The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-03-09
OLD DAYS
Continued from Page One)

meat-now and then ham-boxes
of Navy beans, turnips and ruta
bagas, and a sack or two of nice
headed-collards; also a bushel or
so of sweet POTATOES. These
articles with the catching of oy-
sters, a crab-eaten shad, and a
wild duck or goose shared in the
nets made up the chief food supply
at camp. CLANS could be had if
any members of camp had energy
enough to go to the clam shoals
and do a hard two or three hours
raking job to get them. This writer
left that to others since there were
easier means of stopping the appe-
tite without that kind of work.
Salaries Were Small
By the first of March, the
'reef" from abreast of Duck Is
land and southwark took on the
nature of forest of "dead trees.
To set a reef net meant the put
ting down of a stake some two or
three feet by means of what was
known as a stake maui, worry
ing and pounding for ten to thirty
minutes to get one down into the
ground to hold the net in the swift
tides and hard winds. The top of
the stake had to be at least a foot
or more above mean high water
more often three feet above water.
Top lines We're fastened to one of
the first stakes and then the boat
drifted with the tide or was placed
in position and another stake
driven into the bottom. The top
netline was then drawn exceeding
ly tight between stakes, some two
or more feet above mean high wa
ter. This to keep the webbing from
rolling up on the line. This per-
Torrance was repeated until from
ten to fifty nets were strung out
in row-sometimes the line was
longer. Two men fished in each
boat-the capt'n and his mate.
Hired men were paid about $50
for captain and $40 to $25 for
mate. The nets were fished each
morning except Sunday in those
days. Shad were iced, boxed and
marked for Baltimore, Philadelphia
and New York markets. Then
loaded on the run-boat, and taken
to the Old Dominion steam boat
wharf at Skyco, where they were
reloaded on the steamer Neuse, or
the Ocracoke for Elizabeth City.
Where again the fish were loaded
on freight or express cars for des-
tination.
But Life Was Interesting
Life on shore at the camp was
interesting. Each fellow had his
routine of work to perform. The
mates generally cleaned out the
boats, strung bats for more net
setting, skinned and sharpened
stakes, and hung up the wet moss
laden nets brought ashore for
cleaning and drying out for a reset
as needed. The member of the
crew best adapted to the kitchen
work was selected or volunteered
to do the cooking. This meant
arising at 4 PM, getting break
fast-and having the crew eating
by 5 am. Off to the nets the
crewmen went, and by noon to
three PM, the boats returned to
the ice-house dock to pack the
fish ready for shipment as already
described.
The fishing firm of Daniels G.
Hayman managed the central
packing house at Duck Island
where all shipping was done. The
fish packed, the boats returned to
their respective camp docks, where
the cook had the late dinner ready
for the hungry fishermen who ate
hearty meal. Then the rest of
the afternoon was spent in getting
more stakes ready, loading them
and bats on the boats for next trip
out, and other like chores. Gem
orally, the one who did the cook
ing job was exempt from most of
the other duties about camp. The
writer played the role of cook at
his camp, and thus escaped much
drudgery and cold fingers ON the