The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-20
THEY EAT,
LIVE AND
SLEEP
in THEIR
BOAT

~ HE citizen outjfor an early ramble
viii. if he direct his steps to Fisher
mems wharf. perceive what reminds
him Of a patch Of dry hop poles
4 blown by the wind. As he APP
proaches and peers down over the
railing surrounding the wharf he Will
learn that these are merely the masts
Of fishing boats which have furled their
sails and lie at anchor.
Most Of these boats coming in are load
ed. perhaps with sardines, and lie deep
IN the water through the weight Of their
shimmering load.
A good sized boat will hold 5000 pounds
Q. fish but few have that amount; pos
slhly the largest catch will be but 1900
pounds of sardines.
In this boat men dip them up with
wooden scoops, or tin basins, into bas-
kets. by which they are drawn up TO the
wharf and there smptied into boxes.
over there they stand, almost 10 the
knee in the sliding, silvery mass, Kicking
them into the baskets. stopping 70 pick
out the behring's or smelts that chance to
be among the smaller fish.
over here the boats have been cleared
Of fish. have been washed and the OIL
skin coats put away, together with other
evidences Of their last nights work, and
the men are either preparing or eating
their breakfast before going out for an
other catch.
They have no makeshift meals as a wo-
man might after long fast but cold
and hungry as they are. the soup or stew
must be well cooked before 1t is eaten.
Flat loaves Of italian bread lie about
the boats wherever they are handest.
They rest on the deck and lie among the
corks on the piled up nets. Bottles Of
wine are propped up against the gun
wales and baskets Of onions show the
fshermen's partially for this vegetable.
II home life can be said TO exist on
fisher boats. one Witnesses a species Of ii
here A man lounges at fun length upon
the deck Of his boat, making entries i'm
a notebook; another smokes n short pipe
and fondles the head Of a little fox ter
rler which a friend lowers to him.
In another boat they are washing their
nets, one man standing in the bow. an
other in the stern. and they dip them mr.
and down. swish. swish, until every scale
and bit Of seaweed is removed.
Up above them the wharf teens with
life, and the sound Of many voices and
tongues fiji the air for the vendors are
down and wagons from canneries and fish
markets are driven among the nondescrip'
crowd.
Little PictrO Tori stands by the raj
mendirg his fathers net as It is drying
In and out among the brown meshes goes
the long shuttle. full Of seine cord, anu
the breaks are made whole again.
These fishers boys are not bold like
those Of our own race, and the slender
hand trcmblcs a uttie when Pietro hears
himself addressed
Eyes, ] Ike mending nets" he replies
keeping his great brown eyes on his work.
Eyes, once in a while my father let's me
20 out with him; when I've done more
mending than usual or on my saints day.
Yes. l shall be fisherman, too, when I'm
larger-perhaps when 7 get so big that my
brother PaOiis rubber coat will fit me"
Four small boys, not Of The Latin race,
hid behind some fish boxes which have
been filled and are waiting TO be carried
TO the canncry The boys have two large
sacks. much taller than the youngest If
they we're stood upright, and into these
they drop the fish which they pull from
the boxes.
A great dun dog mas followed his master
to thetwharf and is jumping about play
fully He darts around the corner where
the young pilferers are hidden, and the
larger of the quartet, being just at the
edge, goes into the bay with a splash, his
hands full of tell-tale fish. The mild ex-
element pervading the crowd changes 10
wild alarm. One fisherman tips over his
bottle Of wine, and the red stream stains
his newly painted boat. Another just com
ing down to the ladder to his craft drops