670 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



There bad beeu 110 disaster at Conneaut for over twenty years, but in tbe fall of 1879 a boat 

 carrying two men was lost in a gale. 



WILLOTTGHBY AND PAiNESViLLE. The fisheries at these two points are operated by four firms. 

 During the fishing season they hire about forty fishermen, three-fourths of whom are married men. 

 In addition to this number, about twenty others are temporarily employed, usually from March to 

 July, and from September to December. In 1879, however, on account of the unusual mildness of 

 the winter, they were employed nearly the whole year. The fishermen receive very good wages, 

 and most of them are in comfortable circumstances. All, except two, are Americans, the two 

 excepted being of German descent. The fishermen who receive monthly wages seem to live better 

 than those who fish on their own account; they know exactly how much they can rely upon and 

 usually live within their incomes, "while those who are fishing for themselves always have in antici- 

 pation the capture of fabulous amounts of fish which will help them out of present difficulties. 



The fisheries are prosecuted almost exclusively by means of poilml-uets. In 1879 there were 

 about seventeen of these nets located here, which, with the boats used in their management and 

 the accessories, were valued at about $18,500. It would seem from these figures that the owners 

 had placed rather too high a valuation upon their property. 



A large variety of fish is taken in the pounds ; they are all classified in three grades, known 

 as, " rough," " hard," and " soft." Of the three grades, about 340,000 pounds were caught in 1879. 

 In addition, not less than 4,200 sturgeon, weighing about 90,000 pounds, were caught. About 

 one-third of the entire catch was frozen and sent eastward. Of the remainder enough were salted to 

 fill 255 half barrels, and these were sent to Cleveland. The fresh fish are sold in various parts of 

 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh being the principal market. A large share of the sturgeon are usually 

 sent to Saudusky ; in 1879, however, about 8,000 pounds were smoked and sold in the vicinity. 



There is a general belief current among the fishermen that there has been a considerable 

 decrease among " hard fish," but none of importance among the " soft fish," during the past decade. 

 Sturgeon are, perhaps, somewhat less abundant. In 1870 it was reported that 20,000 were caught 

 at Paincsville, and that some of them were sold at about $2 for a wagon-load. At Swanville more 

 than seventy have been caught in one day by two men using grapnel hooks. 



There have been no important changes in the manner of fishing. The size of the meshes, 

 however, in the pots of the pounds have been somewhat increased. The same kind of boats are 

 used now that were employed when the fishery began. 



MILES GROVE, OHIO ; ERIE, PA. ; AND BARCELONA AND DUNKIRK, N. Y. The professional 

 fishermen employed at the four villages mentioned are distributed about as follows: Miles Grove 

 14, Erie 100, Dunkirk 4, and Barcelona G ; making a total of 124. About eighty of these men are 

 married. At Erie the boats and outfits are owned by the fishermen, in very many cases two men 

 being in partnership. The capitalists are the dealers who buy the fish from the fishermen and 

 ship them; they also sell twine for nets. At Erie the nationality of the fishermen is German. 

 The manner of carrj ing on the fisheries at these four villages is different from that of most of the 

 stations west of Lake Erie. The gill-net is the only form of apparatus in use. In 1879 forty-two 

 boats, each carrying about one hundred and twenty-five gill-nets, were employed, and these together 

 were valued at about $25,000. The only other item of the investment here is that for fish-houses, 

 ice-houses, &c., the amount of which is not more than $3,000. 



The quantity of fish taken at the four villages in 1879 was about 1,350,000 pounds. The 

 amount may be divided somewhat as follows: Erie, 1,050,000 pounds; Dunkirk, 40,000 pounds; 

 Barcelona, 00,000 pounds; Miles Grove, 200,000 pounds. The fish caught at Erie are sent chielly 



