The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-11

-aiiing or steam smaaks In the early
ays Of the fishery rmtcks from New
England ssaports began collecting the lob
.tef catch from the httic viliaEcF and lob
ster camps along the main coast Former
IS they sometimes carried pots and caught
their own holsters but this has been dis
continued. ana nowadays the smack mon
cnly buy Of the regular fishermen These
smacks make REGULAR trips up and down
the coast landing their cargo either az
Roekland Portland or az one Of the lob
stes pounds scattered aiong the coast.
HOLSTERS are bought 81 Tho fishermen by
count and cash D. paid for them. They
are generally sold, however. by the pound
go the wholesale dealers.
10 order 60 prevent the market being
flooded when the catch was plentiful lon
tter pounds were devised where the sur
plus catch could be kept alive until such
time as ihe market needed them. The frs
one Of these pounds was made in 1873 near
Ninnl Haven. on one % the Fox Islands.
4 section ~ about nine acres ia nve-
hundred acre cove with an average depth
n about ninety feet was selected. and a
wire fence Was built around u 10 prevent
the HOLSTERS from escaping The expert
meut was 50 successful that iu 1898 eight
more pounds had been built along the
Maine coast
The business 81 canning lobster no long
er exists In Maine. n began in iss0 az
Passport. and for many years consumed
large part % the annual catch. A. tho
time the facilities for getting the lobster
10 market alive were bad. and this Dstur-
any led 60 their use IN the factories. So
great was the consumption Of Holsters by
the factories that the supply was badly
depleted ard sentiment grew up in the
state against permitting tho factories 90
run Laws were enacted permitting their
operation for only few months IN tho
year. and prohibiting the canning 81 any
lobster less than nine inches In length.
Frcm time 20 time these laws were chaug-
Cd always becoming more stringent. until
in isga law WAS passed forhdding the
use 0f any bstcr less than ten and one
half inches long A. the eanneries could
not afford 10 pay the high price demand
81 for this size they were compelled 10
give up tie business.
The result Of this has been that special
efforts have been made 10 devise methods
Of packing the holsters in order that they
might be shipped 20 distant points alive
They arc usually shipped now in barrels
About one-third ~ hundred pound cake
~ ice Is put into the barrel lenGthwise.
The live Holsters are then packed all a.
round a. When the barrel is nearly full
the Holsters are covered with a little sea-
weed and the rest Of The space is filled
with cracked ice. The top it then cover
ea with a piece Or king which Is 80
cured under the upper hoop Of the bar
rel Packed IN this way Holsters have
costly survived a trip as Tar west a. ~.
Louis When Holsters are sent 20 Europe
they are placed IN a large tank fun %
s.a water on board. ard n the water iH
kept fresh the HOLSTERS make tho Journey
very we'll
Lobster fishermen. like an fishermen.
have most remarkable funds OF stories
about wonderful catches which they have
made Stories 81 the capture 81 Holsters
weighing - and 20 end even - pounds
have been common. bu' they have rarely
been well authenticated lobster u IN
ches long weighs pounds y inches long.
- pounds. and IS inches long. 49,. pounds
4 ls-lnch lonstar q 4 very goad-sized
specimen. Notwithstanding this there are
some pretty well authenticated yarns a.
bout the capture Of holsters Of very much
greater weight.
John y. cobb. agent ~ tho United
states Fish Commission. IN a pamphlet
on the subject of HOLSTERS gives number
Of cases which he considers authentic. In
1901 John Condor caught male lobster
IN Penobsc3t BAY weighing over p pounds.
The lobster bad tried 90 back into the
trap but after getting his tail through tho
funnel he was unable 10 gei either IN or
out. Peter Mitchell while fishing In 90
fatboms Of water. two miles on Matinicus
Rock Light station Ia September. 1888.
caught male lobster weighing - pouuds
ana measuring Is inches from the end OF
the nose to the tp ~ The tail. and q
inches including the claws Ia August.
pos SIR Cobb raw male lobster az
peak Island which measured ~ inches IN
Tenth aud weighed IS pounds, according
Ha4a
vas carrying II from town 20 town In q