The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-10-02
HAULING IN THE SEINE.

the hands of Washington business men,
says the Washington Post, together
with complete fishing apparatus suff-
cient to 60 long way toward supply
ing the Washington markets with all
kinds of fish. The 'sshore' is located
short distance from Whitewater, Va,
while the stretch of water fished each
spring includes the area now occupied
by Prof Langley and his airship ex-
pedition.
Some idea of the immensity of the
size of this lower Potomac industry
may be gained when the statement is
made that the seine used to take the
shad and herring, the principal fish
caught, is five miles in length.
For long period of years the fish
ing business at Whitewater was carried
on at Clifton, the name of an estate, by
the late Col. Withers Waller, and after
his death and until last season by first
his widow and then his family of daugh-
ters. The Misses Waller, during the
time they controlled the shore and
managed the enormous industry, con-
Quoted the affairs of the great fishing
plant with such skill, judgment, and
economy as would have reflected credit
on trained business men.
For several years the young women
carried on the business bequeathed
them by their parents at a profit, and
that big one. Last season, however,
they determined to lease the shore.
The difficulties, care of feeding a hun
dred hands and horses, and all the
worries incident to big business be-
came too much for them. A firm of
Washington dealers took the shore
and will manage it for term of years.
The fishing industry as carried on
on the lower Potomac during the brief
and busy season of the spring is one of
the most stupendous things of the kind
in the country. The seine used to take
the fish is five miles long, and, rolled
up ready to be trailed at the stern of a
fish-boat, makes a bundle of net-cord
of tremendous proportions. Prepara-
tions are now going on at Whitewater
for the opening of the season.
The principal fishing boat is about
100 feet in length, and capable of hold
ing 10000 herring. Its big concern.
To row it twenty -four men are required
at the long sweeps. The vessel shoots
through the water at rate of speed
that would forge it past tugboat.
Twenty-four brawny negroes can get
lot of power into as many oars. On
the stern of the fish-boat the long miles
of stout nets are coiled, and the seine
drops into the water as the passage
around the circuit is made.
The seine is cast in circular shape
One end is fastened near the beach.
The seine is then carried out by the
boats, the other end finally being land
ed close to the beach, at a point some
distance away. Then comes the inter.
esting part of the great work.
THIS is what is known as "hauling
the seine." The five miles of net can
not be landed by mere men. Half
dozen horses are pressed into service
to provide the power. The ends of the
seine are fastened to an immense wind
lass planted firmly on the beach. The
horaes are hitched and away they pull.
a. !asL as u horse gets to the end of
his rope the single tree is unfastened,
and is then attached at point closer
to the windlass. Thus the endless
chain is kept up. All the time the
great seine is slowly coming in.
1t brings burden of flashing, wrig-
Cling, lashing fish, great enough to feed
an army. One hundred thousand at
catch is about the average. The seine
is being run to feed city-in fact, to
feed several-for Baltimore and Phila-
delphia draw from the Whitewater fish,
ing shore for their supplies of fish,
which go to feed the great Catholic
communities of the adjacent Eas: on
Fridays, both in and out of season.
The sight of these thousands Of fish
hauled into shore, inclosed in net five
times as long as the distance between
the Peace Monument and the Treasury
Department, must be seen to be appre-
ciated. There is nothing else like it.
As the fish reach the beach an army
of men, clad in long hip rubber boots,
or only half clothed, take them to the
fish houses. Here they are salted
away, to be ready for the winters trade.
Thousands of the fish are shipped in a
fresh state by boat and train to Wash
ington and other Eastern markets.
UNo ono ovor koopo ooolx ont j.,