Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-08


 from the cliffside. are being driven through the green waters, fast as lusty arms and willing men can send them. The long. heavy seine net, which had lain ready for casting, IS. now being shot into the water and paid out as the boats creep found the school of pilchards. Every face wears tense, anxious look. for upon the success or failure to surround the fish depends the gain or loss. it may be. of thou sands of pounds.
 Once the seine nets are out and se- cured. then come the tuck boats, and into the large seine is put the tuck net: this allows the fish to be gath cred more closely together, besides forcing the shoal of pilchards up wards to the waters surface; and now begins in earnest the tucking or gath ering in of the fish. Along that side of each tuck boat nearest the seine men seat themselves astride the gun wales and, two to each tuck basket, commence dipping into the net of fish. As the baskets are drawn upward again the water rushes back. leaving a mass of shimmering, iridescent pill. chards to be tumbled into the boats. Tucsing is strenuous work. and dan. gerous, for should any unlucky one sip from the bedside into the tuck net, it would be to his certain doom, for practically nothing short of mira. cle could save him from drowning un- der the heavy press of slippery fish: but use here. as in most affairs of life. seems to stand the men in good stead. for one never hears of such a catas- trophe occurring.
 One feature of the Cornish coast is the sudden weather changes which take place; calm. unrufied sea in few hours gives place to long rollers straight from the deep Atlantic, and at any moment rough sea may be beating where but short while be- fore the tide had crept in with never a ripple 10 break the waters calm. The fear of this happening Is ever present. coupled with the certainty that leaving pilohards in the nets is but courting loss of fish and damaged tackle from hordes of dogfish which swNrm these waters, and by their depredat.oas caused last year alone the loss of TO less sum than G40.000 to Cornish fishermen. Wherever mackerel, pilchards or herrings are wound, and nets shot. there the dog fish arc also. destroying fish and nets alike: so little wonder that when a seine has been shot. and a school of fish enclosed. the work of securing the sea harvest is carried on early and late. with feverish haste. Boats are loaded to a point dangerously deep in the water. and as fast as filled give place to empty ones. and so the work goes on continuously. A big catch cf piichards. while it remains in the seine net. proves a harvest to others beside the fsher-folk. Thou sands Of gulls come in the bay. and for days girt themselves. screaming. diving. snapping up the fish. as they jump and splash on the waters; while down among the nets. 1.-the. fierce. hungry sharks arc marrying the help lees. cosfred pilcnarcs. sometimes tearing nets to such an extent as to free tie shoai. which had been secured al so much cost and labor.
 Mu.h of the picturesque element has nov passed rom the process of euriag ihe rsh. Tor until recent years ;i vss tl,ze Ia dry bulk. the fish being stacked. layer on layer of salt and fish. this zivia- rrUsrabie work 10 eveTy zveiiatis rrrsna oli CT young. sorsn or ehiid- al joined Ia stack iu- ani sa.si-- ihe fsh ss it vas brouEti n hzss~ss v tts men. Now adays. al this hss bsr8 changed