GEEAT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 669 



much smaller than that of many other lake towns. One reasou for this condition of affairs is that 

 there are no very extensive or important fisheries in the vicinity. The railway facilities also are 

 such that the city is not especially important as a distributing center. The nearest fisheries are 

 those of Dover Bay, about 14 miles distant, and there, as has already been stated, the fish taken 

 are of a low grade, aud not abundant. As a distributing point for salt fish, however, Cleveland is 

 of considerable importance. Supplies are received from nearly all the larger fisheries of Lakes 

 Michigan, Huron aud Superior. A large percentage of the fish received is sold to wholesale city 

 grocers and jobbers, who sell them iu small lots, usually repacked in kits, to their customers iu the 

 surrounding country. It appears that in 1853 ten times more fish were shipped from Green Bay 

 to Cleveland than to Chicago, while at the present time the reverse is the case. 



The local consumption of fresh fish is large, and the city sustains several flourishing retail 

 establishments. There are two retailers who supply the wealthy class. They sell only the very 

 best varieties, and receive proportionately high prices. The other dealers sell cheaper grades, 

 and receive the patronage of less opuleut citizens. 



ASIITABULA AND CoNNEATJT. The fisheries of Ashtabula aud Conneaut are somewhat differ- 

 ent in character from those of the places immediately to the westward. The nature of the coast is 

 such that pound nets cannot be employed, and fishing is therefore carried on almost exclusively 

 by means of gill nets. la 1879 there were about thirty-four men engaged in fishing, twenty-four 

 of whom were married men with families, and the remainder single young men. Besides these 

 there are also eight fishermen who occupy themselves in fishing for but a small portion of the year. 

 About one-half of the fishermen are Germans aud the remainder Americans. Three tugs are 

 employed in connection with the gill-net fishery, the value of which, according to the owners, is 

 not less than $ 3,000. The nets and small boats employed, together with the accessories, are worth 

 about $0,500; making a total investment of $10,000. 



It was found quite impossible to obtain exact information as to the yield of the fisheries of 

 Ashtabula and Conneaut for the year 1879. Every man ships the fish which he catches, and only 

 a few dealers keep any record. Mr. David Jones, of Conueaut, however, a man well informed 

 regarding the fisheries, estimated the amount of the catch, and doubtless his figures are very nearly 

 correct. According to Mr. Jones, the yield was about 400,000 pounds, which, at an average ship- 

 ping price of 5 cents a pound for all kinds, would be worth about $20,000. Probably about seven- 

 eighths of the whole were whitefish. The greater part of the catch was sent to Cincinnati and 

 Cleveland, although considerable quantities were sold at Akron, Columbus, and other inland towns 

 in Ohio. When the boats and tugs fish off Erie a large share of the fish is shipped from that point ; 

 at times some are sold to the dealers. Some of the fish-offal is used iu making oil; in 1879 about 

 $200 worth of oil was extracted from this material. 



There has been a noticeable change in the manner of prosecuting the fisheries in this vicinity 

 within the last twenty years. The boats have increased in size at least- one-half within the last 

 decade and their model has been very much 'improved. Twenty-five years ago fishing-nets were 

 knit from very coarse twine, which made them heavy, aud it was necessary to employ one man 

 for every four nets. In contrast it may be stated that now two men can safely set and lift at least 

 twenty-five nets. With these heavy nets and small, imperfectly made boats, the fishermen did not 

 venture out more than half as far as they do at the present day. Nevertheless, at that time, they 

 caught a great many more fish than now. It is probable that if the same kinds of nets were used 

 now as were employed twenty years ago not enough fish would be caught to supply the wants of 

 the fishermen themselves. 



