The Republican journal., 1905-11-09
THE GRAND BANKERS.

The arrival of the fishing schooner
Nj. b. StetSOn, the first of the Grand
Bankers to return this season, brought
to the minds of many of the older sea
faring men the industry which was
once one of the most important ones of
BuckspOrt, says correspondent of the
Daily News: Enoch Barnard was the
ii rst one to engage in the business and
had deet of thirty vessels, all being
mostly small ones their gross tonnage
beng from 70 to 10 tons. Cyreuus
Brown next went into the business,
owning two vessels Of ~ and 60 tons.
He was followed by Angus Nicholson.
who owned two, one of TO tons. and one
of 50 tons. f. B. Gardner. who owned
TWO vessels, one OF ~ tons. and one of
50 tons; Ambrose White. who owned
two one of 80 tons and the other of 10
tons: Donald Nicholson. owning one
vessel of 1l5 tons: Capt. I NJ. N3chol-
son; then Delano Brothers. who owned
two one of 70 tons and one nt 50 tons:
Capt. Mark Grey, owning one of s.
tons; and WardWeil II CusGjng. who
owned one of 100 tons.
Capt. T. NJ. Nicholson is the only one
now actively engaged in the business.
The first of his fleet to leave this sea
son. although not the first to return.
was the schooner 7. NJ Nicholson. tie
best vessel of the fleet. She is only five
years Old. carries a crew Of some TWEEN
ty men, Is dories and has capacity of
5000 quintals Of fish. She sailed June
10th, in the command or Capt. Lester
GiIley, noted young captain Of only -
years.
The NJ. b. StetsOn was the next to
sail. leaving July Stl i'll charge of Capt.
Murdoch Mclnnis. She carries a crew
of some twenty men. and Il dOrieS. This
vessel came into port Saturday morn
ing with her flag at half-mast, for Alex.
Mcdonald Of st. Peters, Cape Breton,
a member of the crew, who died while
at the Banks fishing. The vessel had
very nearly full fare, having about
1000 Quintals. Capt. McInnis and men
were warmly welcomed back again by
their large number of friends.
The Elizabeth n, III charge OF Capt.
Fred Dorr, was the next to sail, leaving
July 18th. She carries about twenty do
ries and has capacity of J, 900 qulnta!s
of fish.
These three schooners are all about
100 tons gross tonnage. Three of the
fishing fleet which in former years had
been engaged in the business have taken
out coaSting licenses, and are now en-
gagged in the coastwise trade. They are
the Willie Swift, Capt. Frank Lowell;
the William Matherson. Capt. Freeman
Hutchings, and the 4. Y. 5. Woodruff,
Capt. John DevereuX. which cleared on
Thursday in ballast from Porto Rico
for Savannah, Ga, chartered to load
machinery for the West Indies.
The changes have been many which
i.,, tnl ,tlaaa fbA Time hon
Enoch Barnard sent out his pioneer
1leet OF thirty vessels. These first yes
sells carried a crew of eight men, the
fishing being done entirely from the
side of the vessels. but time changed
this. and trawling was then tried. there
being two men to each dory. The fish
ing is done at the present time by hand
lines from dories there being but one
man to a dory.
Full fares and short trips were the
order of things in the early days. me
vessels are loaded much more deeply
now than in former days, anG the out
fit now is much more expensive than
formerly. for less was required to be
carried. as they depended upon catch
ing much of their bait Oh the fishing
grounds, whereas now, the vessels
carry from 100 to $50 barrels of salt
clans. and 400 hogsheads of salt. Now
adays the vessels as they sail away
down the NarroWs are loaded as deeply
as they are If they return with full
fare. There were $50 men employed on
the vessels that sailed from here at one
time, many also being employed on the
vessels sailing from Oriand, there being
about II vessels sailing at one time
from that place.
The average length of the trip now is
about four to six months, while in
former days it was about three. This
| is important to the crews and owners
alike, as many of the crews were hired
on shares. the others being hired by the
month, so quick trip, and full fare,
when the crew is on shares meant
large pay.
Few men are now employed in the
business from here the larger part OF
the crew being obtained i'll Gloucester,
and the places nearer the fishing
ground. but whether from Bucksport
or some of the other places the town
wishes good weather, full tare. ana a
safe and speedy return to the GOOD yes
sells and crew, who are all that are left
now to remind rs of what was once OF
much Importance to many hundreds,