The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-09-11
YANKEE sARDINEs.

- oNJoSS pONOAy'
YANKEE SARDlNES.
How Small HerrinSs are Made to
Resemble the Famous Little French
Fish.
Nine-tenths OF the sardines consumed
in the United States come from Maina.
Very few of the real French fish are i'm
ported now. These Yankee sardines
are nothing but small herring put up in
boxes with gaudv labels and French in
scriptions. In Eastport there are nine
teen places where they turn out sar-
dimes. besides three at Lubbock, two at
Janesport AVID one each at Millbridge,
Lamolne and Robinston. In 1876 New
York firm did lucrative business pack
ing "Bussian sardines" in Eastport.
These were little herring packed insmalf
wooden kegs and preserved with spices
of different Kinds. 1t occurred to one
member Of the firm that these little fish
might be utilized to better advantage by
cooking them and packing them in olive
Gil, like the French sardines. The ex-
pertinent had been tried several years
before without success. The difficulty
was to eradicate the taste of the herring.
This gave rise to the couplet:
You may spice and may call it sardine
if you will. But the taste of the herring
will cling to it still!
1t was easy to cook the herring. pack
them in olive oil in tin cans, and seal
them air tight, but when they were
opened they had not the rich, spicy fla
vor of the regular French sardines. At
ter great many experiments, one of
the manufacturers succeeded in produc-
ing mixture of oils and spices which
removed the difficulty.
The herring used for making sardiues
are about four inches long, and are tax.
en- in great quantities along the Maine
and New Brunswick coast. They can
be bought of the fisherman for about IS
hogshead, although when the fish are
they bring as much as $l5 a hogshead.
To catch the fish small trees
or brush are thrown into the
sandy bottom of the sen, arranged in q
line running out from the shore some
seventy-fve or one hundred feet, and
then curved back like q horseshoe. In
side this trap is net. When the tide is
failing the net is raised, and the fish are
taken out with huge scoop nets. The
catch is always very uncertain; some
times only bushel or two will be taken;
| and often so many are caught as to en-
danger the net.
There is another way of capturing the
fish. Herring, like mackrerel, go in
follow light. Two Dr three fishermen
provide themselves with torches made
! of cotton batting saturated with kero-
sene, and on dark nights row along the
shores with torch in the bow of the
| boat When school is found the
herring dart after the boat, coming so
close that they are dipped up in aets
attached to short poles.
After being captured the fish are
taken Immediately to the factory and
laid in heaps upon long tables. The
| first thing is to decapitate and clean
the fish. The dexterity with which
this operation is performed by the chill
dren who are employed, is remarkable,
cleaned and decapitated every minute
by each child. Both operations are per.
formed with one stroke OF a sharp knife.
| A box holding about bushel lies at the
feet Of each operator, and as the clean.
| ing is completed the fish slides into this
bog. The pay for this work is ten cents
| a box, and some Of the children make
4 $l.50 a day.
| After being washed, the herring are
picked for half an hour, and are then
laid npon trays and placed in large
drying-room and heated by steam. AZ.
ter the fish are dry they are thrown in
thoroughly cooked. They are then pack
ed in tin boxes by girls and women, and
in each box is poured quantity of the
patent mixture Of oils and spices. Cow
ers are then fitted to the boxes and
sealed on by men. As air must be ex.
cl.ded, the cans, when -sealed, are
placed in tank of boiling water, where
they remain half an hour and are then
removed and placed on an inclined
plane, SO that the air insi rushes to
one corner of the box. This corner Is
punctured with an awl, the hot air es-
capes, and the can is male air-tight by 9
drop Of solder. The boxes are then or.
namenied with attractive French labels,
la Francaise;" some are labeled ''s
l'hutlle q olive" The oil used is cotton
seed oil. such as is made in South Caro-
lima. 1t is not always the best quality O
oil. The best oil is used, however, fol
fish sold as "prime."
There are prepared at these factories
other varieties of fish known as mus
tarus," '.maranees and sea trout
The mustard are prepared like the sar.
J dimes untill they are put in the cans
| They are packed in preparation made
Of mustard, vineger and oil, with soup
con of spice.- The mnstards are large
Il fish than the sardiues. The maral.ees
are qacked in sauce made OF vinegar
spices, lemon and sugar, and the Sci
trout are large herring put UP in oval
boxes with still another sauce.
II Almost the entire produce os these
factories is shipped to New York
i whence it is sold to retailers all through
!, the country One of the Lubec houaes
prepares about 1900 boxes a day
!, The actual cost ner box, including Al
], expenses, is about five cents. The prof
made by the packers is from 1--WE t,
seven csnts. The difference between
these prices and what the consume
pays for the fish at the. grocery goes il,
: 4 Al - .RA e.