GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 653 



Among those enumerated are twenty-four boys. About one buudred of tbe fishermen have 

 families, the remainder being young men. Ill addition to those mentioned there are about a 

 dozen families of semi-professional fishermen, including some half-breeds who dress fish for the 

 offal from which to fry out oil. 



The majority of the fishermen about Ludington are Swedes and Norwegians, but a number of 

 those having the largest trade are Americans. As a rule the fishermen are reported to be in good 

 circumstances, and making a comfortable living for themselves. At Pent Water there are but two 

 firms, one American and the other Norweigan. At South Haven the fishermen are almost without 

 exception Hollanders, and they are said to be a thrifty and industrious class. 



On account of the nature of the shore very little pound-net fishing is carried on from any of 

 these villages, and the fishermen therefore have resort to gill-net fishing. Various attempts have 

 been made to establish pounds, but they have usually been blown ashore in a short time and com- 

 pletely wrecked. In 1879 there were but seven in use between Glen Haven and Saugertauk. Dur- 

 ing the same year not less than 4,400 gill-nets, worth approximately $26,500, were in use. These 

 nets, which were formerly knit by the fishermen's wives and daughters, are now bought ready- 

 made. A variety of boats are employed, including Norwegian sloops, Mackinaw boats, Huron 

 boats, and the ordinary pound-boats. The Norwegian sloops are used principally at Grand Haven, 

 where the fishermen employ a large number of nets, and pursue their occupation at a long distance 

 from shore. The value of the apparatus in use in 1879 was about $57,000, including boats, nets, 

 and repairs of the same, fish-houses, pile-drivers, shipping-boxes, and other minor accessories. 



Most of the fishermen along this shore are accustomed to ship the fish which Ihey catch, and 

 few of them keep any record of their trade; great difficulty, therefore, was experienced in secur- 

 ing the statistics of the yield of the fisheries. The total product in 1879, however, yielded a return 

 of about $70,000. Of the amount taken about 1,000,000 pounds were caught by the fishermen of 

 Grand Haven ; this portion consisted entirely of whitefish and trout, which were shipped by boat to 

 Chicago. Grand Haven has better facilities for shipping fish than some of the other villages, and 

 therefore a higher price is realized here than at other points. The Whitehall fishermen are esti- 

 mated to have taken 100,000 pounds, which were also sent to Chicago. At Pent Water there were 

 but two boats in use in 1879; the owner of one of them shipped his fish to Chicago, the other sell- 

 ing his at retail in the village. Both together did not secure more than 7,000 pounds of fish in 

 1879. At Manistee the catch amounted to about 75,000 pounds, and at Frankfort to about 37,500 

 pounds. 



About the only change that has taken place in the fisheries here has been the introduction of 

 steam-tugs for gill-net fishing; they have not been in use more than five or six years. Many years 

 ago a few seines were employed at different places along the shore. At these same points seines 

 have now become abundant. The same grounds have been visited for more than twenty years. 



It is the general impression of the fishermen that there has been a great decrease in tbe abun- 

 dance of fish. They consider that the habit of throwing offal on the grounds has had a very decided 

 effect in bringing about this condition of affairs, and they also suppose that the capture of so many 

 young fish has had an injurious effect. In proof that there has been a decided decrease of late, one 

 of the fishermen stated that in 1876 he took an amount of fish worth $1,400 from one pound-net, and 

 that from the same net in 1879 he took only $600 worth. At Big Point Sable large numbers of 

 small fish are taken, but it is said to be the practice of the fishermen to throw them into the water 

 again, thus giving them a chance to survive. At Little Point Sable, however, none but large fish 

 are taken, most of them being rated " No. 1." 



