The Sea 47

increased to $2.40 a ton by 1869—a license requirement largely ignored by the Americans.

Licenses were issued, but soon authorities found that patrol boats were necessary to keep the inshore fisheries for local or licensed fishermen. Some in the local press rejoiced that the north shore inland fisheries from East Point to St. Peter’s were not suitable for seining. The Americans who fished this area often identified the fishing grounds by the churches of the north side which were landmarks to them. “First Chapel” was St. Columba, “Second Chapel” was St. Margaret’s, and so on.

In this same sector of the Gulf, the number of patrolling vessels increased so that by 1888 there were five cutters and the cruiser, C.J. Bridges, in the Canadian service guarding the NB. and P.E.I. Gulf coasts. And just to see that the Yankee fishermen were not pushed around, the Americans patrolled the Gulf with a small man-of-war, The Ossipee, whose officers visited Souris on occasion to consult with consular agent, C.C. Carlton.

Ten years later (1898), the great mackerel schools of the Gulf had either been depleted or were schooling elsewhere. By then, the fish merchants of Souris were pining for the good old days and the Government patrol boats were not so numerous or so busy. A Red Point merchant, Alex Robertson, writing to the Patriot in 1898 said in part:

At present it is prohibited to seine within the three mile limit but the American seiners are not slow to drop inside if there is anything to seine. Especially, if the Dominion Cruiser is guarding the Railway Wharf or her officers con- sorting with the bloods of Souris.

Seaman Riots

The impact on Souris of the Fleet was probably to make fighters of many of the youngsters who grew up between 1865 and 1885. It was a fighting period when the merchants shuttered their windows every night and unbarred them every morning. Liquor was cheap and easy to obtain and many of those who drank wanted to demonstrate their fighting abilities. This seemed to be true of the fishermen who visited our shores and there are records of riots on different occasions from 1851 on. Not that riots were the rule, but they occurred frequently enough to make the natives nervous about trying to enforce order. Cascumpec, or Alberton, had the same problem and it was suggested in the Legislature that the Western storm port would find it cheaper to build stocks for the law-breakers rather than expensive prisons.

Souris’ worst riot, still remembered as “axe-handle night”, occurred October 12, 1888. It started near Carlton’s store about eight o’clock in the evening. James Dunphy, the saddler, who lived on the east corner of Suther- land & Main Street, saw some drunken sailors assaulting Joseph Doyle, Souris merchant and banker, and went to his rescue. They were both badly mauled and soon others were involved. Both sides armed themselves with sticks and axe handles. After several forays, in which there was consider- able scuffling and some bruised heads, the fishermen were driven back towards the wharf. Several of the rioters were captured and taken to the local lock-up.

One of the sailors named Strople running from an attack forgot to turn the Centennial Park corner and went over the bank east of Stone’s Wharf. What had been a mere fracas became death on the rocks. Strople, the victim of