65C HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
Mr. P. M. Osterhout tells of a firm (Miller & McCord) living at Tunkhannock 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 bis 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. The “Oswego bass,” ‘Susquehanna salmon,” “ Yellow 
bass,” “Striped bass,” ‘Susquehanna 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 me 
shad fishing, the following extracts from Hazard’s Register are of interest: 
1829. May 9, page 304. “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 Susquehanna, 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 Sunbury 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 avergged 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 6, 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 Susquehanna 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.” 
