The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-03-10
HIGH CROSS, BUT Low

HIGH CROSS, BUTLOW
CONTINUED from Page One)
their welfare without thinking
Of yourself Is servant.
Capt. Parkhurst along with
other charterboat men in Mara
thon and Key West have a goal
they work on constantly.
WED like to see more sport
fishing. We are trying to educate
the public to fish in sportsman
like way instead of fishing
just to kill and destroy. As it is,
each and every year the public
is forcing US to be more competi-
tive.
"A ehsFfarkest man Is judged
by how many dead fish his par.
ties bring back. That has got 10
step. n we keep Il Up II means
fhe extinction Of ihs fish of the
Keys and ihe extinction Of
eharterbessing. What we'd like
10 see Is more fishing with light
tackle which means you auto
matieaIly reIessa ihe fish. lot
Of them. In This way ihs sport
fisherman gets HE thrill Of
catching, but HE fish srs
spared"
Today Marathon charterboat-
men give their customers all of
the caught fish they want. What's
left over they give to local people
who are fish hungry. and
what's left over after that, are
sold by the charterboatmen,
Capt. Parkhurst said,
Though Parky has raised his
family in the last eight years by
charterboating, he says 1t helped
when his wife Little Parky"
worked. And this year he may
take job in the summer to
help out.
II don't want to encourage any
young couple to come into this
business and think that they are
going to make q good living out
Of 1t. Lots of Youngsters get r0-
mantle ideas about this business
come to the Keys and then you
watch them starve to death. We
have three or four who are starv-
isg to death right now ID Mara
thon. wouldn't want to see them
put their life savings In . boat
and expect to make good hv-
ing
Capt. psrkhvrst hes figured
out shss In the eight years that
he hss been ehsrseFbsaslng In
Marathon, he has earned IN
average Of ~ and ens-hsh cents
an hour. He arrived ~ That fig
vrs by adding Up ihe eests 81
HE business, fhe weFk Ne put
On ihe beat. me labeT he hes
heo 70 Pay,
Parky figures II this way. He
pays ten dollars . day for gaso-
line, ten dollars a day for . mate,
five dollars q day for bait, five
dollars at least for boat main
tcnance. Then $500 year insur.
ance comes out, $3.50 . year for
dock and lights. Such items as q
blown down antennae are moi
covered by insurance 50 the skip
per has to pay for those out Of
pocket.
There are 10 charter boats only
that are qualified 70 carry pas
xengers according to the stand.
ards Of charterboating. There art
eight or nine more In Marathon
who are slightly below par. They
are not eligible for the Coast
Guard Auxiliary. Of which Parky
ID commander Of Flotilla No. 2,
Division 8. TIN Coast Guard Dis
trict. They either lack the twin.
engines or ether facilities.
Cart. Parkhurst and bis fellow
charterbcatnaen In Marathon and
Key West an seem 10 stress The
meaEerness of the living to b
gained In their careers. They
talk a. taking ether obs. az coins
out 81 Ire business, q diseour.
aging Youngsters from entering Il
Action. not words. however. tel
the story. There has been ID
exohs 81 men from the industry.
Thxy keep al II year after year
throagh good seasons and has
Goes. shrcuKh summer. some d
ghers. a. vel ~ wsnser. PARKS
himself has stayed right h Ma
rathoa with HE fine beat shrpnxs
sevea summers. ThcagA Ne ~
averaged only About - DAYS d
business cut 81 10. Il has beez
worth 4 because his family and
rests arr - MaratAan.
A. Capt Aihrxs Aswen q Ke,
West It'd ne last seek 81 Carr
son hsxht
Y0a grs Il Ike . Aoat