Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-06-29
SALMON PUT UP IN CANS.
An Industry That win Eventually Ex.
terminate a Very Valuable ,Fish.

terminate a Very Valuable Fish.
When one comes to think of it IL
seems wonderful that one should be
able to buy u pound Of salmon in q
can from the Pacific Coast for %
cents. The frozen fish costs 10 cents
a pound at least, while the unfrozen
article ranges in Eastern markets
from 81 up Besides the manner in
which eacn can Is made to contain q
segment of Salmon perfectly fitted
into 1t appears most surprising, the
bones, even to the larger vertebre.
melting in the mouth without re.
Quiring so much as a crunch between
the teeth and the red flesh separat.
ing in beautiful, clean flakes.
Yet salmon would be very much
cheaper than at presentIwerc it not
that the great Gamers Of Alaska have
formed a combination to restrict the
product This is unfortunate for
consumers perhaps, but lucky GER
tainly for the fish, which would be
wiped out altogether within five years
at the most il the companies en-
gagged in their capture had a market
Tor all they could produce at prohta.
BILE rates. The methods employed
are the most destructive conceivable,
inasmuch as the fishermen stretch
seines across the mouths of the rivers
and take the fish which are going up
the stream tospawn. There is a law
against this sort of thing but it is
not enforced. Eventually, doubtless,
the supply of this valuable tinny
game will run out and artificial pro.
pagatiOn will have to be yesurtcd to.
Thus FAR the United States Fish
Commission has not extended its
operations with respect to the arti-
fetal breeding of salmon into Alaska.
Its attempts In this line have been
limited to the Columbia and Sacra.
mento rivers. In those streams the
supply has been successfully maine
tanned, and when the time arrives
there ls no doubt that similar meth
DDS will be applied with equally
favorable results to the preservation
of the fish in Alaskan territory.
One OF the most astonishing dis.
covcries achieved by civilized man is
the simple process by which he is
able to effectively create myriads OF
fishes, which otherwise would not
have livel, out of u few handfrls of
roe.
The salmon caught in the seines
and gill nets are brought to the cam
merry wharf, counted and thrown into
heaps. Chinese. their labor being
cheaper, are mostly employed for sub.
sequent operations. They take each
fish, cut off the head, tail, aud fins,
remove the cntrails and throw the
rest of the animal into a big tub.
Next the fish is washed and placed in
a trough, where several knives, act
Ing after the manner OF a feeu-cutter,
Slice it into sections exactly Us long
as the height of a can. These sec.
tions are set on end and split into
three pieces ,each-one piece large
enough to tll the can, while the
others are smaller. The fragments
are then placed On tables aud the
Chinese lit them into cans Next
the lovers are put on the cans and
soldered.
After being soldered the cans arc
put into hot water and watched, in
order to see if any bubbles rise. in
dicating leaks. Those which endure
this test successfully are placed in an
iron tank and boiled in SALT water.
Salt water is used in preference to
fresh. because it a be raised to a
higher temperature. After boiling
for q hour and q quarter each can
"vented." This means that a hole
is punched into 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 tor an hour and a half. If
they were not .vented" this sec.
ond cooking would burst the cans.
Finally each can is test d by tap
ping it on the head with a big rail.
If leaky. it will usually give back a
.'tinny' sound. Great care is taken
to avoid leaky cans, because any
which are not Theoretically sealed
will inevitably burst. The meat de-
Gays, pushing up to the top of the
car One so affected is called a
.swell-head." II it bursts, it is
likely to ruin the whole case. Three
salmon will ordinarily I'LL forty-eight
one-pound cans. making one case.
The can are made on the premises
out Of sheet tin.
Seals and sea lions are a 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 throats,
devouring those parts which they re.
gard especially as tidtits. Bears are
very fond of salmon and catch a great
many Of them in the streams. They
eat only the heads. De gustibus-
you know the rest. Chinese are for
hidden to fish for salmon in the Co.
lumbia River on penalty of being
shot on 8 ght. Therefore they do
not fish.
Shopping in Turkey.
Though the Turks cannot be called
lazy, yet they like to take their time.
vl~-~A AL>. ,-~ k-N.-.-. - RI.