The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-10-30
SWELL SARDINES.
Pilchard Aristooraoy Caught on
Brittany's Coast.
Canned by the Million in Quaint
and Historic Region.


rial delicacy gives an honest living to
100000 persons. From this region
America imports her best sardines.
This variety of pilchards must not
be confounded with the cheaper goods
which come in large quantities from
San Deigo and San Francisco, or with
the less palatable stuff that is now
canned on the coasts of Japan. Only
the little fishes caught in Puget sound
and those of Brittany can be classed
in the sardine aristocracy.
The superior way which the Bretons
have of preparing and canning the
fish, making them the most reliable
goods of this class in the market, also
accounts for the great demand for
them. During the winter months the
Breton fisherman must either go idle
or find some other means of support.
And all because the sardinc is n mi-
gratory fish. just like, with the all
vent of summer, the aviary songsters
come from the south and sing for us
until the cold drives them away, so
the little silvcr-skinned sardines make
their appearance nearly as far north
as the English Channel in May, and
rs soon as the cold blasts from the
north lowers the waters temperature
the tiny creatures swim to warmer
climes, and always together in large
shoals, like the hocks of their winged
nntithises. To give an idea of the lit
tie creatures prolific productiyeness,
it need only be stated that naturalists
assert that single female matches
from 8, 900 to 6, 900 eggs at one time.
III it were not for their enemies, the
Goldfish, the porpoise and some of the
larger fishes, the seas would swarm
with them. As it is, during the sum
mer season, if bucket is let down
from n boat ins, many places a mile
from the Breton coast, it will be found
filed with them when it is drawn up.
The first vessel which brings in q
catch, be it ever so small, at the open
ing of the season, which is called 'la
prime" receives a handsome sum of
money from the proprietors of the
canneries is made occasion of festive
rejoicing, the boat is decorated with
greens and spring flowers, and all the
inhabitants indulge in an impromptu
dance on the beach.
For the use of this fishery very
finely twisted seines are manufactured.
In olden times the women used to
make them, and even now in the win
ter months in some part Of Brittany,
femininity gathers around the fireside
and does this part of the work, but
there is little money saved, for the
modern is very cheap and more dura-
BILE, being tarred with chemical COM
position (sulphatc of iron) to prevent
it from rotting when not in use.
There are different signs which
guide the fishermen to the sar6ine
shoals. There is no trouble in detect
ing them on calm, clear day, for
then the shoales resemble large sill
yer plates, but it is more difficult to
find them on dark day or in stormy
weather.
One of the surest signs, they say,
is when a flock of sea gulls follows in
the wake of the smack. Then the men
are on the alert and begin to cast
their nets Wherever there is n school
of porpoises it may be concluded that
the little fellows are miles away, for
they will not come to the surface any
where near them.
The bait used is nothing else but
plain Goldfish eggs, imported from
Norway. As the vessel sails seward
they are dropped in small balls, which
gradually attract the sardines to the
surface.
AS high as $1,000 sardines are often
caught in one "seance, 'as the Bretons
call it, but the average is from 5000
to 5000. If it falls below this aver
age the harvest is called failure.
The activity on shore is greater.
! First the fishes are carried to the can.
neries In baskets of 200 each, the fisher
receiving all the way from 80 cents to
$40 per thousand for his catch. In
happens often in the height of the
season that the factories are so over
filled with stock that they cannot find
enough help to can it, and must re-
fuse to buy.
In the Breton preparation of sard-