The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-14
DECAYED FISH.
Thirty Tons Of Pure,y 'ng Fish Disappear from
Fulton Market in q Week-What Becomes
Of the Putrescsnt POrgy docs Diph-
iberia Originate in Unsound Fish,


iberia Originate in Unsound Fish,
During the past three or four days there have
been strange gumors a1oat throughout To city
that great part Of the fish which Is but on the
tables OF boarding houses and cbegp restaurants
is infected with some srransa sort Of malaria
that taints che lood and gives it, even after being
cooled, q very offensive 0dor. In many hundreds
Of cases during the week 1t has been noticeable In
the largest restaurants down town that gentle
men who have ordered dishes OF blue fish, which
are now coming into the market, have been CON-
PEELED to send the fish back 10 the kitchen by the
same waiter who has brought it to the customer
In one instance 1.-THE customer, in good-natured
but inquisitlve manner, desired to know, alter
sending back plate of fish, III blue fish was
game hshri To tins the negro waiter answered.
~ dunno, sar, II IL Is game fish; but IL Is
mighty hard to pull out OF the water"
"We, no doubt that may be So but think That
blue fish was gamey enough to be converted into
OIL"
II Ia well known also that the nsh which Is
hawked by peders in their wagons through the
streets OF the city Inhabited BY the poorer classes
OF the people has been sell ng very cheap, and, in
fact has not Tor years sold 80 cheap as at present
Porgies bring from two to three cents pound at
Fulton market by the ton, and this is the whole
sale rate; ana yet these porgies, which are chiefly
the food OF poor people who cannot afford to buy
beef every day for the working members OF the
family, are now selling at hall cent a pound from
the ped.ers' wagons Fish IN their state
are simply poisonous, and the police should
be compelled to make q descent on the
porgies for the same reason that they make
descents upon an onal boat or a game OF keno.
1t is also stated by very well known medical men
that the diphtheria which is so prevalent az
present, and which results fatally in many
instances, originates In the germs which come
from the bodies OF decayed fish. AT all events, 1t
is positive fact, which goes well to bear out this
theory that In the FultoE Fish Market. where
there are seventeen firms Of FISH merchants doing
business not less than thirty tons OF fish or over
60, 600 pounds Of the fnny inhabitants OF lake.
river and sea, have been sent away as being unfit
for entry or sale. 1t was freely confessed by some
firms yesterday in the Fulton Fish Market that
they had sent away as much as two tons of fish OF
ali grades during the week and more particularly
during the last four days. The wholesale prices
of the different kinds Of fish for the past week at
Fulton Fish Market are as fonows:-
Blue fish. per pound, five cents
Weak FISH, per pound three cents
P0rgies, per pound, three cents.
Founders, per pound, two to three cents.
Codfsa. per hound, SIX cents
Haiibut per pound twelve cents.
Mackerel uresh), piece, twelve and one-half
cents
Eeis, per pound, ten cents.
Shad piece, twenty to nity cents
Herring are sold in boxes and come by rail or
boat, and there is not a great demand for this
kind Of fish except among the poorest class OF
working people. The class which patronizes the
plentiful porgy has its habtatlons in the lower
downtown wards, among the poor lsraelitcs and
the still poorer Italians Both of these natonali.
ties are pagsonately fond OF cheap fish, and cook
them with oil and all sorts OF hideous grease, that
would make the dishes an aDomination to the
Anelo-Saxon or Celtic palate. Among the Ser
there are immense quantities OF cheap fsn con-
sumed and 1t Is among these particular people
that dipntheria is now most prevalent
In iact there Is not any FISH at present really
sale, owing to the malaria or disease, or whatever
1T may be called, which is SAID to be prevalent
among the denzens OF the deeD, with one excep-
ton. That exception Is the simple. unostenta-
tous and TO some tastes insipld, Goldfish And
oth5r fsh are brought dead by boat rail to Full
ton Market, and have an opportunity to decay
being brought in smacas and sioops alive TO Full
ton Market, as an invarable rule in wells in the
middle OF the boats which serve to convey them,
have a better opportunity to be fresh than any
other FISH in the market which is delivered 10 the
wholesale dealers dead.
Several wholesale dealers in the market who
were spoken TO yesterday in Fulton Market, ac-
knowedged that they had been compelled to send
away tons OF decayed and diseased 1sh but not
dealer was aoe to ten what became OF the fish
alter they had PAID carriage TO have 1t taken away
To saw the east, this was rather q singular and
inexcusable explanation OF what became OF the
rotten fish. There are two sanitary policemen III
the fish market, who are supposed TO oe on from
four O'Clock IN the morning until four O'Clock IN
tue aternoon-.he hours during which tue fish
market is open Tor business. These police.
men are specially detailed bv the Board
OF Health to detect all decayed fish and
prevent It's sale. and yet the initiated
Market, assert that the sense OF smell is Dad
10 these two policemen That II So greenDack
It would be morally impossible for them to dis.
cover stinking porgie or blisterlng bluehsh
As Tor founders and weakfish and other small Try.
there is no possibility OF telling how many tnon-
sand pounds are thrown on this market TO be VEN
ded 10 poor people IN an unwnolesome and de.
that an epidemic might easily ravage the
city from pntrened fish IN suen HOT
lately and yet no precautions have been taken to
provide for the dumping OF such dangerous lood
The street hawkers and pedIers are allowed to do
their wicked VIII against the stomacls OF our hum
bier citizens, and yet nothing has been said TO
show the extent OF the EVIL until now.
The losses on fish, which cannot be insured,
being so pershable in its nature are borne not Dy
the consignees IN Fulton market, put by those
ermen chiefly reside on both sides OF Long Island.
one fish deaer told the writer yesterday that
right In this weather. In view OF these facts and
with the remembrance before all OF our read
ers that thirty tons of fish thoroughly dccayed
have been taken away to parts unknown from
Fulton Fish Market during the last Six days, 1t
would be well TO ask how IL Is possible Tor fish
pedier TO sell porgies at hall a cent and u cent
pound when these very same nawkers have to pay
three cents q pound by tue wholesale at the
market. Where DO they get their dsn And what
becomes OF ,he thirty tons OF decayed FISH IL Is
needless 10 say that these two questions dovetail
into each other with great and admirable exact
ness. And the third and not the least important
question is TO know what the sanitary ponce are
doing this not weather.
Amateur fishing Is Just now at its height. Those
who wish TO Ego a fishing" may be DESTROYS Of
knowing how much it costs for a eft out" and
where to fish In the neighbOrhood or the city. Just
now there IL good fishing in blue fish, weak nsh,
sea bass. porgles, striped bass, founders. brook
front. rickerei, black bass perch aud sundsh. The
blue fish pnling spendidly down IN the neigh
b0rhood OF Sandy HOOK. A blue asa outfit, sQUld
ana line costs from 81 rs to 81 50. A brook and
lake trout outfit, comprising pole, reel aud line,
costs from SO TO $50. For sea bass ana black
Gsh y drop line Is used, costing from
CSC. to 81 50. weak fish are also caught
by the drop inc. striped pass rig costs from So