Delaware Shad

Camden Courier-Post – October 6, 1939

CITY COMMISSIONER E. GEORGE AARON leaned back in his office chair the other day and gasped when this reporter informed him that we saw fishermen catch luscious shad in the Delaware River.

When informed that the folks bought the same finny denizens of the deep from hucksters who hawked their catch through the streets of North Camden and sold them at 25 cents each Mr. Aaron gasped again. Tom Daley, city engineer corroborated our statements and George was convinced.

In his efforts to make Our Town a better place to live in, Commissioner Aaron has decided to do something about helping to eliminate pollution of the historic Delaware. An engineer who sat in the conference gave us the gladsome news that if pollution was stopped the once proud shad would again spawn in the river.

Fondly do we recall the cry of the fish peddlers, “fresh Delaware shad.” Many of us of course also remember ‘the midnight cry’ of the old “Baltimore crab man”who once roamed through the city streets selling those delicious deviled crustaceans.