The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-14
HAULING IN THE SHAD.
How the Biggest Net in the World Is
Handled.

Ever since the middle of February
the shad fishermen have been preparing
for the opening of the season on the
Delaware. While the river was full of
ice the veteran fisherman, Captain Rice,
had his men at work getting the i'm
mense net ready, caulking the boats and
repairing the houses in which the little
army of shad fishermen are sheltered
during the season. AS soon as the river
was sufficiently clear of ice the prelimi-
nary and all important work of cleaning
up the fiotsam and jetsam so as to leave
the fishing ground free for the net was
begun.
1t takes weeks of hard work to clear
up the debris of a winter. The Delaware
shad fishing grounds are the graveyard
of all the floating wreckage, old junk
and miscellaneous rubbish that finds it's
way down the river, and the shad fish
ermen have a CHASTITY time of it during
the cleaning up period. Every foot OF
the river has to be gone over. The pro-
cess of cleaning up brings to the surface
broken benches from some the river
side parks, sofas without legs and legs
without sofas, chairs without backs and
backs without chairs, dilapidated tables
packing boxes innumerable, empty bot
ties by the thousand planks studded
with jagged nails remnants OF baskets,
odds and ends of sodden wearing ap-
parel and sometimes an unrecognizable
body that has lain at the bottom of the
river all the winter hiding the story of
murder or suicide.
When the river is cleared of the rub
biSh so that the big net can be cast
without fear of it being ripped to pieces
during the process of hauling in. the
Shad fishermen are ready to begin
work The sight is so picturesque that
hundreds go down to Gloucester to see
the net cast. to the great qualification
of the proprietor of a picnic ground,
who would probably be. seeking his
fortune elsewhere but for the attraction
of the shad fishing. Capt. Rice, the vet
eran shad fisherman. employs the
services of seventy-five men, and these
are assisted by no less than eight horses
during the hauling of the nets. Two
casts are made daily. It takes so long
to cast the net and draw it in that it is
impossible to make more than two casts
dav.
The huge net. the biggest in the world,
is two miles long. That is to say, the
net itself is a mile and the ropes that
support it are another mile in length
half mile on either side of the net proper,
so that the operations of the fishermen
cover a distance of not less than two
miles every time the net is cast. In the
middle the net is thirty feet deep,
tapering to ten feet at other parts.
After the net has been properly
cast, it requires the united exertion of
the men and the eight horses for one
perspiring hour before the haul is
brought near shore. 1t is the hauling in
that presents the most interesting sight
The casting is done too far from the
banks for the spectators to see much
of it. A huge boat with a double row
of oarsmen is the craft used to take the
net out for the casting. Great care has
to be exercised in loading the great net
on the boat, for if the strands are en-
tangled the cast will be failure.
When the experienced men have load
ed the net on the boat, the captain of
the casters directs the oarsmen where
to row for the attempt, and having
selected his ground he throws the end
of the net overheard and pays it out
as the men row away. When every foot
is thrown from the boat, the signal is
given to the haulers and the work of
dragging in the net is begun.
The haulers stand thigh deep, some
times waist deep in the water of the
Delaware In the center of the tWolines
stands Capt. Rice directing the men.
Inch by inch foot by foot, with the aid
of the horses, the men haul in the net.
Capt. Rice encourages them with a
monotonous sing song that runs some
thing like this:
"a little stronger pull on the left.
Now, all together. Here she comes.
Bring her in boys. ALL together,
now, boys" and so on.
After an almost interminable amount
of pulling at an apparently endless
on the surface of the water. By and
! by the men get hold of the rope that
holds the net and then the Delaware
begins to look like a river ruffled by a