Evening journal., 1897-12-31

purchasedi for so much a pound. Some |
OF them in use are 4,200 feet long, or |
about three-quarters OF a.rmile. The |
others, used nearer shore, are shorter |
But they are all Of good length, and 90 |
down In the water a distance Of from |
ten to twelve feet They cost from
forty 20 one hundred dollars. accord
ing to length, and generally have to be
renewed each year, although some
fishermen manage, by careful handling,
to make them serve for two seasons.
The worst enemies the fishermen
have TO encounter are the large ocean
steamers. Local craft will steer clear
Of the drifting nets whenever It is pos
sible to do So and Il Is seldom that
they are forced to cut through them.
For their consideration they receive
the thanks Of the fishermen and often
something much more substantial in
the shape Of fish. But the ocean
steamers plcw right through them, re-
gardless Of everything and everybody
The only practical way TO prevent The
destruction Of the nets Is 10 quickly cut
them into two or more sections and
leave an opening for the steamers to
pass though, and the only relief is 20
stand up in the skiff and cure until the
teamer are out of hearing. After that
what is left of the net Is pieced and the
drift continues But the fishermen have
learned how to avoid such calamities TO
very large extent, and IL is only occa-
siOnally that net Is n total loss AL
other disastrous customer Is a stur-
geOn, which will drive right through a
shad net. Sometimes one will become
80 entangled that it cannot escape and
while great damage is done to the net,
the sturgeon, If It be a roe FISH, will
Lring a return of from $40 to Sl9. and it
pays the fisherman for the destruction
it wrought. Menhaden, or "moss-bunk-
ers," often get in the nets and gum"
them SO that they have to be thor
oughly lined.
Fish always swim against the tide
II they did not they would drown, for
The strength OF the current would force
their gills open in a short time. and
that would mean death to any fish, no
matter how little or how big It might
be. Consequently, when the drift is
to the southwark on the ebb tide, the
fish are caught as they come upagainst
II, and when the drift Is on the food
tide the catch Is made as the fish are
going down stream. 1t seems singular
to state that a fish will drown, but to
the initiated It Is no secret. Still, very
few fish drown. for they obey the laws
OF nature, a disregard Of which brings
so much woe to mankind.
When the drift is made at night lam
terms are placed on the buoys at each
end OF the net, and every boat is pro-
vided with a white lantern to warn
NI.I.
down. The wayfarer has been out on
the Delaware river in the middle Of the
night and at all hours of the day and
early night and has seen the surface
OF the water literally covered with the
| lanterns on the net-buoys in The boats
The amount of rowing done by these
fishermen would, if stated astonish 2
1 landsman. They stand at the oars foi
hours at a time looking after the mel
and taking the fish therefrom. Wher
/ possible they throw themselves down
in their boats and get a little rest, with
10 covering but the rega. blue of IA,
heavens above and the damp dew be
low With all their exposure there il
| something about the business which
| makes men hearty and hardy, ant
| more than one instance is related b!
the fishermen of where weak yOuni
men have become well and strong be
cause of a season spent in tn fishini
boats
After the drift is completed and thl
catch is brought home it is sold to 10
cal dealers for the city markets, or els
it Is taken to the receiving schoone
which is anchored of Pennsgf0ve dur
ing the entire season. ready TO take al
FISH and with all facilities for packinl
them I'm ice and keeping them until tn
| steamer comes to carry them to tn
/ Philadelphia market Then the less
eager fishermen go home and set n fey
well-earned hours of repose until tn
Il tide is a. is full again. Some of III
more foolish and avamciOus flsherme,
stay in their boats for twenty .fou
hours at astretch, but they live to re
grct their imprudence, for there Is
limit to human endurance, and, sOone
or late, they find 1t out.
From $40 to Sl2 per hundred is
good average price for the fsherme
to receive for their shad
The skiffs used are about twenty
+ two feet long on the average, an
built with due regard for strength an
for the business In which they are {
: be used They have good beam an
are wide at the stern for the receptio
? of the nets, some Of which weigh sey
eral hundred pounds when wet
3 Sturgeon fishing is also followed b
some OF the PennsgrOve fishermen, br
E most of them content themselves wit
D the shad season. The Jersey sturgeo
fishermen rendezvous at Alloway
Cove and Salem creek. Delaware Cit.
I Port Penn and points farther south al
Z the places at which the Delaware stu
D geon fishermen cOngregate. Thos
? PennsgrOve fishermen who have stu
s ! geOn outft ~ an to Alloway's Co,
S tt IL = Fay, of t-ing floating sbat
city yesterday. Else Seenine ne,
10 Miss Annie L. year rouuo uT.a
pe tea at her homone for hJstree, .
tne to 6 O'Clock t,as no ss6on. b
op Miss Elizabeth A. Woodrouw'
.e ~1tchn J. Fitzsimmons were marrr r
e Yea. aul = Church T.ev,es u
Ie boats and nets. -.F reqsr ~. Ngeil
Ie from 100 TO 400 pounds, and it IS /
'e child's play to handle it and get it
lie the boat after it is caught in the nj
D While sturgeon skiffs are the staunc
est small crate on the Delaware riv
A.