The Republican journal., 1899-10-12
The Mackerel King.
Capt. Sol Jacobs at home from the Iri
Coast.

SdpCs sol Jacobs at nome from tne IRISH
Coast.
Capt Solomon Jacobs, who is known
from Maine to Oregon and from Halifax
to Hudson bay as the king of the macker-
Ell fisheries, has arrived home from Liver
pool, Eng via New ork, and to Bost on
Globe correspondent gave an interesting
story of his experience on the Irish coast,
where he had been cruising since the first
of August.
Early in the season the prospects on the
New England shore were unfavorable tor
a good catch of mackerel, SO Capt. Jacobs
sailed on July 21st in the schooner Ethel
B. Jacobs for the Irish coast, something
that had never been attempted before by
ap American fisherman.
After record breaking passage of IA
days he arrived off Skelligs. From there
he went to Bear Haven, and thence to
Castletown, but before going into an Irish
port he had look for fish and only
caught five barrels of large mackerel.
At the time of his arrival the spring
and early summer fishing was over, SO he
had to wait until the autumn fishing be-
gan. For five weeks he did nothing, bnt
on working up the west coast of Ireland
fish We're struck and in week 333 bar
rels were captured. Then on receiving
word that his wife was sick, he immedi-
ately sailed for Liverpool, landed and
shipped his fish by steamer to Boston,
| while mate Cluett was put in charge to
further prosecute the voyage, and he him
self sailed for home.
Capt Jacobs says that the fall school of
mackerel has uSt commenced to run and
that they came from the northwest coast,
for on his way home he saw some large
schools around the south coast and in ST.
Georges channel.
The arrival of the Jacobs off the Irish
coast was a great surprise to the local
fishermen and for some time they could
not understand what such clipper-look-
ing craft, resembling yacht more than
fisherman, could be doing in those waters
But when they learned she was from Mas
sachusetts, where many of their country
men had found a home, they received him
with open arms and did everything to
make his sojourn pleasant and his voyage
prosperous.
When the officials learned of his mission
revenue officer boarded his vessel and
informed him that fishing within three
miles from the shore was prohibited to
foreigners but the officials used the ut
most courtesy in making these regulations
known.
| The report that the Irish fishermen
showed hostility to the newcomers was
emphatically denied by Capt. Jacobs, but
| he learned that some of the merchant
buyers, fearing that Americans might
seriously interfere with the business of
which they have monopoly, held a meet
ing and petitioned the government to
send war vessels to the scene in order to
prevent fish being taken inside of the
three mile limit.
The fishermen themselves, on the con-
trary, manifested an entirely different
spirit, evincing the greatest friendship
and even pointing out the best fishing
grounds with the remark that there was
enough for all
The hardy and intrepid natives We're
! particularly courteous in this matter In
their method of fishing with gill nets
Capt. Jacobs says they are far in advance
of our fishermen who resort to the same
means. Their nets would reach from one
to three miles and have an apparatus
operated by steam to haul them in, ma
terially lessening labor They also work
in extremely rough weather, their boats
being so rugged that they can lower the
mast when occasion requires it.
The water off that coast is from loo to
200 fathoms deep and the great body of
fish school close inshore, while only a few
mackere were seen outside. The mack
erel are of the same species and size now
being caught by New England fishermen.
Capt Jacobs says he would have had
no difficulty in disposing Of his fish at
Liverpool, where he was offered SIS. sc
per barrel While at Liverpool he ran
across an old friend of 81 years ago, when
he was on deep sea voyages.
When asked if his undertaking would
be a success he said that, taking last year S
conditions into consideration it would be,
but had lie been home he thinks he could
have stocked 80, 600, where he now has
only 5000 from his Irish venture.
Capt. Jacobs may return and stay the
winter, as mackerel are reported to school
during all that season in the English
channel, aud at times, when sold fresh,
bring from SO to S15 hundred weight.
Barrels and salt are 30 be bad at reason
BILE figures, tile former at eight cents
apiece, against 81. % he. at present, the
latter at 50 cents hogshean
When asked if he would advise others
to engage in this fishery he was noncom-
INITIAL saying that the weather. is extreme
ly rough and conditions different from
what prevail on this coast. With good
crew of IS men now on the Jocobs he
expects that during the next six weeks
she will make good stock.
MY bill for linens and flannels is reduced