474 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



years it was carried on only in a small way, the work being done chiefly by fishermen who had 

 rude smoke-houses near the shore, in which they prepared a sufficient quantity for local use. The 

 New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia fishermen smoke the sea-herring, and those .along 

 the southern coast smoke the alewife, or fresh-water herring, as it is more frequently called. As 

 the northern fisheries grew in importance a trade sprung up with the West Indies, and large quan- 

 tities of dried fish were exported yearly, a market being thus found for small quantities of smoked 

 herring. A few of the Massachusetts aud Maine fishermen, as well as those of the British Prov- 

 inces, became interested in the work, and small smoke-houses might be seen here and there along 

 almost any portion of the coast, though in no locality was there any extensive business. 



2. LOCATION OF THE INDUSTRY. 



The first town on the continent to become noted for its smoked herring was Digby, Nova 

 Scotia, where a Scotch fishermen located about 1795, and turned his attention to the preparation 

 of the fish by a method similar to that employed in his native country. His fish, being much su- 

 perior to the ordinary brands, met with considerable favor in the markets of both Nova Scotia and 

 the United States, where they soon came to be known as "Digby chickens," a name which they 

 retained for many years. Later, some of the fishing-settlements along the coast of Maine became 

 extensively interested in the smoking of herring, large quantities being put up annually and sent 

 to Boston for distribution. The principal towns engaged in this work during the first half of the 

 present century were Eastport, Lubec, Millbridge, Deer Isle, Lamoine, Booth Bay, Southport, and 

 Westport. Some of these, after continuing in the business for a number of years, found that the 

 margin of profit was so reduced that if they continued the business it must be done at an actual 

 loss. One after another the fishermen of these places turned their attention to other branches of 

 the fisheries, and since the Rebellion the business has been practically controlled by the towns of 

 Eastport and Lubec; the latter at the present time putting up fully half of the smoked herring 

 prepared within the limits of the United States. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY AT EASTPORT AND LUBEC. As these towns have from 

 the first taken a leading part in the smoked-herring industry and are now the principal ones 

 engaged in the work, it seems proper to give a more detailed account of the origin aud development 

 of the industry among their people. The historical facts relating to the smoked-herring business 

 in this region were obtained during an interview with Mr. Jacob McGregor, who was among the 

 pioneers in herring smoking at Lubec. As early as 1808 parties in the vicinity of Eastport, then a 

 trading post of considerable importance, engaged extensively in the herring fisheries, smoking each 

 season considerable quantities of herring, which they sent to Boston for a market. About 1812 the 

 region came to be more thickly peopled, and a settlement was formed at Lubec Narrows for the 

 purpose of trading with foreigu vessels that came to the region. These narrows were at the time 

 the favorite path of the herring on their way from the sea to the large salt-water bays, farther 

 in. Finding large quantities of fish at their very doors the inhabitants engaged extensively in 

 catching them, and occupied a considerable portion of their time in smoking and salting the fish. 

 The year 1812 may then be properly considered as the time of the origin of the herring smoking 

 at Lubec, from which time this place has taken the lead in this branch of the fisheries. In 1821, 

 according to Mr. McGregor, there were about twenty smoke-houses, each curing 2,500 to 3,000 

 boxes of herring annually. The business gradually increased until 1845, when it occupied the 

 attention of a majority of the inhabitants, and from this date to 1865 not less than 500,000 boxes 

 of herring were cured annually within the limits of the town. 



Owing to the increased demand, and to the difficulty of securing an abundance of fish at home, 



