Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-10
PoRPoIsE FISHING.
How the Punlng Pigs Of tho Sea are Sue
eessfully Captured.

How the Punlng Pigs Of tho Sea are Sue
eessfully Captured.
The only firm engaged in porpoise
hunting as business in the known
world is the firm of Cooke & Sparks, of
Cape May and Philadelphia, by whom
the skins of the big fish are tanned into
leather in this city.
Until within few years it was as
serted that the porpoise could never be
captured. 1t is an amphibious animal
and belongs to the mammals, sucking
its young like the COW. Porpoise hunt
ing was begun at Cape MAY TWO years
ago, but the company failed, having
lost two steamers IN consequence OF the
strength of the tides there, old wrecks
lying around, and other causes. After
that the present company started,
and its operations are confined to the
southern seaboard ave only fish in
the winter time" said Mr.. George L.
Sparks, one of the firm, to a Ne,cs
gatherer yesterday. "Porpoises are
warm blooded. They come north in
the summer and start south in the
winter. Our fishery is off Cape Hat
teras, situated between the shoals and
the inlet. We have an immense seine,
or net, which we had patented. 1t is
one mile and half hong, and twenty
four feet deep. 1t is made of 42-thread
cotton tarred marline. We employ
eighty men. The seine is pulled in by
hand. have seen 25O porpoises in
the net at one time, but when it was
brought ashore only twenty fish were
secured. they often plunge clean
through the seine. They weigh from
four hundred to one thousand two hun
dred pounds. and to see school of
them in the net plunging. snorting and
making peculiar whistling noise, is a
grand sight. Porpoises die either by
drowning or for want of their native
element within two hours after we land
them. We generally harpoon them
with long steel prong on the end of
pole, which the 'tar-heels call a
killer
1.-The porpoises are then skinned very
deity, in pretty much the same way as
a hog is dressed. In fact, their nature
is about the same as swine, the sailors
calling them putting pigs Last year
We attempted and succeeded in curing
and smoking the meat just the same rs
dried beef. and sold twenty-five thou
sand pounds of it. The meat is con-
sidered delicacy in Europe, fit for the
royal table, 1t resembles venisOn in
taste, and in texture is fine, tender and
not thready. We remove all the fat
and bone before curing it. The fat or
blubber which is ATTACHED to the skin
is rendered into an oil that is much
superior to sperm OH This is called
body oil, and is used as lubricatOr in
tanning and for machinery. There is
valuable oil distilled from the marrow
of the jaw-bone called 'porpoise-jaw
OIL which is used for fine watches and
the most delicate kinds of machinery.
About four ounces of this oil are found
in the average porpoise. 1t is very ex-
pensive and worth about sixty dollars
gallon.
1.-The skins of the porpoise, the aver
age length of which are ten feet, are
dry-salted, packed and brought to this
city, where they undergo the tanning
process, which requires about seven
months before being fit for the market. |
We spoiled hundreds of skins before
we succeeded in tanning them properly. |
There was, in fact, but one man in this
country who knew the secret. He |
wanted ten thousand dollars for it,
which we would not pay. and by a
series of experiments we have sue
ceeded in producing splendid water
proof. fne-grained leather, far better,
finer and more durable than French
calf-skin. Here's pair of shoes
have worn for year," said Mr..
Sparks. land there's not a break in
them. The ordinary calf-skin can be
tanned by some processes in four weeks.
The boae of the porpoise is used as a
fertilizer. and the fins are boiled up into
glue stock.
1.-The porpoise, it must be remem-
bered, is one of the most voracious de-
stroyers of food fishes that swims in
the sea. A good, healthy porpoise,
with an unimpaired appetite, will eat
one hundred mackerel day. 1t tEas
reduces the supply of that fish for our
markets, and, of course, enhances the
price.
1.-The big trap seine to catch the por-
poises was invented by John A. Cook,
one of the firm. 1t has a great OPEN
ing in the center, leading into big
trap. The highest number ever caught
at one haul was one hundred and TWEEN
ty. We have captured thus far 2. l0S,
aud expect to 60 at it again. TIE men
who handle the seine are hardy race
of North Carolinians, inhabiting the
sandy stretch on Cape Hatteras. The
seine in put into the ocean from the
beach just as soon as a school of the
fish is sighted. 1t is laid right across
their track. In little while the ami
mails are in the meshes and beating
against the wall of knotted Irvine. The
fishermen then plunge in the sea up to
their necks, and amidst the powerful
lashing of the waters the porpOises are
hauled in and safely landed on the
beach.
MANY escape before the shore end
of the net can be got into shoal water.
but none of them leap over the top, as
was supposed they would do. The
people we employ are water-locked.
isolated from civilization. hardy and
brave and of tender natures. They are