NATIONALITY AND GENEEAL CHARACTERISTICS. 29 



live more comfortably than those of this coast, yet there seems uo good reason why this should be 

 so, for fish are more abundant in Texas, and bring as good prices. The majority of these men are 

 married and have their homes in the cities or towns near where they sell their catch. 



18. THE AMERICAN FISHERMEN OF CALIFORNIA. 



The number of Americans engaged in fishing on the coast of California is exceedingly limited, 

 as Prof. Jordan points out in his discussion of the history of the fisheries of this State. The principal 

 Ashing towns, San Buenaventura, San Diego, and Wilmington, have grown up entirely within the 

 last twenty years. The Americans introduced the eastern system to some extent, but the more 

 frugal habits of the Chinese and Italians, who enter the field as their rivals, have enabled them to 

 occupy the field to the exclusion of the former, who prefer to turn their attention to more lu- 

 crative industries. As is elsewhere pointed out, the markets in this regioii are very poor, and 

 there is but little encouragement for enterprising men to engage in the fisheries. The fishing of 

 Americans has been, for the most part, confined to seal hunting, shark fishing, whale fishing, 

 trolling in the barracuda season, and similar industries which promise greater returns than ordi- 

 nary fishing. The first house in San Buenaventura was built in 18G0, and in 1870 its houses were 

 nearly all of adobe. The first house about San Diego was built about 18CS, while Wilmington 

 arose about 1870. The growth of these coast towns was rapid for a few years. About 1875 it 

 became feverish, and each of the towns went through a "real estate period." Speculation was 

 universal, and hundreds of people came to each town hoping to make their fortunes. Prices 

 were high, and in every department of work about fifteen men were engaged where there is now 

 one. Then came a relapse and a collapse with harder times; there was less speculation and less 

 demand for it. The whale fisheries declined; there were fewer mouths to feed and less cash to 

 buy food, and the fishermen left the region. 



19. THE ITALIAN FISHERMEN ON THE PACIFIC COAST. 



FROM NOTES BY DAVID S. JORDAN. 



In the shore fisheries of the Pacific coast there are engaged three hundred and three Italian 

 fishermen. 



San Diego County, California. — In San Diego County, where formerly there was a con 

 siderable number of Italians engaged in fishing, there are now none, they having been starved out 

 by the Chinese, who furnished fish to the local maiket of San Diego at such low rates as to render 

 competition on the part of the Italians impossible. It is not more than ten years ago that the 

 Italian fishermen had the entire business at this place in their own hands. When they left they 

 traveled in a northerly direction. 



Los Angeles County, California.— In Los Angeles County, at Wilmington, there are 

 eight Italian fishermen. They fish in two boats. These boats are not provided with live-boxes; 

 the fish are therefore thrown in a heap on the forward part of the deck. 



Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, California. — There is only one professional 

 Italian fisherman in Ventura County, at San Buenaventura. He has a small lateen-rigged boat. 

 He uses two seines, each 240 feet by 10 feet, and one gill-net. His fish he peddles about the town 

 at 6 cents per pound. An Italian shoemaker buys up the catches of some Chinese and Californians 

 and peddles them through the town and among the Ventura Valley farmers, who give vegetables 

 in exchange. 



The fishermen in Santa Barbara County are chiefly Genoese, who speak English. French, and 



