The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-10-19
MENHADEN INDUSTRY.
FISH OIL THAT Is lNVAlUARl- e
TO THE TANNER.


Menhaden fishermen are iubilaut.
The new tariff schedule contains n
clause which will hinder Japanese com
petition in fish oil, and it is expected
that the old menhaden fisheries which
have languished for years will resume
their old-timc activity. Twenty wears
ago the fisheries employed over 300
vessels and 300 men. aud represented
an investment of 81, 800. 600
At that time the menhaden fisheries
swept the whole Atlantic seaboard
from Maine to the Carolinas, and the
results of their labors permeated more
dlnerent lines of business than per
haps any single industry. The guano
obtained from the fish refuse was
spread over every one of the different
States, the fish oil was invaluable TO
the tanner i'll preparing the leather
which he shipped to every port of tie
world, To the rope maker and in half n
dozen other kinds of work that occu-
pied many thousands of men and mil
lions of dollars of capital.
The story of the menhaden industry
Is an interesting one because the
threads that go to make M the ac
count stretch clear across the world
III Is 10y no means an infant industry.
When Roger Williams settled Rhode
Island he found that the fish was
highly esteemed by the natives of that
locality, and the very name menhaden
rs one that was used by the Narragan-
sett Indians. 1t took the white man
long time to find out the value of the
menhaden, however, and the industry
ms 1t stands at present was practically
started by Henry $. Wells, of Green
point, Long Island Mr.. Wells. who
was known IN the business as Daddy"
Wells, began TO catch menhaden and
TO sell them to the Long Island farm
ers for use ms fertilizer in the late
fifties. In 1861 the first fish oil fao
tory was started at Nnrragansett. r. L
1T was primitive affair, in which the
OIL was separated from the fish by n
process of fermentation. During the
war the business gained but little in
Importance, but directly after its close
the wide demand for fish oil and fish
products aud the high prices that pre-
vailed, gave the industry great i'm
petus.
The discovery of petroleum was the
hrst serious blow to the menhadcn in
dustry. 1t was found that the coal oil
could be used in compound for MANY
OF the purposes for which fish oil Ind
formerly been exclusively used, and.
OF course, 1t was much cheaper. The
supply o. fish oil was too great for the
American market, and the producers
turned their attention to Europe. To
establish themselves there, they put
down the price of oil III the European
market, but this brought q protest
from American leather manufacturers
aud others on this side who used fish
, oil, and who claimed that their bust
ness was injured by such discrimina-
ton.
Then the willy japanese, just be-
ginning their industrial awakening,
aud anxious perhaps to prove their
right to the title Yankees of the
orient, stepped into the American
market and became factor in the
situation As it cost them almost
nothing to extract the oil from the
thousand OF tons of herring caught
off the Japanese coast every season.
and there was no demand for it there.
they could afford to undersell the
| Americans in their own market They
promptly proceeded to do this, aud al
most ruled the oil producers.
Menbaden are known by a different
name on almost every strip of the
Atlantic coast where they are found
! They are -bunkers off Long ISL
/ aud and pogies further north, and
| alewlves in New England and sinners
IN other places. They are a blush
gray lii color with silvery sides, and
grow to a length of twelve to sixteen
, inches. They are found along the
mud bottoms close to shore, and travel
In schools, which may be traced by
+, the slick OF grease upon the surface.
! IT Is not n difficult matter to CAPTURE
them, but there splenty of excitement
and plenty Of risk in menhaden
fishing for several reasons. One of
these is tie mysterious and erratic ma
ture Of the fish. Other fish appear
season after season in about the same
! places and in something like the same
/ numbers, but there is no counting ON
the menhaden One season school
after school Of fine fat fish will he
taken oft the Jersey shore, and the
following year only the leanest and
scantiest array will be found between
Cape May and Sandy Hook. while the
mon on the Massachusetts, coast report
that the fish are simply jumping into
their nets Consequently it ~ high
| ~ important matter in fishing for men.
haden to locate the fish, and the men
haden fishermen are even more super
sitious than the ordinary run of their
craft.
Tho ordinary menhaden steamer
carries about twenty men and n gen.
I erous supply Of boats. She steame
along the mud banks that menhaden
! frequent until broad stretch Of crease
| ON the surface Of the water il sighted
Then the purse nets are set and the
draw is made. When the first draw
comes on board there is an EXCITING
moment for everybody. from skinner
| to sculliOn. The number. weight and
fullness OF the fish are carefully noted.
aud the prophets make their predic.
| ton for tho season accordingly. II
the fish are running well the net will
be iammed full, for there is no kind
OF 'ish that herd more CLOSELY than the