30 FISHERMEN OE THE UNITED STATES. 



Danish. They nearly all came here from San Francisco about eight years ago. Most of them are 

 Roman Catholics, and, as a rule, are a simple, hearty, honest class of people. They live in 

 reasonable comfort; better than the same class in Italy. Many of them have families, anil they 

 are quiet, industrious, order loving citizens. Their profits are small, nor could they be increased 

 much by catching more fish. Their children are generally bright and active. Many of them 

 speak English and Spanish well, besides French and Italian. The first Italian fisherman who 

 came there, Francesco Cavagleri, arrived in 1S35. He made money. by supplying a Spanish family 

 of wealth with fish. The Italians with their lateen rigged vessels came to San Francisco in 1848, 

 and spread southward. The winter storms were too severe, and there were no wharves from 

 which they could fish, so they left, and the Italians now there, five in number, have none of them 

 beeu residents more than eight years. Their profits are small, and have been since the flush times 

 Of 1874-'7G. 



Monterey County, California. — The Italians living and fishing in Monterey County are 

 conspicuous in their costume, which consists of black and white checked shirts, red flannel under- 

 shirts, gray trousers, black felt hats, golden ear rings, and high rubber boots. On clear days a 

 large Italian flag waves from their principal house inscribed, "Roma, la capitale d' Italia." Two 

 or three of the nine Italians composing this company at Monterey are married. This company 

 came from San Francisco aud settled here in 1873. Georgio Vignosi, the captain, says that some 

 sorts of fish, especially the flounders, have diminished in number, and that the bay has been over- 

 fished. They manage to make a profit, on an average, of from $5 to $10 apiece per week. As 

 will be seen by comparison, they make more than the Italian fishermen iu San Francisco. They 

 have five sail boats, averaging three-fourths of a ton, and of the usual pattern. One is lateen- 

 rigged, the others sloop rigged. Resides these, they own three skiffs. They own two hundred 

 pieces of seine, each 240 feet long; some fine-meshed, for the capture of smelt, aud some coarse- 

 meshed for taking salmon. They own, in addition, twenty gill nets, each from 210 to 250 feet long, 

 and forty bunches of set-lines. 



Santa Cruz County, California. — In Santa Cruz, Sauta Cruz County, there are fourteen 

 fishermen from Italy. They live in the southern part of the city in detached houses, not forming 

 a fisherman's quarter. They lash their boats, when not in use after hoisting them, to the docks; 

 they do but little fishing iu winter, except at certain favorable times, on account of rough weather. 

 At Soquel are three Italians. These own four boats. They ship to San Francisco, and make 

 greater profits than are made elsewhere on the coast. 



San Francisco County, California. — First in importance as the abode of Italian fishermen 

 on the California coast comes San Francisco County. In the city of San Francisco there are prob- 

 ably not less than 220 regular fishermen. About 70 boats are in use here. In 1S7G the"paranzelle" 

 was introduced, a drag net of common use in the Mediterranean Sea. 



The fishermen of other nationalities threatened to burn up these nets and the boats used 

 when they were first employed. San Francisco is the only place in this country where this style 

 of 6 shing has been introduced. There were formerly two rival companies who used these nets; they 

 have now consolidated and divide the profits equally. Each company has three boats and employs 

 11' oi- 1.'? men, one of whom is constantly engaged in selling lish in the market. The stock is owned 

 chiefly by men not actually engaged iu fishing. This is divided irregularly, one man owning a net. 

 another a boat, &c. Out of the gross profits are paid first the entire expenses, including provisions 

 of the men, wear of the boats and nets, &c. The remainder is divided into shares, one share to 

 each boat, one to each actual fisherman, and one hall' share to each net actually in use. In these 



