﻿[77] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  293 
  

  

  and 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  above 
  described. 
  The 
  groupers 
  are 
  little 
  valued 
  at 
  

   Pensacola, 
  and 
  no 
  one 
  thinks 
  of 
  catching 
  them 
  in 
  quantities 
  as 
  they 
  do 
  

   snappers, 
  though 
  a 
  few 
  are 
  sometimes 
  taken. 
  

  

  6. 
  RUNNING 
  FOR 
  MARKET. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  fare 
  is 
  obtained 
  it 
  is 
  desirable 
  for 
  the 
  snapper-catchers 
  to 
  

   make 
  port 
  at 
  the 
  earliest 
  possible 
  moment, 
  because 
  their 
  cargo 
  is 
  a 
  

   perishable 
  one, 
  and 
  the 
  sooner 
  they 
  can 
  reach 
  a 
  market 
  the 
  better 
  will 
  

   be 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  their 
  fish. 
  Therefore, 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  decided 
  to 
  run 
  

   in, 
  all 
  sail 
  that 
  the 
  vessel 
  will 
  carry 
  is 
  piled 
  on, 
  and 
  she 
  is 
  driven 
  to 
  her 
  

   utmost. 
  This 
  is 
  particularly 
  the 
  case 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  possible 
  chance 
  of 
  

   reaching 
  Pensacola 
  Bar 
  before 
  day 
  closes, 
  since, 
  to 
  avoid 
  laying 
  off 
  the 
  

   harbor 
  all 
  night, 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  crowded 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  she 
  will 
  bear, 
  if 
  there 
  

   is 
  wind 
  enough. 
  If, 
  however, 
  she 
  cannot 
  reach 
  the 
  bar 
  before 
  night 
  fall 
  

   less 
  sail 
  is 
  carried, 
  for 
  unfortunately, 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  lack 
  of 
  suitable 
  range- 
  

   lights, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  safe 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  cross 
  the 
  bar 
  at 
  night, 
  particularly 
  in 
  

   bad 
  weather. 
  Occasionally 
  this 
  is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  but 
  the 
  risk 
  

   of 
  running 
  aground 
  is 
  too 
  great 
  to 
  warrant 
  the 
  attempt. 
  

  

  7. 
  LANDING 
  OF 
  THE 
  CARGOES 
  AND 
  DISPOSITION 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISH. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  vessel 
  reaches 
  the 
  wharf 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  hoisted 
  from 
  her 
  hold 
  

   in 
  tubs 
  to 
  the 
  storehouse, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  weighed 
  and 
  packed 
  for 
  trans- 
  

   portation. 
  The 
  method 
  of 
  packing 
  varies 
  somewhat, 
  though 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   stated 
  in 
  genera! 
  terms 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  iced 
  fish, 
  except 
  those 
  sent 
  to 
  New- 
  

   Orleans, 
  are 
  eviscerated 
  before 
  being 
  packed 
  for 
  shipment. 
  At 
  New 
  

   Orleans, 
  fish 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  eviscerated 
  do 
  not 
  sell 
  well, 
  w'e 
  were 
  told, 
  

   though 
  it 
  seems 
  strange 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  prejudice 
  should 
  exist. 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  the 
  opportunity 
  of 
  seeing 
  a 
  fare 
  of 
  snappers 
  packed 
  at 
  the 
  store- 
  

   house 
  of 
  the 
  Pensacola 
  Ice 
  Company. 
  After 
  being 
  weighed, 
  the 
  fish 
  

   were 
  ripped 
  down 
  the 
  belly 
  with 
  a 
  knife, 
  beheaded 
  with 
  a 
  hatchet 
  or 
  

   ax, 
  eviscerated, 
  and 
  packed 
  with 
  ice 
  in 
  barrels, 
  without 
  being 
  washed. 
  

  

  Warren 
  & 
  Co. 
  make 
  a 
  small 
  slit 
  near 
  the 
  vent 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  instead 
  <>( 
  

   ripping 
  it 
  open 
  ; 
  the 
  intestine 
  is 
  cut 
  near 
  its 
  posterior 
  extremity, 
  the 
  

   head 
  is 
  then 
  cut 
  off 
  and 
  the 
  viscera 
  pulled 
  out. 
  Fish 
  treated 
  this 
  way, 
  

   and 
  washed 
  clean, 
  look 
  much 
  more 
  attractive 
  than 
  if 
  ripped 
  open. 
  The 
  

   snappers 
  shipped 
  by 
  this 
  firm 
  to 
  E. 
  G. 
  Blackford, 
  New 
  York, 
  are 
  not 
  

   beheaded. 
  The 
  gills 
  are 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  the 
  viscera 
  removed 
  in 
  the 
  man- 
  

   ner 
  described. 
  

  

  The 
  red 
  snapper 
  is 
  remarkable 
  for 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  it 
  will 
  keep 
  in 
  

   excellent 
  condition 
  in 
  iee. 
  Packed 
  in 
  barrels 
  or 
  boxes, 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  we 
  

   have 
  mentioned, 
  it 
  is 
  sent 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  country, 
  more 
  particularly 
  to 
  the 
  

   large 
  cities; 
  going 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Boston 
  in 
  the 
  Northeast, 
  Chicago 
  in 
  the 
  

   Northwest, 
  Denver 
  in 
  the 
  far 
  West, 
  New 
  Orleans 
  in 
  the 
  Southwest, 
  and 
  

   Jacksonville 
  in 
  the 
  Southeast, 
  incidentally, 
  the 
  fish 
  may 
  reach 
  agreater 
  

   distance. 
  Thus, 
  they 
  sometimes 
  go 
  to 
  Galveston, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  claimed 
  t 
  hat 
  

   Minneapolis 
  is 
  supplied 
  with 
  them. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  cities 
  inside 
  these 
  

  

  