Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-05-17
SOFT SHELL CRABS.


(The following is from the FTshtnq
Gascfte. Crisfield and the Tangier region
are the largest crab sections on the At
lantic coast This side Of the Bay, how
ever, las also large industry In soft
crabs.)
The soft crab season that opens
with the month of May is interesting
from many points of view, from the
points of view of those who eat
them, those who fish for them as a
matter Of business, those who hunt
them for sport, those who raise them
and the naturalists who watch them.
1t is to Crisfeld, Md, that the
country at large is indebted more
than to any other place for not only
crabs but knowledge about crabs. 1t is
only about 25 years ago that James
Kyle, James Landon and few other
citizens of that place originated the
system of impounding crabs and
caring for them until after they shed
and then shipping them to market.
At first the idea was ridiculed, but
now it has become worth more than
half a million dollars per year to
Crisield and vicinity, the catch
averaging 100000 crabs. The
growth of the industry there has
been phenomenal, and now crabs are
shipped alive all over the country.
Of course, it is perilous to ship them
long distances, and it is said that so
per cent. die on the way to the Paci-
fic Coast, while great many die on
the dealers hands even in the nearest
cities. 1t is said that if severe
thunderstorm happens while they are
en-route, they all die. They have to
be carried by express, and they are
carefully packed on edge in wet sea-
weed in cratea containing 90 dozen
crabs each, kept with ice in hot
weather. but at the longest they will
not live more than five days.
The FIRST two or three dozen soft
shell crabs received In New York at
the beginning of a season sell to
wealthy epicures at about So 90 per
dozen, but the average price through
out the season is about 75 cents per
dozen, and when there is surplus
they are sometimes as low az 25 or
80 cents. The FIRST crabs of the
season reach here from North Caro-
lima. About mid-season the supply
from New Jersey and Long Island
willamount to 1,500 or 1000 dozen
per day, but toward the end of the
season, in September, they cnly come
from Massachusetts and easterly
points.
Although Crisfeld, Nd, has a
normal population of only about
$500, about 1900 men are employed
there in the crab season, and the
place ships more soft shell crabs thar
all the other shipping points on the
entire Atlantic Coast, the normal
daily shipments being about three
carloads, but in the height OF the
season one firm alone sends oul
thousands of dozens per day. More
than q Thousand boats are used there
and the>crew, consisting usually of 9
man and boy, begin work shortly
after midnight, sometimes travelling
10 or 10 miles to reach the grounds
The men are paid from 1 to 4 cents
each for their crabs, and sometimes
a man is able to earn as much al
$40 per week.
The crabs move most lively before
sunrise, and when the tide is rising
at the same time they are particular.
frisky and voracious. The ordinary
fishermen of the Chesapeake catch
the crabs in scrapes, similar some.
what to the oyster dredge, but with
the difference that the iron bar next
the bottom is without teeth, and the
bag is all twine netting. The en-
terprising crabbers, however, Of
Cris6eld and Deals Island, which
latter place is riYal in the industry,