The morning call., 1893-08-09
WANTED-A sARDINE FACTORY.

A recent dispatch from the United
States Consul at Nantes ought to stir up
some of our people to starting a new in
dustry in this State. La the year 1892 sar-
dimes in oil invoiced at S426.14S were
shipped to tine United States from Nantes,
ana this was besides the shipments from
Bordeaux, Paris, Havre and London.
which perhaps may have amounted to as
much more. Now. this is an article which
might just as we'll be obtained from this
coast.
The sardine is pilchard and belongs to
the clupens family. The fish which is
caught in our waters has been called the
Clupens sagax by naturalists, perhaps ow-
ing to its superior sagaci:y; but II is in
fact the identical fish which strikes the
coast of Portugal and crosses the Bay of
Biscay in March of every year. 1t travels
in great shoals and is caught near the sur
face of the water in Gets 5000 feet long and
about nine feet deep. The fishermen Of
the coast of La Vendee 90 to sea in the
night and when morning breaks watch for
the bubbling Of water produced by shoal.
When they strike one they throw over
board bait balls, con sisting Of Goldfish or
mackerel eggs; while the fish are detained
by the toothsome meal the fishermen cast
and draw their nets. Alright they return
home, often with several thousand fish.
Which are sold 10 the canneries.
The drying and canning in oil is done by
the wives and children of the fishermen.
Only the best Italian oil is used in the
process, and after box has been soldered
it is thrown into hot water, which causes
the oil to escape if the soldering is not per-
feet. Some idea of the extent of the in
dustry may be formed from the fact that
it gives employment to $500 boats, manned
by IL. 900 TO $1,000 fishermen, and TO 10000
women and 1000 employees on shore. Yet
this industry is Of quite recent growth.
The first canneries in La Vendee were set
up in 1884.
The sardines intended for American
consumption are put up in quarter boxes
containing from twelve to eighteen fish
according to size. A case containing one
hundred of these quarter boxes has lately
averaged 50 65 in value, delivered at
Havre or Bordeaux. The freight to New
York is about 81 a ton. At these prices
the fishermen of La Vendee made fair
living.
1bC 10 O1iCu
here with the anchovy, is eaten fresh in
this city, having been tried in butter. 1t
cannot be said 10 be succulent fish,
though it will not be despised by hungry
man. The delicate flavor of the French
sardine is largely derived from the olive oil
in which it is boiled; it is easily distn-
guished from the menhaden which is
canned in large quantities in New England
and is sold by the grocers under the name
Of sardines-often with a forged French
brand.
There is no reason why we should not
establish monopoly of the business. We
have the fish in abundance and we have
the olive oil. Experienced Gamers can be
got from France. The industry would not
prove a bonanza like another Comstock
vein. but it would in time add product &c
the State which would yield something
like million a year. That, in these hard
times. is not to be condemned. OF all our
resources oar food fish is the one we have
most persistent thy neglected. No thing but
the Eruption of salmon into Mo nterey Bay
this sumner awakened our fishermen to
the fact that the noblest of fish may be
caught in the sea as well as in the rivers.
Now let US see whether any of them has
the enterprise to convert the sardne into
coin