Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-11-22
PORPOISE FISHING.
tHlEF INDUSTRY OF THE RESIDENTS
OF HATTERAs ISLANDS.

SV'cT hN0OOt VT lTc
OF HATTERAs ISLANDS.
A Calling In Which There Is Always the
Element of Danger-The Big Fish Driven
Ashore and Killed With Knives-Hov
the Catch Is .Worked Up"
The principal Industry of the hardy resi-
dents of Hatteras islands, off the North
Carolina coast, is porpoise fishing. Isolat-
ed from the outside world, Drawing the flu
rious storms that sweep over tho island,
the inhabitants become accustomed to the
energetic winds and maddening pillows
which occasionally sweep away their
fences, gates and, in unusually severe
weather, sometimes the lighter articles Of
household furniture fall a prey to soothing,
relentless waves and nre strewn along the
beach or carried far out to sea. Still, they
murmur not, but the industry goes on
with unabated energy.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 66
rough, hardy fishermen are engaged in
ustahing porpoises. This force Of men is
divided into three crews, or relays, of %
men each, stationed on the Atlantic side
of Hatteras, their field of operation COM
prising q stretch of ocean front of about
five miles IN length.
Each Of these stations Is designed as
camps, and the boats, nets and other par
aphernalia used in capturing the porpoise
are kept III constant readiness, and can be
run out" with rs much case and facility
at a moments notice as can the apparatus
of the life saving crews. Aman is selected
from each one of these crews who is known
as a ssspy," or watcher, whose duty it
Is to be ever on the alert for the appear
ance of the porpoise. Up and down the
beach with measured tread, like the soldier
sentinel, at stated intervals, he patrols
his cheat" his vigilant eye constantly
turned seward.
A high pole is planted in each camp,
but instead of a flag, however, a bundle
Of dead brush is utilized, and when this
"waif, as it is termed, is run up to the
top of the pole, it is the signal to the crew
at the extreme end of the camp limit that
a school of porpoises is gyrating and
frolicking in the surf and to keep a sharp
lookout for it. The watcher keeps this
school in sight, and follows it, walking
along the shore, noting every movement.
Should the pilot carry the school seaward,
the watcher returns to camp, the signal is
hauled down and the commotion in the
distant camps quiets down, for they know
that the school has disappeared in deep
water.
In case, however, the school Numbering
all the way from $50 to 900 ash) continues
to advance on a line with the shore, off
goes the distant crew, with their boat, 81
lently but swiftly into the surf, and soon
an immense wall of net is spread to cut
0f s<1 f,,r&l>n. l1vo~o r.. -
time the first crew, discovering the school,
are following close in it's wake, widening
the net as they advance, while the middle
crew has gone beyond the surf and is now
pulling energetically for the shore. Find
Ing it's advance disputed the school sud
denly turns only to find itself confronted
by a similar obstruction of net. Now en-
sues a scene Of iDdescribable confusion.
High out of the water they leap, lashing
the water into foam with their tails and
making frantic efforts to escape. Silently
the crews close in upon them. They are
surrounded by a great, strong wall Of net
ting, and only the most agile succeed in
overlapping the boundary and make good
their escape.
/ Closer and closer the crews approach
the beach, and once in shallow water the
most skillful maneuvering is required to
prevent the escape of the school. The
average catch at n haul is 80 fish. Each
fisherman is armed with q long, keen
bladed knife, and as soon as the catch
STRIKES sand" (the beach) a certain num-
Der of men detailed for the purpose draw
their knives and proceed to stab the foun-
dering fish in the neck. This operation
is attended with extreme hazard, for the
tail of the porpoise Yields great power,
and a."whack'' sometimes breaks an arm
or leg.
! The catch over, the boats and apparatus
are made ready for another haul. If the
haul has not been made too late in the
day, in the presence Of a great crowd of
women and children the skinning process
begins. The fat on the skins runs from 2
to 81 inches in thickness. The skins are
taken to the factory, where they are soaked
in large reservoirs, from which, after a
sufficient length Of time, they are trans
ferred to the splitting machine. Here the
blubber or fat is shaved evenly and
smoothly to a certain thickness, usually
requiring two ''runnings'' to accomplish
the desired result. The skins are next
thorough sailing. After a few days, when
VAo odAU A0o pO1AAAObUOu OtCIy pOIO, o1Ao
skins are carefully packed in large boxes
and shipped north to undergo the final
process of tanning.
!. For days at q time a hog, the proverbial
North Carolina razorback, is not visible
about Hatteras, but he knows from in
stinct when q catch of porpoise is made,
and, like hungry wolves in a Russian
forest. these razorbacks emerge in great
droves from the dense woods and feast
upon the carcasses-that is, if they have
not been hastily gathered up and carte1
off to the boiling house. Here they arc
subjected to a long and. thorough steam
ing until the bones leave the flesh. The
flesh is tried out into Oil, while the bones,
mixed with other Ingredients, arc ground
up in the rolling mill, and SO the porpoise
eventually reaches the market in 300
pound sacks Of phosphate.
A great deal depends upon the condition
of the weather as to the nunlberof clutches
during the week. Sometimes, i'll oatrclMe-
~ rough weather, the crews must content
themselves with watching The school dis
porting tan~talizinglyin tie surf but IL short
distance from the shore In favorable
weather, however, from foue to i've catches
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