The Portland daily press., 1896-01-18
ROUGH TIMES FOR FISHERMEN,
Another Storm Coming and Thick
Snow Reported.

SuOW TepOTttus
A FIourishing Business for Two Months
Business to Maine-Good and Bad
Luck of Coasters-Captain Crapo, His
| Brig and Boat in Port Again.
J. W. Trefethen reported yesterday the
arrival of the following fishing schooners !:
Robert and Carr, with 5000 pounds of cod
and paddock, Cora e. Smith with 5000
pounds, George +. Kean, with 5000
pounds, Ira Kilburn with 5000 pounds
L. B. Fernald with 5000 pounds, Lucy
W. Dyer with 5000 pounds, Mary r.
Hagan with 5000 pounds, Letta May with
60O0 The fishing schooners encounter
rather rough weather while off the Cape
Elizabeth coast Thursday night. There
was sudden, and very thick, snow
storm, the wind was high, the sea made
very rapidly, and the schooners were
roughly handled. The ROBBERS and Carr
lost part of Der deck load. This has
been bad week for the fishermen off this
coast, and reports from the banks would
indicate that it is still worse there. The
snow storms SO greatly needed On land,
seems to be all confined to the sea this
winter. They come close in, but still
keep clear of the Maine coast.
The old brig Manson, CAPTAIN Crapo,
came in yesterday after having been
about month on the way from New
York to Portland with cargo of coal.
She went in almost every where along
her route but made port at last safely,
rand apparently ahead of storm. Captain
Grape had on his house the famous little
dory in which he crossed the Atlantic.
Captain Webber, of the schooner PEN
dleton, of Boothbay, was speaking yester-
day of the close competition there is at
this time between the railroads and the
coasters, and how the former have driven
the latter to reduce freights. Captain
Webber said that he makes on an average
round trip week. Commonly he has
come to Portland light, hut he generally
has full cargo back. He does well when
he can make his schooner average $50 a
WOOh OldlA lb 0tzQ lI6l&uu, dS ~ Is
carried for two and half cents a bag. In
the summer the average freight is more
valuable, but in the winter it seldom ex-
ceeds $500 in value.
"There's no such thing as striking an
average said J. II. Blake One
schooner may taks cargo worth $4,000,
and not have as heavy a load as another
schooner with cargo worth $500. One
schooner will get a full load, and the one
next to it little or nothing fer days at a
time.'
Il may surprise some people to be in
lobster traps along the Maine coast give
constant employment to at least three
thousand people, not including those who
are Indirectly employed in the lobster
business 1t is a very important branch
of Maine industry.
The Portland Cooperage company, it
delivering large quantities of clam bais
barrels, and they are bei~g rapidly taken
down by the coasters. l-obaly that sort
of freight don't pay very we'll, but it
pays to bring the barrels back after they
are filed.
The clam bait business has boone
very important matter. 1t lasts for only
about two months, but it is brisk while
it does last, and calls for thousands of
barrels, and gives work for months be-
fore it opens to many men.
There is a brisk demand from Spain,
and Nova Scotia takes hundreds of
barrels. Zone Portland firm orders about
500 barrels, and 1t takes about 1000
barrels to supply the Boston orders
single firm W. Z. Sargent & Co. of
Sargentville receives
About peck of salt to a barrel of
CLAIMS is the rule, and the idea is to have
the bait as nearly fresh as possible.
There is demand for CLAIMS almost en-
tirely fresh, and they are furnished in
large quantities for immediate use. Fish
know the difference between fresh or salt
bait, and will eagerly take the frosh, and
leave the SALT. For two months the clam
bait business is simply rushing, and Or
de~s are far ahead Of the supply as rule,
and then it is over for year. 1t gives
the coasters an active two months, for
there is then no lack of freight for
Boston and Portland. 1t adds many
thousand dollars to the income of the
clam bait men, and in Portland it creates
demand for barrels that greatly help
out the coopers. The clam bait barrels
are made very strong, and just now they
are going down to Jonesport, and other
points by the thousand.
The call for packed meats mentioned in
the PRESS of Friday, is such that the
work of loading the steamer Laurentian
was suspended yesterday until large
amount of boxed meat could be received
The rumors of war between England and
Germany will clear the market of the
boxed meat on hand if the present de-
m, nd onpffn,1ac 90 ooi1 49,