The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-13

pahhA' WhlcA are located south OF
Newfoundland. AZ hundreds Of miles
from the New England shore.
Life on the banks is bad enough In
summer There are hardships and
dangers then IN plenty. but along about
this season Of the year. when the banks
are swept b. cold storms. the dangers
as well as the hardships are just about
doubled. sun the fishermen stick 10
the banks Tor that Is where they find
the cod, and 70 many Of them the cod
Is the only talisman that will trans
form toll into dollars. SO. no matter
whether the wind blows high or low,
whether the fog wraps them IN l's haz-
ardoua folds or the sun shines. whether
u rains or SHOWS. the bankers" 20 out
IN Felr dorles 10 set their travis and
never think OF laying their course for
Gloucester town until their schooner
VIII hold no more nsh or their proyis-
Ions run out. Although most bank
efa are called Gloucester men. as
matter Of fact a great many Of them
regard that place merely as a foreign
port In which they End themselves once
cr twice a year Il used 90 be- that
Gloucester boats were manned by. Glou-
cester men. AN Yankees OF the pecu-
liar species known 20 Cape Ann. But
that vas whom there was more money
IN hfhing than there is today Now
the Gloucester boats carry crews 90
which az nations have contributed.
With perhaps few exceptions Por-
iugueae, scandanayians. French.
Nova scotlans and Spanish ship 10 the
Yankee boats and take their pay 90
good American dollars. Bu, the boats
themselves are Of Gloucester build and
their captains are Gloucester born and
bred. When a fishing boat sails for
The banks ahl carries provisions FOR six
months or more. ana iu her hold are
great bins % salt suaicisu, % keep all
The cod which can De piled into her.
She D. not o. commoii0ua craft 40 best.
but the greater part OF The space below
decks must De- reserved Cor the catch.
and fo the crews quarters are always
crampcl The dozen or d,tecu men are
crowded into a little cabin .n which
there is just room euuuLa Tor row OF
narrow hunks on clch side OF a table
IN the center. Ia The forward end BE-
the cooks galley where thar dlgultary
exercises O. wonderful economy % space
In disposins % bis pots and pans
Even on deck. there % little room.
Tor what space is not occupied by the
water butts and other casks Is taken
up by the dories. which % into each
other like 90 many spoons. But ash-
orman have neither time nor lnelina-
. ton Tor promensilnE. Once the banks
are reached the captain picks out his
berth. iurls bis sails. drops bis anchor
and sets little triangular piece OF can
vas known a. riding sail. Just how
be knows where to End the fsh he will
not explain. Perhaps be couldn't n he
tried. but knew he does or else he
would never BE- captain OF a Gloucester
fisherman. The average navigator
would worry himself sick ln trying 20
end out where be was after floating
around on the banks Tor few weeks.
changing ber,hs 10 the tog or To- the
dark The Gloucester skipper may not
trouble TO take the sun once a month
but s,ili De has fair idea OF the exact
spot OF the banks on which his anchor
rests There j. a tradition that some
Of the veterans among them can de-.
,ormlnc their location by simply SMELL
. ing 0f the lead as 10 comes from the
bottom This beats even the old yarn
Z which BE- told Ia rhyme OF Obadiah
Folger. the Nannckc, whaler. whose
mate tried TO puzzle him by dipping
the ,allowCd end Of the sounding lead
into a btx Of earth brought from home
The grissled captain was not 10 be
fooled that way. however. Tor he sang
out Ia great alarm;
Nantucktts sunk, know. / know.
Marin s,arbu,k's squash beds Just be-
low.
Heave no the Lead Hoave no,
Al any rate. they are the most skin.
ful OF nayiga,ors and, what L. more 10
the purpose, they know the banks bet.
ter than the streets Of their native
town and are more familiar with the
habits Of the cod than OF their next.
door uCighhOr. once the anchor a
down the dorlos are sent out % sci ths
travis. the ior.cs are slight iran.
looking llttlo boats. sharp 90 each end
with straight sides and nat bottoms
but they viii ride like ducks over seas
that make biz steamships stagscr
Even the French 6shiug briggs send Cd
. Gloucester after their dorles Two mcg
aro sent out in a boat. one man rows
while the other pays out the trawl q
. long rope. buoyci az each end. 20 which
the linv6 and hooks are attached. Each
boat carries several Of these travis
and as soon as the last one Is set ani
anchored Il 90 time 20 row back TO n,
nrst one. beginning al one end N,
fisherman pulls IN the tmwl. On bis
hands he wears heavy mittous. re-on
forced by cloth and sometimes by
leather In spite OF this protection
however. bis hands are generally cuI
and swollen. Tor small cod line with
tsh on the end OF Il Weighing from
ten 20 seventy-avo pounda Is not an
easy thing 10 handle. The second mar
stands In the stern and as the trawl q
pulled In he takes Oh tho hsh, kills 1
with a blow Of his club and coils th'
trawl In a tub At bis feet. Perhaps
you can imagine what an unpleasant
Job this Is In the summer. but unlosI
you have had a similar experience yo'
cannot conceive the hardship OF 1, II
winter, There is peril. too. No On'
but banker" could stand In a pitch