The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-08-26
HAS
UPSET ROANOKE
CRAB INDUSTRY
Grab Factories Shut Down
Colored Baptists Praise
the Lord Hallelujah!

this week. OF Roanoke Island
negro BaptistS, throws more
than 100 people out OF employ
mcnt for the entire week. by
shutting down the islands
principal industry. Three crab
factories have closed their
doors because the negro
women who pick the crab meat
can't stay away from the re
vival. even tho some of them
make as high as SIS Il week
and their husbands make $50
. or more.
: The crab industry in Dare County
has assumed healthy proportions
/ this summer. For II weeks fleet
of more than 10 boats have been
taking heavy catches. ranging from
> 300 pounds Il week and up. The
factories have been paying two
cents pound for the crabs, and
J five cents Il pound In get the meat
pickcd. Ii is estimated that up
wards Of Sl0O.0O0 has been turned
over in the crab industry on Roa-
noke Island this summer.
Two crab fattoricS ut Man,co
employ about 800 negro women to
pick the meat. Picking crab meat
is skilled labor. Most anybody can
-ct the meat ont, hut it takes skill
to do il fast and make money. TH"
negro W, mcH are experienced work
rrS anI earn good wages. Without
their work. the factories ar uHahl'
f. handle the thousands nt p'unuS
that would come i'll daily.
Most Of the crabs are cau"ht hy
white llltll. ''lit 10
with LOCO yards Of line baitcG win
beef tripc. horse meat. or SnltF"
: cells fakes six. eight or ten hmrrc''
of hard crabs Il day. The crab line
i tied To Il stake and it rests on
the bottom of the sound. IN, crab
her starts from the wlndW"ru rhi
of rhp line. hoiStS Il small sail III
thr how of his boat Ia make ii drlil
slowly ahead. The crab line sips
over IL pole projected over the Sl'i".
! and nS the crabs come ont ot the
wDtrr, they are taken with Il Glnirl.
Can't. J. W. Rollins at Man 90
} operates the oldest established cra'
business in Dare County. Inc
Laukforl plant, Il newcomer replaces
thc Ford SCafuod Company. E"lH
of these plants employ negro women
ms crab pickcr>. y third plant =
orpratcd by T.. Il. Daniels ut N;nl-
! chose on n smaller scale. There are
no negroes in that community am
white girls and women pick I'll"
! meat.
The crab industry which began IN
Dare County about six years ago
has rx,rrienCed Il slow growth. anu
the first notable jump i'll proper
( tl,iS MHlltJD
bids fair to rank with Hampton
Virriuia. aS Il crab center. which Is
row finding itself unable to supply
the trade. due to increasing Scarcit!
of crabs and StriCter laws. SlN
vrors a-o it paid out over Il NIL
lion dollars Il year for crabs ana
uicking meat. Its II factories hahd'
led over J4NO0 barrels OF crabs
nrnducin" over 100000 pounds Ol
meat. CrabbcrS earned 81 ii day
Only about 30 crab boats were thell
rnploycd at Hampton. While near
lv that many are operated Ill the
Dare County crab industry today
Six wears ago Hampton paid / cents
Il po,nd for picking: Manteo no"
pays five cents.
In addition to the crabs that ar'
handled 10y Mantel factories, ar
enormous amount are being shlppeo
alive to the Hampton factories. y
number of larger boats are employ
ed in transporting the crabs. alo
this phase of the business glfe'
employment to many men.
There is no scarcity oi craos II
North Carolina today. The ohl!
trouble is scarcity of pickerS. bu
North Carolina crabs aren't Duilu
ing IL reputation Oh the markets 10
themselves. They arc sold iar@ei'
thru Hampton. and the trade lhru
ont the country still believes II L
eating virginia crab meat