These smacks make regular trips up and down the coast, landing their cargoes either at Rockland, Portland, or at one of the lobster pounds scattered along the coast.  They not only stop at the villages, but also drop anchor off the little camps of the lobstermen, and should the smacks of two rival dealers arrive at a place simultaneously, which frequently happens, the bidding between the captains for the fishermen’s catch gladdens the latter’s heart and greatly enriches his pocketbook.  Most of the captains have regular places of call where they know the fishermen are holding their lobsters for them, and they follow a rude sort of schedule, which will not often vary more than a day or two.  The lobsters are bought of the fishermen by count, and cash is paid for them.  Should the smack belong to a dealer this practically ends the financial side of the transaction so far as the captain is concerned, as the crew are paid wages.  Should the smack belong to a person other than the dealer, which is frequently the case, he either makes an agreement with some dealer to run for him exclusively at a certain price or commission, or else buys from the fishermen and then sells at either Rockland or Portland.  This method of buying lobsters is somewhat hazardous, as the market price sometimes changes sharply when the smack is out of reach of telegraphic communication.

LOBSTER CARS.

Lobsters must be marketed in a live or boiled condition; and as fishermen can get better prices for them alive than boiled, each fisherman generally has a live-car in which to hold them until they can be sold.  These cars are usually oblong, rectangular boxes, with open seams or numerous small holes to permit the free circulation of the water.  They are of various sizes, according to the needs of the fisherman, a good average being about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide and about 2 feet deep.  The door is placed on the top.  They are usually moored close to the shore during the fishing season, the rest of the time being hauled up on the beach.

[Illustration:  Fishermen’s lobster cars]

The dealers cars are very similar to those used by the fishermen, only much larger.  They generally average about 30 feet in length, 12 feet in width; and 3 feet in depth, with capacity for from 2,000 to 3,000 lobsters.  The inner part of this car is usually divided off into five transverse compartments by means of a framework inside.  Each compartment is provided with two large doors entering from the top, one door on each side of the middle line of the car.  These cars cost the dealers about $70 each.  The life of one of these cars is about five or six years, although at the end of about three years it is generally necessary to replace the sides of the car on account of the ravages of a dock worm which is quite abundant along the Maine coast.  When new the top of the car is usually about a foot above the water, but as it gets water-soaked it sinks down until it is even with the water, and some of the older cars have to be buoyed up with kegs at each end, placed inside, to prevent them from sinking below the surface.  These cars are moored alongside the docks of the dealers at Portland and Rockland and other points.