Evening journal., 1897-12-31
DRIFTING WITH THE TIDE.


TO SLEEP.
DRIFTING WITH THE TIDE.
In the early Spring. when most other
persons are tucked away comfortably
in their beds and enjoying the delights
of healthful slumbeT, there are, within
two or three miles OF them, fifty or
sixty hardy men and lads drifting up
and down the Delaware river making
their livelihood while the world sleeps.
Up and down they go, their long nets
keeping pace with their drifting boats,
from point about a mile above Penn
grove to a point within q short dis
tance of Delaware City. They are the
men who supply. to a large extent, the
local markets with shad. that most de-
lcious of food fish. Most Of them
make a comfortable living, but the
character of the work fully entities
them to II. A large majority OF them
would be better OF il they did not con-
slider that the years work was done
when the shad season closed. But fish
crmen find It onerous to be industrious
all the year round. They prefer to
work hard for two or three months in
the year. bank their earnings, and loaf
the balance OF the time Some OF them
get other work but the large majority
spend the closed season idling away
their time at home, IN the stores, or ON
the streets of that pretty little New Jer-
sey town called Pennsgrove.
On q slgnooard in front of a country
store in tho State OF Maine Is the fol-
lowing, which appeals strongly to To-
cal prejudice, for the subjects of the
verses are 70 be found In their most
perfect state in this section:
when the angels made shad the devil
was mad,
For it seemed such a feast Of de-
light;
50. to ruin the scheme, he jumped into
the stream
And stuck in the bones out OF spite.
when the strawberries red first 81
lumined their bed,
The angels looked down and were
glad;
But the devil. rs said, fairly pounded
his head,
For he'd used al his bones on the
shad
Nothing which any Maine poet may
say can possibly discredit the Delaware
river shad among epicures. Its reputa-
tion is fully established and cannot be
successfully assailod. To whatever mar
ket 70 goes. it finds q hearty welcome,
and is keenly relished by those who
are fortunate enough to have it set be-
fore them in any style. The Penns-
grove fishermen market many thou
sands of them every year. and il is the
recognized shad centre on the upper
Delaware river. although there are
some other points in both New Jersey
and Delaware which largely engage in
the business, New Castle being one OF
them.
IL the town OF pennsgrove ever as
sumes such proportions as to require a
corporate seal. the Delaware river shad
ought TO be the emblem engraved there
on for to that fish 1t owes much of It's
trade and prosperity. 1t Is a pretty lit
lie town. and most OF the fishermen
have nice homes. some of them mort
gagged, Of course, but still many of them
are free from all incumberanCe.
At the present time shad slxffs. haul
cd out Of the water. line the beach and
are TO be seen in gardens, front yards
side yards. and all over the town Nets
are also 10 be seen in some places Bul
IN two OF three months the men who
are now idling away their time, the
boats which are bottom-side up ant
being repaired and painted, and The
rcis which are slowed away for The
Winter. will an SO out upon the river
and drift with the tide until the middl,
~ June. wnCn the shad season closes
no matter what the inclemencies of thi
weather may be. or at what hour Of tn,
cav or night the tide may suit, thel
Hil BE- drifting along, making none,
os they go. the men dreaming OF thl
time when the run OF shad shall ceas
and they win be able to bank the
money and take it easy once more.
Usually the shad season begins abou
the first of April A few fish ar
caught the latter part OF March. ant
from that time on the number in
.creases until about the middle OF April
when the run is fairly on and larg
numbers are taken daily. The price
realized for them fluctuate with th
supply and demand, just as they d
with every other commodity.
The fishermen work altogether ac
cordlng to the tide. There is, shor
distance above Pennsgroye, a particu
lar place where they congregate Z
drop their nets into the watf A sys
tenn prevails as TO which f sng 49,
entitled to precedence in tn. Vic wan
and, at intervals Of a few min,
other nets go over, one by on, Aoul
all are in the water and the dri N
gins. When 1t is high water the FISH
men start ont for this stake. II
drift begins with the cbb. and II
men start out for this stake. II
southwark movement ends with u
seven hours' of drift allowed by II
outgoing tide. The flood lasts for il
hours, and this usually brings q
boats nearly home again, the fish b
ing caught both coming and going.
There are mean men in every cal
ing, and the shad fishermen have the
TO contend with. After all the nets a
laid and the drift is begun, it is Il
rule that any late fisherman shall d,
his net in the rear Of an other nets al
take his chances. But some OF the
refuse TO regard this rule and rush
between two advance nets and spre,
theirs. They are known as "buc
d