96 FISHERMEN OF THE UNITED STATES. 



in the haddock fishery, have an opportunity of making a yearly profit considerably larger than 

 those mentioned. 



The various cases just cited are, however, extraordinary ones, and the fishermen were re- 

 garded as unusually fortunate. A capable fisherman, with ordinal, \ success, engaging in fishing 

 at all seasons of the year, should make at least from $300 to *J00. It is probable that the fisher- 

 men of those New England ports which do not engage in the winter fisheries do not, as a rule, make 

 more than half as much. 



The profits of the labors of the shore or boat fisherman are generally much less. In the 

 winter shore fisheries of Provincetown, in some seasons, the fishermen pay out more for bait than 

 the fish which they catch are worth. The price of clam bait at that port is $6 per barrel, and, 

 since a barrel will last a dory only two days it is evident that their fishing must be uniformly suc- 

 cessful to insure them the slightest profit. 



Credit system. — In many fishing ports the fishermen become largely in debt to the men who 

 supply them with boats, and provisions needed by their families while they are fishing, and they 

 are often obliged to labor under considerable disadvantages. There is little evidence, however, 

 that the capitalists are to blame for this, since they are quite as dependent upon the vicissitudes of 

 the fisheries as the men to whom they supply the means of carrying on the actual work. 



Marblehead fishermen in 1834. — The financial condition of the fishermen of Marblehead 

 in 1834 was described by a correspondent of the Marblehead Gazette, as follows : 



" 1 promised to lay before your readers the reasons why fishermen of this town are unable to 

 gain more than a bare subsistence by means of their laborious and dangerous occupation. Many 

 of the young fishermen are addicted to gambling and other bad habits which reduce their circum- 

 stances. Not so with the older ones; they are an industrious and persevering class of men who 

 endeavor, by all the means in their power, to gain a livelihood and be independent. These men 

 have many obstacles to contend against besides those commou to us all; they have to contend 

 against the speculators on fish; these men often get the fish for one-third part less than they are 

 win th, on account of their combining themselves and frightening some one of the shoresmen with a 

 stoi \ respecting the low price fish will shortly stand at; or perhaps the shoresman is interested, and 

 can make more money by selling part of the fish in his possession, thereby setting a standard price 

 for others to sell at, and shortly alter purchasing directly or indirectly the remainder and then 

 speculating upon it. They also have to contend against enormous prices levied upon stores and 

 provisions of all kinds for themselves while at sea, and their families at home. These, sir. are the 

 causes why the fishermen of Marblehead are always poor. It is easily seen that if the speculator 

 is successful in establishing his price that the fishermen will fare but poorly, as the speculator will 

 not be contented with a small profit if he can have a larger one. I therefore advise the fishermen 

 of this and all other towns to form societies for the purpose of protecting themselves. It is not 

 a hard matter for them to gain the ascendency, if they keep a bright eye to windward, and do not 

 trust A, li. and C with the management of their affairs." 



