MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 145 



of the diy fish ready for market. At the head of the wharves are the offices and stores of the 

 outfitters. Along the water front are also many large buildings where boneless fish, mackerel, and 

 all varieties of fish products are made ready for sale. There are in the city numerous buildings 

 used in the manufacture and repair of boats, anchors, nets, sails, rigging, and all kinds of equip- 

 ment for the fleet. Six marine railways afford facilities for hauling up and repairing the vessels. 

 Two factories are constantly active in the preparation of copper paint, which is commonly used 

 on the vessels' bottoms. On the outskirts of the city are buildings devoted to the manufacture 

 of fish glue from the refuse of the boneless-fish factories. Those shore industries which cannot be 

 strictly termed fishing industries, as boat and vessel building, sail-making, rigging, net-making, 

 coopering, painting, and smithing, give employment to five hundred forty one men and have an 

 invested capital of about $400,000. 



The shore industries which are directly fishing industries, as the curing and packing of fish, 

 handling of fresh fish, manufacture of cod oil, and other fish products, employ about seven hundred 

 men and have an invested capital of about $1,500,000. 



The fishing year begins with the fitting away of the George's-men in January, when a hundred 

 sail of stout and able craft are thoroughly equipped for a stormy season on those dangerous banks. 

 In March the southern mackerel fleet as also the Western Bank cod fleet start on their voyages and 

 are soon followed by the Grand Bank cod fleet. The fresh halibut vessels continue their arduous 

 work throughout the year, only a few of them lying by for a brief period in the winter months. 

 The fishing for mackerel in the Gulf of Maine begins in June upon the arrival home of the southern 

 fleet, and is continued without interruption until November, when the winter haddock fishing com- 

 mences and continues until the following April. In October the Grand and Western Bank cod 

 fleet have all arrived home, and such of the vessels as are unfit for winter work are hauled up into 

 winter quarters. In December a fleet of staunch vessels are equipped for the frozen-herring trade 

 with Eastport and Newfoundland, those visiting the latter place being well prepared for storms on 

 an icy coast. In this month begins also the shore fishery for cod in Ipswich Bay employing the 

 smaller vessels of the fleet. The same vessel is often, in the course of the year, employed ill 

 several branches of the fisheries, commencing the season's work by fishing for cod, changing later 

 to the mackerel fishery, and closing with the haddock fishery or the frozen-herring trade. 



VESSEL-FITTERS AND FISHERMEN. Most of the vessels are owned by the fitters, who run 

 fleets of from two to twenty sail. The number of fitting firms is forty-two. These firms are owners 

 or part owners of three hundred and seventeen schooners, which they fit out. The balance of the 

 fleet is owned principally by the masters of the vessels, and have no regular place of fitting. Owners 

 are expected to equip their vessels for fishing and to provision them for a cruise whether it be for 

 a trip of a few days or six mouths. The common method of sharing the receipts is to subtract from 

 the gross receipts the expense for bait, ice, and some other expenses called stock charges. The 

 amount left is the net receipts, one-half of which belongs to the vessel owners and the other half to 

 the crew. From the crew's half there is deducted some expenses charged to them, as for water and 

 medicine. The balance is then divided among the men, either in equal shares or in proportion to 

 each man's catch of fish. The captain receives an equal share with the crew and an additional 

 percentage or commission from the vessel owners. The cook has a share with the crew and an 

 extra amount paid by the crew, beside some perquisites. George's-men share according to the fish * 

 caught, each man cutting out the tongues of the fish as he takes them. The tongues are counted 

 and a record kept by the captain. The best man is "high line," and the poorest or most unlucky 

 fisherman is " low line." In the haddock fishery the fitting out and sharing is on a different basis 

 what is called " quarters" or " fifths." In this case the owners furnish the vessel with all her sailing 

 10GRF 



