large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb_42
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb
English
8677
The modern financier who makes a fortune from the invention of a collar button or the sale of countless penny packages of gum is the lineal descendant of that first thrifty New Englander who did not scorn the humble cod because it was cheap and plentiful (you remember how these same cod "pestered" the ships of Gosnold in 1602), but set to work with the quiet initiative which has distinguished New Englanders ever since, first to catch, then to barter, and finally to sell his wares to all the world. THE MODERN FINANCIER WHO MAKES A FORTUNE FROM THE INVENTION OF A COLLAR BUTTON OR THE SALE OF COUNTLESS PENNY PACKAGES OF GUM IS THE LINEAL DESCENDANT OF THAT FIRST THRIFTY NEW ENGLANDER WHO DID NOT SCORN THE HUMBLE COD BECAUSE IT WAS CHEAP AND PLENTIFUL YOU REMEMBER HOW THESE SAME COD PESTERED THE SHIPS OF GOSNOLD IN SIXTEEN O TWO BUT SET TO WORK WITH THE QUIET INITIATIVE WHICH HAS DISTINGUISHED NEW ENGLANDERS EVER SINCE FIRST TO CATCH THEN TO BARTER AND FINALLY TO SELL HIS WARES TO ALL THE WORLD
s demoralizing slack seasons. But the New Englander promptly applied himself to the mundane pursuit of cod and mackerel. Everybody fished. As John Smith, in his "Description of New England," says: "Young boyes and girles, salvages or any other, be they never such idlers, may turne, carry, and returne fish without shame or either great pain: he is very idle that is past twelve years of age and cannot doe so much: and shee is very old that cannot spin a thread to catch them." It began when Squanto the Indian showed the amazed colonists how he could tread the eels out of the mud with his feet and catch them with his hands. This was convenient, to be sure, but the colonists did not long content themselves with such primitive methods. They sent to England for cod hooks and lines; mackerel hooks and lines; herring nets and seines; shark hooks, bass nets, squid lines, and eel pots; and in a short time they had established a trade which meant more money than the gold mines of Guiana or Potosi. WITH THE FLUCTUATING FUR TRADE WITH ITS DEMORALIZING SLACK SEASONS BUT THE NEW ENGLANDER PROMPTLY APPLIED HIMSELF TO THE MUNDANE PURSUIT OF COD AND MACKEREL EVERYBODY FISHED AS JOHN SMITH IN HIS DESCRIPTION OF NEW ENGLAND SAYS YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS SAVAGES OR ANY OTHER BE THEY NEVER SUCH IDLERS MAY TURN CARRY AND RETURN FISH WITHOUT SHAME OR EITHER GREAT PAIN HE IS VERY IDLE THAT IS PAST TWELVE YEARS OF AGE AND CANNOT DO SO MUCH AND SHE IS VERY OLD THAT CANNOT SPIN A THREAD TO CATCH THEM IT BEGAN WHEN SQUANTO THE INDIAN SHOWED THE AMAZED COLONISTS HOW HE COULD TREAD THE EELS OUT OF THE MUD WITH HIS FEET AND CATCH THEM WITH HIS HANDS THIS WAS CONVENIENT TO BE SURE BUT THE COLONISTS DID NOT LONG CONTENT THEMSELVES WITH SUCH PRIMITIVE METHODS THEY SENT TO ENGLAND FOR COD HOOKS AND LINES MACKEREL HOOKS AND LINES HERRING NETS AND SIGNS SHARK HOOKS BAS NETS SQUID LINES AND EEL POTS AND IN A SHORT TIME THEY HAD ESTABLISHED A TRADE WHICH MEANT MORE MONEY THAN THE GOLD MINES OF GUIANA OR POTOSEY
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_07_edwards_64kb.flac