The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-21
Lobster Factories
story goes.

Inc LOBSTER factories arc very numerous,
j. and can hardly escape the notice even of
the fashionable visitor to Maine Ho is
confronted by one, for instance, Mt the land
ing Of Harpswcll, the principal island of
Casce Bay, another at the historic old town
of Castine, another at Southwest Harbor,
Mount Desert, besides the one at Green's
Landing. Deer Island has factories at
Occanville and Burnt Cove forming part
OF series twcnty-thrce ia number, which
belong to one firm. and stretched all the
way down to the Bay of Fnndy They
cannot be called dintrinsically inviting. owing
to their wholly utilitarian character,
although they arc apt to have redccmlng
features in an occasional touch OF the pic
turcsque.
The factory opens at one end on the
wharf, close to the water. Two men bring
in the squlrming loads on stretcher and
dump the mass INTO coppers for boiling.
At intervals the covers are hoisted by ropes
and pulleys, and dense clouds of steam arise,
through which we catch vistas of men,
women and children at work. Two mon
approach the coppers with strctchcr and
scoop.ncts, and they throw rapid SCOOP
fuls, done to a scarlet, backward over their
shoulders. The scarlet hue is seen IN all
quarters-on the stcamlng stretchcr, In tho
great heaps on the tables, in scattered in
dividuals on the floor, in q large pile of
shells and refuse seen through the open
door, and in an ox-cartload OF the same re-
fuse, further OFT, which Is being taken away
for Use as fertilizer.
The boiled lobster is separated, on long
tables, into his constituent parts. The meat
of the many jointod tail Is thrust out with
punch. A functionary called "crackcr"
frees that of the claws by couple of dcft
cuts with clcaver, and the connecting
arms are passed OH to be picked out with
fork by the girls. In another department
the meat is placed in the cans. The girl
puts in roughly a suitable selection Of tho
several parts. The next weighs 1t, and
adds or substracts enough to complete tho
exact amount desired Zone or two pounds).
The next forces down tho contents with a
stampl invented especially for the purpose.
The next puts in a tin cover with blows of
little hammer. Then a tray is rapidly
filled, with the cans, and they are carried
to the solderers, who seal them tight OK.
cept for minute openings in the covers, and
put them In another tray, which by means
of pulley-tacklc, Is then plunged in bath
caldrons, In order that the cans may be
boiled till the alr ie expelled from their con-
tents through Inc minute openings. Then
they are sealed up and boiled again for
several hours, wh"e Inc process of cooking
is complete.
In the packing-room tnc cans are cleaned
with acid, painted q thin coat of green "
keep them from rusting, pasted with labels
displaying highly ornamental scarlet lob.
ster rampant against blue sea, and placed
by the gross in pine boxes to await tho ar
rival of the company's vessel, which cruises
regularly from factory to factory, collecting
the product. Nine-tenths OF tho supply at
present goes to the foreign market. On
'loaf-days." the hands occupy thcmselvc
with making the neat cans which it is their
ordinary business to I'LL.