MAINE: PASSAMAQtJODDY DISTRICT. 19 



sels, the Josie L. Day and Beauty, of 15.88 and 20.25 tons, respectively. In 1879 these vessels 

 furnished employment to sixteen men, and landed about 2,200 quintals of fish, two-thirds of the 

 catch being hake. They also engaged in herring netting on the coast of New Brunswick during 

 the winter season, selling their catch to the vessels employed in the frozen-herring trade. 



In addition to the vessel-fishing, a number of farmers and mechanics living in the lower part 

 of the town go in small boats to the pollock grounds of 'Quoddy River at intervals during the 

 summer and catch fish for family use, often selling a few quintals to their neighbors. Aside from 

 the parties mentioned, few persons are interested in the fisheries, as the fishing grounds are too 

 far distant. 



DENNYSVILLE. Dennysville is a town of about 500 inhabitants, near the head of the northern 

 branch of Cobscook River. It has a village of the same name, with about 300 inhabitants, at the 

 head of navigation on the Deunys River. The residents are engaged chiefly in farming and lum- 

 bering, and there is no salt-water fishing of note, though a few parties go down the bay in small 

 boats for a few days during the height of the pollock season, catching a supply for their own 

 tables. A small business is done in river fishing and several weirs have been built for catching 

 salmon and alewives. 



EDMUNDS. The town of Edmunds has a scattered population of 450 inhabitants, engaged 

 chiefly in agricultural pursuits. It forms the west bank of one of the arms of Cobscook Bay, but 

 has no fishing interests, if we neglect the few farmers that occasionally resort to the pollock grounds 

 of 'Quoddy River for local supply. 



6. LUBEG AND ITS FISHERIES. 



GENERAL STATEMENTS. The town of Lubec is made up of a series of irregular peninsulas, 

 separated from each other by the various branches of Cobscook Bay. It has a shore-line greater 

 in proportion to its area than almost any other town on the coast. It was settled about 1780, and 

 was a part of Eastport up to 1811, when it was incorporated as a town and named in honor of 

 Lubec, Germany. In 1S50 its population numbered nearly 3,000, but of late it has been gradually 

 losing in numbers from year to year, and at present has only 2,136 inhabitants. There are three 

 post-offices in the town, called Lubec, North Lubec, and West Lubec, respectively. The first-named 

 is the only village of importance. It is situated at "The Narrows," on the main ship channel of 

 'Quoddy River, and is, next to Eastport, the leading commercial center of the region. In other por- 

 tions of the town the people live along the shores, and divide their time about equally betM'een 

 farming, fishing, and herring smoking. 



ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE SMOKED-HERRING INDUSTRY. By the beginning of the present 

 century Lubec had become extensively engaged in the fisheries, and its people soon became largely 

 interested in catching and smoking herring, which have for many years been remarkably abundant 

 in that locality. They soon took the lead in the smoked-herring trade, and have retained it to the 

 present day. In 1821, according to Mr. Jacob McGregor, there were twenty smoke-houses in the 

 town, putting up a yearly average of 2,500 to 3,000 boxes of herring each. Prior to 1828 the 

 herring were mostly taken by " torching." At that date brush weirs were introduced for their cap- 

 ture by fishermen from Nova Scotia, and they soon came into general favor. 



As early as 1830 Lubec began sending vessels to the Magdalen Islands for an additional sup- 

 ply of herring for smoking and pickling. In I860 she had eleven vessels engaged in this fishery, 

 bringing cargoes of 700 to 800 barrels each, about one-half of the entire quantity being smoked. 

 Since I860 she has sent only a small fleet, but one or two vessels going yearly for several years. 



