Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1894 — How Shrimps Are Caught. [ARTICLE]

How Shrimps Are Caught.

The shrimp sold in the city are caught during the night before by “casters,” who go, two in a boat, to some favored locality and there “cast” all night long for the delicious little crustacean that is served up at nearly every breakfast table in the city in the morning. “Casting” is the throwing wide-spread on the water of a circular net, the edge of which is weighted with leaden balls and provided with drawing strings, which, passing through the centre of the net, are attached to the edges. The net when cast in the water, of course, sinks more rapidly at the edges than in the middle, and confines within its meshes the shrimps over which it may have fallen. The rope to which is attached the. drawing string being pulled, the net closes at the bottom and is lifted into the boat with its contents. When Aurora begins his work of tinting the eastern sky, those hardy casters are on their way to the city. Here they hand over their booty to men who cry them about the streets, measuring the shrimps out to them from their boats by the “plates” or pan, the seller agreeing to sell the shrimps and hand over the proceeds, less a liberal commission.—[Charleston (S. C.) News and Courier.