The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-06-25
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Beginning and Present Prosperity of
a Maine Enterprise.
Boston Commercial BulIetinl

The first American sardine factory was built
in 1877, by Wolf & Riesing, who are still
among the leading packers. Atpresent there
are about thirty factories eighteen of them at
PASSPORT, and all situated on the coast of
Maine Over crowding and unwise competi-
ton have brought the business to bad pass.
Wolf & Riesing, the pioneers, who at one time
controlled half dozen factories, have gradu-
ally disposed of their interest and now man
age but one factory at Eastport.
The American sardine" is young herring.
1t does not compete with the best French
brands, but it does compete with the cheap
French brands, AT first the American sar-
dine was sold under false colors as french,
but now it stands on its own merits ana sells
as American. The cheap French" Sardlne IS
not sardine" but a sprat. Both the Amerl-
can herring and the French sprat are packed
in cottonseed oil, the American herring being
preferred to the French sprat in the. neutral
markets of Australia and South America.
The genuine sardine is packed in olive oil.
There is usually "Spring run OF herring
on the coastin May, lasting Tor about montn
This year it has lasted but two weeks and
most of the factories are idle in consequence.
The fish make their appearance again In July
and remain until the approach OF winter
Two processes are employed in packing the
sardines. The common process is called
"oYen packing" The fish are suspended IN
Theyare then packed in the familiar tin boxes
and deluged with cottonseed oil. The second
process is more expensive and the factories
which employ it demand and obtain higher
price for their goods. The fish are first dried
in the sum- then fried in choice oil and finally
packed in boxes like the others. This second
process is used in France by the best packers.
Fish are also packed in spice and mustard,
but only a small proportion of the total pack.
The tin boxes used take their names from the
French cans from which they are copied,
'swholes" "halyes" and quarters" The
quarter" can is the one most in use. 1t Is
about two inches and half in width by four
in length. A hundred cans are packed in a
case which forms the market unit of quotation
Owing to the violent competition for fish at
Eastport, the price of herring is always high
er there than at other points on the coast
Deer Island, Ia British possession near East
port, is the point where nearly all the hsh are
caught in the spring. The Holmes family OF
Eastport, who are largely interested in the
traffic built factory there and letting the
owners of the fish weirs have a part of the
stock, practically monopoliZed the entire
catch of early fish. Wolf d Riesing retaliated
by issuing circular, offering to sell quarter
oils at $4.25 case throughout the season, a
price which would bankrupt all but the rich
est packers for most of those engaged in the
business have but little capital. No sardines
were sold at that price. however. and peace
was patched up between the warning factions
Last year there was combination OF all the
packers of sardines on the Atlantic Coast,
known as the Sardine Exchange. This spring
business began without that organization, be-
cause last year the price list was not adhered
to, and the most vicious system OF compeh
ton reigned instead