The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-10
MEMORIES OF SHAD REASONABLE DURING
 MONTH OF MARCH
Bremen Complain That Their Calls for Assistance at Wake lee Fire Were Unheeded.

Stratford, March 10.-Ffty years ago today, according to the memory of one of the oldest residents of the town. 6had commenced to run up the Housa- tonic river The speaker said he had been refused permission to enlist in the northern armies by his parents and gratif1ed his longing for excite ment by joining the earliest crew or fishermen who set their nets in the river. The right to fish was at Pope's Flat and the young fisherman had been one of the party who cleaned up the river at this point, removing the s'snagss and logs which had lodged there and which would have torn holes in the net. Those who have been comparing the passing season with the "old fashioned winters would soon be convinced by a little conversation with this veteran that the winter which Is making 2. desper- ate effort to wind up dts affairs is more ssold faehioned' than those of hGlf a century ago.
 Fishing right was owned by Ps1tney farmers who received one-fourth of the catch as their toll This fourth was divided among the four men who had held the right by legislative enactment This would seem. a small amount to pay for so valuable right, but that fourth furnished the owners with all the fresh fish they could eat
 
 last each family for the whole year. The Oldest Resident dshed IS days with the crew and the total catch for that period was 1000 fish The own- CTS took out their toll and the remain der was put on the market. They brought from a, sixpence to two shil- Hngs apiece and the money was dd- vided among the crew, In those days the nets were made by the owners of the fishing rights or those who had contracted to fish them during the long winter evenings all the mem bers of the family taking their turn at the work. The nets used were the old 6ashfoned .tdrag seifles'' which were later superceded by the gill nets. This is some shad story and it leads us to wonder if it is not about timo to hear from Capt. Charlie Plumb
 Hen Booth says that the present hoFbbIe skirt fashions make him tired. He can remember the time we'll when two ladies walking abreast would fill the space befween the fences on Calf Pasture lane.
 A resident bobB up and asks if there are any rules and regulators to which the gas company is bound to conform in the laying of it's mains or if they are prfviIigad to bob around anywhere they find it conven5ent or profttabIe. leaving many who would install gas for lighting and fuel if they could get 1t without signing away their free- dom here below or their nights to fu- ture happiness. It is up to the gas company.
 sThe fire departme and those who assisted in the futile eff0 rts to save the Wake1ee block on Sunday night are now nursing sundry burns and bruises which were arot noticed in the excitement of the battle with the flames The fremen complain that with hundreds of spectators lining the banks in the neighborhood their calls for assistance were unheeded. It is possible that this was the natural re- suit Of the exclusive attitude of the active members of the department MT Wakelee attributes his loss to the absence of a general alarm which would have brought out all the mem- befs of the department Others be- ment is better than the old time vol unteer corps which included about every male resident of the town.
 The call of the Bob Wafte'' has been heard every morning for a week in the marsh between King and Cali fornias streets. It indicates that the birds have been forced to seek the thicker settled portionsn Of the town to obtain food A flock of over 100 starafngs has been seen daily in the same vicinity and their cheery calls have been enjoyed by the bird lovers of the ne1ghDornood- 1aSl Sunoay much shooting was heard in this sec tion and it was reported that the hunters were killing starlings- AS no arrests were made they were possibly shooting at a mark, but it might be just as well for the game warden to 1 keep his eye out for violations of the law star1ings eat potato bugs. which should be recommendation enough to protect them from all harm. A meal of these precious insects should atone for many offenses to which planters take objection The thick ice which has covered the shallow places along the shore where crows have been wont to feed have driven these cunning people to the interior and they have
 been seen many times picking up IYa1rnf fhn E