20 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. 



The business reached its height between 1845 and 1865, when there were about forty-five weirs 

 owned in the town. During these years, according to Mr. P. Gillis and others, from 400,000 to 

 500,000 boxes of herring were smoked annually. Since that date, owing to various circumstances, 

 the business has fallen off greatly. The principal cause of this is said to be the result of the war, 

 which virtually destroyed the herring trade with the South, where a large part of the fish was 

 consumed. This market destroyed, years of overproduction followed, which so reduced the price 

 that all pai ties lost heavily. 



The business continued to decline until in 1879 the Magdalen supply was entirely cut oft', and 

 there were but thirty-one weirs fished by Lubec parties. There were at that time seventy-four 

 smoke hoiises in the town, but some of them remained idle and others were little used. The total 

 product of these smoke-houses in 1879 reached only 153,000 boxes, of which the greater part were 

 sent to New York, the remainder going to Boston and Portland. In 1880 the quantity of fish 

 smoked at Lnbec will be even less than in 1879, though herring are more abundant. In addition 

 to the "hard herring," a few bloaters have been put up each season for several years, the total for 

 1879 amounting to 3,OCO boxes of 100 fish each. 



THE SARDINE INDUSTRY. For two or three years a part of the catch of small herring from the 

 various weirs has been sold to the "sardine" canneries at Eastport, and considerable money has 

 been realized by the fishermen from this source. In the fall of 1880 a sardine cannery was built 

 at Lubec to utilize the catch of small herring, and others will doubtless be established dining the 

 coming season. 



GENERAL FISHERIES IN 1880. Aside from its herring interests, the town has never been 

 extensively engaged in the fisheries. In 1854 a, vessels was sent to Labrador for codfish, and one 

 or two were sent yearly up to 1858, when the business was discontinued. 



In 1879 eight small vessels were engaged in the various shore fisheries, but in 1880 the fleet 

 had been reduced to six vessels, with a total of 81.42 tons. There were a few line-fishermen who 

 fished from small boats during the summer months. 



7. THE FISHERIES OF TRESCOTT AND WHITING. 



TRKSCOTT. Trescott is a town of GOO inhabitants, lying to the west of Lubec. Its northern 

 part is a peninsula bounded by the various branches of Cobscook Bay, while its southern portion 

 borders on the ocean, and has three little coves or harbors, affording fair anchorage for small ves- 

 sels and boats. The first harbor, called Bailey's Mistake, is in the extreme eastern portion of the 

 town. The nest is a little cove known as Haycock's Harbor, with half a dozen houses near its 

 shores. Formerly several herring weirs were owned and fished at this cove, and the catch was 

 smoked and sold in Lubec, but for several years there has been no fishing of any kind. The third 

 harbor is Moose River, where in 18GS two weirs were fished regularly for herring, and houses were 

 built for smoking the catch. At that time herring were abundant, and a profitable business was 

 carried on for a number of years, after which it was entirely abandoned. At the present time two 

 men are engaged in boat fishing from the harbor, selling their catch in Lubec. According to Mr. 

 F. Warren, there was formerly some ship-building at the place, but tliis interest has died out, nud 

 the people of the neighborhood are now engaged chiefly in farming. 



From the northern portion of the town a few men go occasionally in small boats to the lower 

 fishing grounds, but no extensive business is carried on, and no fish are caught for market. 



WHITING. Whiting is a town of 400 inhabitants, lying to the north of Cutler. In its extreme 



