Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-07
ALONG The OCEANS FRINGE
Captains Outrageous Who Face Deep Sea
Pe1ls Mar the Shore.
HtRcE HeHTs oNstORM-TossEO WATERS
New Workers who Go Oct in Boats
Evsey Day a. Regularly A. other
Men Co Out in Cars-The
Fishing Fleet.

-SEW YORK, Jan. IA paragraph in /
municipal report the other day referring 10 1
the citizens OF New York who hsh for mar |
ket within its boundaries probably was the |
FIRST intimation that the majority Of the |
population had that such en- uncity-like
occupation was being folloWed in the me-
tropolis
Yet there are 80 many professional Ash
ertnen and baymen in New York that their
vote is an important consideration in sew
eral wardh and political divisions. and in
few districts they are in absolute control
lhey are urban Captains Courageous. A
large proportion Of their number rarely
hshes outside OF the city limits In the
sight of the skyscrapers and the thousands
Of steam-heated ofnces. they pass through
sea adventure daily. Their battles with
sea and wind are as hard and often as
deadly as the hghts Of their brother Usher
men on the Georges and Grand Banks.
When the gale whips over bay and riv-
ers and sound. and the ferryboats and tugs
drive along, sheeted with snow and ice, the
hsherDen OF New York ply with sail and
oar TO look after nets and eel pots Oyster
boats await cargoes and must be satisfied
The market is calling for clans and mus
se!E.
A blizzard may force these city workers
to hug their fires in houses and boat cab
tns temporarily. But It must be real
blizzard Mere wintry weather that makes
other city folk shiyer and huddle them
selves up does not affect the ''cap'ns' any
more than a spring zephyr would
Oyetering is the leading branch OF New
Norks fishing business. Whole oysterinE
villages form part OF the city and figure in
the directory like any other section.
Every day through the winter, with the
exception only Of days when the bays ape
hopelessly frozen over, the oystermen are
out as soon as the tide has well begun to
ebb.
Scattered along the Kill Won Kull, Staten
Island Sound and Arthur Kills are half
dozen primitive little settlements in the
borough Of Richmond. where almost the
entire population goes out as regularly to
tong for oysters as the dwellers in other
parts of New York go out to tong for
money.
On the shores OF jamaica bay are thriv-
ing towns made up almost entirely Of FISH
err1en. oystermen and olammers all citl-
Eens Of New York.
Fleets Of dredgers can be seen in the
upper bay any day from the skyscrapers
and from the ferry boats. Up and down
they move in squadron formation, each
under mainsail alone. dragging the iron
dredge astern.
Well inside Of the extreme seaward limit
of the city, men lie every day in anchored
sloops and schooners through thick and
thin Of weather, fishing for Goldfish, ling
hake and whiting with hand line and trawl.
Most Of them run for home every evening
and carry their catch in TO be shipped TO
the market by express But IL happens
often that a wintry storm overwhelms them
and drives them far out to sea or forces
them 10 lie at anchor. swept by icy water
for Yours. and sometimes days. before they
may dare show rag and beat Id at last.
Nets Everywhere.
The market ishermen's nets are set IN
the very middle OF the busiest harbor
trafle. They stretch from the rocks Of
Governors island into channels that bear
the biggest tonnage in the world. Their
stakes and hedges stand for miles in the
western part OF the upper harbor like
fences marking the boundaries Of watery
farms
Almost under Grants tomb are other
fishermen. From that point north they
eet nets in the winter for striped bass
Fishing huts. with their boats and gear
picturesquely draped with fish nets like
the cosy corners Of fats. are planted along
shore far as one may 20 northward
along the Hudson river.
In the whirling tides Of Hell Gate Is an.
other New York fishing ground where mer
work for market. On little rocks and
reefs barely visible above the wrinklet
water. stand unpainted shanties with great
reels and racks full Of tangled netting and
lines. Stuck away in the eoves and alonl
the pretty Dutch shores Of the borough o.
Queens are groups Of houses whose ownert
go out In boats as regularly as their neigh
bors 60 out in trolley cars.
Wild money marts are almost all that are
sought by these workers In the rivers anC
sound. swift and treacherous tides ant
ceaseless navigation by big vessels max,
trouble every minute of the day for tn,
men in small boats. II they anchor alonl
A the channel to tong and dredge for OYSTER
and clans they are in peril as constant Al
are the dory fishermen who lie in thi
steamer tracks on the Grand Banks
In the lower bay danger more manifold
surrounds them. Great as the harbor is
there are so many bars and shoals that il
gale there is poor sea room for sailinl
vessels. And those shoals OF New Yorl
harbor are notorious among the sailormel
Of all the world for their wiekedness. Il
one direction lie the shaggy old Rome
sands, with waters spoutng white owe
them even when men ashore look on tn
and admire its calmness. In othe
directions the east and west banks lie Il
wait each sending mp a reef like the up
turned end Of a scoop.
when a sudden February gale come
roaring Gown on the boats the chance
ere all against being able TO remain a
anchor ond ride nuf he ,rgna ur