The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-04-27
OIL PROM FisHESs
Tho casyerting Of Aenhsden Int UsoSa'
~.--s,rSoI produdfQ

Tho Converting Of Aenhsden Int UsesO
Commercial Products
Few people are aware Of the tm'
portaut uses to which non.ed1ola
fishes can be put. From them u
prepared a useful oil, while ths
waste material serves as q splendid
fertilizer. Although ash as ,fersli.
izer was known to the indians ane
was used by them and the early col
onists, 1t was not until about twenty
years ago that scientific beginning
was made In utilizing non-edibie
fishes. The factories now In opera-
tion conHne themselves chiefly te the
production of oil and guane from
menhaden, and owing to restrictive
legislation in the States Of Maine.
Massachusetts, New York, and Vir-
| ginia, along whose shores menhadea
and other non-edlble fishes chiefly
abound, the production Is greatly
limited.
The total quantity Of menhaden
sscrae" or waste turned out as
fertilizer from 1874 to 1892 inclusive,
amounted to 912,4s7 tons, dry and
acrid. The amount made from other
non-edible fishes and waste nsh Is es-
timated at l50,0 tons, the whole
amounting to s3k0oo,000 worth.
During the same time the quantity
| OF oil expressed was As, 900, 900 gal
lons-about 1875, 900 tons-valued at
$13, 800, 600, or 80 cents a gallon.
The oil has been used largely In
tanning leather, and as the basis for
| many oil paints and varnishes, while
! q great deal Of it is consumed for
lighting purposes In our mines and
elsewhere The quantity OF oil an
nually exported is also very large and
the demand for it is so great that
markets could readily be obtained
for ten times the quantity.
The origin OF the present menka
den industry was the discovery c1
! Mrs John 6artlet, Of Blue Hill, Me-,
! who In 1850, when boiling some fish
for her chickens, observed thin
scum Of oil upon the surface of the
! water. Some OF this she bottled,
and when on a visit to Boston soon
after carried samples to one Of the
leading merchants Of that city. who
encouraged her to bring more. The
following year the BARTLETT family
tndustriously piled their gill nets and
sent to market thirteen barrels OF
oil, for which they were paid at the
rate of S11 per barrel In the fol.
lowing year this family made 100
barrels, Then, the value of men
hadan oil having become recognized,
many oil presses-of more OF less
imperfect construction-vere estab-
Iished along the coast and the indus.
try developed to its present proper.
tions. That it would increase ten-fold,
were it not for the rep:esstve leRis'
lation in the States already named,
il certain, as the sea offers an almost
tnexhaustible supply Of material and
the profits derived from the business
are large.
The reasons for the restrictive
legislation are: That fishing fos
menhaden, mackerel, or any other
fish with a purse seine (the appliance
| now used) depletes the supply OF
these fishes; second, that menhaden
is the food Of many Of the food fishes,
and the depletion or driving away
Of the shoals" Of this species by sein.
Ing, forces the food fIshes-mackerel,
striped bass, blueash, etc, 70 seek
other waters; and, third, that tho
enormous captures Of mnehaden
for the purpose Of making Oil and
guano prevent the procuring OF bait
for our cod and other fisheries