The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-23

containing fifty shad and filed with
finely ground ice, and shipped by fast
freight to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
New York, and this has continued to
the present date. The catch varies very
much some seasons. L have known
one beach TO catch 100000 shad in six
tv-fiye DAYS, and / have known the
same beach to catch only $4,000 to
season. The expense was from $4,000
to $4,000 per season. Formerly, or
until 1872, large boats, propelled by
ten long oars, were used to convey the
seines. But Capt. Peter NJ. Warren in
1872 constructed a flat-bottom steamer
These boats are very seaworthy, going
in almost any water. He also patent
ed a steam gear for drawing the seines
to the shore, so that, from that date
to the present, the large seines are put
out on large steamboats, and drawn to
the shore by steam engines, an engine
house with steam drums being at each
extremity of the beach. About this
date a new and economical device was
placed in our waters, known as the
pound or stationary net, and common
ly called dutch net, because a Pennsyl-
yania DUtchman first put them in
Albemarle Sound. Now our streams
are lined with these nets. Thousands
Fl yaId DIS, yes hundreds of miles, of this
netting is found along the streams Of
Albemarie Sound and Chowau River
They lave proved a very successful
mode of catching all varieties of fish
coming into our waters. A well-rigged
sound seine is worth about $4,000"
The steam seine fisheries are very
much like one another, and differ only
In point of location and minor details
THE "AVOCA" FISHERY.
The best known of the fisheries is
"Avoca," the property of DR.. w. II.
Capeheart, who is recognized through
out the United States as an authority
on fish and hsh-cuture. Like most
of the fisheries of the AIbemarle, this
has been in the family for generations.
and DR.. Capeheart inherited it from
his father, who was one of the leading
fishermen of his day. The records of
the "Avoca' fishery have been regu-
larly kept since 1928. At this fishery
300, 0G0 herring have been saved from
one haul, and hauls Of 6.004 shad and
1000 pounds of rock fish are recorded.
In 1898, one of the best seasons in re-
were shipped North from THIS fishery.
Ayoca is one of the most Interesting
spots and most valuable estates in
North Carolina. The fishing beach is
two miles from DR.. Capeheart's hand
some residence. which is situated at
the river landing. The plantation in
cludes hundreds of acres of fertile
farming and trucking lands. which are
well cultivated and kept in fine order.
DIR. Capeheart is a model farmer as
well as an authority on fish, and is
one of the leading members of the
State Board of Agriculture.
Avoca is the only one of the steam
seine fisheries on the South side of
Albemarle Sound, and is situated near
the mouth of the Scuppernong River.
The beach is a long, fiat stretch of
sand, sloping gently into the water.
The houses on the shore form a little
village in themselves, for during the
fishing season the seines are never
idle night or day, and the proprietors
move their families to the beach and
live in sight of the busy nets. Be
sides the main residences, there are
various houses for the help employed.
The great seine at Ayoca is $500
yards long, and is 80 feet deep; this
includes $500 yards of netting and
5000 yards of rope used to haul in the
net. The seine carries 5000 corks and
hundreds of lead sinkers.
There are two steam plants on the