Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-02
Written for The Evening star.
SALMON PUT UP IN CANS,
Cut Up by Chinamen, Who DO the Packing
and the Cooking.


Cut Up by Chinnmen, Who DO the Packing
and the Cooking.
WHEN ONE COMES TO THINK OF IT
w it seems quite wonderful that one should
be able to buy a pound OF salmon in q can
from the Pacific coast for IS cents. The frozen
fish costs 40 cents a pound at least, while the
unfrozen article ranges in eastern markets
IRON, 81 up. Besides, the manner in winch
each can Is made to contain q segment Of sal
mon perfectly fitted into il appears most sur
Prsing, the bones, even to the larger vertebrs,
melting In the mouth without requiring 30
nach as crunch between the teeth and the
reo nesn separating in beautiful. clean fake&
REsrRIcrISa THx CATCH.
Yet salmon would be very much cheaper than
at present were il rot that the great Gamers Of
Alaska have formed . combination to restrict
the product This is unfortunate for consum-
ers, perhaps, but lucky certainly for the FISH,
which would be wiped out altogether within
nve years at the most il the companies engaged
In their capture had a marke for all they could
produce at profitable rates The methods en-
pioyed are the most destructive conceivable.
inasmuch as the fishermen stretch seines across
the mouths Of the rivers and take tho fish
walch are going up the stream to spawn.
lhere Is law against this sort OF thing, but it
Is not enforced. Eventually, doubtless. the sup
ply OF THIS valuable hRny game will run out and
artificial propagation will have to he rssorted to-
ARTIFICIAL BREEDING.
Thus far the United States fish commission
has not extended its operations with respect to
the artificial breeding of salmon into Alaska.
Its attempts in this line have been limited to
the Columbia and Sacramento rivers. In those
| streams the supply has been successfully main
tanned, and. when the time arrives there is no
hat m M m VI ho "a sh
equally favorable results to the preservation of
the fish in Alaskan territory. The only expert
ments made in this direction up to this present
time in Alaska have been conducted BY Q can
ming company at Kodiak. This concern is
placing 5000, goo young fry in huyiai waters
each year at its own expense. already with
markedly satisfactory results. One OF the most
astonishing discoveries achieved by civilized
man is the simple process by which he is able
TO effectively create myriads of fishes. which
otherwise would not have lived, out Of . Few
handtuls OF roe.
WHEN THE SALMON ARE CAUGHT.
The salmon caught in the seines and gill meta
are brought to the cannery wharf, counted and
thrown into heaps. Cinnamon, their labor
being cheaper, are mostly employed for subse-
quent operations. They take each fish, cut of
the head, tail and fins, remove the entrsils and
throw the rest of the animal into big tub.
| Next the fish is washed and placed in a trough
| where several knives, acting after the manner
OF feed cutter slice il iuto sections exactly ~
long as the height OF a can. These sections are
seE end and split into three pieces each-one
piece large enough to hli the can, while the
Others are smaller. The fragments are then
placed on tables and the Cinnamon it them
| into the cans Next the covers are put on the
cans aud soldered.
IN THE CANS.
After being soldorcd the cans are put into
hot water and watched in order to see il any
| bubbles rise. indicating leaks Those which
endure this test successfully are placed in al
| iron tank and boiled in salt water. Salt watel
| is used in preference TO fresh, because il car
be raised to higher temperature. After boil
| ing tor one hour and a quarter each can ].
vented" This means that hole is punched
| in its top to permit the expanded air to escape
Then the hole is soldered up, and the cooking
is finished by further boiling in salt water FOL
an hour and a half. If they were not vented
\ this second cooking would burst the cans
Finally, each can is tested by tapping it on the
head with a big nail. Ii leaky. 1t viii usually
| give back .'tinny" sound. Great care is taller
| to avoid leaky cans, because any which are moi
| Theoretically sealed will inevitably burst. The
meat decays, pushing mp the top of the can
| One so affected is called "sgeli-head." II
it bursts. 1t is likely TO ruin the whole case
Three salmon Will ordinarily ill forty-eigh
o:c- ponnd cans making one case. Abe CAM
are made on the premises out OF sheet tin.
| OIL FROM SALMON HEADS.
Within the last few years the manufacture o.
oil from salmon heads has been undertaken
with profit. The heads are bought from tn,
canneries at the rate Of 1000 for 81. One fac
tory produces as much as Is. 600 gallons year
worth "a cents a gallon. The heads are cooked
| by steam and tho OIL is run of the tops Of tn,
watts. One thousand heads make from thirty Il
thirty-five gallons of OIL 1t is not disposed Of
| BY itself as n commercial article. but is mixed
as an adulterant with other and more cost,
oils. Salmon intended for smoking are first
scrubbed and dried. after which they are hung
| up in the smoke house. where a slow fire i,
kept burning. One week is required for the
smoking process. Seals and Sea lions are q
great nuisance to the salmon fishermen. At the
| mouth OF the Columbia river they watch the
gill nets and grab the caught salmon by the
threats, devouring those parts which they re
| gard especially as tiibits DeGrs are very FOND
of salmon and catch great many OF them il
the streams. They eat only the heads. De
| gust!bus-you know the rest. Cinnamon are
| forbidden to fish for salmon in the ColumbiI
fiyer on penalty OF being shot on sight There
fore they do not fish.