The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-03-09
The Bible Source of Melodious Joy
marsh working side at camp.

marsh working side at camp.
At Duck Island, the religious
life of the fishermen was not al
together overlooked. The writer
was licensed a local preacher in
1906 and before that date was
rated as one of the younger men
in church work at Wanchese. Dur
ing some of these seasons at camp,
this young preacher of the Metho-
dist Church would conduct a short
prayer service once a week in
whatever camp he was invited
usually on Wednesday evenings.
At his own camp, he led in eve
ming prayers, and insisted that
suitable grace be said at all meal
hours. While camp life was above
reproach, this part of their life
being 'nurtured religiously, tended
to keep better order of living
than otherwise. Especially, it
brought many of the groups to-
gether for both religious and social
intercourse, with wholesome eff
fects. The leader had ample assis-
lance because many of the fisher
men Were church leaders them
selves-both young and old. The
gatherings numbered Is to 40 per-
sons on such occasions. Also, I'M
der the preachers direction, color
ed people were organized as a
separate group, and one of their
own color led the prayer services.
This proved helpful, also.
Would Be Small Investment Now
The cost of outfitting a crew in
volved boat worth about SIS a
flat-bottom sail skiff of some 81
feet, more or less. A stand of nets
worth about $3.50 to 5000 including
nets, stakes and weights. An aver
age net clearance from this reef
fishing at Duck Island was from
$400 up to $1,000 per crew. $3.50
was considered a good spring
Establishing after all expenses
were paid. By the first of May
most of the fishing was over.
Camps closed, and the men back
home to till their gardens and
small fields, and make ready for
the summer fishing which began
about the first of July after big
revivals were held in June when
the Coast Guard men came home
on leave.
This summer fishing would
make interesting reading, also.
There are many living today who
grew up in the first part of the
century could tell of many miser-
able night in July and August
fighting mosquitoes and gnats out
on the shoals of Roanoke Sound
Juggling on one end of a two
hundred yard gill net known pop
ularly as a "swipe metz, getting its
name because it was dragged for
hundreds of yards in water one to
four feet deep-a man overheard
at each end of the net. Summer
fishing over, the fall fishing at the
inlets began and lasted until the
last of November. Then short
oyster dredging with small sail
boats for Christmas money, SELL
ing oysters to buyers for twenty
five to thirty cents a tub-the
tub holding almost five standard
pecks of oysters. Come Christmas,
the spirit of the season caught
everyone. This over, the thought
and optimism of the coming
spring shad fishing season stood
out, and it was "back to the net
yard, the swamps for net stakes,
and then on the tenth of Febru-
airy, boats and fishermen betook
themselves to their favorite fish
camps for another round of "shad
fishing.
It is now far day from the
scenes which this story portrays
from where we sit. Life of the
fisherman was hard one then;
but it was also fascinating one
These main centers of fishing can
not be written about without
mentioning such, names as E
r. Daniels of Roanoke Marsh
es; M. d. Hayman and Ste
wart Daniels of the Cut
Through Camps; VIM. st. Clair
Pugh and Willie Baum Of Hog Is
land camps; Bob Smith of Manteo
who was the kinrr hon at C,,oifhge