Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18

tiers adjoining the boat house, whence you
have heard the occasional notes of the
fiddle and banjo. They wade out and tum-
Bile into the long, shallow seine boat, in
the stern of which is piled the net, and
with the regularity of stroke of man-of-
war's-men they drive her with nearly a
score of oars out into the stream and over
an immense circle.
From the stern is paid out, first, some
hundred yards of hauling line, then a vast
length of seine. 4 curve of nearly a mile
brings the boat ashore. again and all
hands lay hold of the seine for a long,
sweaty pull, aided by the creaking capstan,
round which an over-fed horse wends his
weary way. The men wade well out into
the river and make fast to the lead line
the blight Of a short rope, which goes over
the shoulders, then walk backward to the
shore, leaning well against the pull. and
the net comes slowly and steadily in-un-
less 1t strikes hang" when the hauling
stops and the swearing begins.
A hang is sunken log, stump or
other malicious device of the tickle tutelary
who manipulates the luck of the fisher
man, and is calculated to tear out from
ten to fifty yards of net and to cause
corresponding breach of the proprieties on
the part of the seine captain. The idea
has been advanced that a seine could be
cleared of a hang without the use of pro-
family, but the statement was made by
minister of the gospel who had never d.
rected a seine haul and was based purely
on theory. The experiment has never
been made.
If there be no "hang'' the. net comes qui-
city ashore and the captives are gradually
huddled into the diminishing semicircle
A lighter is brought alongside and the
fish are ladled into it by means of a dip
net, and then the work of the spawn-tak-
ers begins. he herring are separated from
the shad and from these are selected the
ripe fish, that is to say, those which
are ready for spawning. From these the
eggs and milt are taken by pressing the
abdomen, and put together in pans in
proper proportions; water is added and the
whole is gently agitated to insure a proper
mingling.
When all the available fish have been
stripped the eggs are taken ashore to the
small hatchery and placed in Jars for about
thirty-six hours development before ship
ping to the central station. AT the end of
this time they have become sufficiently
hardened for transportation and are care
fully spread out in two layers upon small
wfre-bottomed trays covered with muslin
The trays are then piled one upon an
other, strapped together in stacks of con-
venient size for handling and sent by boat
to the city, where the eggs are once more
placed in jars.
The night seine haul is even more inter-
estng and picturesque than the opera
ton by daylight. The lights of the pump
house. the hatchery and the long line of
lamps along the beach make the scene a
very brilliant and pretty one, and even the
darkeys seem to feel its romantic infiu-
erce. AS the boat dashes away from the
shore the shandy-man of the crew, big,
deep-chested fellow with the voice of a
bull. starts up a song. The rest join him.
and as it's plaintive melody comes floating
across the dark water with its rhythmic
accompaniment Of the rattle of oars, now
dying away, now rising again on the
breeze you have emotions which you would
like to be able to express.
There is a rare harmony there-the night,
the placid water, the gentle tapping of the
waves and the distant chorus-which
makes you yearn for an immortal power of
hr11S IN a "a 4 a
you might share its charm with those who
are not present to see and hear You look
about for some one to whom you may i'm
part little of your superfiuous sentiment,
some. There Is the seine captain, sitting In
the door of his quarters, but he is exam
lining a recent leak in his rubber boots, so
he Is not in receptive frame of mind.
Near by Is an old darkey, a superannuated
seine hauler, whose long silence and rapt
expression persuade you that he Is as much
carried away by the nights poetry as you
are, and IL you can draw him into giving
words to his feelings you may uncover SEN
timents of which you had not thought.
Good evening, uncle; 1t is beautiful
night" you say, as starter.
Good evenin'. sab, Deed, 1t sut'ny Is,
sahv' he returns with enthusiasm. ITS
1es' dat kind of night sab, as Is boun'
to fotch de ole man out. Wen 1t comes
says to my ole woman, Lucindy, Use "a
gwine down to de feeshin' sho'.' An she
says, says she, Nose, you sholy is a fool!
Gwine totin' yo' rheumatics down t'roo de
wet grass an trompn' roun' lax you was
q fo'-yeah-oIe steah. You sut'ny kin be
a idJit But good lam. Wen de stahs is
a-twinklin', an de lights on de sho' is "a
glimmerin', an a little breeze Is a-blowin
lax dis yah, an de niggahs is a-haulin'
seine an a-singin', why den de ole man
knows he's jes' boun' to git a mess O. cat
ties. Yah, yah! Deed he is! Deed he is,
boss!''