650 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



Mr. P. M. OsterLout tells of a firm (Miller & McCord) living at Tunkhanuock which did quite 

 an extensive business in shad, sending the cured ones up the river into New York State, and far 

 down the river. 



Mr. Fowler says : "No farmer, or man with a family, was without his barrel, or barrels, of shad 

 the whole year round. Besides furnishing food for the immediate inhabitants, people from Mahan- 

 tango, Blue Mountains, and, in fact, for 50 miles around, would bring salt in tight barrels, and trade 

 it for shad." 



Mr. Harvey says: "Boats coming up the river used to bring leather, cider, whisky, cider 

 royal, salt, iron, &c., and would take back shad." 



OTHER FISH. We do not find that any other deep-sea fish (with the exception of eels) ever 

 came up the river above Northumberland. Tbe "Oswego bass," "Susquehanua salmon," "Yellow 

 bass," "Striped bass," "Susquehauua bass" spoken of by the different correspondents appear to 

 be the same fish, which is also sometimes called the wall-eyed pike ; an excellent fish introduced 

 into the river many years ago from Oswego Lake; they are not now as plenty as formerly, though 

 within the past few years they have been increasing perceptibly. The other fish mentioned are 

 nothing but the common river fish. 



EFFECT OF DAMS. There is no question that the building of the dams necessary to feed the 

 canals put a stop at once to shad fishing; all our correspondents agree that after the Nanticoke 

 dam was finished, in 1830, no shad were ever caught above it. As to the effect of the dams on the 

 shad fishing, the following extracts from Hazard's Register are of interest : 



1829. May 9, page 30 1. "Lewiston, Pa., May 2. It is stated that shad are caught in much 

 greater abundance below the dam at North Island, in the Juniata, than has ever been known at 

 any previous time. It is supposed that the dam in the Susquehauna, immediately above the mouth 

 of the Juniata, has the effect of directing their course up the Juniata. The dam at North Island 

 retards their passage farther, and the consequence is that the people farther up the Juniata are 

 deprived of the luxury of fresh shad, which so abundantly falls to the lot of their neighbors a few 

 miles lower down. But we must be content with these little deprivations by the promise of the 

 immense advantages which are to accrue to the country from the canal." 



1830. May 8, page 304. The Suubury Beacon of Monday the 26th of April, says: " Not less 

 than from 4,000 to 5,000 shad were caught on Saturday last within a quarter of a mile below the 

 dam. Upwards of 500 were taken by one dip-net, and several others averaged 200 and 300 each. 

 We understand that several hundred were caught with dip-nets yesterday." 



1831. May 14, page 318. From the Wyoming Herald: " Wilkes-Barre, May G, 1831. While 

 the raftsmen complain of the Nanticoke dam, the boys find in it a source of amusement. The 

 bass which ascend at this season in great numbers, stopped by the dam, offered fine sport. In- 

 deed, hooks, half a dozen at a time without bait, are let down and suddenly drawn up often with 

 two or three bass hooked by the side." 



And on the same page, from the Susquehanua Democrat: " A short time since great quanti- 

 ties of bass were caught in a small eddy formed in the river directly below the abutment of the 

 Nanticoke dam. The fish apparently lay there in schools, and by drawing hooks through the 

 eddy numbers were caught. On Thursday and Friday last a number of fine shad were caught in 

 the same way. One man drew out 9 in one day, and sold them for 50 cents each. This is the 

 first instance within our knowledge of shad being caught with a hook. We mention the fact as 

 one altogether new, as well as to say to the down-river folks, our market has not been altogether 

 destitute of shad, though many a gentleman's table has." 



