The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-17
SHRInI'S.
UtlizinE Chinese I.abor-A Very Curious In
dustry ON san Francisco Bay.

Forp ne San Frdhr,co Bgrsfia.
or the thousands who preface their meals
by n dish OF Hppetizing ehrmps how few re.
Alze the vast amount OF patient labor expended
In getting tho inexpensive shensh So tempt
ingly placed before them; and OF those who
awkwArdly attempt 70 twist and pull on the In
digestbe covering. how many imagine the eN-
istence OF a process whereby the shells may 10
taken from tons Of shrimps almost rs quicky
Yet 1t is a fact that such process has been per-
iected. and. ,as usual, where large. profits can
wages ;'t to laborers. the Chinese have secured
monopoly Of the business.
On the shores Of the Bay OF san Francisco
over five hundred Chinamen are engaged u
catching and curing shrimps. There are six
camps on the rolTero side, near me bone lac
with an equal number of occupants. skirt the
shore Retwesn Bptchertown and Hunters
camps OF thirty Cinnamon each and at the
Eight Mile House there Is ono camp contain
munity Of itself and is governed by contractor
or " boss. who consigns the cured shrimps 10
Chinese commission merchants on shares. The
contractor. who is generally the representative
OF some llrm in tho city. furnishes food and
clothing 20 his employees. and the sum paid rs
wages Is consequently very small
Ii would at first bought. in view OF the s,rin
gent fishery laws in force in California, seem
Impossible to snare shrlmps without cn'chin a
considerable quantity OF small hsh. This DIM
Guilty Is obviatcd 10y selecting n point where
there - from twelve TO twenty tathoms 81 water.
usually trnversed 10y fish. II is. " course i'm
possible To avoid cntrappinG some ofthe smnller
fish in raising the nets The nets used are fun
nel-shaped. and about thirty-sl \ feet in length.
The diameter nj the mouth is eighteen feet. butt
decreases by gradations TO one foot at the lower
extremity. Thc mesh 10 usually hal! an inch
on the square for n distance Of thirty feet from
the Orlhce hut IL lass than n quarter OF An inch
~ width from that point to me smal, az end.
the tide is coming in and they are allowed 10
remain in the water until after the ebb. They
nrs then lifted and the contents Are TAX IN 10
land. The camps described possess thirty-siS
boats, and five mon constitute a crew. Each
boat contains from twelve 10 fifteen nets and
twenty baskets OF shrimps at single eaten Is a
mr. average. These baskets Will hold about
ARer landing. the shrmps are placed in watts
OF boiling water, with q fire underneath ana
boiled for about half an hour. belng frequently
sprlnklcd with coarse salt. They are then
spread out on hard. dry ground and lett 70 dry
and bleach l9r three or four days; being ire
auenily turned. AZ th9 ,eNpirat9n OF ms time
or IN such dry and cracked condition AS 10 be-
casily removed \ force OF Cinnamon Is
dry shrmps with their heavy wooden
shoes They 20 over, and over tho mass.
sliding their inet as does negro dancer
when he is shulling over the stage, The tramp
ing process concluded, the miscellaneous mix
turc Is put into winnowing machine. where
the shells are separated from the meat as per-
leclly ny 'hAH Is from gram Ihere are tnree
spouts 10 the separator. through one ~ which
tne Whole shrlmps are shot into bnsket. The
other spoutS hre used respectively for the
shrimps crushed by the tramping and the de-
tnched hulls. Thus dried and skinned tue
shrimps are nut into bags and sent TO the city.
4 few of Thorn Hrc shipped 10 China. but owing TO
the high rate OF transportation the export trade
has not proved profitable The first price Of dried
shrimps in san Francisco IL from five TO eight
cents per pound. A sack containing 100 pounds
| Of the undried article will produce from eight
| 10 ten pounds after the drying process. Before
| curing, the spot price OF shrimps is from two 10
| three and n half cents per pound. Delivered to
restaurants tho price is i've cents per pound.
| The principal camps OF Cinnamon are in tho
| interior towns. where the shrimps command 4
! high figure. and when made into soup arc
esteemed Il dainty dish.
Tho brokon shrimps are ground into n coarse
| Hour. which retals at three to four cents per
| pound. A use has also been discovered for the
| shells. and they ara shipped exclusively 70
| CHINA There they are valuable as manure and
| as poison TO the worm which works such de-
struction 10 the tea plant OF that country There
| Is nearly as much profit from the sale of the
| crushed shells rs from that OF tho shrmps
| themselves.
Tho extent to which the business Of shrimp
catching In the Bay OF san Francisco nus nd
| yanced Is most remarkable. The amount OF
| business at first hands will reach $4,000 per
month. and new markets are constantly OPEN
| ing AT certain periods the demand Is so great
| that two trips into the bay are made daily.
| which nearly doubles the amount OF ordinary
supply. and necessitate tho employment OF 4
| large forco OF extra men. The most serious
disadvantage of the trade is that II can Mt pres
ent be prosecuted only during the dry season,
| the rain forbdding the exposure OF the shrimpa
| for drTinR purposes.