The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-11-16
The Old Fishing Changes
By FREDERIC ]. HASKlN

II J. HASklN
ocd fisheries. The figure of cod on
the Colonial seal of Massachusetts
shows what an important place the
| fisheries had in the minds of the found
ers of New England. But the colonists
turned to easier ways of getting rich
than fishing. 1t was only about ninety
years ago that the first cargoes of fish
. were landed at Boston and sold at the
old city dock. Then the business gain
ed slight foothold on one of the whar-
yes and about dozen/stalls in Quincy
market were DEVOTED to the sale of fish.
But the Boston merchants considered
the fishermen nuisance, and the in
FAINT industry was kicked about from
one wharf to another for some years.
1t could not expand much in those days
because modern methods of refriger-
alton had not been invented. In winter
the fish were distributed all oyer the
coast country by the wagon load, but in
summer the people had only salt and
picked fish.
The business finally established it.
self at old 7 wharf where it took an art
as sideline. This old gray pier with
its rows of weathered stalls and cob
bled roadwaYs, Its varied fishing craft,
its throngs of rudy fisherman in their
oil skins unloading their shining catch
by the barrel and cart-load, was long a
favorite subject for painters. Now it
is almost deserted.
Commercial fishing grew with the
development of refrigeration and trans
portation facilities and reached its
highest point in the organization by
Boston fish dealers of the Alaskan hall
but trade. These fish are coated with
! ice at Ketchikan, Alaska, and reach
Boston in good condition by way Of
Seattle.
Meantime the local fisherman had
been straining every resource to meet
increased demands made upon them.
Formerly cod and other large species
were taken on hand lines. The Irish
fishermen introduced the trawl, which
is line often three or four miles long,
buoyed at each end, and set with hooks
at frequent intervals. This is still the
method used by all the schooner fisher
men. You may see them at the fish
pier today batting these lines and coil
ing them into buckets.
Then came that disturbing infr-
ence. the steam trawler. A steam
trawler is q trim little steel vessel
with a high turtle-back prov. Its
equipment is great sack of netting
hundred and fifty feet long, with
large boards set on either side of the
mouth. These boards are set at such
an angle that when the net is lower
ed, they at once force it to the bottom
and keep it open. The trawler then
steams ahead at four knots an hour,
scraping the bottom, and carrying
along everything in its path. When
the net is full it is raised with a
steel windlass, and the great mass of
fish thrown upon the deck.
Laborers attack the pile with pitch.
forks. sorting out the commercial
varieties and throwing the others over
board. Then the net is again lowered,
and the trawler goes ahead. 1t works
day and night, and in all but the heavi-
est weather. The crew is divided into
two shifts each working six hours at a
stretch. By reason Of the seaworthi-
ness Of the craft and the fact that no
dories are used, the danger is reduced
to a minimum, while the returns, need
less to say, are immense. Further
more, the trawler brings up immense
quantities of bottom feeding fish, which
are hard to take with hook and line.
Its catch is not dependent upon cir
cumstances, weather or the appetite of
the fish. 1t is about as romantic as a
steam shovel. 1t will ultimately throw
| thousands of men out of work, but it
is the only instrument that can supply
the growing needs of a great nation for
fish.