The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
FISHING FOR SMELLS.
Queer Little Colonies OF Movable EIuts Alon
the Mnluo C0nHt.

Queer Little Colonies OF Movable Huts Along
the Mnino Const.
CAsTINE. Me-. Jan. 21.-The different enact.
mcnts for the protection Of salmon in Maine
waters would I'll half a page in The Sun, while
oil tho laws regulating the taking of smelts
could be printed in half II column. Though
salmon are protected and pottod from the time
they are in the egg until they are caught or die
of old age. the total value of the salmon taken
in Maine last year did not exceed $4,000. and
half of these were sold to the United States fish
hatchery at Orland. During the same time that
the aristocratic fishermen wcro angling for
salmon with fishing tackle that was costly and
wonderful to look Mt. the ragged and bcgrimed
girls who fished with cotton lines and cheap
hooks caught smolts enough to yield moro than
S35. 900 in cash, and had a whole lot left over
for homo
In the winter. when business is dull and no
farming operations can be carried on, the entire
population of tho seaboard towns goes out on
the ice and fishes for smclts. using hand lines
and hanks that are baited with live minnows
that are dipped from deep holes in the inland
brooks. Every fisherman has n 4x6 wooden
house upon runners. in which he sits pcrched
upon a shinGlc block by the side of n hot sheet
i II H., s' INS.. H !. VIM cut hn s a mole h IN t dsd l9e n as iHnE
tho hoe, takes up a floor board. and is ready for
business. He sits there smoking and wishing
" hhiio uhNli al III
Some days he makes good wages, getting as
many as twenty pounds of smells, which. at II
his family in comfort. Again, in biowy
weather. when the smells strike ofishoro to
may fish for a week and not average over
six pounds n day. Whether he gets much or
little he keeps on fishing. knowing that he can
wages TO no wages at ali.
The brackish streams and salt water inlets all
along the coast. from ,Castine TO Eastport. arc
now dotted with these little fishing houses that
can be moved from place to place by hand. Some
will group their houses and cook their food be-
fore an open fire oh the Ice. A fisher boy vino
has i sweetheart engaged in tho Same calling
generally places his house near hers. so they
dearment between bites, Old women bring
knit, counting stitches and making seams
and also watching the upper ends Of the dan
whose trembling hands have to be guided when
signing their vouchers, meet comrades from
than thirty years ago. When all other topics of
,"nY nasinI mr az I,e the y preG mb p rta,s for n smells Its fin in
discussion. and daily pa pers from the big cities
nrc passed from hand TO hand until the page
which is devoted to market reports is worn ouI.
The general impression is that the commission
merchants WHO, handle smells are getting rich
faster, than .Klondikc miners. Another deep
along the coast is that the crooked and mi:
from New slI Brans whiSh an "a0 N sSRa f Sco tine a ;Its ar.
fit to eat. 1t is argued that if the imported
smells were as good as those caught in. Maine
the fishermen would take more pains with them,
and would straightcn them out in shape to put
in the frying pan before they were allowed to
freeze. As for crooked smells thar are shipped
in bulk and pitched out of the hold of Il vessel
with II fork, the fishermen want none of them.
Tho older fishermen when talking of years
gone By do not Livc dates and pay, no need TO the
almanac. One season is spoken OF as the win
ter wncn smclis were big AMI skurcc," another
is the winter when two lines caught thirty
pounds n day for six weeks. and the most mem
orable event of all was the winter when smolts
brought 80 cents n pound" The laSt.namcd
winter brought prosperity TO all the coast towns.
Scores of couples who had been planning aud
saving for years got married that winter. and
houses that had not known paint for n decade
came out in fresh coats of glazing white. As u
result OF that season Of great prosperity the ice
is now covered with fat and romping boys md
girls. whose parents found marriage possible be-
cause smclts were 30 cents a pound.