588 HTSTOEY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



The clain fishery at Chatham as a business dates back about fifteen years. It began in small 

 proportions and has grown rapidly, especially since the decline of the fishing business in general. 

 Many men do not now realize enough from their summer fishing to support their families upon 

 during the winter ; they must dig clams or starve. There are also many old men whose time of 

 offshore fishing has gone by, and who must content themselves with inshore fishing in summer 

 and clam raking in winter. From these two classes the force of clam fishermen in most part comes. 

 With them, however, are many youths who still live under the paternal roof, but whose fathers 

 are unable to support them. Altogether about one hundred and fifty men dig for clams every 

 winter in Chatham Harbor, beginning in November and raking every fair day until April. The 

 tools used are short-handled, three-pronged iron rakes. The law of the State applying to these 

 flats is as follows : 



" No fisherman or any other person shall take from the towns of Chatham and Nautucket any 

 shell-fish, for bait or other use, except clams and a shell-fish commonly known by the name of 

 horse-feet; and no quantity exceeding seven bushels of clams, including the shells, or one 

 hundred of said horse-feet shall be taken in one week for each vessel or craft, nor in any case 

 without a permit being first obtained from the selectmen of the town."* 



Following is Mr. F. W. True's report, made in 1880, on the present condition of the fishery : 



" About five years ago Mr. Taylor's father took about 150 barrels to Provincetown, where they 

 were looked upon with favor. Since that time and until last year the business rapidly increased. 

 The clams are sold by the fishermen to three or four firms in the grocery business in Chatham, 

 who advance them credit, hold the clams over until spring, and then sell them at good prices. This 

 is to the advantage of the fishermen, and makes a little trade for the shops. Usually about 700 

 barrels of salt clams are sold each year at $4 per barrel. This is equal to about 4,800 bushels. 

 Each man would get about 5 barrels as an average, but some who are very persistent and success- 

 ful take 25 barrels. In the winter of 1877-'78 the sea-clatn fishery at Dennis Port was a partial 

 failure, and in that year 1,000 barrels of Chathams were sold. Last winter (1878-'79) clams were 

 scarce at Chatham and not much over 400 barrels were taken. These weie all salted and sold for 

 bait at much higher rates than previously. It happened last year that cod were very abundant in 

 Provincetown Harbor, and as a consequence bait was in demand. Chatham is but a short distance 

 from Provincetown by rail. As fresh bait is always preferred to salt bait, a large amount of clams 

 were sent from Chatham out of the shell but not salted. Probably about 300 barrels were shipped 

 for immediate use. 



" In addition to this catch by citizens, for the past three years a Boston dealer has sent down 

 a team to cart clams from Chatham to the depot at Harwich, and hired men at 25 cents per bushel 

 to dig them. It is supposed that he took in the neighborhood of 2,000 barrels of clams in the shell 

 each year. 



" The citizens of Chatham feel very much offended at having their fisheries disturbed by an 

 outsider and appealed to the General Court for protection." 



Examination of this report seems to disclose that one hundred and fifty men sell 8,400 bushels 

 for themselves and about 24,000 bushels for the Boston firm, whose intruding enterprise and com- 

 petition naturally disgust them. This makes 32,400 bushels. Supposing they eat at home 2,000 

 bushels, an estimate of the total yield at that locality per year would be 35,000 bushels. They are 

 worth not more than 35 cents a bushel, however, which would make the cash value of the crop 

 $12,250. 



Beyond this point anything on the bay side of Cape Cod in the way of soft clams is of small 



" Rev. Stat., c. 55, 1C ; Stat. 1850, c. 6, $ 2. 



