The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-04
NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERMEN.
Their Hardships and nlRequited Toll.

Their Hardships and IlRequited Toll
Three kinds of fishery engage tine at
tention of the Newfoundlanders-th
shore fishery, the floating fishery on the
banks or far northward, and the fishery
down on the Labrador" Each has char
acteristic features, but all aim at the
same prey-codfish. All other fish, ex-
cept it be salmon, the Newfoundland
fisherman despises. Cod is money; all
other fish is simply fish.
The shore fishery is carried on from
tits on louely islands. A feature of
every Newfoundland outport is the long
line of flakes, great tables upon which
the split and sailed fish are laid out to
dry. Owing to the steep shores the
new fakes are much higher than those
we see on the New England and New
tiers. In places like Logic bay, a pic
turesque fishing village not far from St.
Johns, the rocks are SO high and sheer
that it is necessary to pass the fish from
tier to tier on long pitchforks.
LVtl III GuOSS OllUpOEGS w Hull dIC LARRY
well settled the conditions of living are
deplorable enough, but the people have
at least each others company. On the
islands. however, the misery of isolation
is added to the pangs of hunger. There
will be, perhaps, one hut on an island,
and the long winters pass without
schools churches or human communica-
ton of any kind
"The struggle for life,n to quote the
words ofsRev. Mr.. Flynn of Little Bay
who is Thoroughly familiar with the sub
ject from personal observation, is so
great that it demoralizes those engaged
in it." The normal condition of these
people is to be .everlastingly in debt. "A
shore fisherman average season catch
is from ten to twelve quintals, worth
perhaps $40. and he must worry through
the winter on a barrel or two of herring
and what flour and molasses he can OBJ
tain in exchange for his fish. A few of
the more fortunate can secure small
supply of potatoes. Some of the more
enterprisipg go into the woods, build
themselves a winter hut, and saw boards
which they take to the supply man in
part payment for the summer supplies
Much of this distress is, / think, due
to the fisherman's lack of resources. He
can fish, but he can do little else. If
he could turn his hand to agriculture
he might at least partially solve the
problem OIL IOOu, WHICH Is constantly
presented to him. Agriculture is not
an easy matter in Newfoundland, as any
one who has coasted along its rugged
shores can realize. But among the rocks
are patches of soil, and in the interior
broad acres which could be turned to ac-
count. The fisherman could at least
raise vegetables for his own table. Yet
one rarely sees the green of the garden.
There are.so many picturesque features
about the Newfoundland and Labrador
fishery that the casual tourist cannot
realize the misery that lies beneath this
superficial attractiveness. The bold and
deeply indented shores, the numerous
rocky islands, the glitterlng sparrow dash
ing high into the air as the pillows roll
up against. the iron-bound shores, the
staunch fishing craft. the great hulking
fishermen and the women busy at the
-hakes-all these com bine1to impress the
traveller with the picturesqueness of the
scene and to endow the fishery with those
romantic at5ri butes which seem to be-
long to life on the ocean.
All this, is, however, superficial. Even
the men and women have not the STAN
ina which might be expected from their
muscular development. Big as they are,
physically speaking, their faces usually
show traces of suffering.
A fisherman's life down on the Lab
radorn is one of continuous toll, with
precious little reward. There are but
few permanent residents in this desolate
land-not more than 1000, it is said
of whom about 1000 are Eskimo. But
some 10000 Newfoundland fishermen
cross the Straits of Belle Isle every sum-
mer and take up a temporary abode in
Labrador. Specifically looked at, the
scenes about a Labrador fishing stage are
pleasant enough. One sees dapper little
Sgashers" with their reddish sails flying
"bulliesn blowing more laboriously
through. the waves a schooner at anch-
or. her nets hung from her spars to dry,
bellying and crinkling in the wind with
ever-changing lights and shadows on
their weather-stained meshes; heavy
barges rowing slowly along shore, while
the fisherman in the bow thrusts his
submarine glass into the water and peers
through it, hoping for good sight of
fish on the bottom, and, above all, on
the rocky point jutting furthest out to
sea, the flag of the merchant who downs
the "roomn futtering in the breeze.
But the under current of toll and suf-
fering,is always there-women saving and
chopping wood men, large of frame, but
with dark circles under their eyes and
lines that tell of privation in their faces,
mending nets, returning from fishing or
about setting out to fish; the usual sod
covered huts and scores of lean, starved
and treacherouslooking dogs-half Eski-
incorporating about the place, swapping
at each other, snarling and yelping.
During. the long winter, when, as often
happens, only one rounteik (dog sled)
mail can get through overlands from
Quebec, and when news of Battle Har.
Dor will perhaps not reach Newfoundland
much before June, the parson and his
wife do their best to improve the condi-
tion of the people. There is public sew
ing machine and when oil gets scarce
the women meet and sew at the parson-
many.
There is even rsemblance of Christ
mas keeping in this dreary rock-bound
harbor, the men, when they are unable
to cut fir tree because of the deep
snow and ice, cutting boughs and MAX
ing an imitation tree of them. New
York Herald.