The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-19
FINNAN HADDIEs.
A Model Curing Establishment

Finnan, Scotland. claims to be the first place
where paddock were smoked. The first lot
were called after the name of the town, Gin
nan haddocks,'' and acquired quite a reputa-
ton by that name. The first that were cured
in this country were cured in some part of Can
ada by Scotchman, and to shorten the name
he called them by that by which we know them
to-day-"Finnan haddies.'' The late Thomas
McEwan was the first to introduce this kind of
fish into this part of New England. At first
they met with rather slow sale, bat now
wherever there there is a Scotchman, there can
Finnan haddies be sold. But few years ago
there were only few hundred pounds cured in
this city, while the past year there were over
10000 pounds cured here.
The fish are caught along the coast by fishing
vessels carrying from six to twelve men. They
are brought to this port and then begins
sharp competition between the vendors of fresh
fish and the men who want the fish to smoke.
Of course this competition has the effect to
keep up the price and the fishermen can al
ways sell all they catch at good price. The
curing business makes Portland one of the best
places for fishermen along the coast, as they
can always sell their fish for the very highest
price.
There are four of these curing establishments
in the city. A PRESS reporter visited one of
them yesterday and witnessed the whole opera
ton of curing the fish. The one selected was
that of d. Wyer & Co. at the foot of Franklin
street. This firm have been in the fish curing
business about ten years. Their establishment
was formerly located nearly opposite their pres
emit place of business, but they were obliged to
erect new buildings on their present site on ac-
count of increasing business.
Their new buildings are large and very con-
venient. They have capacity for curing five
tons daily. The season begins about the first
or October and lasts until the last of April.
The firm employ about dozen men to carry
on the work and their sales this year cannot
fall short of $4,000. The fish are brought
from the wharves in carts to the establishm ept
where they are dumped in pile. When a
sufficient quantity have been collected, two men
begin cutting off the heads and threw the fish
into tub of water From here they are taken
by man who sounds them and passes them
to man who scrubs them, after which they
are ready for the "splitters." After being split
open they are put in pickle and remain there
from one to three hours and half The next
thing to do is to hang them up on nails driven
into sticks of wood about four feet in
length. They are then dried little and given
into the charge of the Smoker" They now
leave the main building and are carried into
smoke room. This room is provided with four
klns feet by IA and 16 feet high. They will
hold about 5000 pounds of fish. The sticks
holding the fish are hung in the klns and the
fire is kindled. The fuel used is sawdust with
a small quantity of wood. The top of the
kilns are provided with an aperture ON each
side to let out the smoke and the steam from the
fish. is necessary to have the smoke pass
the fish in order to have them well cured. and
the quicker it passes the better they are cured.
1t requires from 20 to 80 hours to do the smok
ing When smoked they are taken out and
hung in the drying room to cool. They are
then cured and are taken to the packing room,
packed, boxed and sent to market. The mar
ket is principally in Canada and the West
Large orders are almost daily received from
Chicago, Toledo, New York, ST. Louis, Detroit,
Cincinnati, etc. ETC.
The firm will retain their old building for the
curing of herring exclusively. They do quite
an extensive business in this branch. The past
year they cured about 1000 pounds. OF course
the amount of business done at an establish
ment of this kind depends upon the catch of
fish