THE LOBSTER FISHERY. 765 



large lobsters for the smacks, but using all of the small and otherwise unmarketable ones for bait. 

 The above remarks concerning South Harpswell apply to all the lobster fisheries of Casco Bay, 

 excepting Portland. 



For many years after 1850, when the tirst cannery was started at South Harpswell, the 

 fishermen worked in pairs, using about seventy-five traps to a boat. The dail-y catch per boat 

 averaged 400 to 500 lobsters of salable sizes. All under 2 pounds in weight were thrown away, 

 and the remainder were sold to the canneries at an average price of 3 cents each in the spring, 

 and 2 cents each in the fall. The season extended from March to May and from September to 

 November 15. After the factories had closed the catch was sold to New York and Boston smacks, 

 only a small quantity going to Portland. The prices paid by the smacks were about the same as 

 those given by the canneries, beginning at 3J to 4 cents in the early spring, and falling as low as 

 1 cents when lobsters became more plentiful. Frequently, when the markets were dull, the 

 fishermen, after culling out all under 2 pounds in weight, would bring their catch to the smacks, 

 which, in turn, would throw out about a third more, taking only the very largest lobsters. 

 This happened only late in the fall, or during very dull times. At other times the smacks would 

 take all weighing over 2 pounds at a fair price. The marketable lobsters then averaged about 3J 

 pounds each. 



SMALL, POINT. On the Casco Bay side of Small Point, from Horse Island Harbor to Bald 

 Head, lobsters have grown very scarce during late years, and a large share of those taken are 

 unfit for market. The fishery is carried on by a few men in small boats, who sell their catch to 

 the Portland, Harpswell, and Freeport smacks. The season extends from April 1 to December 1. 

 It often happens that the fishermen leave off lobstering for days or even weeks at a time to fish 

 for mackerel when they are abundant near shore. At such times they leave their pots set, and 

 haul them when an opportunity offers. Flounders, sculpins, fish heads, lumpfish, and catfish are 

 mainly used as bait. The men handle on an average thirty-five pots each, go singly, and make a 

 gross season's stock of about $125. The daily catch per trap averages about one marketable and 

 three small lobsters. 



CANNERIES. There are two lobster canneries in this district, one located at South Harpswell, 

 the other at South Freeport. The former is owned by Marsh & Dennett, and the latter by William 

 K. Lewis & Brother. At the South Harpswell cannery mackerel, as well as lobsters, were 

 originally preserved, but this branch of the business has been abandoned. This establishment 

 was started in 187G; in 1879 it was opened from April 8 to July 3, only closing at this early date 

 because of the s-carcity of lobsters. The South Freeport cannery was established in the fall of 

 187G, and puts up lobsters, clams, and mackerel. The season of 1879 lasted from April 12 to July 

 31. Both of these canneries draw almost all of their supplies of lobsters from Casco Bay. The 

 total live weight of the lobsters used by them in 1880 amounted to 305,000 pounds, for which the 

 sum of $3,050 was paid to the fishermen. Mr. George F. Lewis, superintendent of the South 

 Freeport cannery, states that the lobsters used there average larger than at most canneries, as 

 the fishermen supplying them set their pots mainly out of the course of the well smacks, and find 

 about their only market at the cannery. During the two years prior to 1880 the following 

 quantities of one pound cans of lobsters were put up by these two canneries : In 1878, 81,000 

 cans; in 1879, 64,000 cans. Three-fourths of the products of the South Harpswell cannery are 

 sent to Burnliam & Morrill, Portland, and one fourth to Kemp & Day, Boston. All of the 

 products of the South Freeport cannery are sent to William K. Lewis & Brother, Boston. 



The canning of lobsters was started in this district, about 1850, by Mr. William Underwood, 

 who opened a factory at South Harpswell, and kept it running for about five years. A year or 



