Evening journal., 1898-07-01
EASTERN SHORE DAIETIES
AN INTERESTING STORY OF THE
FISH AND GRABS OF TILE
CHESAPEAKE.


FISH AND GRABS OF THE
CHESAPEAKE.
Easton, July 1.-The business Of
catching and shipping hard crabs from
the Choptank river and its tributaries
has assumed large proportions early IN
the season. The bulk OF this product
OF the salt water goes to Baltimore. The
principal shipping points now are Cor
ner's. on the Dorchester side OF the
Chsptrnk, and Tilghman's, on the
Talbot. Oxford is also a great hard
crab depot, but the canning industry
this season uses the greater part Of
the live crabs brought there. From the
other two points named hundreds Of
barrels are shipped every day. The
king crab has reappeared this season in
these waters In considerable numbers
for the first time in twenty-five years.
The salt waters Of Talbot used to teem
with them, but they disappeared al
most entirely some years ago. King
crabs make good hog food and very
rich manure, and an oil can be pressed
from their meat. No part of this spe-
cies Of crab is edible as human food.
King crabs grow to be very old, il not
caught. In the United States Fisheries
exhibit at the Chicago Columbian Ex-
position, there was an ancient king
crab with oysters OF marketable size,
and big barnacles growing on him.
This individual came from the Chesa-
peake, down about the Wolf Trap but
it was not caught in a wolf trap.
The taylor (or bay blue-hsh) season
in the Chesapeake, OFF the coast Of
Tilghman's Island deep-water trap
eshing began last Monday, with a
catch OF 5000 large fish by the Tilgh-
mans Island fishermen. They bring
about ten cents piece, or a bunch OF
three for twenty-fivt cents. which IS
less than Ace cents a pound. The tay-
aor In the water is a very vocifieTous
fish, and is the dread Of the small
FISH which go i'm schools. Their
favofite food is the little alewife, and
when a rippling OF these are seen
swimming at the surface Of the water
the fishermen know the taylors will
see them and attack tnem, and make
their fishing Arrangement according
". The taylor swallows his prey
whole, or bitten in half. Sometimes
the little alewives are taken alive into
the big fsh's nav. The taylor is alse
a cannlbal. A big taylor win swallow
a little one. Instances have beer
Known OF a small taylor being foun'
in the stomach OF big one, and an ale
wife in the stomach Of that little tay
lor. These fish are powerfully strong
and are great fighters. The material
of taylor nets and OF the lines 70
hook and line fishing must be the bes
and strongest. Their bite is as mucl
20 be dreaded as that Of the snapplnl
turtle. Fishermen need to be yer.
careful in handling them with thei
hands. There is hardly a veteran tay
lor fisherman who has not a scarce
thumb or middle finger where taylo
bit a piece out Of II.
They are justly esteemed as anon
the very best OF pan FISH here wher
they are obtained fresh, as fresh a
this: Caught in the morning, betwee
daybreak and SUNRISE brought ashor
in the live boat, killed as soon as take
from the water by having its throa
cut. ard in an hour brought steamin
hot on the breakfast table, done an
Drowned to a turn; and basted in bu
ter, not sixteen to one white butte
but real golden-rod butter, and accon
panied by bachelors pone OF whl
cornmeal ground in a water-mill, NJ
rubbed to pieces by a roller process. ,
who have mouths to water prepare
let them water when invited to such
breakfast as this! Your fish did n
die the painful, lingering, feveri'
death OF dying in the atmosphere, b
arc honestly and quickly bled to deaf
and it was never buried in pile
ice. Fish should be killed by bleedil
as soon as finally taken from the wat'
and not left to die in gasping agon
1. is more merciful, and the flesh
better.