Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-09
OVER HALF WAYTO
EUROPE BY RAIL
At st. Johns, Newfoundland, OF
tumwa Products are to be
Found in the Market.
A TREATY IS IMPORTANT THING
Needed to Secure Better Trade ReIa-
tions-A. w. Lee Says He Has Seen
Enough Fish in Newfoundland to
Last for Many Months.

Last for Many Months.
Special Correspondence, Letter No. 3.
Placentia, Newfoundland August ~
II left ST. Johns yesterday at 1OI
o'clock on the beautiful coastal steam
er Glencoe of the Reid-Newfound-
land Co., for trip along the coast to-
Placentia. This trip of 200 miles re-
quifes twenty-five hours, as the boat
stops at numerous ports on the way
1t is trip never to be forgotten, and
my only regret is that could not take
the entire sail which this splendid ship
makes along the whole southern coast
of Newfoundland from Cape Race to-
Port-Aux-Basques.
Before leaving beautiful st. Johns,
and sailing out of it's magnificent har-
Dor through the narrows into the AT
lantic ocean there are some observa-
tions which | think may be of interest
to Courier readers. st. Johns is the
only city of Importance on the Island,
it has about 10000 inhabitants, is an
important trading point, and is head
quarters for the fishing business OF
: Southern and Eastern Newfoundland.
1t is also the starting point for seal
Ing and whaling voyages. 1t is sthe
capital of the province and is the
home of wealth, culture and refine
ment. 1t has splendid churches and
the best of schools in Newfoundland.
Its stores carry large and attractive
stocks of goods, most of which are i'm
ported from England, though the
United States has a good trade here
and as an Iowan | was proud to notice
that lows Pride, ham and bacon,
packed by John Morrell & Co., Limited,
Z of Ottumwa were prominently in evil
dence in the provision markets. A
natter of. great Importance at this
time is a reciprocity treaty between
the United States and Newfoundland.
This Is needed to secure a larger mar
llet for American manufactures and
food products and to secure bait for
the American fisheries. Without bait
the fisheries cannot be carried on.
Newfoundland practically controls the
supply of bait Already the New
foundland government has forbidden
the sale of bait to French fishermen.
Americans must pay 20 cents per hun
dred for their bait which is heavy
tax. Canadian and Newfoundland fish
ermen are permitted to catch their bait
free. The bait used in the cod fish
cries is principally squid, small fish
about six inches long, which are
caught by "gigging,' that is by twirl-
ing or pulling hooks rapidly through
the water and empaling the little fish
on the same.
The Cod Fisheries.
Cod fish is to Newfoundland what
corn and hogs are to Iowa and Illinois.
The fisheries of Newfoundland consti-
tute the staple industry OF the coun-
try The gathering of the great sea
harvest has been and will long con-
tinue to be the main employment of
the people A surprising thing to the
stranger is to find that the bulk oil the
catch is still made by the individual
fisherman who during the fishing sea-
son is out on the water early and late
in his little sail boat fishing with hook
and line The inshore fishing is near
ly all done in this way. On the great
banks, which are simply shoals in the
ocean some fifty miles from the main
land and extending in length several
hundred miles, and at some other
points traps and nets are used, but ey-
en- then much of the fishing is done
by hook and line. The process OF
cure is an exceedingly simple one. The
men and boys do the fishing. The
WON n and girls cure the fish. The
latter process requires constant care
and watchfulness. When first brought
In the fish are cleaned and the heads
cut off; they are then salted and kept
In piles or in pickle tubs for a few
days. Then they are washed and
carefully spread out to dry in the sun
For this purpose rude stages are erect
ed, covered with poles and boughs OF
trees. After the drying process com
mences the greatest care is required;
the fish must not get wet, and should
n rain come up they must be piled uI
and placed under cover. This is done
also every night, SO that before fish
is ready for market it has peen han
died hundreds of times by the womer
care takers. In six or eight weeks the
rs fish is ready for market and is ther
disposed of to the dealer, who asserts
la-em into specified grades and ships
them to the various markets. They
tell me that the United States gets the
hest cod fish and the poorest goes tt
the West Inaies. | have seen mile.
and miles of cod fish in the past few
days and have had enough of the fisl
smell to last ME for a year at least
hne fishermen of average family cal
earn from 5000 to $500 per season O
four or Ave months, when the catch il
fairly good. 1t Is hard life whicl
p,oe5 nm from generation tn genera tio,