Evening journal., 1903-04-29
Delaware City Fisher
men in Midst OF VTheir
Busy SeasOn-River
Network of Seines
One Day One Hundred
and Twenty Thousand
Fish Were Taken From
the Canal

stam Correspondent Evening Journal.
Delaware City April 29.-That the
fishing industry in Delaware City re-
sombles the fruit crop in Southern
Delaware, there Is no doubt. When It is
successful the people have plenty. When
It fails they are some time in recover
ing from it. There is no danger of
the people of the little village along tns
Delaware suffering this year, as the
fish are coming In there by the thou
sands, and are being caught by the
men engaged In the business in larger
quantities than ever before in the his
tory of the place.
From early morning until late at
night the men are busy gathering in the
sleek herring and finny shad. and in
deed, in some instances, all night. They
believe in making money while the fish
nun.
Steadily Growing Industry.
The industry has been growing with
each year. but newer before in the his
tory OF the little riverside hamlet have
so many men and boats been engaged
as this season. and indications point
} that the season will be more profitable
3 than ever before.
Herring are the principal fish now
being taken, and every day thousands
Of them are brought over the docks.
Shad are caught, too but the cool
weather has had tendency 20 keep
= them in deeper water. but the warm
p sunshine will soon bring them up the
river, and the fishermen's pockets Will
Il H. he. .Ifr, f.I
T. profitable than herring, and when they
r. made their appearance most Of tho
n fishermen will go for them alone, but
!: in themeantime the herring are receiv-
ing their undivided attention.
l. Thousands Caught Daily.
5 Some idea can be formed OF the ini-
B mensity OF the business when It is
: learned that in one haul $4,000 herring
J.. were caught, and the largest day
n catch OF the year amounted TO 1913 900
in the Delaware and Chesapeake ca
nal. These fish are caught with a net
as wide as the canal. IL Is placed at
the mouth and dragged upward TO the
lock, a distance of about 500 yards
The net is then drawn closer around
the fish, which in their frantic efforts
to escape glisten in the sunlight like
q silver The net Is finally brought
u alongside Of a scow. and the whole is
r drawn over TO a wharf short distance
S away. The fish are then scoOped from
h the net with smaller nets and placed in
a the scow.
L. Ihrge crowds watch the fishermen
% daily. They are busy Dot, however.
It AS soon as tho fish are out Of the not
IL is carried to the mouth of the canal
again and the performance Is re-
peated.
Big Packing Establishment.
These fish are hauled to the estab-
n lishment Of the Saddler Packing Com
Y pany, where they are sorted, cut and
II placed in brine. After being in the salt
for about six days they are taken out
and placed in kegs and shipped. About
/ 600 OF the cut or melt fish can be got
ten in a keg and $50 roe. The smaller
fish are thrown to one side, where they
dry and are sent away for smoking pur-
poses.
The packing industry is In its In
m fancy last year being the first time II
lg was over tried. Tho business has
s. grown with remarkable rapidity, until
"a now several hundred barwels OF fish
are packed daily. II is the only estao-
lishment of its kind in this section, aud
- fish are brought there from as far as
IA Port Penn in big wagons.
ts Peculiar Method Of Scaling.
In The scaling Of the fish is done In q
rs peculiar manner, as they are thrown
into the scow from the water sand l.
nd sprinlSled over them "a man stands a
ef one end of the boat, and every time
ly netful OF fish are thrown in. ne sea,
'e- tsrs the sand over them The jump
p ing of the fish against one another Il
IS their mad effort to escape peel ta'
&c scales of as cleanly as though they ha'
'st all been gone over with a knife.
" The firm expacts to pack about l,5oc,
600 fish this season. About forty me-
are employed at the packing house, ar
much money is put into circulation b.
: the firm. Next season they expect L
enlarge their facilities, and many mor
" fish will be packed.
The individual fishermen sell thei
catches either TO hucksters. who. Il
SOME instances, come from as far q
ON Chester County. Pa. or representative
ur- of commission houses from the large
put cities. who ship them to their firms.
m River . Network Of Seines.
md The fish are caught by these fisher
men principally in seines, which fori
Ilo a network on the river almost as Ia
'cK as the eve can reach. The seines ar
MA Utmost constantly full, and as soon o
md II ro,.oI, taking them Ctl