Frog Catcher impression????

[navygunner]

The USNLP (www.usnlp.org) website publishes a weekly record compliled from state newspapers during the war years. Alot of the information pertains to local govt, business and just plain everyday life such as the following excerpt from the July 25th 1862, Barre Gazette (MA).

Frog Trade.—The Auburn (N. Y.) Advertiser says that the catching of frogs at Montezuma has become quite a considerable trade. It adds:

“For three of four seasons past two men have made the impaling of frogs their business. Every other day they ship from Auburn a barrel of frogs for the New York or Buffalo market. They make very handsome wages. The method of securing these basso profundos2 of the marshes is very similar to spearing for fish. The men paddle off through the marsh in the night with a dark lantern. They approach the haunt of the frogs very quietly, and when near enough throw their dart with a certainty acquired by practice, always hitting them back of the head, killing them instantly. The hind quarters are then carefully skinned and cut off, packed in barrels, and sent to their destination. They generally secure two or three hundred in a night, and are paid $6 a hundred.”

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The website carries articles from both North and South newspapers.

Geo. Dailey
Acting Ship's Gunner
USNLP (western waters)
www.usnlp.org

[Boyd Miles]

Simple enough, you need some frog gigs, a lantern, boat, barrel and to check local game laws. Basic lower class agricultural clothing and a willingness to be eaten alive by mosquitoes.

[Spinster]

Oh my. How many times I can remember MyDaddy coming in at the crack of dawn with that long gig and a big stringer of frogs for breakfast.
I've hauled a gig to an event a couple of times, but I'm just not any good with it. I still throw like a girl.

[welshman15]

Twelve to eighteen dollars for a night's work? A tidy sum in those days, roughly equivalent to $250 to $400 today.

[TB1861]

That would be split between the two and there would be the cost of the barrel and as there is no refrigeration either salt or ice would have to be purchased. So much like any type of fishing the pay looks good until you get down to the details, there are also those long cold payless winters.

[KenH]

Depending on year and location, the price of salt ran from a about $2 to about $60 per barrel. As a guess, barrel of salt would something like two or three barrels of preserved frogs legs for shipping to market. A barrel might cost $2.

In the right location you could make your own salt for nothing much more than time and firewood you cut yourself.

[navygunner]

Syracuse, on Onondaga Lake was quite handy for salt making, I believe they still have a salt museum there. and not that far from The Montezuma Marsh/Swamp/National Wildlife Reuge (as it's now known) and had ready access to the Erie Canal.

Geo Dailey
Actng. Gunner (western waters)
www.usnlp.org

[Boyd Miles]

Just read a pro frog website today that says that the frog market drove some kind of frog to near extinction in California in the 19th century. Guess there were plenty of people who were professional frog giggers.