THE SHAD STREAMS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 159 


quickly jerked up; I caught two in that way; others had better luck, 
and it was reported that one man caught seventy in one day; but I think 
a large reduction would come nearer the truth.” 
Mr. C. Dorrance sends from Hot Springs, Arkansas, the following re- 
port: 
“T must from necessity confine myself to the shad fisheries within 
Wyoming Valley. My memory carries me back to the fishery at Mo- 
nocacy island, the one below the falls near the mouth of Mill creek, ouc 
at Plymouth (in part a night fishery), one at or immediately below Nan- 
ticoke falls. 
“The fishery near Mill creek was regarded as the main or most reliable 
fishery, as it could be fished at stages of water when some of the 
others could not, and much the largest number of shad were taken there, 
sweeping as it did from the foot of the falls, nearly the entire river to 
the bar—drawing out upon the lands of my father, where it was my busi- 
ness, as & lad, every evening after school, to be with horse and wagon to 
receive our share of shad. No unpleasant duty, for well do I remember 
as they came sweeping into the beak, the net in rainbow form; the corks 
indicating the position where Captain Bennett would discharge his men 
from the sea, or large boat with the outer brail, and passing out and along 
the net, on the discovery would shout, ‘ Here’s shad boys, hold down 
the lead line!’ 
“As to the money values or rentals, I have no data from which to form 
an opinion, as the fisheries were established by the first settlers joining 
their limited means with the land owners, forming a company there by 
common consent to their children; none were rented as far as my know- 
ledge extends. Owners of rights would allow men who had none to fish 
for them on shares, thus extending the benefits as far as possible; good 
feeling pervaded the community in those days. 
“With the exception of an occasional striped bass, or, as they were 
then called “Oswego bass” of large size (supposed to have been intro- 
duced to the head waters of the Susquehanna from that lake), none of 
value were taken, as the nets were woven for large shad only.” 
“T cannot better illustrate the value and importance of the shad fish- 
eries at that early day, to the people on the Susquehanna river, than to 
repeat an anecdote told me long years after by a genial gentleman of 
New England, who, in youth, visited my father at his home in Wyoming. 
Leaning on the front gate after breakfast, as the little children were 
passing to school, each with a little basket, the universal answer from 
their cheery upturned faces was, ‘Bread and shad, Bread and shad 
(corn bread at that). 
“What think you, my dear sir? Had that fish diet anything to do 
with the known enterprise of that generation? If so, would it not be 
well to make a strong and united effort to again introduce so valuable 
an element of brain material? 
