The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-11-01
pORpOiSE FISHING.


n only HfM el5aged III porpolst
,unting as a business III the known
world is the firm of Cooke & Sparks, Of
Cape May and Philadelphia, by whom
Inc skins of the big fish are tanned into
Gather in this city.
Until within a few years 1t was as
serted that the porpoise could never be
captured. It is an amphibious animal
and belongs to the mammals, sucking
It's young Ike the cow. Porpoise hunt
Epg was begun at Cape May two years
ago, but the company failed, having
lost two steamers in consequence ofthe
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. I'VE only fish in
the winter time" said Mr.. George L.
Sparks, one of the firm, TO a Nc,cs
gatherer yesterday. "Porpoises are
warm bloodcd. They come north In
the summer and start south in the
winter, Our fishery is off Cape Hat
toras. situated between the shoals and
the inlet. We have an immense seine,
or net. which we had patented. 1t is
n mile and a half long, and twenty.
four feet deep. Il is made Of 42-thread
ssfSts tRp I 1aaEIred n Hag gtlHe ., Mss We employ
hand. l have seen $50 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 a school Of
them in the net plunging, snorting and
making a peculiar whistling noise, is 8
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 a long steel prong on the end Of 8
pole, which the 'tar"heels' call 9
KILLER
The porpotses are then skinned very
deftly, in pretty much the same way as
q 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 as
dried hnnf, oni SOLD twenty-five thou.
and pounds Of it. The meat is con.
sido7ed a delicacy in Europe, fit for the
royal table It 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
blubbcr which is ATTACHED to the skin
IL rendered into an oil that is much
superior to sperm oil. This is called
body oil, and Is used as q lubricator In
tanning and for machinery, There ia
g valuable oil distilled from the marrow
OF the iaw-bone called 'porpoiscjaw
oil, which is used for fine watches and
the most delicate kinds of machinery.
About four ouuces Of this oil are found
il the average porpoise. It ID very ep
pensivc and worth about sixty dollars o
The skins OF the porpoiso, the aver
age length Of which are ten feet, are
dry-saited, packed and brought to this
city, where they undergo the tanning
process, which requires about scve1
months before being fit for the market
spoiled hundreds Of skins before
succeeded il tanning them properly.
There was, IN tact, but one man III this
who knew the secret. He
wanted ten thousand dollars for Il
"tl!'n We "onia not pay and by
series o. experiments We have sue
ID nr"incng a splendid water
PROOF hne-Gra'ned leather, far betts..
lhtT ana more durable than French
aaI1-sklh, Heres a pair of shoes
nave i for q year. said Mr..
1P1rks, and there's not a break in
.hem' lh9 ordinary calf-skin can DO
aimed by 7olno processes in four weeks,
! he bone Of the porpoisc is used as q
.,lN.IzcT, and the fins are boiled up into
-IlG stock.
me poFpolse, it must be renem-
,'r'0' - one Of the most voracious d.
.!f"'"I' Of food fishes that swims in
sea. A good, healthy porpoise,
.1ta an uninpaired appetite, will eat
)Iie hundred mackerel a day. 1t thus
'oduces the supply Of that fsh for our
markets, and, Of course, enhances the
price.
"Tho big trap seine to catch the por-
was invented by John A. Cook,
me Of the firm. 1t has a great open.
ng in the confer, leading into q big
rap. The highest number ever caught
t one haul was one hundred and TWEEN.
y. We have captured thus far 2,109,
ma expect to 60 at it again. The men
%ho hahdle the seine are a hardy rags
u Norm Carolinlans' ~inhabiting the
stretch on Cape Hatteras. The
enc IN put into the ocean from the
'each Just as soQn as a school Of the
ish Is sig9tcd; It's laid right across
helr track In o little while the ami,
nais are II the peahes and beating
:galnst the wal OF knotted twine. The
Ishermen then plunge in the sea up TO
hear necks, and amidst the powerful
ash'ng 2! the waters the porpoises are