Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-29
THE sARDINE FISHERS.
A LEADING INDUSTRY ON THE
COAST or BRITTANY.

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Catching che Little Fish In Nets
1000 Feet lens..Werk % che
Curing Factories.
Early in April the sardine fishers
along the coast Of Brittany begin
their preparations for the seasons
work. The boats are turned to the
warm spring sun and calked, the
nets which have been stored away
all winter long are spread out on the
sand, and white haired grandfathers,
who are no longer capable Of going to
sec, bend over them with balls of
bright new Irvine and mend the holes
In the meshes.
In the last Of the month, when the
cherry trees are in full bloom, the
fishers begin to watch for the bub.
bling Of the sardines, far out on the
waters Of the sea, for they know that
vast shoals OF the little fish are on
their way from the coast of Africa, up
through the Bay Of Blscay to the
north, like a flock Of migratory birds,
and that they must be caught, II at
ell. as they pass.
Presently some old fisher thinks
he sees the water ruffling as u the
waves played on o bar OF sand. Tho
word spreads rapidly and the boats
put out from the shore and race to
the shoal. Sometimes In order to be
on hand OF the first catch fishers
leave In the evening and anchor ut
sea. As the bubbling area ap.
proaches the boats spread out with
the nets, which are about 1000 feet
long and four feet wide. between
them. Tho lower edge Of each Is
held down with lead weights and
fioated ut the tops with corks. When
the net IL extended the water Ii
"baited" by throwing balls OF
''roque" into IL. As the bait dis.
solves and sinks the sardines rise
and remain long enough to nibble 1t,
and their doom IL sealed. For this
reason "roque" 10 q most important
part Of the sardine fishers outfit. It
IL made OF the eggs Of msckerel and
Goldfish mixed with clay and IL rather
expensive, costing from u to $l7
barrel,
Az the shoal OF fish reaches the
region Of the nets they are carefully
inclosed and drawn to the boats. At
nightfall the feet returns to shore,
each boat full OF fsh-lf the days
catch has been ordinarily good-and
the load 10 taken In baskets by the
men, women and children, In . long
procession, up to the cannery. Sales
are made by the thousand, and the
prices vary according to the size aud
freshness OF the catch.
Inside tho curing factories or can.
neries everything 10 hustle and con.
fusion, for there must not be mo.
ment's delay In cleaning the fish. All
night long the work 10 carried on by
the light OF blazing oil wicks. For
the most part tho wives and children
OF the fisherman are employed at
wages almost lnconceiveably small.
The sardines are spread on long
benches or tables. where Salts busted
over them. Then the women 60
along and snip OF the heads with
great rapidity. When the cleaning
IL finished q man gathers up the sar.
dimes and throws them into o big vat
OF brine, where they remain ABOUT
haitian hour. They are next washed
in clear water and then laid out on
screens to dry. AZ soon as their
sides assume o peculiar parched ap-
pearance they are gathered up into
wire basket apd dipped into boiling
oil, after which they are passed along
to the packers.
The little fat boxes so we'll known
to commerce are taken one by one
and filled from the gllstening pile Of
fish, after which pure olive oil from
tho province OF Bari, Ita!y. 10 poured
over them and the tops soldered on.
All OF this work 10 done with . deft.
ness and rapidity that IL astonishing.
In the meantime . great caldron
OF hot water has been raised to the
boiling point ready for the real oper.
alton Of cooking the fish. The sealed
boxes are thrown into II and left for
two or three hours. II any oil up.
pears on the top OF the water the
master workman knows that some
can has not been properly soldered,
and the loss 10 charged up to the man
who did the work. A good workman
will not lose moro than two or three
boxes In hundred.
When the boxes are taken out the
labels are put on and they are then
ready for the market. Boneless sar-
dimes are especially prepared for the
New York trade by several OF the
factories and they command q high
price. Sardines are also canned with
tomatoes. and In this form they are
very largely exported to Mexico.
Sometimes the oil In the cans Is re-.
placed by vinegar and sometimes by
butter, but the sardines In these
forms are never as good. The market
price OF sardines per case OF one
hundred boxes is about $40. delivered
free OF charge at Havre or Bordeaux.
The total expectation to the United
States reaches half o million dol
lars q year.
The sardine season In Brittany
lasts about five months and $500
boats manned by 1900 sailors are
engaged in the work. The employees
in the factories number about 10, 00(
women and several thousand men and
children. The industry originated In
Nantes. France. in 1884, and the best
brands In the world still come from
there. Spain and Portugal send out
q cheaper grade. OF late years q
great many sardlnes are being caught
and canned along the Pacific coast In