MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 147 



Banks, George's, ami shore cod fisheries, the Greenland halibut fishery, and the bait-fisheries for 

 herring, squid, and menhaden. 



THE TBADE IN FEESH FISH. Some fish have always been sold in a fresh condition, though it 

 is only about twenty years since any great quantities have been distributed direct from Gloucester. 

 Vessels belonging to this port generally took their catch to Boston, instead of landing it here. 

 About I860 a few freighters found considerable profit in buying fresh fish from the vessels, as they 

 arrived from the Banks, and taking them to Boston. In this way time was saved to the fishermen 

 and some profit realized by Gloucester dealers. Ice had been in use in the vessels ior some fifteen 

 years prior to that date, but very little had been done in packing fish in ice for transportation 

 over the country until the year I860. At that time Mr. William H Oakes and Mr. Seth Stockbridge, 

 of Gloucester, were induced by some Boston dealers to try the experiment of shipping fresh fish 

 from Gloucester to Boston and New York, packed with ice in old sugar-boxes. The experiment 

 was entirely successful, and a profitable business soon developed, so that a large part of the shore 

 catch ol haddock and the catch of halibut by the George's Bank vessels were sent in this way by 

 rail or steamer to Boston and other places. 



At the present time almost the entire catch of the fresh halibut fleet, that of the boat-fisheries, 

 and part of the catch of the haddock fleet is distributed direct from Gloucester to all parts of New 

 England, and as far west as Chicago and Omaha. Boston remains the headquarters for the 

 trade in fresh haddock, and most of the Gloucester vessels in that fishery go there for a market. 



The fresh-fish business is carried on by several companies, who own wharves and sheds with 

 all the conveniences for quickly packing the fish. Part of the capital of the companies is supplied 

 by Boston and New York dealers. 



The total quantity of fresh fish annually landed at this port and sent away in ice is from 

 13,000,000 to 16,000,000 pounds, the greater part of which is halibut. In 1879 the quantity of fresh 

 halibut landed was 11,336,000 pounds. It was mostly brought here from the deep waters of the 

 offshore banks by the fleet of some fifty vessels employed in that fishery. Part of the receipts of 

 this fish is from the George's cod vessels, which usually take from a few hundred to some 4,000 or 

 5,OCO pounds of halibut, which are iced and brought home with the salt codfish. Codfish taken by 

 the shore boats are shipped fresh whenever the demand will warrant, though much of the catch of 

 these boats is sold to the splitters and dried. About 2,000,000 pounds of fresh cod and haddock 

 are annually sent in ice from Gloucester. Fresh mackerel are sent from here in considerable quan- 

 tities, though most of the Gloucester vessels in the fresh-mackerel fishery take their catch direct 

 to Boston. 



There is considerable competition between the several fresh fish companies, whose agents board 

 the vessels as they enter the harbor and make offers for the trip. A very spirited auction often 

 occurs on the vessel's deck before the anchors are dropped. As soon as possible after a purchase 

 has been effected, the vessel is hauled to the company's wharf and the cargo taken out by the crew, 

 assisted by the company's men. The fish are at once weighed, cleaned, and packed in boxes 

 holding from 300 to 450 pounds of fish, with sufficient crushed ice to insure their preservation. In 

 the case of halibut, the heads are taken off and sold to the oil makers, while codfish heads are 

 generally carted back into the country to be used for guano. The boxes of fish are carted to the 

 railway station and loaded in special cars chartered by the companies. It is nothing uncommon 

 for a trip of 75,000 pounds of halibut to be taken from a vessel, weighed, packed, and loaded on 

 the cars within a few hours in one forenoon, and by the next morning to be marketed in New York 

 and Philadelphia. 



The retail trade in fish is very small, there being only three fish-markets and four or five "fish- 



