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THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1940 The Fishing Industry of New England, Founded by Basques in 1500, Is Oldest And One of Most Colorful in U. S. Today A typical scene on the piers at Gloucester, Mass., at the turn of the century showing mackerel ready for shipment. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) T HEY say that in this machine age there is little romance and ad venture in modern business. Yet, amid many of the na tion’s great industries which have lost much of their “col or” through mechanization, there is one that is still large ly hand-operated and in which the individuality of those who follow that trade remains in tact. That is the great New England fishing industry. It is probably the oldest contin uously operated industry in the United States today for it goes back nearly 450 years to that sum mer day about the year 1500 when a small group of Basque fisher men set out from a little coastal town in France in their small fishing boat. They had little luck on their usual fishing grounds and as the days went by ventured far ther and farther away from wa ters they knew. However, even in new waters lines and nets were still drawn up empty. This was their livelihood and it was neces sary that they find a fishing ground which would yield them a full boatload before they re turned home. They continued their search for more lucrative fishing waters and after many weeks they came to a strange coast where trees were green and flowers were bloom ing. They set their nets and cast their lines and in an almost un believably short time the boat was filled. They set sail for home and upon their arrival regaled their fellow fishermen with sto ries of their astounding luck in waters “on the other side of the sea.” Thus was born an industry which was to play its important role in the colonization and devel opment of the New World and to provide the archives of New Eng land with many historic sea sagas. As an indication of the poten tial wealth of the early New Eng land fishing industry, Gosnold, first navigator on the coast, caught so many cod that one voy age of six months yielded him 2,100 pounds in money. Where upon he remarked, “What sport doth yield a more pleasing con tent and less hurt or charge than angling with a hook crossing the sweet air from isle to isle, over the silent sterse of a calm sea.” Doughty Capt. John Smith of Virginia paid tribute to the indus try with these words, “Let not the meanness of the word ‘fish’ dis taste you, for it will afford as good gold as the wines of Guiana and Potassie with less hazard and charge and more certainty and facility.” By 1504 the Basques were fish ing regularly along the New Eng land coast. As word spread among other fishermen of the Old World of this fabulous fishing ground, the adventurous Basques were joined by men of other na tions. When the explorer Verra- zano landed south of the Pisca- taqua river near Boston he found fisheries carried on by French, Basques and Portuguese. Historic records of Massachu setts show that by 1615 there were 400 French and Portuguese and 200 English sails along the coast of New England. In 1623 a fish ing vessel attempting to land at a settlement on the Maine coast was unable to complete the land ing and “the master thought it good to pass into Massachusetts Bay.” He left 14 men and re turned to his home port in Spain. Next year the same vessel re turned and left 32 men. Thus was established the village of Gloucester where much of the early history of the Massachu setts fishing industry was to be written. By 1639 fish had become a medium of exchange and were being used as money. It was also due to fishing that all the arts of navigation flourished. In this ' same year the General Court of Massachusetts recognized the contributions its fishermen were making to the development of the New world by relieving them of military duty. In 1643 the citizens of the then small village of Boston held a celebration and the whole citizen ship turned out to pay honor to the launching of the “Trial,” first vessel to be built in that city. Designed to carry on trade be- rween the Old and New worlds, the “Trial” was forerunner of a .ong line of clipper ships which made colorful history for another century or so. Loaded with a cargo of salted and smoked fish, the “Trial” set sail for Balboa and Malaga. On her return trip she brought wine, fruit, oil, iron, and wool. At the beginning of the Eight eenth century New England was beginning its trade with the West Indies. Clipper ships took car goes of fish to the Indies and there exchanged them for sugar, molasses or rum. These prod ucts in turn were taken to Africa and exchanged for slaves which were sold to the Southern colonies or exchanged for tobacco. Fish