
covered by Chevalier Champlain in 1906
lie described it in the account of his
voyages, and drew map of ii which is
still preserved. lie BEAUFORT was the
name. he gave it. The Indians had
called 1t Wingaersheck, Clam.shell
mounds left by them are still abundant,
showing wherein they found ii attrac-
tive. Captain John Smith explored the
cape in 1914, and left record of his
visit by naming it Tragabigzanda. BY
this name il was known until Prince
Charles called it Cape Anne, in honor
OF his mother, Princess Anne of Den
mark. A colony from Dorchester.
England, in 1923, built stage or wharf
at The entrance of the harbor, known
now as Stage Fort. Roger Conant
became governor This was the begin
ning OF the Massachusetts colony; for the
new settlers, although successful in fish
ing, were harraSsed by Miles Standish,
ana other GnyiOus invaders, and ADAM
doned the station in 1926, the majority
oil them removing to Salem.
Inc few who remained were Joined nv
new corners in the next few years, but
Their station did not rise above the i'm
portance Of u camp. John Endicott led
small and adventurous band 10 the
cape IN 1928. Anthony Thatcher turned
his attention there in 1886. His vessel
pounded against the rocky island that
bears his name, drowning his family and
the Rev. John Avery. These persistent
efforts to colonize the cape show that its
value as fishing station became early
apparent. In 1888 the Plymouth colony
came to stay, and by 1912 the colonv
had SO well established itself as to in-
corporate tho settlement, embracing all
oil Cape Ann within its limits. Glou.
ccster was chosen as its name because
many OF the settlers were natives of
Englands old cathedral town The
mother Gloucester Is represented by a
delegation at the anniversary, as is also
q vigorous daughter, settled by colony
from the American Gloucester on the
Maine coast.
Glouccsters infancy was singularly
free from some of the hardships Of set
Elements more thickly peopled. Fishing
lconilncd to local waters) and farming
enabled the settlers to live comfortably:
and their isolation from other commrln.
tiles, while perhaps not always agree.
able, bred in them self reliance and ex.
empled them from some of the crazes
that afflicted other places. Thus the
cape afforded a refuge for the perse.
cuted Gloucester kept reasonably clear
Of witches, and witch finders from
Salem met cold reception when they
visited the cape There still stands a
house at Pigeon Cove said to have been
built BY sons for mother who was pur-
sued from Salem as a witch.
30 long as fishing did not extend
beyond local waters, shallops, sloops and
boat known MS ketch suited the pur-
pose. The ketch was the fayorite. 1t
had two masts, set well aft, one rugged
Ike the tOrcmast of a ship, and the
other like the miZ2enmast of a bark. A
simpler rigging was furnished for the
CheDacco boat, named for the place
where it was built, now Essex, and in
tended for shore fishing. One mast was
stepped near the bow, and the other aft.
and bow and stern were built high, like
an ancient gondola. This boat came into
use about 100.
AT that time the fishing industry had
become important enough to turn the
attention of the Gloucester men to dis.
tant and more productive waters. In
ventiye talent was stimulated to provide
9 style Of boat suitable for fishing vow
ages. Among the ship-builders who
had started yards in Gloucester was
Captain Andrew Robinson. He built a
boat of new design, and invited the
people to the launching. When the
boat took the water, a by-stander ex-
claimed, son, how she schoons !" schoon-
ing being to skim, as does light stone
well thrown.
"A schooner let her bev' replied Rob.
inson, as he broke a bottle Of rum over
her bow, and the word thus coined has
since applied to that style of boat.
Until l740, when 20 schuoners com.
posed the Gloucester fleet, the fishing
industry thrived. Then came vicissi
tudes other than the perils of the sea,
The French at Cape Breton hampered
Gloucester fishermen in every way pos
siblc, and the situation in this respect
was not relieved even by King Georges
war, in which Gloucester men helped to
reduce the fortified French town Of
| Louisburg. The revolution SUSPENDED
fisheries almost altogether, and priya-
teering became the occupation Of the
| fishermen, with results, on the whole.
| disastrous. From the earliest DAYS OF
| deep-sea fishing the schooners had
visited the northern waters in summer,
and returning with their fares of fish,
| had engaged in southern coastwise trade
| for the winter months. This led in time
to distant voyages, and when difficulties
intcrfercd with the fishing industry,
Gloucester men engaged with merchant.
men. For many years some Of the
| finest sailing vessels in ocean trade were
commanded by Gloucester captains, and
homes all over the cape contain treas
nrns Lrnm.rlII rnin .t....n.--... L.