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lines. But, as it would happen, the shareman got his qUOin in first. "Ah ha. Mr. Fowler:'
said the shareman. "Don't take too much to make a man talk, do it. They thcn shared a
meal from the same pot as was the custom \\hile out fishing. The best food was on Lhe
shareml1Jl's side. Mr. Fowler didn't want to ask for somc. In the ruse ofadmiring the pot.
for \\hich he hOO paid S2.00, he turned the pot around to himself. 1bc sharcml1Jl quickly
turned it back saying: ..It was worth cvcr')' pcnny of it!.. IJ9
Work Rounds
In a Icngthy interview. Captain Matt Whelan ofCollicrs provides an overvicw of
the work involved in fishing on the Labrador. His comments illustrate the activity during
the fishing season.
(I was] seventeen when I first went to the Labrador. 1934 or 1935. Only went two
years. 0 money to be made anyway; it was thc Dcprcssion ycars. Labrador
trapping crew - fivc men. First year - good summcr. Last ycar fish was cured on
the Labrador. Aftcr Lhal it was sold out of salt bulk. Crcw cleared 14.50 each.
That's a small cheque for the wholc summer's work. 111C skipper wanted to curse
but he had a word he used to say. Skipper said "'My jcepcrs, you shouldn't
complain. You have two quintals ofwinter fish. 52.50 a quintal. Enough to keep a
family going all winter in fish." IThat wasl skipper Mati Whelan, Frankie's
father. By the wharf. The next year we sold it suit bulk. Wc had a fair catch but
prices was worse, price SIO,SO lor 150 lbs. Ilad to give 150 Ib quintal. Only paid
our accounts but made nothing. Same skipper but differcnt crew. Pad Whelan,
Mllster Lar's nephew, went to the States. Two or three dilTcrellt crew members,
all frolll Colliers, Labrador fishery was interesting. [ liked it. I didn't give it up
because I didn't like the job. I used to likc spending the Slimmer on thc Labrador.
The wcather was nice, Put in a lot of timc but the work wasn't hard. Spare time ­
bad weathcr.
Went down on the Kyle. Worked in stage head, Secured everything for the
___'? 25 or 30 crews. Everything was loaded aboard. all the supplies for the
summer, Ten days on the way dO"l1 picking up crews from Conception.
'39 Them Da)'s 6:\ (\980). p. 63.
102