for Appeasement. Meanwhile, Massachusetts was branching out in other directions. The first state in the colonies to Miss Reba Onigman has the distinction of being the only wom an fish commission merchant in the world. She operates at the Boston Fish pier. have a mint, it coined what be came known as the “pine tree” shilling pieces in 1652. Where upon Charles II of England be came displeased because he was not given a share of the profits. Massachusetts promptly sent ap peasement in the form of “ten barrels of cranberries, two hogs heads of samp and 3,000 codfish.” At the beginning of the Eight eenth century cod fishing was in a prosperous condition. The an nual production was about 330,000 quintals and the value of the fish exported was about $700,000, there being 400 fishing vessels of about 50 tons each in Massachu setts alone. By 1731 more than 7,000 men were employed in the New England fisheries. A re port of the Massachusetts fish eries made in 1837 shows what strides the industry was making. The total value of the cod and mackerel caught that year amounted to $3,208,866 and the number of vessels engaged in fish ing was 12,290, while the number of men employed had risen to 16,722. Today, the New England fishing industry has reached such propor tions that the annual catches amount to 670,000,000 pounds in round figures with a value of $20,000,000. Products manufac tured from the catch amount to an additional $24,000,000. Cen ter of this great activity is Bos ton where the “Stock Exchange” of the New England industry has headquarters and where the great fish plants pack, ice and ship mil lions of fresh fish annually. •Activity at the Boston fish pier gets under way officially at seven o’clock in the morning when the auction opens. In a huge un adorned room with its ceiling run ning up the four stories of the building, the auctioneers stand on a railed platform in the center. Around the platform cluster the buyers and it is they who decide the fortunes of the “farmers of the sea.” For, the prices they bid for the catch determine the | earnings of the men manning the fishing boats, who operate on shares. Heroes of the Pier. Many of these men are direct descendants of the Basque, Por tuguese and Spanish sailors who first made their way to the “other side of the sea” in the Sixteenth century. Many still live in the same sturdy houses of wood and stone built by their earlier ances tors. There is keen rivalry among them for fishing honors of the year. The crew of the boat that chalks up the biggest catch become the glamour boys of the Boston fishing world and are ac corded the same admiration and popular homage as a big league baseball star or a college football hero. They live well, these men who take the ever-present dangers of the sea in their daily stride, and they live with the carefree gaiety of those to whom physical haz ards are all in the day’s work. Oddly enough, they eat little fish. Steak is a favorite meat, with plenty of vegetables and fruits, and woe to the cook whose pies emerge from the oven with other than a crisp flaky crust. When auction of the catches has been concluded the work of un loading the boats begins. Each boat on its trip out takes on a load of shaved ice in which to pack the fish as soon as caught. This method brings the catch into port as fresh as it came from the nets. Unloaded in huge bas kets and transferred to carts, the fish are rushed into big pack ing and distribution plants. Here they are made ready for millions who, until modern methods of mass merchandising took fresh fish 1,500 miles inland, had little opportunity to enjoy seafood ex cept in a smoked, salted or canned state. This method of dis tribution has also removed fish from the status of a “Friday only” food item and now many families far away from the sea- coast enjoy fresh fish several times a week. Meet Blue-Eyed Reba. Exploring the activities on the fish pier you may be surprised to find a slender, blue-eyed woman in the thick of the auction or in specting a basket load of fish swinging onto the pier from a boat, for in such an atmosphere one does not ordinarily expect to find a woman. She is Reba Onig man, who is in her eighth year as the only woman fish commission merchant in the world. Miss Onigman will tell you that she is “in a business that stinks.” How ever, she will add in the next breath that “there’s romance in the fish business,” and she would not “give it up for the world.” Miss Onipman’s daily schedule might dismay a good many less hardy women. She is up at five- thirty o’clock and down on the pier by six. From then on she is “just one of the men.” She sells her fish at the auction, inspects the catches that come in on con signment for her and operates in a quietly business-like fashion that has won her the respect of the weather-beaten men