New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03
HJLIBUT IRE CHEAP.
THEY COME THIS WINTER FROM VANCOUVER


ISLAND
Ncve In the winter time has halibut been 80
cheap In the last two months. In spring and
summer 1t Is always cheap but 1t advances as
cold weather comes on til often 1t sells az % cents
n pound wholesale But this winter II has ruled
differently II has not at any time been over -
cents and some weeks only cents pound. Dur
Ing tae last week in January the market was com
pleiely gluttei and some qualities OF the FISH sold
At cents a pound. ana they we're good qualities.
too. Tho causes ~ this condition may be various.
but the main ono was competition. The dema nj
has certainly not fallen OF This city is probably
the creates; local market In the country. anl * Is
using from 5000 TO 10000 pounds each week Boston
Is the great shipping port. and it usually takes twice
a. much In Chicago ana the Northwestern cities
the demand has doubled within ten years. great
deal IS sold in cwEngllnd which never goes -
Boston. 50 the use Of halbut is greater than ever
before
H,lbut has been used for centuries but the early
settlers IN America. being more intent on catching
cod FOR which there a great demand. neglected il;
but 1t was abundant along the whole NewEngland
coast even within half century. and close inshore
that Finally it began - STOW scarce. and was
traced into deep water and found - be somewhat
migratory IN habit. Now the main fishing ground is
N the ewfoundlanl Banks 500 miles away and in
water from 100 10 lSO feet deep While Boston is the
centre OF the trade Gloucester IS the great fishing
port ana last year her fleet numbered forty-four
sail These boats small carrying about dozen
men Previous to 1888 all catching done with a
hook and line. but. beginning with that year travis
were introduced which caught many more fish.
These long lines. often more than a mile in
length to which are attached hOok fvery twenty
five thirty feet They are weiNted 50 AS TO
sink and are lifted by means OF rope every egn-
teen twcnty-four hours when perhaps 300 fish will
be found caught. This makes rapid work OF the
catching. But 1t usually takes two months TO
aL, ,bo ,rf,, nd l,p Ia In
The fishermen cannot work 10 full advantage In
winter. so few work the year round. the most OF
them sailing in March ani April. This makes
rather short supply and corresponding increase in
price during the winter. This market has hitherto
been entirely supplied from Newfoundland.
About ton years some fishermen from Van
couver Island to this market a few fish.
among them halibut The shipments were then too
small to produce any effect on the market Halibut
was known to abound there. and people liked them.
Companies FOR this fishing were organized and
Yankee capital. much 10 the disgust OF the Cana
dams, began TO pour in. Now there four OF
these companies one having. II is reported. capt.
tai Of si0.OsN01O Victoria has become the centre of
the trade. The hshlng-grounds are so miles away
and the men not go out in a ship. steam tug
takes two or three scOws In tow and goes out to
this ground She places the travis and raises them
gone on trip over a week. ana can bring in
load four times a. large as the regular hallbut-
When they reach land the fish in good con
diton and meiiately packed In refrigerator
cars and across the continent They are
stopped and ro-iced from the glaciers on the cas-
cadc Mountain. They are shipped by express or
passenger rains and arrive In this city within
II week after leaving Victoria. The charges are
high. but they get here much quicker than from
About Marco shipments cease. because
the Ice around the fish will melt In long a four
ney and the boats from the Banks Will be bring
ing in such quantities that the price will fall below
the profitable shipping point. There worlds
OF halibu In the ocean yet" said OF the dealers
the other day. and only give us increased faclli-
ties and you Will halbut cheaper than they have
ever been known. | look FOR more OF Il gut In the
market year than We have had this"
ocean. surpassed only by the shark. the narwhai
and tarpoa. II belongs 10 the tlathsh tribe. but
seldom grows to be over four feet long though
there Is tradition of one six feet long. weighing
nearly 60 pounds. \ dealer had one a short time
ago which weighed when dressed 2Ss pounds, or
about $50 pounds when taken from the water Some
have been received at the market which exceed 400
pounds but fish OF this size are rare Atlantic
coast fish often fat. There are two kinds on
the market. the white and the gray. though prob
ably they are the fish under different con-
ditions but the white sells for one-haf more than
the gray II IL essentially cold-water fish, ranging
this from Sandy Hook northward to the
poe, and the coast from San Francisco
northward great many habut are caught In
purpose-v.ry strong-scarcey ever over 100 tons
burden and carry about "A dozen men The men are
picked for II Is honor TO be halibut fisher, and
they always go on shares, never receiving any
salary SIN they make fair wages clearing from
500 to 81 200 per year above all expenses