FRESH-HALIBUT FISHERY. 27 
The remarkable increase in the importance of this fishery during the past eighteen years may 
perhaps best be illustrated by quoting the following paragraph from the Cape Ann Advertiser of 
January 16, 1863, and cowparing it with what follows: 
‘The schooner Marengo, from Western Banks, arrived at Gloucester with 17,000 pounds of 
halibut, which sold for $1,300. The schooner William Parkman, with 11,000 pounds, selling for 
$900, and the Madame Rolland, with a trip amounting to $600, making a gross amount of $2,800 
for the three trips. This,” remarks the editor, “‘is what we call doing the thing up brown.” 
We will now compare the big trips above mentioned with the following references to other 
large fares during the last twelve years, as recorded in the Cape Ann Advertiser: 
“The schooner Daniel McFee arrived at Gloucester May 4, 1860, with 45,000 pounds of halibut, 
which sold for $1,125. 
“ The schooner Cyniska arrived May 10, 1860, finn Western Banks, with 40,000 pounds. 
“The schooner Mohenie arrived February 3, 1860, from George’s Bank with 13,000 pounds of 
halibut, which sold for $1,240,” 
In April, 1867, schooner Aphrodite arrived at Gloucester from Western Bank and landed one 
of the most profitable trips ever made by a Gloucester vessel. She was absent twenty days, and 
brought in 41,000 pounds of halibut and 2,000 pounds of codfish, the gross stock amounting to 
$4,246.37. Net stock, $4,126.72. The crew shared $171.51 apiece. There had been larger fares 
brought in up to this time, but never so large an amount of money realized from the sales, halibut 
then being very scarce and commanding a good price. 
A trip of’ 80,000 pounds of halibut was brought to Gloucester in May, 1867, by schooner 
Flying Fish. 
The schooner James G. Tarr arrived at Gloucester in July, 1867, from the Grand Bank with 
140,000 weight of halibut and codfish. There were upward of 100,000 pounds of halibut weighed 
off, the largest amount up to that time ever landed from a single fare. The vessel stocked about 
$4,000. 
' The Cape Ann Advertiser of May 29, 1868, says: “Schooner Mary G. Dennis, which arrived 
from Western Banks last week, brought in 75,395 pounds of halibut, and 9,950 pounds of codfish. 
Her net stock amounted to $3,604.85, and the crew shared $143.85 eacl. Time absent, four 
weeks.” 
The same paper for June 19, 1868, says: ‘“ Schooner Montana, Welsh, arrived from a four weeks’ 
cruise to the Grand Banks last week, with 95;773 pounds of halibut and 2,250 pounds of codfish, 
the net stock amounting to $3,265. The Montana, in her two trips to the Grand Banks, has 
stocked $6,000.” And the Advertiser of July 24, in the same year, says: “Schooner Montana 
arrived from her third trip to the Grand Banks on Friday last, with 65,227 pounds of halibut and 
2,100 pounds of codfish, her net stock amounting to $2,329.02. The Montana has stocked in her 
five trips $10,311.02, which is the highest net stock made this season by any Gloucester vessel.” 
' The Cape Ann Advertiser of September 24, 1869, says: “Schooner C. B. Manning, of this 
port, which arrived from the Grand Banks on Sunday, brought in 49,000 pounds of halibut and 
14,000 pounds of codfish, having been absent but four weeks. The halibut were sold for $12 and 
$8 per hundred-weight, her net stock amounting to $4,033.44. Crew shared $116.06 each. 
In 1869, the ‘schooner Sarah P. Ayer, Captain Thurlow, owned by Dennis & Ayre, stocked 
$4,251 from a trip of thirty-five days. This was one of the biggest trips of that time. In five 
‘trips that year she stocked $12,000. In 1871 the schooner Mary G. Dennis, owned by Dennis & 
Ayre, brought in 116,000 pounds of halibut, which sold for $2,400. 
The schooner Lizzie K. Clark, of Gloucester, Capt. Edwin Morris, arrived in March, 1874, 
