Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-09
SARDINE INDUSTRY.
A History of the Business in
the State of Maine,
Which Will Appear in Report of Labor
and Industrial Statistics.
methods Of Catching, Canning and Preparing
the Fish for Market.

business in Maine will appear i'm the
forthcoming report of the bureau OF labor
and industrial statistics:
The name sardine, fish of sardinia, is
applied to number Of fishes of the
Clupeldae family, of which there are
some % members. The true sardine OF
the Mediterranean and near by waters. is
the Pomolobus or Culpea Richardus,
out she name now appertains to sprats,
plichards and to several varieties of small
herring, when packed IN oil and enclosed
In tin boxes. The idea of packing small
fishes in oil under the name of sardines,
originated in France as early as 1850,
when the annual pack was only about
3,OoO, 900 cans, but the business iu-
creased about three hundred per cent in
the following decade and since that time
has developed to wonderful proportions.
While this was going on in France the
work was taken up by Spain, Portugal,
italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway and
Japan, and France gradually lost the
monopoly Of the trade. These countries
owing to their ncarness to France and to
their close commercial relations with that
country, had opportunity for observing
the methods, details and progress of the
business, On the contrary, America
had little knowledge this WORK bevond
that obtained from the goods imported by
the trade and IL was not till 1866 that our
people came to understand that fishes
different from those used in France were
being put up as sardines. 1t was at this
time that Mr.. George Durham of the
firm of Burnham & Morrill,, Portland,
Maine, commenced the first investigations
on record, in relation to the sardine bust
ness in this State. OF his work he wrote
as follows:
1.-The idea of using the small herring as
substitute for sardines occurred TO the
writer in 1865. 1t was well known to me
that myriads of small herring were annu-
ally caught at Eastport, Me. These were
too small to be of use for smoking or
picking and | thought they might be
used with profit as substitute and if
properly prepared they would be equally
good.
He visited France and studied the oues-
ton on the scene of actual operations,
and became familiar with the details of
French cannerles. In 1867, he went to
Eastport secured plant and commenced
to work out the problem. He found great
difficulty in drying the fish, owing to the
dampness of the climate. Besides this
there was a flavor Of herring oil which
could not be destroyed. This enterprise
was therefore abandoned.
Subsequent developments have shown
that Mr.. Durham paused in his efforts
when on the very threshold of success.
But he had done enough to call the atten-
ton of others to the work, and we may
safely conclude that the rise and develop
mcnt of the business dates from the valu-
able work which he did.
About the year 1872, Germany was ex
porting to the United States, small her
ring under the name of Russian sar-
dimes. These sardines were packed in
small kegs holding four, seven, or eleven
pounds each. This suggested the idea
that the herring at Eastport might be
used as substitute, and experiments
were at once undertaken with a view of
doing this The Eastport product was
found to be superior to the imported
article and an important business was be
gun. This brought the study down to q
practical basis, and in the fall of 1875,
Mr.. Henry Sellmann and Mr.. Julius Wolf
of New York commenced to consider how
to put up hcrrings in oil, under the dircc
ton of the Eagle Preserved Fish Com
pany. with which they were associated.
This was the second important step to
wards making the sardiue industry the
principal business of PASSPORT and Lubec,
as well Us being an important factor in
the prosperity of many other towns In
our State.
Mr.. Sellmann says of his work; :" The
Franco- German war was the approx
mate if not the immediate cause of the
American sardine industry. For about
ten years previously there had been
imported into the United States, from
Hamburg Germany, the Russian sar-
dipes The behring's used were caught on
the coast of Norway. In the early part OF
tho Franco German war the French navy
bIonLaded the ports of Germany. In con
eenuence the importations were nearly
abandoned. and owing TO the scant
sunnlv. prices advanced fifty per cent.
Alter considerable costly experiment ana
many vexatious delays he secured part
| of the American trade and established
| renntation for the home made Rus
! sians." Later on he commenced to put
IN the fish in square and oblonS lih
hayes. This proved to be an attractive
| commencement over the small kegs which
had been in use. 1t was also found tha'
the domestic product had better Keeping
Qualities than the foreign article. Fin
alIv the home made Russians drove
the German product from the American
market While all this was going on
Mr. SelImann associated himself with the
Grm of Wolff & Reessing OF New YORK
and had located himself at PASSPORT,
where he began to push the experiment. OF
dressing the fish, frying them In oil, shu
uniting them up in the French fashion'
In the spring of 1879 the connection with
Wifi & Reessing was dissolved, and Mr.
Sellmanu associated himself with Messrs'
Martin & Balkan of Eastport, and with
Messrs. Rosenstein Brothers OF New VOTE,
the new company was known as the
American Sardine Company and theil
first factory was built at PASSPORT Apou,
this time the firm discovered new ano
better way of preparing the fishes Ior sar a.,
lines which differed from the French
mathod. and for this they secured pa
font. Passport has the DISTINCTION 0,
hain NO the only American town engaeeo
in CAMPING small herring as sardlnes
-" ,oSo Ar this time only nye can