Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-05
HE PASSING OF CAPE COD.
Failure Of the Fisheries Brings BUSH
ness Ruin.

EldUSIlcS OF ia8CT- htttLtf the G-ISStAttI
OF Horace G. Wadlin, shows IN inter-
esting and somewhat startling condi-
ton OF affairs in Barnstaple county,
otherwise known os Cape Cod. Il that
county loses IN population as fast in
the future as it has during the last 80
years there will be no one in the county
at all except the dwelIers in the GENE
teries at the end of few more de-
cades. From 1865 TO 1925 the total loss
in population was over 20 per cent, only
two towns, Falmouth and Province
town, showing a gain Ia those years.
Welldeet, which had population of
2.296 in 1865, dropped over so per cent.
to 963 Sandwich was also loser.
The decline in manufacturing is also
remarkable. In 1885 the county had
425 manufacturing establishments and
$2,719,563 invested. In 1895 these fg-
ures were 32S and S518. 500.
The main reliance of the Cape towns
has long been the fishing industry, but
il the reader of the report looks for any
encouraging figures in that line he viii
be disappointed. In 1885 the county
had $1,941 ,921 invested i'll fisheries. in
1895 it was but $685. q decline of 81
/ per cent. There was an increase in this
industry in the towns OF Bourne, Sand
wich and Truro, but these are not the
chief fishing towns. Provincetown cap
ital invested in fishing declined 81 per
cent. and Wellfeet 80 per cent. Har-
witch capital was almost entirely with
drawn
OF the loss of the fisheries at Prov
incetown Mr., Wadlin speaks in way
that reminds one of HaWthorne's stories
of the decline of the merchant marine
service at Salem many years ago in Ian
guage as follows:
Vessels were formerly built here
for fishing and whaling. 4 large num-
Der of fitting stores connected with the
long wharves lined the whole harbor
front. The town was then an active
place. 1t was the scene Of continual
hustle, the fleets fitting out in the
spring to return in the autumn laden
with full catches. Many mechanics,
including ship carpenters, calkers,
painters, sailnalSers, Triggers and black
smiths, were employed in building and
repairing this fleet At one time there
were three marine railways for hauling
out and repairing not only local vessels,
| but those from the other Cape towns.
Now, i'll place of all this activity we
find the fleets absent, the wharveS fast
going to decay, and two of the marine
railways rotting and falling down; the
third, recently sold for taxes, must soon
share the fate Of the others. The fail
ure of fishing firms has caused the loss
of much capital, depIiving many OF
employment. The low price Of whale
oil has ruined the whaling industry.
At present the feet, except one vessel,
is at the wharves waiting for better
times and an improvement in the mar
ket, The Banks cod fishery has also
been ruined by low prices, scarcely of
fish, the introduction of larger and
more expensive vessels, and enlarged
cost of fittings. The decay OF the mack
erel fleet is due solely to the disap-
pearance Of the fish"
One feature of the report is uneX-
pectedly encouraging. The vatae of
agricultural property and products has
increased very materially III the, last
few years.
This grave problem of loss Of popula-
ton is d common one in the spalrseiy
settled farming districts of New Eng
land, but has not come up so 1r'Omi-
| nentIy before i'll what might be called
fishing community. 1t is due to the
fact that the young people seek wider
fields of effort in the great centers Of
population. Mr.. Wadlin's tables show
very large percentage of American
born persons above 60 years old and a
| correspondence small number OF young
people. The foreign born population
is not large and is not increasing very
fast. There are more Portuguese than
OF any other nationality, and they make
good fishermen, Industrious farmers
and thrifty citizens.
The report discusses the plan of in
creasing the productiveness of the
cape land by a system of irrigation,
thus transforming the district from a
fishing to a farming community. State
aid and colonization schemes are. con-
sidered, but no recommendation are
made. Encouraging comment is made
on the increase Of cranberry culture,
but this industry alone is not stuff
cient to arrest the downward course of
Barnstable county. Whether il can be
arrested by any means involves the
consideration of social and economic
problems much deeper than appear on
the surface of the report. tits another
eXemplification of what Mr.. Brice had
iii mind when he wrote=
ut is impossible not to regret the
disappearance of a picturesquely prim-
tive society which noyelists and essay
lists have made familiar TO us, with it's
delightful mixture of homely sim
piicity and keen intelligence. Of all
the types of rustic life which imagina
ton has, since the days of Theocritus
embellished for the envy or refresh
ment of the dwellers In cities. this latest
type has been to modern Europe the
most real and not the least attractive.
1t will soon have passed away. y
Sun.
Caprice OF Fashion