The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-08-07
THE AMERICAN SARDINE.
AN EXTENSIVE INDUSTRY WHICH
rLoURIsHEs DOWN EAST"
How u Was Bcgun-The Method Of
Catching and Preparing tbe Eish
tor Market.

tOr luuTAtts
An PASSPORT (NIe,) letter to the Boston
Herald SAYS. Very few are aware when
they purchase u tin box of sardines, that
in spite of the gaudy and attractive label
1t bears, with its French inscription and
Napoleonic head, these "little fishes billed
in lie" are not the clupea SARDINIA from
the coast of Sardinia and from other
parts of the Mediterranean sea, but are
nothing more nor less than Yankee
herring caught OFF the coast of Maine,
nut up in cottonseed OIL The imitation
is so complete that the imported sardine
is scarcely, if ever, used as hors
d'Guvre, but in its stead we have the
little Maine herring, garnished with nu-
merous slices of lemon, quite as inviting
to the epicure and with flavor as highly
esteemed. In fact, the day of the i'm
ported sardine has passed, and nine
tenths of the sardines now eaten in this
country come from Maine. How this
was all brought about may be told as
follows; For some time prior to 1875, a
New York firm, Messrs. Wolff Il Rees-
sing, were engaged in experiments en-
deavoring to produce an article similar
to the French sardines. They had a
room fitted up in their store
which no one was allowed to
enter, excepting the two members of
the firm and the Frenchman who
was engaged in the experiments. On ac-
count of being unable to secure exactly
the fish they needed, it seemed as if all
their labor and efforts were to be of no
avail, and they were considering the
question of abandoning their project
when Mr.. Wolff, one of the firm, visited
Eastport, Me-, and, on seeing the small
herring caught in that vicinity, which
were then used for farming purpo es, he
felt that at last he had discovered the
long sought for fish. AS the result of
his Investigations in 1876, he established
a factory in Eastport and commenced
canning. Since then there have been
eighteen other canning factories estab-
lished in PASSPORT, two at Robbinston,
seven at Iubee, with one more in process
of erection, three at Jonesport, and one
each at Milbridge, Luinoine, Bass Har-
Dor, Broolllin and Camden, beside one
at St. Andrews, N. b.
The herring used for the manufacture
of sardines are caught in the waters OF
Passamaquoddy bay and vicinity. Large
weirs are built, being constructed of
piles driven firmly in depth of water
not exceeding twenty feet, while the
space between the piles is filed in with
brush interaced with the lail which sur
round the piles. A large opening in the
inclosure is left, through which the her
ring enter at high water, and drop
seine is used to close the opening when
the weir is well filled. just before low
water the fishermen enter the weir in a
net boat, and with huge scoop net take
| the fish out and deposit them in the boat.
The fish are offered for sale by the hogs
head to the boatmen of the different
factories about seventy-tive in number,
each factory employing from two to six
boatmen-and the bidding commences,
which, at times, almost rivals the
stock exchange; in fact, it is
the sardine exchange If only few of
the weirs have fish. the bidding is spir-
tied, and high price is obtained for the
haul; but, if fish are plenty, they do not
bring SO high price, and the bidding is
attended with less excitement. When
the industry was first started, 81 per
hogshead was good, fair price, but,
within tie last two years. as high as $50
has been paid for hogshead. After the
fish had been transferred to the boat OF
the highest bidder, start is made for
the factory, small signal flag being run
vi to the topmast, to show the owners at
the factory that fish are on the way.
When the wharf is reached, the fish are
hoisted from the boats and placed in
large tanks partly filled with salt water.
TO preserve them until they are all cut.
From these tanks they are taken in large
baskets to the cutting room and deposited
on the long, rough tables. where they are
seized by the cutters, and by a dexterous
sweep of their large knives are quickly
dccapitated, the entrails being pulled out
by the same movement. The operation is
performed with such quickness that those
skilled in the business will cut seventy
five minute Each cutter has box
which, when full, is carried to the fore
man of the room, and the cutter receives
o tin ticket stamped with the company's
anu diuOuub w w i''lu. hSoN
cutters are mostly boys and girls, from
ten to sixteen years of age, and, in hav-
ing what they term "a good week, they
earn from SO to $16. After being cut
the fish are picked. This is done
by placing them in tubs and salt
ing them thoroughly, after which they
are washed in several changes Of water
and then placed in low, flat baskets
when, after being carefully drained, they
are ho;sted into the taking room. The
Taking is done by women. The flake,
are of wire, nearly three feet long by
two feet in width, and the fish are spread
on them, care being taken that space is
left between each fish to avoid trouble
in baking. When a flake is filled, it i;
placed in the racks which stand in from
Of the mouth of the oven: The man il
charge of the oven takes them from The
rack and places them on the skeletons il
the oven. Each skeleton will hold foul
flakes, and it is revolved by steam power
The oven will hold forty flakes. BY the
time the last skeleton is filled, those or
the first one are baked sufficiently and
are removed to the racks, their place.
being immediately filled with flakes o
fresh fish. From the racks men take
them to tables, where the packers, who
are women, place them in tin boxes, ac
cording to their size, the smallest being
used for oil and tomato sardines, tn,
mediums for mustard and marinee sar
dimes, while the largest are packed il
oval cans, and are called "sea trout
Into each box is poured oil and the vari
Gus preparations of spice, vinegar
lemon, sugar and mustard that are used
When can is packed and filled with oil
or the necessary preparation required, i
is passed to the "header," who in
serts the cover, and then it is carried tt
the sealing room in trays, and the cover
tightly soldcred. Thence after being
packed in coolers, it goes to the bath
room, where il is placed in a steam pro
cess kettle and exposed to very heav.
pressure. Then it is tapped hole
being pierced in both ends for the escape
of the air, and then placed so that on
hole shall be against faucet of hot OF
tank. When filled with oil it runs on
of the second hole and both holes ar
then quickly stopped with solder, whicl
makes the can air tight 1t is next car
| ,.i 80 h. IL, ,,loanl