Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1909-11-05

biinn obtuience 10 the inherited IN
stinct Of their race.
The great product OF Labrador II its
fisheries. Strip II OF It's marine prod
ucts and you have left nothing but
mosquitoes and barren waste. In its
fisheries. which amount annually to
many hundreds OF thousands OF dol
lars. II Ia easy TO see what has been
the bone of contention In the past
years between England. France and
the United States. The business of
catching nsh Ii carried on for the
most part by the large and enterpris-
Ing houses OF England. with their
branch Offices In Newfoundland. Each
house has It's dependents whom IL fur
nishes In the spring with food. ap-
paratus and boats necessary TO OBJ
tain catch. In the fall the accounts
are settled II the season has been
a remuneratiye one the house obtains
an ample return for It's investment:
bat H. as often II happens. the season
has been for some reason an unproft-
able one. the house stands It's loss. pa
tiently looking 10 another year to re-
imburse Il for It's previous unprofta.
BILE outlay. Little money ever passes
into the hands Of the catchers OF cod.
Il IL a matter Of ssrter wholly. and
the balance Of credit Is always on the
side OF the house Yet. with It's mani.
fest Disadvantages. the system ls a
great practical help to the fisherman
himself. since Il frees him from direct
competition In the open markets and
guarantees him home and means OF
support. which II left to himself he
might often lack
The method OF catching fsh differs
from that employed by any other peo-
pie except the scandsnasssPs. II was
introduced from the Norwegian coast
over 20 years ago and FIRST put into
operation OF the shores Of Newfound-
land near 81. Johns There Il was
so successful that trap fishing IL now
employed along the whole Labrador
coast. The trap consists OF an i'm
mense well. built In the form OF a
square. measuring eight fatnoms 10
a side. These sides. which are made
OF strong netting are connected at the
bottom by n flooring Of netting. the
whole extending from the buoys at the
surface TO very near the bottom. From
the square Enclosure thus made a net
| Is sprung 10 the shore. where II IL
fastened. generally az the foot OF some
perpendicular cliff. to serve the pur.
pose OF a leader The hsh In their
passage TO and from the harbor en-.
counter this leader. and In trying To
pass around II enter the trap. which
they try In vain to leave. The aver
age number Of fsh captured at one
haul OF the trap Is so quintals In a
good season. and as two hauls are
made In a day the profits are large
especially when the FISH sell. as dur
Ing the last season. at from $3.50 e
81 qulntal.
The method OF pulling the trap II
interesting A large boat. capable oI
carrying 40 quintals OF nsh and
manned by six hands. Is moored te
one corner Of the trap and the work
Of undermining begun. the object be
ing to force the fish into one corner
that they may the more easily b.
transferred to the boat by the dipnet
Beginning at this corner. the bottom
and sides OF the net are pulled gradu
ally 10 the sides OF the boat. as eacf
new hold reaches the gunwaie IN,
preceding one being let go In thi,
way the Ash are gradually forced int
the corner. from which they are trans
ferred to the boat. oftentimes the sa,
OF the net becomes caught on the bot
'om Of the boat. which Is then LITERAL,
aground on the shoal Of Goldfish
When the catch Is too large for III,
boat to carry to the cleaning house
bag IL fastened 10 the top line of IN,
net and the fsh forced into Il. wher,
they remain TIL the next day. wheI
they are taken at special trip.
well-equipped trap costs $500. an,
when badly torn or. as IL sometime
the case In q storm. lost altogether
necessitates an additional hardship
on the unfortunate owner.