New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-22
AMERICAN HERRING SARDNES.

Portland NJ Correspondence Of The Philadelphia Prs
II ia not generally known that very few. II
urd I'm America come iIom the southeast OF this
state At Easport there nineteen pnccs where they
out sarnes at Lubec, three and along the Coast
ut different parts many Others are found
catch tue fish small trees or brush are thrust into
OF water. They arranged In limo close together
running from the shore some seventy or hun
bred feet then curved like horseshoe, with line re-
turned 10 the shore. In this Is placed a net Az the
proper tidal moment the net is raised and the fish taken
up In scoop nets The fish arc not saIdlnes at all put
small herring. The catch Is always very uncertain
Sometimes only 6nshe or two VIII be taken ana at
They at once taken to the packing place ana nld
upon long tables In heaps The first step requires tho
cutting of OF the head and tho removal OF the enras
The degree xtery with which both or these opera
lions performed Is astonishing especially as they arc
done entirely by very young children me writer
counted little girls work during minute, ana
found she decapae1 and removed the Interior portions
of eighty fish In that time A large box holding about IA
bu-hc lies directly AT the feet or each operative into
which the fish slides. while the head thrown by THO
same stroke into another The fish then pac ed
in warm water which IA slightly ngated in order TO
very large eridirons. and suspended over hot fire,
where they partly brolled After brolng the fsh
with The attractive French labels stating that the IN
closed are "SMdnes lhulle supeTeurc, and Others
claim contain lhuiIe dolvc but this Is false The
oil Is cottOnseed. pure and simple.
The boxing packing Is another branch OF the oper-
alton at which the little people are quite EXPERT nsa
seized ach hand and laid lengthwise IN the box rst
head at the outer end and then tau. In Watching
much easer put them In the box than to take them
out After the box is full small quantity OF cotton
seed oil il poured in and then II passed To another set
of girls who place the bottoms In position These ht
sngly inst inside the outer rim and rest upon little
shoulder of tin The boxes ready for the seal
ers These men sit at long tables and each one has Il
little stove ami soldering iron at his Side The box Is
placed in li,te gro0yed PLATFORM which forms the top
OF "A revolving extending below the table ana
worked by tho feet The solder, In long thin sticks or
coils placed about half inch above the end OF the hot
copr iron and rapidly melted running down
along tho point and 1ng up the groove. After slightly
mark TO Indicate the scaler whose Identity is thereby
I'm OF bad work the boxes are taken to
an immense caudron where they are toiled for two
hours thus completing the cooking process and dssoy-
ing the bones OF the fish
After boiling the boxes placed side by side, and
small hole Is punctu. ed In corner III order To Icl
the air which necessarily sealed IN the box, to es-
cane This sometimes comes with n sudden squirt
throwing tiny stream OF steam and hot oil in al dlreo-
tons Immediately after this boy seals the hole with
solder aud the box is placed With others In revolving
chamber partly filed with sawdust. few revolutions
cleanse them of all dirt and oil, and they are tEen
ready testing Each box Is taken up separately be-
tween the thumb and finger and slightly pressed II 1t
yields there Is hole somewhere through which air en-
the box there Is still some remaining air which
did escape when the box pierced. IL Is thrown
aside and returned To the sealer who must the value
of the box thus spoiled. The final handling IL done
when the sarnes packed in large wooden boxes for
Almost the entire product is shipped to New-Yvrk,
whence IL IL sold TO retailers throughout the country.
One the establishments In Lubec prepares about 1000
boxes daily. when II ia remembered that there
nineteen such places In EastpOrt and many others at
different port towns the enormous consumption OF
the gentle herring mnsqu"rading under the nObler title
may be The actual cost per box including all ex
IA a