with whom she deals. Winter finds her clad in T igh rubber boots and a Sou’wester. In summer she looks as dainty and fresh as though she were just starting off for some purely social feminine activity. Her blouse is crisply fresh and more likely than not a blue bow is tucked away in curly black hair lightly frosted with premature gray. Another colorful personality whom you may meet in a morn ing’s round of the fish pier is the commission merchant who start ed off merely peddling a few packages of fish from door to door. Then he persuaded a cap tain or two to let him handle a day’s catch. Today, he is one of the wealthy men of the indus try. Thus, the fish industry goes. Fortunes are frequently made within the space of a few short months. The men who are its keystones—the sturdy simple fish ermen who still speak the lan guage of their Portuguese, French and Spanish forefathers — still lead lives filled with the color and adventure which are the heritage of those who “farm the sea.” The boats set forth with the early tide and slip back into port at sunset or dawn. The great industry which served as a foundation for this country’s ear liest trading continues to flourish and to provide the nation with one of its most important sources of fnr*/* T T MAY seem odd to suggest that A the Rt. Hon. Dr. John Bain Sutherland, better known as Jock, is tackling a new sort of job. The job is still coaching a football team, but this time it is the Brooklyn Dodgers and not the Pittsburgh Pan thers. “This is my first shot at pro foot ball,” Jock tells you, “and I’ll have to admit it may be something en tirely different. “For example, there’s the matter of forward passing. As yon know we liked to hang onto the ball at Pittsburgh as long as we could. I used good passers when I had them, but I didn’t like to throw the ball around too much when I didn’t have them. “It is different with the Dodgers. We have the passers, one of the best in Ace Parker, and we’ll do our full share of air work. I know also that pro crowds demand a more open or more spectacular game. College football is full of spectacular play, but no fireworks are demanded by the crowds.” Big crowds still remember those slashing Panther backs who ran and blocked with an offensive that was hard to stop. Speed Before Weight “Being new at this pro game,” Jock continued, “I may be entirely wrong, but I still don’t believe weight is as important as some oth ers do. I’d rather have a fast 190- pound lineman than a slower player at 230 or 240. I still believe in speed far above bulk. That extra yard or two in moving around mean? more than you might think.” “What about a big, fast man?” * asked Jock. "As for instance?” Jock aske'j. “Well, Cal Hubbard?” “How many Hubbards do you see around?” Jock said. “I mean 240 or 245-pound players who are Just as Quickly Knit Robe Decks Baby in Style HAR\ »5ST HOME PARTY (See Recipes Below) Household Neuis ifc. JOCK SUTHERLAND fast as your backs and ends? We haven’t seen many Hubbards in foot ball. Or Fat Henrys either. The 1940 rush may break all rec ords, both among the colleges and the pros. Sport remains the big mind distractor and footbaU leads all other competitions in this re spect. I can’t recaU when the college game had so many strong teams— scattered all over the map—ComeU, Princeton, Fordham, Tennessee, Al abama, Tulane, Texas A. and M., Southern Methodist, Ohio State, Min nesota, Michigan, Notre Dame, Southern California, Washington, Duke, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebras ka, L. S. U., Texas, T. C. U., Geor gia Tech and Santa Clara. And even this list is only a partial roll call. There should be at least 35 excep tionally strong college teams this year and they cover all known and explored sections of the map. The Football Phenomenon Pound for pound, one of the great football players and one of the most amazing is 150-pound Dave O’Brien of Bert Bell’s Philadelphia Eagles. Little Dave has one record that is almost beyond belief. As I recall the vital statistics O’Brien’s slight frame has never left a football game through injuries in five years of col lege and pro play. He finished three years with T. C. U.’s hard schedule minus a dent in his small but solid system. And he was always be tween a 50 and 60-minute man. He was supposed to be too small for the pro game. But in place of being rumpled into a shapeless mass Little Dave went along passing and running and kicking without any trouble. You might ask Steve Owen of the N. Y. Giants about him. “One of the best I ever saw,” Steve said, “smart running his team, a fine ball carrier and one of the best of all passers < And above all as tough as green hickory when it comes to taking his share of being knocked about.” O’Brien completed 40 passes in his last two pro games a year ago. That ought to be a