FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES. 
331 
SHORE INDUSTRIES. 
The most important of the shore fishing-industries of this State is the wholesale 
trade in fresh fish, turtles, terrapins, oysters, shrimps, crabs, etc., which is centered at 
Savannah and Thunderbolt. Six firms, employing 114 persons in various capacities 
and having over $70,000 invested, are engaged in buying products from the fishermen 
of this and other States and in shipping them to southern, western, and northern 
markets. 2,400 tons of ice, valued at $12,000, were consumed in 1890 in the preserva- 
tion of the products during and prior to transportation. This business is very extensive ; 
in 1890 the quantity of fish, etc., purchased and sold was 9,4(35,501 pounds, for which 
the dealers paid $392,719, while the gross sales were probably not less than $1,000,000. 
The principal details of this trade are brought out in the following table. The mullet, 
sheepshead, squeteague, channel bass, miscellaneous fish, green turtle, and 290,595 of 
the shad came from Florida. The snappers were caught by New England smacks 
fishing off the Florida coast and landing their fares in Savannah. The oysters, crabs, 
shrimps, terrapins, and 32,000 of the shad were taken by local fishermen. Oysters are 
shipped in the shell and also shucked, most of the employes recorded being engaged 
in opening oysters in Savannah and Thunderbolt. 
39, — Table showing the extent of the wholesale fish trade of Chatham County, Georgia, in 1890. 
Items. 
Number. 
Value. 
6 
13 
101 
Persons employed : 
$39, 100 
34, 200 
12, 000 
2,400 
Products handled: 
Channel bass pounds. . 
Mullet do 
Shad do 
Sheepshead do — 
Snappers do 
Squeteague do 
Miscellaneous fish do 
Green turtle do 
Terrapins do 
Shrimps do 
Crabs do 
Oysters do 
Total number of pounds and value paid 
209, 000 
4, 183, 400 
*1, 048, 434 
390, 000 
1, 500, 000 
445, 000 
315, 000 
80, 000 
138, 160 
+148, 000 
§31, 900 
||1, 076, 607 
$11, 495 
104, 585 
80, 649 
20, 450 
45, 000 
24, 475 
17, 325 
8,000 
10, 360 
6,475 
798 
63, 107 
9, 465, 501 
392, 719 
*322,595 in number. f 12,720 in number. J 3,700 busbels. § 95,700 in number. 
||153,801 bushels; most of the oysters were sold in an opened condition. 
The retail fish trade is an important part of the industrial life of Savannah. 
There are eleven regular fish-stalls in the city market, which are the property of the 
city and are annually rented for $202 to $305 each. Nine of the stalls are kept open 
throughout the year, but two are not used regularly except on Saturday night, when 
the sale of catfish forms the bulk of the business. In 4890 22 men were engaged in 
this trade, $3,225 was paid for rent, the capital invested was about $42,000, and the 
cash required to properly run the industry was $10,000. 
