The times., 1898-11-27
LOBSTERS.
How Dealers Manage to Keep Prices
Up on Them.
From the Portland Prrs,N

CFrom the Portland Press)
Something like $50 men make a business
OF catching Holsters in Cumberland Coun-
" alone. and the most of these are, OF
course, men who live on the shores of
Casco Bay. In September according to
the figures furnished by Fish Warden
Gribben. who keeps track of all lobster
arrivals and shipments here, SIS 1874 lob
sters We're brought into Portland. and the
figures this month will probably be larger
than this. OF this number $3.50 were
boat lobsters.' or caught in Casco Bay.
The lobster business is rapidly on the
increase In Maine" says Mr. Gribben.
More men are finding employment in the
lobster fisheries in this State every year,
and more Holsters are being caught and
shipped out of the State. The Portland
dealers are finding their business enlarg-
ing every year. They now supply the
markets OF St Louis. Chicago. Minnea-
polls. and other towns still further west
and their heaviest shipments, of course,
are to New York city.
Many people wonder why II Is that
when Holsters are abundant the prices do
not drop TO corresponding figure This
is because the dealers have big pounds
in which the HOLSTERS are placed when
they are plentiful and held for March and
other seasons of the year when Holsters
are scarce. There are probably all the
way from S01.OO0 to 100000 Holsters in
pounds now all along the coast Of Maine
These pounded Holsters have 10 be we'll
fed on fish, and the people who have
charge OF the pounds have to be very
careful not to overfeed them. for if they
do the Holsters will die with alarming ra-
pidity.
The fishermen get on an average of 10
cents apiece for Holsters all the year
! round. and some of them make a good
thing out Of the business. OF course the
| fishermen do not devote all their time to
lobster catching. Some of them are now
giving UP lobstering for a time and are
| going smelling. This pays pretty well at
| this time of the year The smelts are
| not very plentiful. because they are
mixed up with small herrings. which are
worth very little. On an average, fifteen
| boxes of srneits 4 day go through Port
| land. being shipped to Boston and New
| Yo.k markets from Eastport. Yarmouth
| and Portland. Smelts are cents a ponn l.
and there are about fifty pounds to a
box. So you see that each man ships
| one or two boxes every day, he is max
/ ing good thing out OF this work.
! THE consumption of Holsters is on the
| increase and as this fish increases in
numbers and becomes more plentiful, the
demand constantly Increases There are
| now seven steamers owned and operate /
I by Portland firms which make two or
| three trips here a week with Holsters.
| which they have gathered up along the
coast from the fishermen or pound keep
ers. We are not getting any Nova SEQ
| tia HOLSTERS now. The law in Nova Scotia
| protects Holsters from July to January.
and in January 1t Is so stormy that the
lobster smacks do not find 1t very profita-
| bic to attempt the long and hard voy-
' a 70 Nax-a af oh
| No Holsters are being canned In Maine
now continued Mr.. Gribben. Once this
| was big business here, but the short
lobster law kiilei it in this State. Tie can
| ners do not find it profitable to buy lob
| sters at their present rates, and they
| can't purchase short ones. Nearly all of
| the canning business is row done In Nova
| Scotia. although I believe the catching
| of short Holsters is restricted to a certain
L - Il. Il