The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
NEWFOUNDLAND'S FISHERS.
FEATURES OF LIE ON THE SHORES
or THE ISLAND.
The Uncertain Calling of Those who Got
Their Living from the sea-wrecks from
tho Viewpoint of tho Thrifty Native,


Their Living from the sea-wrecks from
the Viewpoint OF tho Thrifty Native.
From he Toronto Giob'.
BAY OF ISLANDS. Newfoundland. Nov g.
The life Of the average fisherman Is not mora
toilsome perhaps, than that Of the other laboring
millions Of the world, but II is certainly more un.
certain and pcrlous. His life has been described
as four months hard work and eight months'
play This think, is an cxaggcration of tho
playtime. and II We say that half the year he il
fishing. and the other half taking spell" a.
he calls IL, we shall be nearer the mark
During the season the industrious coast fisher
man is afoat In his boat almost before IL Is day
light and sails or rows According az the wind il
TO his fishing ground Unless the cod are UNI
commonly plentiful. the shore sees him no more
until nightfall On his small craft he possesses
the means Of making a FIRE, and there he cooks
himself one OF the fish he has caught brews Q
cup of tea, and eats his doughboy. His consump-
ton Of tea In enormous, and that, with the leaden
qualities Of the doughboy, which liz nothing but
a rouni lump Of cooked dough. no doubt tends
TO produce the dyspepsia which Is common
among the population Even during tho sea-
son there arc great many days when gales pro-
vent him from going to sea. IL Is fortunate II
these are fair days for then he can busy himself
helping the women 10 make" the fish. II wet
sit around In ign bic inaction
His fare is Of the simplest kind have more
than once seen the preparation Of the evening
meal Of man who had been away since dawn,
an d who might be expected to have a rare apo
tite against his return The good wife half filed
small pan with -four. among which she poured
sufficient molasses to kncad II into dough- After
rolling this into two cakes she placed ono on a
plate and sirewed a little Of the preserves Of the
wild raspberry on II. The other hammock
was placed on top. and, after a iudicious firing
In the oven. behold, a pie And. oh. such piei
Guitcss Of yeast or rising Of any sort 1t was
truly unlcavcncd bread. had the opportunity
Of INDUCING in this satisfying fare subsequently,
and MY respect for the Newfoundland man ross
as considered how many generations he has
endured this and yet RETAINED from homicide.
This. however. was but a concc,ion the solid
food consisted Of generous share Of turnips
and potatoes mash up together. Pots and pots
OF tea, swcctcncd with mOlaSSes and milkless,
II cannot be said that the Newfoundland fisher
man keeps himself poor with riotous living.
When he Is in situation TO earn wages and
board himself his expenditures on bousel eepinr.
ore Of the most psrsimnniOus description. ON
belle Island the wage is 10 cents an hour and as
N the long summer days the hours nrc many.
the earning OF the men are considered handsome.
Their families are not ON the island and the work.
men erect little novels in the ncighboring woods
where as many Of them sle,p as can bc packed
under its roof The great concern liz 10 send as
ones possible, that there may be full larder
or what they consider fun lardcr, all winter
when the work closes down. For this purpose
these poor fellows live on about 81 q month. In.
decd 81 is considered the maximum There il
no baker on the island. and they have. according
women TO bake bread for them. the harg. for
this service being 10 cents stone. On week
Of HEM but on SUNDAY il is usual 10 have sI fsn
namely. pork and cabbage his is con i'd.
cred ban9uc, that even on American millionaire
-, Fishing is nutorously an uncertain calling.
The motions Of fish are past all understanding,
shores and those Of abtador in their countless
shoals he next season certain bays or even
ring are especially dckIe and there are plann,
that were once good herring grounds that have
scarcely cen herring for many years All
some Of them ridiculous enough But the fac2
remains. and when II fish fail to turn up in num-
From very, early period the Government has
granted relief in such cases II il far easier 10
has now become regular affair. The efeos
Of such dolcs may readily be imagined. Tho
accept T the f and The
APo,eT pEas Of %"wioandand Ii fs that that should
to the wrecks which the hois,crous seas cast upon
the shore. Newfoundland fishermen as a body
matter in the past They used to Ne rrpr~sented.
especially in American Sensational paprrs AZ =
parcel oi gh3uls lighting false fires on the rocks
luring vessels 10 their doom. need not go so far
AS TO say that such crime was unknown As
thrre are train wrcckors in other lands IL may Ia
there arc equally abandoned wr.tches in This
capable oi leading vessel 10 destruction. Bui
me point is that no positive proof Of such pSac-
tces has been furnished. 1t IL easy for a cap.ain
TO excuse his own faulty seamanship by stories
about misleading lights, II is a fact, neyerthe-
less, That when vessels have gone ashore thew
have been unm"rcifuy looted. Indeed. so COM
mon was this crime that European maritime coun-
tries brought III" matter under the attention Of the
Imperial Cove rnmcnt some years ago. The atl-
torties oil Newfoundland put forth strenuous
efforts To put N" practice down. Judge Prowsc, q
man 81 great resources immense energy. know-
edge OF character and skill in detecting crime was
commissioned To invoke the rCors of the law for
the repression Of the offence. lie went vigorously
TO WORK, ana by stern measures made i al leas,
very unsat" 10 indulge in wrcCknC. The preyn-
lence Of the custom was undoubtedly checked
and the matter set in it's true light as a seriouS
breach Of Ill" laws
TO tits related for example. that in the division
OF the spo IN one instance two men claimed n
piano Neither would abandon his right and u
was finally resolved Ia saw the instrument in two,
As all the pianos ot which have any knowledge
have backbone of metal, am inclined 10 doubt
ms picturesque yarn. Judge Prowse. however,
Is my authority for the statement that the fisher
bach as legtimat" sources Of emolument. Every
marriage IN one settlement few winters ago was
celebrated in champaign. that hcing mart OF tho
cargo OF an cmhaycd steamer One old lady, who
Whmrringly, tha, she did not know what tho
drrclict vessel meant by coming IN on the rocks
TO tempt the poor mrn," Another notorious
wreckrr seriously rrmaIk rd when a steamer came
O cruel stroke Of Providence To follow up a had
hshing SEASON with a norwegian tramp loaded