Daily camera., 1897-08-06
DECLINE OF CAPE COD.
Steady Falling OF In Population
and Wealth.
Factories Shutting Down or Nov
ing Away and Fleets Lying Idle
at the Decaying Docks-Fail-
uFe of Fisheries.

S1atlStlcS OF labor, under the dlrectlOn
| OF Horace G. Wadlin, shows an inter
esting and somewhat startling condi-
ton of affairs in Barnstaple county,
otherwise known as Cape Cod. If 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 dwellers in the ceme-
teries at the end of few more de-
| cades. From 1865 to 1895 the total loss
III population was over 30 per cent, only
two towns, Falmouth and Province
town, showing gain in those years.
Wellfleet, which had population OF
1896 in 1865, dropped over so per cent
I to 96S. Sandwich was also loser.
The decline in manufacturing is also
remarkable. In 1885 the county had
425 manufacturing establishments and
S2,719,563 invested. In 1895 these fig
ures were 32S and $51S,S66.
The main reliance of the Cape towns
has long been the fishing industry, but
If the reader of the report looks for any
encouraging figures in that line he will
be disappointed. In 1885 the county
had $1,941, 1921 invested in fisheries, in
1895 it was but $G92, ,456, a decline OF "a
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
ltal invested in fishing declined 81 per
cent. and Wellfeet 80 per cent. Har-
wich capital was almost entirely with
drawn.
OF the loss of the fisheries at Prov
incetown Mr.. Wadlin speaks in way
that reminds one of bawthorne'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. A 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, sailmakers, riggers and black
smiths were employed in building and
repairing this feet. 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, in 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, mustsoon
share the fate of the others. The fail
| ure of fishing firms has caused the loss
of much capital, depriving many OF
Eemployment. The low price OF whale
oil has ruined the whaling industry.
At present the fleet, 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, scarcity 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 value OF
agricultural property and products has
increased very materially in the last
few years.
This grave problem of loss of popula-
ton is common one in the sparsely
settled farming districts of New Eng
land, but has not come up so proml-
nently before in 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
correspondingly 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
fishing to a farming community. State
aid and colonization schemes are con-
sidered, but no recommendations are
made. Encouraging comment is made
on the increase of cranberry culture,
but this industry alone is not suffi-
cient to arrest the downward course of
Barnstable county. Whether it can be
arrested by any means involves the
consideration of social and economic
problems much deeper than appear on
the surface of the report. It another
exemplification of what Mr.. Brice had
in mind when he wrote:
"It is impossible not to regret the
disappearance of picturesquely prim-
tive society which novelists and essay
lists have made familiar to us. with it's
delightful mixture of homely SIM
plicity 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