Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-04-01
LIGHT WEIGHT FISH.

LIGHT WElGHI Fish.
In Massachusetts, where large proportion
Of the mackerel are packed, they have strln-
gent inspection laws, and the packers there
claim il is through the urgent demands OF tie
merchants that they are induced to evade the
i,ws and pack short weight In recent issue
Of The Boston Herald, in ap article on this sub.
icct, i, Is asserted that "the Inspection Laws
of Massachusetts are constantly eVaded so
that il is morally as correct to sell mao bar
rel of mackerel of $50 pounds as one weighing
oou pounds selling they do, per pound
Coopers are employed to make four sizes OF
halfbarrels which coutaln from lOO lbs. io"n
a low as 50 bs., while II IL asserted that some
are made which will hold even less than 5O
los. The regular sizes are called common
when they will hold 100 lbs, and small
when only 9O lbs. will ill them. Small
small hold 10 lbs, and fancy 6O lbs:
Lightweight quarter-barrels are made to hold
from 30 to 40 pounds Eighths aud kits light
weight, are Of all sizes, from 10 to 90 pounds.
Kits of 10 pounds weight have been put up in
Bostou aud shipped to other parts of the couD-
try. This weight was marked on each, but as
it costs as much to pack aud transport pack
age of this size as it would one OF 20 pounds,
the consumers will have TO pay about as much
for it as if it were Of full weight. If these
tricks of trade are morally correct what
is dishonesty?
The rule appears to be to make three half
barrels and SIX quarter barrels out OF one bar
rel, aud this system Of reduction IN weight IS
coutinued down to the smallest packages The
quality of the fish contained 10 these various
sizes OF packages are also often traudulently
m,srepreseuted, but this is sin very few, if
aoy, Of the Massachusetts packers will have to
answer for, as their laws are very strict on this
point; but the packages are manipulated AFTER
leaving that Stale, and here we are afraid the
integrity of some of the New York dealers
u.ust suffer. The sizes aud qualities are mixed
up quite iudiscrlm luately, dealers often mark
ing small 3's as No. Is, aud initiating the
Massachusetts inspection brands to cover their
fraud Ouly few months sluce some 81 900
or S., ,OOU worth of mackerel We're selz.d iu
Boston for short weight; and how many pack
ages equally illegal have escaped the official
notice probably will never be known. 1t has
been charged that large spring herring were
last spring taken aud split along the back like
mackerel, and packed aud sold for mackerel.
These herring were at the time worth S5 per
barrel as herring, but as mackrrel they were
worth $40 These manufactured mackerel were
sent Vest, where people are not supposed to
be critical; but the falling off 10 demand, aud
the general complaint OF retailers and con-
suners, should teach honest business meu
that it is for their interest to put down such
practices 1t is stated by parties 10 the trade
that not one barrel of genuine No. | mackerel
now goes West and South. where formerly
fifteen barrels OF that grade were sent. Prime
No, is are DOW mostly used aloug the sea-
coast towns, where good mackerel Is known
aud no other kiud will fnd sale.
How TO PURIFY DRINKING WATER. The
Potomac water Is TO- feartuly muddy state,
and has been for many days past. A very
cheap and certain mode of cleansing and puri-
tying it 10 the extent of the amount used for
purifying purposes is as follows: Take pail,
or key, that will not leak, and apply to the
bottom coarse. clean gravel, about TWO inches
in thickness; then filling to within about two
inches of the top of the pail or keg alternate
layers of pulverized charcoal and gravel, (hner
thau the bottom layer,) and having the top
layer OF gravel or clean, coarse sand. BY ap-
plying faucet at the bottom Of the PAIL FL
iDg it with water, and drawiug off when need
eu, you will have pure white water. This is
an old plan, but there are many who do not
know OF ii; and as it is extremely economical,
almost any house-keeper can procure the ma
terlals and prepare them for use. The sand
aud charcoal should be changed every three
mouths Washington Chronicle.
BURgssoME DISTRICT lax LAW. The bust
ness nen of this city are considerably agltated
over the construction glveo TO the personal tax
section in the District tax bill passed by the
last Congress- Under the law the whole amount
Of stock ta store or oD hand must pay the tax
without deductiug the amount Of indebtedness
Tor the same. 1t was the intention that about
three hundred thousand dollars of revenue
should be raised here by personal taxation, but
Under the construction now given to the law
the amount will amount to over one million
dollars. Many business men declare their puI-
pose to refuse to pay the tax and carry the
matter into the courts, believing that the cou-
Struclon placed upon the law will not be sus-
tsined. ln the meantime the trade with Other
cities will be seriously affected Merchants
here who deal largely with Philadelphia, New
lurk, aud Boston will be compelled to carry
light stock until the question eau be settled by
the COURTS Wash Cor, ~ 7. Post.
AN INDIAN SToRY-A gentleman of St.
Paul, who is just back from trip up the river,
gives the particulars of rather extraordinary
case of experience in the last awful storm,
Au Indian aud his squaws we're caaght out in
the storm while out journeying frt III Fort Ran
dali to the Fort Thompson Agency, and be-
coming bewidercd, took refuge in a small ra-
vine. They wrapped their blankets about them
and sat down under the bank.
The snow soon covered them, but the Indian
kept hole through the rapidly forming drift
with his guu which he would poke up OCCASION
ally. They remained there all night, and the
DRIFT became so high 10 the meantime that he
Was obliged to splice the ramrod to the end of
his r,He lu order to reach the top and keep up
Ventilation, During their imprisonment the
Squaw gave birth to child, and it was christen-
ed ''Suow Drift
The law requiring novelty and utility in all
Inventions to be established before patents can