7

money in those days. You only got twenty

five cents a day usually for planting. You

were lucky you got fifty cents a day for

that was hard work. That one dollar Was 51 ' worth a lot more then it is today.

The factory had a well defined division of labor. Two young men(usually from the local community), unloaded the boats. There was a weigher for when the boats came in. Two men acted as firemen while a man or two broke off. Two men were cleavers (cracked claws). There were usually two women at each of the h following jobs: Picking arms, pulling and splitting tails, washing the meat, and packing. Before the cans were packed, a girl lined the cans. A.man acted as sealer.~ Finally, there were two women who cooked at the cookhouse for the factory crew and the fishermen. The Workers included young girls at seme of the jobs including pick- ing arms. Tjese were among the lowest paid workers. Some of the older women held the more responsible jobs of packing and cooking for the workers. The men who worked at the factory were usually young or old. The younger men worked at unloading the boats while the older men worked at the more experienced jobs such as cleaving.r The older men including Cass Blaisdell and Fidele Cheverie were

52

among the "best hellraisers". I will now describe the process

of "putting up" lobster largely in the words of the workers them—

selves. \\\\-

When they landed, they used to bring them in barrows. At East Point, they had to carry them. (It would) take two men to carry them from the Shore to the factory. You know it was a long way from the shore to the factory and I guess they were weighed. Janet did the weighing mostly. Earl fiShed for years. I remember, I remember Russell Acorn saying, "Look at

Mrs. Johnston out there now weighing Earl‘s