The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-05
seven hundred barrels Of hsh in one


ouehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay
md its tributaries. Shad never get pc
yond Columbia, forty miles above the
Susouehanna's mouth. though there was
a time, the old fishermen say. wnen theS
were found farther UP. AT Havre pc
Grace the measurements are by the cargo
and carload. and by the hunoreo oai
reis, and the estimation OF each maui Is
h.. the thousand fish. or even by the
h,,nared barrels. TO the novice. the
statement that 700 barrels OF nsh "ere
e,ra wn In at como ohaoouoloooooorr
drawn in at one haul seems something
q mora than q fishing story. but the state
rnent is nevertheless true
MANY MEN EMPLOYED.
or course, such wholesale operations
necessitate the employment OF iafse
number OF men, and require the alo Q.
modern appliances and Inventions. ABOUT
the upper Chesapeake Bay terri1ory some ssnie
of the larger establishments make their
hauls with the aid of steam engines
while others employ the agency OF morse
power Then. there are the OILERS VINO
manage their nets by hand
The best place to study the bay hsher-
man. as a type is aboard the float thet
constitutes his home and mis- casue do
long as the season lasts. a hoal' W
he explicit is q floating deck on which
= Is
Of the business have been buiit' engine
houses. FISH houses kitchens. sleeping
rooms stables etc. These little floating
,.iIIares are of different proportions.
VARYING from Is to $50 feet an leneeh-
They differ in construction IN minor oe-
tails. but q description OF one VIII serve
70 give a general idea of the makeup Oh
a typical float
rhis float. as is nearly always the case,
10 held fast ON II
inch .spUfs or piles. that sink their snai
rened ends deep in the mud OF the iats
a,,he edge of the channel nshed by the
c.a3- At night the fisherman Is iuiieo
n s,eep by the tuneful creaklns ana
eroaninE Of the spuds or stouseis'
"a the bay men call them. when the I'm n,
bers rub against their 1astehinss VIZ"
,t,a ris,nr Of the swells that glide over
,te ,,ndulating surface of the bay THESE
t.I timbers are often surmounteds by ut
sIoS el,e,eton cedar trees driven deep INTO
.,,per holes. made for the purpose On
the. ,,nner side of the float the buildings
n-e nlaced close to the edge OF the Geek,
layinF little wharfage Toon-say, from
to 6 feet-while on the lower sac az
allowance of deckroom LOT .ahu.ns sl.e
big catches of herring and shad mas peen
-.ada Fer a distance of from 70 to gu
feet from each end the space is clear TO
Give room for handling the hundreds Oh
Yards of seine that must be drawn IN
and folded for the next cast. On the
lover side the deck is level Tor q as
tn.,ce Of probably 10 feet before the slope
begins that carries the sla1s 1ar oowii
,,nder the water. This s1oping area con-
rtitutes the apron built so that the
catch OF fish might slide up on to the
vain deck as the net is hauled IN
There are two rows of houses. Win a
marrow street between. rudeiy painteo
sign informs the stranger that ne looks
on Baltimore Street. a little further on
the visitor comes on va sh MaIlS, :.
sn,ce.'' .sThe Bowery. Rotten Row.
midway Plaisance.' and other Well
known metropolitan localities. Over the
culinary department Is 8. sign that reads:
.A.tor House, Artistic effects In sign
writing on either side of the deck inform
the hungry that quail on toast oxtaii
scan and other dishes designed to tempt
the epicure may be had within. away
down another avenue Is the sign that
roads: Or Street. Office Third Floor.
As the height OF the building is so fnsig-
nff1cant that tall man might look down
the chimney, the point of the joke is
patent.
HAPPY-Go-LUcKY FELLOWS.
The Susquehanna. fishermen are In the
main happy-go-lucky. careless set of
fellows. They are happier during the
run Of herring than during any other
time of the year. The years of most of
them are divided into four seasons. not
called spring. summer. autumn and Win
ter. however. Their first season is spent
at the fishing grounds. the second in the
Jersey strawberry or pea-felds. the third
IN the peach orchards of the Eastern
Shore and the fourth on board the oys-5
ter boats on the lower Chesapeake.
Hayre de Grace firms employ about 400
Of these transients. In addition to this
there are from 250 to 800 men who earn
their living by gilling. The OILERS all
live in or near Havre de Grace They
no in pairs or threes in their little boats,
fishing from 800 to 10000 fathoms to a
boat. Their nets as well as their meth
DDS differ from those OF the float fisher.
men The nets ara made Of fine Irish
fax, and are laid SO as to DRIFT with the
tide. The shad swim into them and are
caught behind the gills and held fast.
On board the floats the plan OF operation
is entirely different A boat from forty
to fifty feet long. rowed by twenty hearty
fishermen. starts from the upper or land
wing after haul to lay the net for an
other catch. At either end of the float
is an engine. with capstan from which
rs paid out or wound Up the 500 yards OF
one inch rope that hanls In the net when
tile word is given. The crew of the boat
rows bravelyj against the current to
fr0pcf Instance from Liz AiodS eAiA zNilSii
allows the net to pay out. circling mean
while around and below, so as to bring
the boat end Of the net to point where
the line from the lower engine may be
fastened on As the net is laid look
ontsman.. fastens his little boat to the
hack OF the net and then hoists red
flag. His duty Is to keep an eye on the
channel. so that passing vessels will not
interfere or be interfered with. He keeps
his position. doing duty as sentinel. till
the net Is fairly hauled on deck, and the
fish out of the water.
DRAWING THEM IN
Finally, as the enormous net. hemming
fn acres and acres Of tish-filed water.
swings around with the tide. both ems
eines are PUT to fun speed and the area:
marked out by the lines OF cork floats
begins 10 grow smaller. AS the wings
are drawn In ana the first cork Of the
I bosom OF the net appears. men clad Ia