The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-09

OtnerS so many As 10 enoaugeF lue
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 eff
Of the heads and the removal OF the
entrails. The degree OF dexterity with
which both of these operations are
performed is astonishing, especially as
they are done entirely by very young
children. The writer counted one
little girls work during minute, and
found she decapitated and removed
the interior portions of eighty fish in
that time. Both operations are done
with one stroke Of the knife. The
head is neatly severed from the body,
and the knife is then pulled slightly
away from the fsh, removing the one
canal which composes the entire diges-
tive arrangement. A large box hold
ing about bushel lies directly 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 ex-
pert make from 81 to 81 30 per day.
The fish are then placed III warm
water, which is slightly aoitated in or
der 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 suspended over
very hot FIRE, where they are partly
broiled. These gridirons are called
flakes" and hold about 120 fish. The
sardines are placed in position on the
"fakes" by little girls. who receive
ten cents for filling every hundred.
After broilIng, the fish are ready for
the boxes. These are already pre-
pared with the attractive French Ia
bells, stating that the inclosed are
"jSardines a Fhuiie saperieUre,' and
others claim to contain "FhuilcdoI oIiUe, !"
but this is false. The oil is cotton
seed, pure and simple, and is not al
ways of 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. 4 fish
is seized in each hand and laid
lengthwise in the box, first head at
the outer end and then a tail In
waching the packing an observer is
struck with the idea that it is much
easier to put them in 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 little shoulder Of
tin.
The boxes are now ready for the
sealers. These men sit at long tables,
and each one has a little stove and
soldering iron at his side. The box
is placed in little grooved platform,
which forms the top Of a revolving
frame, extending below the table and
worked by the feet. The solder, in
long, thin sticks or coils, is placed
about half an inch above the end Of
the hot copper-pointed iron, and i
rapidly melted, running down alon:
the point and filling the groove. AT
ter slightly scratching with the pOin
of the copper number or mark t.
indicate the sealer, whose identity
thereby established in case of ba'
work, the boxes are taken to an i'm
/ mense caldron, where the content
: are boiled for two hours. thus com
pleting the cooking process and di:
solving the bones of the fish.
After boiling, the boxes are place
side by side, and a small hule is punct
ured in one corner in order to pei
IS nit the air, which was necessaril
sealed in the box, TO escape. Thi
!: sometimes comes with a sudden spur
throwing a tiny stream of steam an
f hot oil in all directions. Immediat,
ly after this boy seals the hole wit
i. solder, and the box is then place
r with others in a revolving chamb'
partly filed with sawdust. 4 fe
} revolutions cleanses them from &
dirt and oil. and they are then reaC
II for testing. Each box is taken 1
separately between the thumb al
/: finger and slightly pressed. 1T
Yields there is a hole sOmewher
* through which air enters the box,
there is still some remaining air viii
- did not escape when the box "