New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-21
The Sardine Fishery.

The sardine fishery, with all it's attendant
industrial activities, is one of the important
business features of the coast Of France.
There are indications, however, that these
tOotheome little fish are either becoming
scarce or else less easily caught than Of
aforetme, for the yield grows less every
year. both in the aggregate quantity OBJ
tanned and the average catch per boat. The
fishery is prosecuted from April till October,
and furnishes employment to some 10000
sailors, with their 1910 boats, on the water,
and some Is, 600 men, women and children
on land. in preparing the fish TOR market.
Every year shows diminutiOn in the catch
and an advance in the price.
This is shown by table, recently pub
lished by the american Grocer, which gives
the figures OF the sardine fishery for the
past thirty years, and exhibits the annual
decline in quantity caught and the cor
responding advance in market price.
Whereas, from 1910 to 1919, the average
catch per boat was 335, 900 fish, and their
price about 81 per 1000, the catch last year
averaged only g.. 900 per boat, and the price
1t is, therefore, quite probable that, unless
some change soon comes, sardines will take
their place among epicurean rarities, and
will command that peculiar respect which,
while SO numerOusly and cheaply procured,
they have failed to compel.
The preparation of sardines for market is
quite an interesting performance, and is
mostly done by women and children who
leave country homes to spend the "sardine
season. on the coast. These do all the
handling of the fish from the time they
leave the boats until they are ready to be
finally sOldered up in their boxes. They
work ten hours day as rule, and may do
as much Overwork as they choose at from
three to four and half cents an hour.
They usually make sixteen hours days
work, and as they are free to eat as many
sardines as they want (altbOugh expected
to "fnd themselves" in other respecte), they
generally manage to make enough during
the sardine season to keep their families
through the winter. They sleep in an out
house of the shanty description, and supply
their own beds and do all their own house
keeping.
The condition precedent-'irst catch
your fish"-having been complied with, tue
sardiDes are taken to the workshop where
they are at once sailed, which is done by
throwing into each basket a handful of rock
salt and shaking the baskets 50 that the salt
shall reach every fish. Then they are spread
out upon tables covered with zinc, and left
there three or four hours, to allow all liquid
to drain off. Next they are decapitated and
of their insides by means OF sharp
knives which are made to operate with won
derful dexterity in the hands Of these female
and infantile experts. Washing with sea
water is the next process, after which the |
fish are placed tails up, in a wire basket of |
200 sardines capacity, which is hung up in |
the open air for several hours until It's con-
tents are dried. Frying next comes in or
der, and this is done, not in their own fat of |
which the fish have no superabundance, but |
in the best kind of Give oil, in pans each !
Just large enough to hold one of the wire |
baskets. Here they simmer in the boiling |
oil from five to ten minutes, until by testing !
they are found to be cooked. This testing |
consists in taking out q fish and breaking it |
in two, when, il it is white and the back |
bone quickly detaches itself, the fish is con- |
sidered cooked and the basket is taken from |
the pan.
After cooking the basket of fish are
taken away and hung just over q zinc |
table for three or four hours, where they |
Trip until perfectly dry, and are then |
placed before the women who do the /
packing. This is the only handling they
get after being stood up to dry as previously !
described. They are now taken out of the
baskets one by one, and laid in the boxes,
literally sardine fashion. and are overlooked
with pure, fresh olive oil. As the fish alb
IOrb portion of the oil there is no stint
ng of the deluge they receive. The boxes
hen pass to the hands of the solder, who
operates with an iron kept hot by gas
burner Gin its midst" connected by rub
Der tube with the gaspipes, and having
before him a table SO arranged as to
evolve and save time in manipulating the
'oxes. The process of soldering is swift
md systematic, d single revolution of the
ron completing the job. A final touch is
he depositing of the boxes, 800 or 1000 at
nee, in q vat, where they are made to boil
en- or fifteen minutes. After this they are
'ut away for day or two in q room, in
rider to see if any fermentation is likely to
AXE place, and then they are taken to a
DOM, kneedeep with sawdust, where q
warm of girls are ready to rub them with
aw dust until all the oil is wiped off and
be boxes are as bright as can be. Thence
hey 60 to the packing room, and thereafter
D the place appointed for all good sardines.
-Ne,v York Nail.