FISHER GIRLS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10574, 27 January 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

FISHER GIRLS.

■■- : FOLLOWERS OF HERRING FLEET. LONDON, December 8. The 3000 fisher.gii._s who hdvefollowed the fortunes of the Scotch herring fleet are daily leaving Yarmouth and Lowe-; stoft for their northern homes, carrying, with them full purses, for the season' has been a successful one. These girls start at the Shetland Islands m the early paty" . of the year, and work round wiih' the herring shoals and boats by way of Fraserburgh',' Shields, Scarborough, Griinsby and lastly Lowestoft. Here the herring regularly r disappears about, December, and swims off into the .unknown. The girls rest until February, when the fickle. 'fish reappears off the Shetlands. ' These girls are paid their railway fares to and from their homes, as well as a. standing wage of 8s a week, so that m case of enforced idleness' they can meet' their expenses for board and lodging. They are also paid a fixed cum, and, being very expert at their work, are able to earn large sums when catches are lieavy, as they have ; generally been this season. ' *'""• The great ambition of the girls is to earn enough to make' them .» attractive m the eyes of- some thrifty iJcotthat he will provide for their future. Even; after marriage, however, many continue'their work with the fleet, thbir husbands eithr er working m the boats or hi the coppering departments of the curere' yards. ' No fewer than 585 Scotch boat's, carrying 4650 men, have fished frOm Yarmouth) this season. This is an increase over' last ! year of more than'loo boate t '-bttt is not 1 a record, as ev£r 600 'fished -out of 'the < port in -1903. Their total catch to date is 239,857,200 hferringß. The local boats have landed 226^868,---400, so the total for both fleeta is 466,---725,600 fish.. How vastly..: thei' industry bus flourished can be judged'froin the fact that 60 years ago a Scotch boat was never seen at Yarmouth. • - : - A modern widow's mite is. reported afc a church at Blackpool, England. At a harvest decoration of the church a poor woman, unable to afford fruit or vegetables filled a bottle with water and labelling it, "Thank God for the rain," sent it to the church. The vigar appreciating her good intentions, placed it , among the gifts on tho altar.