record—and I think it is. Star Running Backs A group of football coaches were talking about the star running backs of football, apart from the power house delegation. In the discussion my top nomina tion was Cliff Battles, and no one cared to dispute the pick. Cliff Bat tles and Red Grange were two of the first nominations. Cliff will tell you he was rarely even jarred. Extremely fast and slippery, he had a way of avoiding any shock tackling. No one could pick an opening quicker. Everybody enjoys singing a song of harvest home, even if they haven’t had a personal stake in bringing in the crops. At your har vest home party, if you follow tradi tion, you’ll have cornucopias filled with fall fruits and garlands of wheat or grasses grouped at the center of your festive board. Little dolls dressed in overalls and aprons make amusing favors. Farmer in the dell, blindman’s buff, puss in comer, and the never j to be forgotten game of charades, in which the participants can give | their all in dramatic acting, are tra- I ditional juvenile game favorites that ! are likely to give the grown-up con tingent an equally good time. You may want to do a little bit of folk dancing, with the ol£ time fiddler, the pianist, and even an accordion ist hitting off “country” songs. When it comes to refreshments, you may decide upon anything from a big picnic spread to cookies and a refreshing beverage. A fruit pie is the most appropriate happy end ing to your harvest home feast. Just a hint to you homemakers if you have trouble keeping the delicious juice in a pie; quick cooking tapioca may be used as a thickener, thus eliminating the traditional hazard of runaway juice. Doughnuts and hot spicy cider are always an at tractive and fa vorite combina tion to serve at a party of this type. Or you may like to use the old oaken bucket for serving punch. Cherry Pie. 2% tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca 1 cup sugar % teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 No. 2 can sour cherries (2% cups) T /s cup cherry juice and 2 table spoons water (to make 1 cup) 1 recipe pastry Combine quick-cooking tapioca, sugar, salt, butter, cherries, and cherry juice; let stand about 15 min utes. Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of pastry rolled % inch thick, allowing pastry to extend 1 inch be yond edge of plate. Fold edge back to form rim. Fill with cherry mix ture. Moisten edge of pastry with cold water; arrange lattice of pastry strips across top. Flute rim with fingers. Bake in a hot oven (450 degrees) 15 minutes, then decrease heat to moderate (350 degrees) and bake 30 minutes longer. Rich Drop Doughnuts. (Makes 1% dozen) 2 eggs 6 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons shortening (melted) 2 cups flour % teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder Vx teaspoon nutmeg 6 tablespoons milk Beat eggs until very light, and gradually beat in the sugar. Add melted shortening. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and nut meg, and add to the first mixture al ternately with the milk. Drop from a teaspoon into deep fat heated to 375 degrees, and fry until well browned. Drain on unglazed paper. Sprinkle with confectioner’s or pow dered sugar. Hot Spiced Cider. 2 quarts cider 1 cup brown sugar 1 6-inch stick cinnamon 6 whole cloves 1 teaspoon allspice Add spices and sugar to cider; place in kettle and let simmer over | heat (not boil) for 15 minutes. Strain | and serve hot in small glasses. Ado’ ! a little grated nutmeg, if desired. Baked Ham. 1 whole ham 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1% cups sweet cider Vh cups brown sugar Vi cup orange juice Wipe ham with a damp cloth and place in an uncovered roaster, skin side up. Roast in a very slow oven (300 degrees) allowing 25 minutes per pound of ham. About % hour before the ham has finished baking take from oven. Remove skin and pour off all excess fat. Cook cider and sugar together to thick syrup stage. Add orange juice and pour mixture over ham. Dot with whole cloves. Return to oven and bake Vi hour longer, basting frequently with liquid in pan. Old Fashioned Jelly RoU. 4 eggs % teaspoon baking powder Vx teaspoon salt % cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla % cup cake flour 1 cup jelly Break the eggs into a bowl and allow them to warm to room tem perature. Then combine eggs with baking powder and salt. Set the bowl of eggs in a smaller bowl in which you have poured hot water. With a dover beat er, beat the eggs, baking powder, and salt mixture until it is thick and light. Gradu ally beat in the sugar and continue beating until very light and fluffy. Remove the bowl from the hot wa ter and, with a spoon or spatula, fold in the vanilla and the flour which has been sifted several times. Line a 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan