The Penn's Grove record., 1897-05-14
BAY d BUBBLES.
Caviar, N. j., May II, '97.
nnAD EnInpD

Sturgeon fishing at this
point has been very poor since l wrote
you last, and many long faces and sad
c~ountenances can be seen among the
fishermen. The word "Hope" which
spoke about in my last letter, being an
chOred in the breasts of the fishermen,
has almost turned to Despair. Still,
with brave hearts and willing hands,
the boats are sent out to the fishing
grounds to fish every tide, trusting to
Dame fortune or kind providence to be
rewarded with a big catch of fish. The
season is half ended and none of the
firms have met their expenses by one
half, yet there is time enough before
the season closes to come out sqnare,
and perhaps a little over, if the fish
come Oh during this month.
II is only a question of a year or so
before sturgeon will have to be propa.
gated, otherwise the industry, repre-.
senting over 81 1000 900 in capital and
employing over 1000 men, will be a
thing Of the past. We are looking for
State Game and Fish Protector, Chas.
A.. Shriner, of Paterson, N. j., to pay
Bay Side a visit and the writer will try
to get MI. Shriner interested in this
artificial Matching of sturgeon eggs,
so that the sturgeon fishing industry
can be kept moving on the Delaware.
Mrs. o. Davis has opened up an ice
cream arlor at Bay Side and also keeps
soft drinks to dispense to the thirsty.
In my last letter l forgot to mention
two important p~ersonages, Mr.. Fred
Biddle and brother Frank, of Pedrick.
town, who are here packing shad and
sturgeon for the different fishing firms.
OF course you know Frank much better
than curly headed Fred, as Frank goes
by your residence every Sunday night
driving a grey horse, which is kept tied
to a POST at the Cove until the wee
small hours of Monday morning. Now
don't any one take offence when l say
this same grey horse is at Bay Side for
the use of certain young ladies of Green
witch and Roadstown and some u has
been mean enough to say that wedding
cards have been ordered.
Capt. Curriden and mate Simpkins
are still shipping cells and doing a fair
business. Ia the hustle of packing eels
the other day Isaac made a slip and fell
into the barrel and when he finally got
out it was a hard matter to tell Isaac
from a genuine double breasted salt wa
ter eel. l expect he will squirm like
the cells he catches when he sees this In
print, but if he makes any fuss, l won't
give him any more eel bait.
The largest catch of sturgeon by any
one boat this season was made by Jar.
Wis Reeves, who caught 6 large roe
sturgeon at IL tide. Rumor has it
that Jarvis was SO excited over his big
catch that a committee of fishermen
had to sit up with him that evening.
A certain lady up the creek, whose
name l dare not mention only to say it
commences with b, undertook to make
some cakes, forgetting to put yeast
powder in and now these cakes are
being used as sinkers for lead lines. A
couple of young gents of Bridgeton, L.
M. Hires and j. B. Jones, ~photogia-
pliers, same to Bay Side and took pho
tos of the different cabins and places of
interest with their camera
1t wouldn't do to close this letter I'M
less mentioning in some way the pet Of
our camp, Fred W. Shannon. He had
been anxious to go fishing and as the
weather was favorable yesterday l gave
my consent. In due time Fred came
out in a suit of oil skins and a southwest
er, bidding me a CHEEKY good bye and
saying as lie left, "Uncle George l will
bring you in a half dozen Sturgeon.
But oh, myl Mr.: EDITOR, when our
pet got back 10 camp you would have
thought he had been to a bleachery. /
asked him what was the matter, and
pointing out on the Bay he said, |" No
more fishing for me, all of my breakfast
l gave to the fishes and | don't want
anything to eat for Il MONTH"
This need not worry Mr.. IIearn or
any other Barber, as Fred got on the
outside of a big supper when the stew
ard blew the horn.
Mrs. Geo. Watson and son Thomas,
of Penn's Grove, Mrs. Geo. Michner
and daughter, of Green Creek, and 9TH
ers are stopping a few days with their
husbands. Also, Miss Matte Foulk,
of near Penn's Grove, is a visitor at the
Bay View Cottage of VIM. Anderson,
visiting her friend, Miss May Anderson.
In conclusion 1 will say what few
shad fishermen are here are catch
ing from $50 to 200 per day, with the
prices from sl2 to SIS per hundred
More Anon. Yours truly,
G. d. SHANNON.
l w.
| MA no~-