The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-08-22
THE MOTHER OF FISHERMEN.
Norway and Her Sturdy 6ons-Fish ~
Money,


Norway and Her Sturdy sons-Fsh ~
Money.
The steamers leave England In the
afternoon, arriving at Bergen early in |
the morning on the second day out
The first glimpse Of the Norway coast
comes with the hustle of the ssilor-men
on deck. 1t is something like the first
view of the coast Of Ireland, only more
so. The islands of rock rise boldly out
of the water, and before you realize
anything the steamer seems to be
headed straight for the rocks. Then
an opening appears. The man In the
pilot-house, acting in obedience to mo-
tions OF the pilots arm, steers between
the rocks and turns quickly to avoid
another, when you experience your
first real appreciation Of the skill OF a
Norwegian pilot in maneuvering his
ship. In and out among the rocks you
go, until finally you pass between two
mountain islands, and the city OF Ber-
gen, resting at the waters edge among
mountains of bold rock from one thou
sand to two thousand feet high, Is be-
fore you. When l arrived in Bergen it
was only 2 o'clock in the morning In
July, and yet day was breaking in on
the city, and it had not been dark all
night. Here was city of fifty-three
thousand inhabitants actually cut of
from the world, appearing to have put
it back up against its mother country
and defied the rest Of the world to dis
turb its peace. The atmosphere OF all
the Norway fishing towns is one OF
peace and liberty. Bergen is the center
of the fishing industry Of the country,
and thrives mainly on this industry. She
is the queen of all MANIFESTATIONS, and
the mother Of the type Of fishermen that
is gradually being developed in all
lands-muscular body, blue eyes, high
cheekbones, powerful jaw, shaggy
beard, thickly matted hair, sou'wester
big boots, sleeves rolled up, knife and
marline-spike in his belt, rough trous
ers and red shirt, and always ready tt
haul in his nets, let the wind blow higf
or blow low. The Norway fish ant
| Norwegian fishermen and sailormen are
/ Norway's greatest gifts Of to-day. Hel
fisherman are a type by themselves
, her sailors are fearless, faithful, ant
, sailors every inch of them, and her tisl
= are the best of the kind in the world
, The codhshing industry alone yielde'
/ abont seven million dollars last yea
I from catch of sixty-three mil fish
In Bergen everything is fish. Fish ar
q traded for boots and jackknives. Al
a article is worth "two cod" or "fou
4 herring" and if trade cannot be mad
a any other way, few salmon ar
Thrown in." There is school ther
8 where the cience of fishing Is taught
,, Everything possible is done to kee
4 alive the fishing interest, and no ston
/. is left unturned to increase the cate
n each season. The season for codfshin
opens in January and lasts about thre
4 months. The fish come from tn
4 extreme north to the fjords
, spawn and the bulk of the catch
n made in the open water off the Lofote
"a islands, on the side toward the mai
u coast. The fishing is controlled by tn
le government, regularly appointed OF
=, cals being present at the various fsl
Is ing stations to settle all disputes b.
tween the fishermen and to give adviC
ia upon the best methods of preparing tt
p fish. George Card Pea Sc, in Harper
: Nauazina