360 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The cutting off of the shad supply was a great aud serious loss to this 

 community, from both a monetary and economic view, since this fish in 

 its season was a staple article of food, and employed in the taking and 

 handling quite a large proportion of the inhabitants. This industry was 

 ■wholly abolished by the erection of these dams, and thousands of dollars 

 of capital invested in the business were instantly swept out of existence. 

 The first fishery below this place was known as Hummel's fishery, and 

 its reputation was good. I never fished there myself, but was well ac- 

 quainted with it by the speech of my neighbors. In fact all of these 

 fivsheries were i)rofitable investments, and the loss of them to this sec- 

 tion of the country was incalculable. All of the fisheries mentioned 

 above, except Hummel's, were between Northumberland and Danville. 

 I am sorry that you did not give me more time to prepare this matter 

 for you, since any mention of those good old times brings up a flood of 

 recollections, and the difiBculty is, not to remember what occurred in 

 those days, but to sift out what would be useful in this connection, and 

 omit all useless lumber; more time would have brought out a fuller and 

 more detailed statement, but this perhaps is all that is essential, and 

 trusting you will find it of use, 



I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, &c., 



JOSEPH VAN KIRK. 



Falls, Pa., 3farch 24, 1881. 



In response to your inquiries regarding shad fisheries in the Susque- 

 hanna, between Tunkhannock and Lackawanna Creeks, are, according 

 to my recollections : The first at the head of Scovel's Island, opposite 

 Lackawanna Creek ; not many shad were caught here, say from twenty 

 to sixty per night ; the next was at Falling Spring, same seine as that 

 used at Scovel's Island; the number of shad caught here ran from fifty to 

 three hundred per night ; the next above Falling Spring was at Keeler's 

 Ferry (now Smith's) ; this was a small fishery and only used when the 

 •water was too high to fish at other i)oints ; the seine was hauled around 

 a deep hole to bring in the shad ; the next and only fishery between this 

 and Tunkhannock Creek was at the head of Taylor's Island or the " Three 

 Brothers." This was an important fishery; more shad were caught 

 here than could be taken care of, on account of the scarcity of salt. I 

 can speak of this fishery from experience since 1812. The catch per 

 night ran from two to four hundred ; the shareholders attended to it as 

 closely as to their farming or other business, as it was our dependence in 

 part for food. Shad were oftener exchanged for maj^le sugar than sold 

 for cash — one good shad for a pound of sugar ; large shad were worth 12| 

 cents apiece. A right in a fishery was worth from ten to twenty-five 

 dollars. Shareholders made a practice of salting down more or less 

 shad during the season. An incident in connection with shad-fishing 

 presents itself to my mind, related often by my grandmother. A party 



