﻿THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  257 
  

  

  opened, 
  as 
  desired 
  by 
  purcliasers. 
  When 
  shucked 
  the 
  oysters 
  seldom 
  

   produce 
  over 
  3 
  quarts 
  of 
  meats 
  to 
  a 
  bushel. 
  The 
  market 
  is 
  limited 
  to 
  

   the 
  near-by 
  cities 
  and 
  towns 
  of 
  Florida 
  and 
  Georgia. 
  

  

  Tliere 
  seems 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  very 
  fa\orable 
  for 
  the 
  

   expansion 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry. 
  By 
  the 
  adoption 
  of 
  such 
  measures 
  

   as 
  are 
  now 
  followed 
  with 
  great 
  benefit 
  in 
  other 
  States 
  — 
  the 
  aUotinent 
  

   of 
  land 
  for 
  oyster 
  cultivation, 
  the 
  spreading 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  pre])ared 
  

   grounds, 
  the 
  planting 
  of 
  seed 
  and 
  cultch, 
  etc. 
  — 
  a 
  valuable 
  permanent 
  

   industry 
  may 
  here 
  be 
  established, 
  while 
  under 
  present 
  conditions 
  it 
  is 
  

   only 
  a 
  question 
  of 
  time 
  when 
  the 
  natural 
  supply 
  will 
  become 
  exhausted. 
  

  

  FISHERMEN, 
  PRICES, 
  SHIPMENTS, 
  MARKETS, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  The 
  Indian 
  liiver 
  fishermen 
  are 
  from 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country-, 
  and, 
  

   with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  are 
  white 
  and 
  American-born. 
  Some 
  had 
  followed 
  

   the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  Long 
  Island, 
  Sound, 
  and 
  Mississipju 
  

   Kiver 
  before 
  going 
  to 
  Florida. 
  A 
  number, 
  however, 
  were 
  entirel}* 
  with- 
  

   out 
  previous 
  experience 
  and 
  began 
  fishing 
  from 
  force 
  of 
  circumstances. 
  

   The 
  decline 
  of 
  the 
  steamboat 
  business 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  after 
  the 
  building 
  

   of 
  the 
  railroad 
  threw 
  many 
  persons 
  out 
  of 
  employment, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  

   these 
  are 
  now 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  leading 
  fish 
  firms. 
  The 
  great 
  damage 
  

   to 
  the 
  fruit 
  crop 
  by 
  frosts 
  forced 
  men 
  of 
  small 
  means 
  temporarily 
  at 
  

   least 
  into 
  other 
  branches, 
  the 
  fisheries 
  receiving 
  a 
  fair 
  i)roportion, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  the 
  limited 
  capital 
  required 
  to 
  begin 
  the 
  business. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  contract 
  with 
  some 
  fish-dealer 
  as 
  to 
  prices 
  

   to 
  be 
  paid 
  for 
  fish 
  during 
  a 
  i^articular 
  season. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  dealer 
  

   furnishes 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fishermen's 
  outfit, 
  and 
  takes 
  his 
  pay 
  in 
  fish. 
  

   During 
  1895 
  the 
  ruling 
  prices 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  from 
  the 
  deal- 
  

   ers 
  were 
  Ih 
  cents 
  each 
  for 
  mullet, 
  2 
  cents 
  a 
  pound 
  for 
  bluefish, 
  and 
  G 
  

   cents 
  a 
  pound 
  for 
  pompano 
  and 
  Spanish 
  mackerel. 
  All 
  other 
  fish, 
  

   which 
  are 
  collectively 
  known 
  as 
  "bottom 
  fish," 
  bring 
  li 
  cents 
  a 
  pound. 
  

   These 
  prices 
  seem 
  very 
  low, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  the 
  dealers 
  could 
  pay 
  

   much 
  more 
  and 
  realize 
  any 
  profit, 
  after 
  meeting 
  the 
  hcavj' 
  expenses 
  

   for 
  ice 
  and 
  the 
  express 
  charges 
  on 
  fish 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  distant 
  northern 
  

   markets. 
  Shipments 
  often 
  result 
  in 
  actual 
  loss, 
  owing 
  to 
  an 
  overstocked 
  

   market 
  or 
  the 
  spoiled 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  on 
  arrival. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  income 
  of 
  the 
  fishermen 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  in 
  1895 
  was 
  about 
  

   $200; 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  worked 
  at 
  the 
  fisheries 
  only 
  one-third 
  or 
  one-half 
  

   the 
  time, 
  being 
  engaged 
  in 
  other 
  business 
  during 
  the 
  renuiindei- 
  of 
  the 
  

   year. 
  

  

  Practically 
  the 
  entire 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  Kiver 
  fisheries 
  is 
  sold 
  

   fiesh. 
  From 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  small 
  lots 
  of 
  fish 
  have 
  been 
  salted, 
  but 
  the 
  

   demand 
  is 
  limited. 
  In 
  1895, 
  25,000 
  ])ounds 
  of 
  salt 
  nuillet 
  were 
  pre- 
  

   pared 
  at 
  Titusville, 
  Fort 
  Pierce, 
  ami 
  Eden. 
  The 
  fish 
  were 
  put 
  nj) 
  in 
  

   barrels 
  holding 
  200 
  jiounds 
  each, 
  and 
  sold 
  for 
  $5 
  per 
  barrel, 
  mostly 
  in 
  

   Charleston, 
  S. 
  C. 
  The 
  fish 
  when 
  thus 
  ])repared 
  are 
  si)lit 
  down 
  the 
  back 
  

   like 
  mackerel, 
  and, 
  if 
  jiroperly 
  treated, 
  are 
  an 
  excellent 
  article 
  of 
  food. 
  

   F. 
  E. 
  96 
  17 
  

  

  