The sun., 1908-12-13
SEINE FISHING ON SHARES
LONG ISLAND FARMERS WHO
CAUGHT FERTILIZER.

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A Onos Odd Feature Of sOuthoId Life
Ttlat Passed When the Railroad Put
the Eastern End OF the IslaBd In
ToRch with New YoFk-ERag Eauls.
Gone. perhaps forever. are the seine
companies OF the old town OF Southold
on the shores Of Peconio Bay. Sixty
years ago the little landlocked harbor,
bare three miles In diameter, was the
feeding ground Of countless millious Of
menhaden. or rnossbunkers. Commercial
fertilisers In those days were unknown.
hut as early as the beginning OF the nine-
teenth century the great value OF these
fish as Q fertilizer was recognized and for
over half century a part Of the life Of
this. farming district centred about the
fishing for menhaden.
About 1900 a number of the more ener-
Seine company" with the object OF Sc
curing fish in large quantities for use
a. fertilizer, Immediately after the for
nation OF the pioneer company two others
were organized. BY lsto there we're ix
seine companies in existence, and each
spring from May to June is six great
seines were In constant use.
The companies, on cooperative basis
consisted Of from eight to ten rights
or shares. and as the cost Of one Of the
huge seines was nearly thousand dollars
fright" was valued at from eighty to
one hundred dollars. A member might
own from a quarter of right to a fun
right or more, and the time he was OBJ
liged to spend at the work Of hauling
seine and his proportion of the catch
were determined by the amount of his
ownership in the company.
The first three companies organized
were known as @The Sea Serpents,' 'The
Greeks" and -The Fish Hawks A few
years later the. -Munfueeons' put up
their shack lower down on the bay.
In those early days hauls Of great size
are recorded. Many numbered as high
as soc, 900 fish. and on morning in is4s
q single catch Of 1 500 900 fish was hauled
to the beach by the lucky Mohegans.
When IL b considered that the average
farmers "box wagon held from 1000 to
$500 fish 1t may be imagined what work
there was to get that phenomenal catch
divided and distributed.
The major part Of the catch was mon
haden-- -shad' ss they were then called
by the farmers-but frequently enormous
quantities Of other varieties we're brought
to the shore. In 1895 farmer fertilized
two acres OF wheat with the thousands Of
cheekwit caught in one haul. and at GER
tain seasons oheekwit, porgies. blueash
and other market varieties were far more
numerous than menhaden.
Before the railroad came through In
is4l there was absolutely, no market for
the fsh in the present sense. Beyond the
few consumed for food-which were never
sold-the fish were used entirely as fer
tilizer for the crops Of wheat. corn. oats
and hay. Tho few farmers outside the
various companies did In fact buy some
fish at about rs cents a thousand. but this
market was extremely limited. In 1870
there were probably not dozen farmers
in the region who were not members
OF one Of the seine companies.
Each company had on the shore Of the
hsrbor q house in which were stored
the huge nets. the miles Of tarred rope.
the ponderous oars, shovels. cspstans,
&c. and which served as . sort OF club
house for the organization. At first
each company elected q captain from its
own number. recognized for his superior
knowledge Of the signs and habits Of
fish and for his ability TO direct opera
tions. Later some OF the companies an
nually hired such an expert for the six
weeks during which the fishing was car
ried on. Regular watches were appointed
who overlooked the bay either from the
companies shaoks or anchored out in
small boats on the bay
At the first "break' of the school the
preparations Immediately begun for the
haul. Occasionally hot disputes arose
as to who first located the school. but
these for the most part were amioably
settled. Indeed in earlier times the
schools SWAN In such overwhelming num-
bers into this little feeding ground that
before such q dispute could be properly
argued out half a dozen other schools
would be in evidence.
From the time the company gathered
on the beach the captain assumed entire
command. The seine. twenty feet deep
and frequently more than q mile long.
was gathered and heaped In the sterns
Of the two huge seine boats. Four men
were assigned to each boat. one pair to
handle the oarA. the other to pay out the
seine after the cast Stern to stern,
the boats were pulled out into the bay
until the coveted school was between
them and the land At the word Of COM
msnd two pairs Of fishermen cast the net
and began paying out rapidly as the two
boats separated and circled out around
the school. When the two boats again
reached the shore the great net extended,
out and around the school Of fish in the
form Of q horseshoe, with its two ends
quarter Of mile apart.
Then began the long hard haul to the
beach. This was at first done by means
Of hand capstans; later horses were used
on the oapstans. Foot by foot the great
net ~es drawn In until the small loop
left in the water was flashing Of silver
and green and the stout tarred ropes and
meshes sagged beneath the weight Of
the innumerable fish.
With the catch finally landed on the
beach the work Of counting and distribute
inR IL among the members Of the company
began. At frat the fish were counted one |
by one. with infinite patience and labor. |
stiop, and frequently night would fan
before. the last OF the immense hauls
was drawn from the beach and dis