Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-12-05
MOVABLE VILLAGES
ON THE
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER.


CO>OEti1tSiNA NISE En-.
Philadelphia Tgnses.
Moving villages that change their
location daily may seem impracti-
cable affairs. but there are such,
and mot far from Philadelphia at
that.
Where the Snsquehauna empties
it's waters into Chesapeake Bay,
there appears every Spring . little
group of villages which rise and
fall with the tide, maintaining enough
each season the same relative posi-
tons, Each OF these floating towns
has It's population of fifty or sixty
men, its lodging houses and eating
houses, its streets and its local gov
eminent. They are virtually tenn
porary municipalities, enduring for
the fishing season, and governing
themselves after thelaw and customs
Of the "Susquehanna Flats" as the
fishermen call their unique settle
ment. Each year they send back
into the country millions of herring,
shad and rock, and while these fish
are running the little raft-cities are
the busiest, most bustling communi-
ties in all industrial America.
Early in the spring, when the trees
are Weakening their vitality for the
coming fruit, the herring and shad
leave the salty ocean and seek the
fresh waters of the Susquehanna, in
which they spawn or breed. Before
the first school passes the Capes the
proprietor of the fish packing estab-
lishment has made ready for the sea-
sons work by getting his floating
towns in ship-shape, or perhaps it
would be more accurate to say, in
town-ship-shape. The float proper
is $50 feet long by go. built of two
layers of logs or pontoons. From
this an apron or inclined plane 40
feet wide is built out ON three sides,
forming an artificial shore for the
dragging up of the seine. As early
as the middle of March the doors are
unnailed and the buildings, some
eight or ten Ara psepared fUF III.
They form two rows facing upon the
narrow avenue which runs length
wise Of the float. Rooms for cook
ing. eating and sleeping, tool houses
and engine rooms make up the main
street Night Owls Avenue" the
men call it, in commemoration of the
late hours they keep in finishing up
a large haul.
When the seine is tarred and hung,
the engines in running order, and
the workmen. who make up a class
unique in its incongruity, have ar
rived from various quarters, the
miniature town, with smoke curling
from its chimneys, leaves its winter
mooring and is lowed down stream.
All the fishing is done on the shoal
or shallow side of the Flats, and
when the spot is reached, which
by right of occupancy belongs tothe
proprietor, four huge piles, each
weighing one ton, aud shod with
pointed iron. which pass perpendic-
ularly through wells or holes in the
raft, are unpinnedand dropped, their
weight, sinking them deep into the
bed of the river, and the float. LEFT
free at the wells to rise and fall with
the tide, is securely anchored. The
outer edge of the apron is loosed and
allowed to sink of its own weight, If
old and water-soaked. If new, it is
weighted with gravel until it rests
upon the bottom. A breakwafer, is
built some twenty-five feet from the
float on the upstream side, forming
a little harbor for the landing of the
tug which tows the scow loadsof fish
10 the packing hoases.
When all is ready for the first haul,
q heavy boat is manned by twenty
weather beaten men, ready tolay out
the seine, and the engines, one at
either end of the float, wait for
orders. The end of the heavy rope
which lies coiled upon the seine boat
is made fast to the steam capstan,
the tug catches the tow line from the
bow and theorder give way" puts
every oar in stroke. OF they CO.,
looking like huge spiders on a single
web, as the rail line pays out tower the
roller at the stern of the boat, and q
heavy load il is. The boat is fifty
eight feet in length, and the wet
seine, weighing from three to four
tons, fills half Of it. In the forward
section are the men facing the crew s
stroke, and the captain, who steers
from amidships. When nearly a
mile out the seine starts over the
roller, unfolding without hitch or
tangle from the uneven-looking mass.
Fastened to the seine, 100 yards
apart, are quarter posts, and as each
slides into the water the captain sig
mails to the lookout ON the deck of
the tug that he may know just how
zsany sections areoverboard. They
have headed home before the last