Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27

resound with the sing-song of the jolly
tars as they haul away on the ropes, and
the oaths Of encouragement or vitupera-
qion of the boss ~stevedores.
We bear letters of. introduction to the
manages of one of the largest and best
appointed %canneries on the river, and
having presented them, find him to be Il
graduate of the University of Califor-
mia, and the son of n member of the
bench of that state. He speaks Chinese
like one of themselves. acquired, as he
tells us, from his Chinese nurse while
yet a child. d..
| shall not attempt to be statistical, but
describe IS nearly as | can the pscking
of "a can of salmon. We are taKen TO the
dock on the river front of the cannery
where the fishermen are unloading their
nights catch. Ten or a dozen boats
filled to the gunwhales with a Shiny,
shining mass Of salmon are drawn up
to the dock; the fish are
impaled upon a large iron hook,
pulled up on the dock and
tossed upon a mountain of their fellows
which CLINT and glisten in the sun like
isinglass. They are then carried in-
doors, dressed and washed, the blood
and entrails being dumped into the
river; where a hoard Of voracious cat
fish fight for the dainty morsels. The
fish are then slid along to another table,
where hideOus Cinnamon, covered with
an oiled apron, and spattered from
head to foot with blood, cut them into
pieces with a cleaver. The atmosphere
is heavy with ancient, and by 10 means
pleasant, odor of dead and gone fish.
Upstairs the Chinese mechanics are
manufacturing cans. After the fish
have been severed by the swift and
sure strokes of the %cleaver, the pieces
are carried by Chinese lads on large
wooden trays to the packer, who is sur
rounded. by a pile of bran new shining
cans. With a sharp knife he cuts off a
piece Of the back and a slice Of the
belly, picks up a "a and deity packs
the pieces in. The philosophy of this pro-
ceedlng was described as follows: The
meat near the back of the fish is solid,
haky and dry, while that of the belly
is oily and rich, and a can packed one
without the other would be UNBEATABLE.
The cans are then borne off on other
trays to the sailing table, a broad board
through which small holes are bored,
allowing the proper modicum of salt to
drop into each can with a single sweep
OF the hand.
At another table is a pile OF tops which
4 w W obs 4 y q a III
fitting on the tight tin tops which is
only learned after constant practice,
and a novice in the art seems to have
been constituted with thumbs in place
of fingers. The Chinese boys who are
employed for that purpose, however do
it with a certaint y and rapidity that is
marvellous.
Then comes the soldering. This is
accomplished by means of a slightly in
clined trough. The can is placed at the
top, and as it rolls downward the joint
between the top and side of the can re-
ceives the proper proportion OF acid,
resin and solder to make a perfectly
tight seal, and by the time it reaches
the bottom and rolls into
the basket waiting to receive it the SOL
der is cool and the can air tight. 1t is
then carried to the super heated retort
to be cooked. And by the way, these
retorts are often deadly utensils-every
in a while the end Of one will
blow out and plowr its way through a
cannery full of Cinnamon, killing some
and manning many. 1t takes but a mo-
ment for the fish to become thoroughly
cooked; and the small hole which has
beer punctured in the top of the can to
allow the air and gases to escape has
been closed with a drop of solder.
After IL has cooled Uhe tester" makes
his rounds armed with a nail, or piece
steel wire, and taps each can to ascer-
tain If it is PERFECTLY air tight. His
practiced ear detects a fault quickly and
IA is repunctured and r~esoldered,
and is then termed a ''do-over'' which
is esteemed an inferior grade. The
q n are again PLACED on an iron tray
and taken to the lacquer kettles in
which they are dipped and placed upon
racks to drain and dry.
The labelling is done by young Chinese
who do their work very expertly
and rapidly, and for which they are
paid an lnfinitesimal salary by the
Chinese boss. Two dozen cans, gaudily
labelled, are then placed in a case, and
cover nailed on with a couple OF
strokes of the hammer.
And to think that a can of salmon
may be sold In a country store In Maine,
and another maybe, in the village shop
Df Ballynacally, Ireland, the contents
Of both cans being furnished by a
salmon caught in the Columbia
river, aud yet it is very probable.
There's your can OF salmon-caught by
4 Russian Fin, packed by q Chinaman-
the next time you take one home
rom the corner grocery you will know
.ust how the fish got there.
ANTHONY lsowLEY.