with buttered wax paper, and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 12 minutes in a moderate oven (350 degrees). Remove cake from pan and turn onto a towel which has been dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Pull off paper and trim edges from the cake. Roll, and cool. When the cake has cooled, unroll it and spread with jelly which has been whipped to make it spread more readily. Date Nut Cake. 3 cups raisins 2 cups dates (cut fine) 1 cup pecan nut meats (cut fine) 1 teaspoon soda 1 cup boiling water Put fruit and nuts into bowl; dis solve soda in boiling water and pour over the fruit. Let stand while pre paring the following batter mixture: % cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2% cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Vx teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cream butter and add sugar grad ually. Add egg and mix well. Add fruit mixture. Mix and sift all dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk and vanilla extract. Place batter in three well-greased layer- cake pans. Bake in a moderate oven (365 degrees) for approximate ly 35 minutes. When cool, put lay ers together with boiled icing to which chopped dates and raisins have been added. Then ice with the plain boiled icing. Chocolate Nat Gingerbread. % cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 ounces chocolate (melted) 2 eggs 1% cups cake flour 1% teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ginger Vx teaspoon cloves Vx teaspoon salt % cup milk Vi cup nut meats (chopped fine) Cream butter thoroughly and add the sugar slowly. Add melted choco late and eggs, one at a time, beating well. Sift dry ingredients and add alter nately with the milk, beating be tween each addition. Add nut meats. Bake as a loaf cake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for approximate ly 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon, or with chocolate fudge icing. Magic Fruited Macaroons. (Makes about 30) % cup sweetened condensed milk 2 cups coconut (shredded) 1 cup dates (chopped fine) Mix together the sweetened con densed milk and coconut. Add finely chopped dates. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet, about I inch apart. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 10 minutes, or until a delicate brown. Remove from pan at once. (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) Pattern 6752 C'OR dress-up, out-of-dcors or ^ coziness indoors this lacy robe is the newest thing for baby. • * * Pattern 6752 contains Instructions foi making set; illustrations of it and stitches; materials needed; photograph of pattern stitch. Send order to: Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept. 82 Eighth Ave. New York Enclose 15 cents in coins for Pat tern No Name Address New York Failed to Vote New York failed to cast its vote for President in the first election, which made Washington Presi dent. As the Constitution provid ed, each state was to appoint pres idential electors “in such a man ner as the legislature thereof may direct.” In some states electors for the first election of 1789 were chosen by popular vote; in others, the legislatures appointed them. The New York legislature could not agree on the manner of select ing the electors. As a result, none was chosen, and New York failed to cast any vote for President.— Pathfinder. due to Constipation/ Dr. Hitchcock’s All-Vegetable Laxative Powder — an intestinal tonic-laxative—actually tones lazy bowel muscles. It helps relieve that sluggish feeling. 15 doses for only 10 cents. Large family size 25 cents. At all druggists. Dr. Hitchcocks LAXATIVE POWDER Loose Tongues How can we expect another to keep our secret if we cannot keep it ourselves. BAWs\:~'Xj£Bte*sedRetie£- RHEUMATISM LUMBAGO stutssttttttttt We Con All Be EXPERT BUYERS # In bringing us buying Information, as to prices that are being asked for what we intend to buy, and as to the quality we can expect, the advertising columns of this newspaper perform a worth while service which saves us many dollars a year. # It Is a good habit to form, the habit of consulting the advertisements every time we make a purchase, though we have already decided just what we want and where we are going to buy It. It gives us the most priceless feeling In the world: the feeling of being adequately prepared. # When we go Into a store, prepared beforehand with knowledge of what is offered and at what price, we go as an expert buyer, filled with self-confi dence. It is a pleasant feeling to have, the feeling of adequacy. Most of the unhappiness In the world can be traced to a lack of this feeling. Thus adver tising shows another of Its manifold facets—shows Itself as an aid toward making all our business relationships more secure and pleasant. sss$$ss$ss$s$sst