Leads A Strange Life

Fisherwomen are plentiful enough in many of the European countrs, but in the western hemisphero y are certainly very scarce, t an Francisco Cali. There are ..: ! : jc everal of theaa at the ñsli'v ". c near Moro Rock, but eve:: .; : do a certain part of the worlc. Una bay shore near Brooks Iïland ■., crhapa the only real fisherwotian in the atate, for she does all Üie work ftpom catching the fish to selling them to the people who eat them. Mme. Gerken is the name of the woman and she leads almost a hermtó's life. In reality it is a henmit's life except when she goes on her semi-weekly trip to dispose of her stock. Her home and plaot of business i not a very inviting place, but it is certainly more so than the home of the men engaged in the ame business who live in the vicinity. It is many yeare aince Mme. Gerken took up the fishing business, and she is well pleased with her success. She was born in France, and, after being married, came to this country with her husband to better their condiüon. But it was not long before she was a widow with an infant son to suppo-rt. She worked at many things in San Francisco, but none oí then jpcinted the road to even comparative independence. By cbance, when her son was 10 years old she met the wife of a fisherman, who told her many things and pointed the way to anew business. But great as Mme Gerkerr's success has been there are few womn who would like to follow her example. She built her own home on the bay shore of land for which ehe pays ?1 a month rental and went into the work the same as if she wer man. It did not take her long to learn to handle a boat and manag the nets, and, of course, her son was some help to her. Mme. Gerken was certainly not afraid oí water, for she would go out in the worst kind of weather and put her boat through the wavs with the greatest ease. For eome reason she always minie good haute. As well as fishing in the deep water of the bay Mme. Gerken fiahed in the pools along shoro for shrimps and lobsters and also dug clamg. AH the fish she caught she put into tanks that they would keep alive uotil she took them to market. Twice a week she rented a norse and wagon from a Chinaman and went to the different ranches on San Pablo Point and diapotsed of her stock at good p rices. It is over ten years since Mme. Gerken went into the Ishing business, and as a result she has sent her son to Prance, wiiere he is in the army.