tpi AP^KNDIX. MENHADEN FISHERY. 



There were then no purse nets used on the bay, and he depended wholly 

 on bay fishing with seines, which was then very good. War prices pre- 

 vailed; crude scrap sold tor $20 per ton, and oil for 90 cents to $1.00 per 

 gallon. Induced by these figures Green bought a purse net and engaged a 

 captain from Jamesport too instruct the bay fishermen in its use. A few years 

 later he sold out to his brothers and put up works on the South Beach; but 

 the business becoming unprofitable he sold it to other parties; this factory 

 is now owned and run by Smith & Yarrington, of Sayville. In 1863 Mr. 

 Terry and others bought works at Cape May, New Jersey, and moved them 

 to Cap Tree Island, near Fire Island Light; he directed this factory 'till 

 1877, when he bought out the other owners and purchased of Wall's Sons (of 

 Williamsburgh) their works at The Ranges, consolidating the two in one 

 and still carrying on the business, which has paid him a moderate profit. 

 Wall's Sons expended a large sum on their factory, vessels, nets, etc., and 

 employed John M. Rogers, as Superintendent. After about 6 years trial 

 they had sunk fully one hundred thousand dollars, and then sold the es- 

 tablishment to Mr. i erry for less than 10 per cent, of its cost. Willett 

 Green and others removed their works from Saville to the South Beach and 

 the second year afterwards it was burned, causing them a heavy loss; it 

 was not rebuilt. Edgar Gillette put up pot-works at Blue Point and run 

 them lor a few years, but the business proved unprofitable and he gave it up. 

 John S. Havens and others put up pot-works at Swan Creek, near Patch- 

 gue, and ran them for some ten years; the Bay fishing fell oft' and they 

 were too far from Fire Island Inlet to get fish by means of purse nets, so 

 they closed up the business. In 1880 George Comstock erected works on 

 the South Beach, where he and his brother are still engaged in the business. 

 The three factories now running are: The South Bay Oil W^orks, W. J. 

 Terry owner; the Smith & Yarnngton, and Comstock Brothers. For four 

 years past none of these have paid much profit owing to scarcity of fish, 

 while that year (1883) the fish were so small and poor that the three factor- 

 ies closed up ocean fishing on Sept. 15. On the whole the menhaden fish- 

 ery in the Great South Bay has not been a source of profit to factory owners 

 but it has artorded a fair livelihood to the fishermen. 



To exhibit more clearly the actual extent ot the menhaden interest in 

 Suff"olk County for the year 1883, the appended table has been prepared; 

 it includes two factories, located on Barren Island, in Kings County, which 

 were supplied with fish by Suff'olk County fishermen, and were owned 

 or operated by Suffolk County men. To the total catch on 

 Peconic and Gardiner's Bays should be added some four mdlion fish ren- 

 dered at the pot-works of W. M. Tuthill & Sons, at Napeague, but the 

 other figures of their operations have been mislaid and cannot be replaced. 



