Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-26
AMERICAN sARDINEs.
How the Native Herring Becomes n Full
Pledged Foreigner.

Pledged Foreigner.
Portland Me- Cor. Philadelphia Press.
1t is not generally known that very few,
if any, sardines are imported. Nearly all
the Ssh consumed in America come from
the southeast corner of this State. At
PASSPORT there are nineteen places where
they turn out sardines; at Lubec, three,
and along the coast at different ports
many others are found. The process of
preparation is very interesting.
To catch the hsh, small trees or brush
are thrust into the bottom Of little bays or
directly into the main body of water
They are arranged in a line quite close
together, running out from the shore some
seventy-five or hundred feet, then curved
like horseshoe, with line returned to
shore. In this is placed a net At the
proper tidal moment the net is raised and
the fish taken up in scoop nets. The fish
are not sardines at all, but small herring.
The catch is always very uncertain.
Sometimes only bushel or two will be
taken, and at others so many as to endan-
ger the safety of the net.
After being placed in the boats, they
are at once taken to the packing place
and laid upon long tables in heaps. The
first step requires the cutting off of the
head and the removal of the entrails. The
degree of deXterity with which both of
these operations are performed is aston
lshing, especially as they are done en-
tirely by very young children. The writer
counted one little girls work during a
minute, and found she decapita-
ted and removed the interior por-
tons of eighty fish in that
time. Both operations are done with
one stroke of the knife. The head is neat
ly severed from the body, and the knife is
then pulled slightly away from the fish,
removing the one canal which cOmposes
the entire digestive arrangement. A
large box, holding about a bushel, lies di-
rectly at the feet of each operative, into
which the fish slides, while the head is
thrown by the same fatal stroke into
another. The pay for this work is ten
cents for each boXful. Some of the more
expert make from dollar to a dollar and
a half day.
The fish are then placed in warm water,
which is slightly agitated in order to
cleanse them thoroughly. After this
necessary precautiOn they are placed on
very large gridirons, of which the bars
are thin and wide apart, and are then sus-
pended over a very hot fire, where they
are partly broiled. These gridirons are
called ''flakes," and hold about 100 fish
The sardines are placed in position on the
''flakes" by little girls, who receive ten
cents for filling every hundred. After
brOiling, the fish are ready for the boxes.
These are already prepared with the at
tractiye French labels, stating that the
inclOsed are ".SdTdineS PhuiIe SupeFiUre,"
and others claim to contain "phUiLe
POlIjne," but this is false. The oil is
cotton seed, pure and SIMPLE and is not
always the best quality. The first quality
of oil is used, however, for those sardines
sold as prime.
The boxing or packing is another
branch of the operation at which the little
people are quite expert. A fish is seized
in each hand and. laid lengthwise in the
box. first head at the outer end and then
tail. In watching the packing an OBJ
server is struck with the idea that it is
much easier to put them I'm the box than
to take them out After the box is full a
small quantity Of cotton seed oil, about
half gill, is poured in, and it is then
passed to another set Of girls, who place
the bottoms in position. These fit snugly
Just inside the outer rim and rest upon a
little shoulder Of tin.
The boxes are now ready for the seal
erS. These men sit at long tables, and
each one has little stove and soldering
iron at his side. The box is placed in a
little grOOved platform, which forms the
top Of revolving frame, extending below
the table and worked by the feet. The
solder. in long thin sticks or coils, is
of the hot cOpper-pOinted iron, and is rap
idly melted, running down along the point
and filling up the groove. After slightly
scratching with the point of the copper a
number or mark to indicate the sealer
whose identity is thereby established IN
case of Lad work, the boxes are taken to
an immense cauldrOn, where the contents
are boiled for two hours, thus completing
the cooking process and dissOlving the
bones of the fish.
After boiling, the boxes are placed side
by side, and a small hole is punctured in
one corner, in order to permit the air,
which was necessarily sealed in the box
to escape. This sometimes comes with a
sudden squirt, throwing q tiny stream of
steam and hot oil in all directions. I'm
mediately after this boy seals the hole
with solder, and the box is then placed
with others in a revolving chamber part
ly filled with saw dust. A few revolu-
tiOns cleanse them of all dirt and oil, and
they are then ready for testing. Each box
is taken up separately between the thumb
and finger and slightly pressed. If it
yields there is hole somewhere, through
which air enters the box, or there is still
some remaining air which did not escape
when the box was pierced. 1t is thrown
aside and returned to the sealer, who must
pay the value of the box thus spoiled
L uG maj HdhullllS 10 uOuG WuGu uu6 SAT-
dimes are packed in large wooden boxes
for shipment.
Almost the entire product is shipped to
New York, whence it is sold to retailers
throughout the country. One of the es-
adjustments in Lubec prepares about
1000 boxes daily. When it is remembered
that there are nineteen such places in
EastpOrt and many others at different
seaport towns, the enormous consumption
of the gentle herring, masquerading under
the nObler title, may be seen. The actual
cost per box. including all expenses, is
five cents. The profit made by the
packers sometimes reaches seven and
nine cents, but is oftener less. The diff
ference between these prices and the con-
sumers' expenditure is lost in the differ
ent hands through which the fish mass