o 



74 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



were then two fislieries between us and tlie Pittston Ferry — one at Mo- 

 uocacy Island landing, on the shore of Mr. Samuel Gary's land, the other 

 starting at or near the Wintermoot Island and landing above the ferry 

 at Blanchard's. That season I got my supply at the upper fishery; the 

 first day's attendance was a "blank" day — few or no fish. The large 

 schools of Mr. Fowler's times were dwindled greatly, caused undoubt- 

 edly by the numerous fisheries that existed below, and the destruction 

 of the young shad by the many eelweirs, in their descent to the ocean 

 in the faU. My time was too valuable to attend on blank days. I left 

 money with Mr. Joseph Armstrong, and he sent me my supply when 

 successful. The next season (181G) the difficulty that had existed be- 

 tween the fishermen at Monocacy (twelve in number) and Mr. Cary, the 

 owner of the land, by giving him the thirteenth share settled the diffi- 

 culty, and ever after I got my suj^ply from the fishery until the canal 

 dams cut off our supply totally. It was a serious damage and iucon- 

 venience to us, as markets for fish and meat did not exist then as now. 

 The Susquehanna shad had a far more delicious flavor than any we get 

 now. 



General Isaac Bowman, Samuel MofQt, and some of our Plains neigh- 

 bors, having secured a landing on the Nommock at the foot of Monocacy 

 Island, fitted up a fine seine and necessary boats (canoes) and caught 

 half a dozen shad, having fished twice as many days. I shared two, hav- 

 ing found the whisky (before my temperance days) ; others outbid me, 

 determined to taste the good of their labors. I fatigue much in writing, 

 being in my ninetieth year. 



Eespectfully yours, ELISHA BLAGKMAN. 



Lee, Lee Gounty, Illinois, 4-12, 1881. 



Dear Sir : I was born at Pittston in 179G. My father's farm lay 

 along the side of the Susquehanna Kiver. I lived on the farm fifty-one 

 years. In regard to the shad fishing, as I grew up to manhood I fished 

 many days in the shad-fishing season of the different years. The first 

 run was the male shad — not near as good as the female. After catching 

 the first nin then, if we could have a rise of water then came the female 

 — a far better quality. The female put for the headwaters of the river, 

 and there would spawn ; then the old fish would come back down the 

 river, and the wind would often drive them on the shore, and they would 

 lay there rotting till they stunk. People used to come down from to- 

 ward Easton, Northampton County, and bring whisky and salt, and 

 trade for fish ; also from the upper part of old Luzerne Gounty, bringing 

 maple sugar to trade for shad. One man by the name of Taylor bought 

 fifteen and put them in a sack after they were cleaned, shouldered them 

 and walked off" with them. I have known upwards of a thousand caught 

 in one day on the point of the island. As to the localities of the fish- 

 eries, there was one at Falling Spring, about four miles from where I 



