The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-12-20
56 YEARS ON. SEA.
CAPT, Peterson Of South Penobscot in Navy
During War-Perils OF Grand Banks.

More than half a century-56 years
following the fortunes OF the sea. 81
summers amid the fogs and perils OF
the Grand Banks of Newfoundland,
three years in the union navy during
the Civil War, and the time filled IN
with West India and "'offshore" voy.
ages, such is the remarkable career OF
a remarkable man, Capt. Joseph +.
Peterson of South Penobscot, Me.
This is not an obituary OF "Cap'n
Joe," as all his friends call him, for ne
says that he will not be ready to ''haul
un'' for some time vet. Considering
that he was "high line" of the Bucks
port fleet of Grand Banks fishermen
this year, leading the rest of the
squadron home by weeks, and landing
one Of the biggest and best fares Of
cod ever brought in to the famous old
seaport. there will probably be a good
berth open for him as long as he cares
to 90 down to the foggy region.
Capt. Peterson was born in old Cas-
tine 81 years ago. When 10 years old
he was left an orphan, as his father,
mate of a ship, was drowned in the
harbor of New Orleans. When II years
old he went as cooks helper on
~
going to sea ever since.
Most boys of II would have had all
they wanted of the sea forever II they
had ever reached home and mother
after long, cold summer in little old
schooner pitching and tossing day and
night, week in and week out, with the
plainest kind of grub and continual
round of back breaking and heart
breaking work-even more heart-break-
ing and back breaking than that OF the
boys on the We're Here, in kipling's
great story of the Grand Banks, Cap
tains Courageous, for that book deals
with a time in the Grand Banks history
later than the days when Capt. Peter
son first saw the sun rise out OF the
ocean on old Quereau Bank.
But the Peterson boy Was gritty and
was bound to escape the stigma OF
zone tripper," down-east shore lore for
the boys who go to the Grand Banks
once and never again. He followed the
business for several consecutive sea
sons. soon rising to the dignity of a
'hand'' with the privileges of putting
the new "boy" through the initiation
of threading Iivers," making a ding
mall" and the numerous other impOssi-
BILE stunts deemed essential to the COM
plete training of Grand Banker.
Leaving the fishing fleet for time
he went number of off-shore trips,
and when 10 years old was mate OF a
smart Yankee West Indian for several
VOYAGES. On his 21st birthday he was
skipper of Grand Banks fisherman,
the schooner Diana. He made regular
trips summer after summer, bringing
in good fares of fish to Castine.
Many were the fearful gales he rode
out in the old Diana. He escaped ice
bergs and lodged all the perlls of the
deep.
When the Civil War broke out Capt.
Peterson tied up the Diana and, with
the most of his lusty crew, enlisted IN
the Eavy. He was assigned to block
ade service and was soon promoted to
mate. He figured in a number
of exciting episodes, and took part IN
the bombardment of Fort Fisher,
which he recalls as one OF the many ex-
citing times of his life.
After the war was over Captain Pc
terson went back to PenobScot Bay
and resumed the Grand Banks trips.
He sailed out of Bucksport, then from
Lamoine, where fine vessel was built
for him.
For the past IL years Captain Peter
son has sailed from Bucksport as ''com
modore' of I. NJ. Nicholson's fleet OF
hald-l liners, all fine, large stanch craft
of the same size and type as the average
Gloucester and Provmcetown fisher
men: in fact, the most of the Bucks
port fleet were formerly from one or
the other of these ports.
Capt Peterson has seen great change
h1lS n
craft which brought in 500 quintals of
cod after all summer on the banks was
considered as doing well; a few weeks
ago Capt. Peterson turned over to the
owners a fare nearly six times as large,
and when skipper of the big three
master, Arthur V. S. Woodruff, has
brought in fare equal to that OF 10 or
u craft of the old fleet. He has seen
the mode of fishing change from the
vessels deck to dory fishing, where the
men 60 miles tr6 m the vessel.
There has been great change in the
hshermen'S mode OF living. "Pork fat
and molasses" was the only ''fxin' - in
the old days. Now canned goods, con-
densed milk, and evapOrated fruits give
a variety far beyond the widest dreams
of the sea chefs of the old days. The
old joke of a skipper putting in to land
because the supply of raisins was get
ting short is something of an exaggera-
ton.
"Cap'n Joe" recently went trip in !
the schooner T. M. Nicholson, one of
the new type of ''toothpick" built fish
ermen, as jaunty as a yacht, with spike
bowsprit, long overhang and everything
up-to-date.
So it is that he can we'll lay claim to the
distinction of having lived and sailed
in two almost distinct epochs of Grand
Banks history, marked by his little old
Diana and the magnificent Burgess
modelled flyer of the present day.
Since sailing under the Nicholson flag
Captain Peterson has commanded the
schooners Matte F., Arthur V. S.
Woodruff, Edgar S. Foster, I. M. Mich
olson, and on the first day of June,
1906, sailed from Bucksport in the
schooner M. B. Stetson, returning Oct
2 with a rousing fare. When the Stet-
son appeared in the river, with colors
flying, salute of 10 guns was fired and
all the pOpulace swarmed to the water
front to give ''Cap'n Joe" a welcome
home from his 3Sth trip.
Capt. Peterson has a cOZy home at
South Penobscot, where he spends his
winters with his wife, taking sleigh
rides behind fast stopper. Three sons
and one daughter have grown up and
have homes of their own. But one son,
Capt. Scion Peterson, has taken to the
sea, and was ''first hand" or mate with