Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

hshing for several reasons. One OF these is
the mysterious and erratic nature of the
hsh. Other fish appear season after sea-
son In about the same places and in some
thlng near the same numbers but there is
no counting on the menhaden. One season
school after school of fine fat lsh will be
taken on the Jersey shore, and the follow
Ing year only the leanest and scantiest ar
ray will be found between Cape Nav and
SANDY Hook, while the men on the Massa-
cnusettS coast report that the fish are sim
ply jumping into their nets. Consequently
IL Is a h1Ghiy important matter in fishing
Tor menhaden to locate the fish, and the
R.enaaden fishermen are even more super
stitlous than the ordinary run of their
craft.
A "Draw" of Menhaden.
The ordinary menhaden steamer carries
about twenty men and a generous supply
OF beats. She steams along the mud banks
that menhaden frequent until a broad
stretch Of grease on the surface of the
water is sighted Then the purse nets are
1 set and the draw" is made When the
hrst draw comes on board there is an ex-
citing moment for everybody, from skipper
to scullion. TIE number, weight and full
ness or the fish are carefully noted and the
prophets make their prediction for the sea-
sen accordingly If the fish are running
well the net will be damned full. for there
is no Kind of fish that herds more closely
tran the menhaden. When a big school is
struck there is lively work with the nets
to land as many Of them as possible. Often
the fish run close inshore, and then boats
are sent out from the steamer to set the
nets.
A Fish Derrick.
The menhaden steamer may be two weeks
or two months in filling its hold. according
to the ''fisherman's luck that it has. As
soon as it is loaded, however, it steams
RSh
which one, for all the thirty-five factories
row in operation along the coast are under
the control of TIE MeEhaden Fish and Oil
Association. otherwise known as the Men,
baden trust.
The work that goes on at the factory is
different from that seen In any other in
dustry. AS soon the steamer anchors
alongside the wharf big elevator shaft is
let down into her hold. This shaft is fitted
with scoops set on endless chain similar
to the arrangement used in hosting grain.
These scoops take up the fish by the bushel,
and 1t Is a pretty sight to watch their
glistening sides and the fash of varied
coiors as they move in endless procession
mp the long incline.
How the Oil is Extracted.
Inside the factory the fish are dumped
into huge tanks and steam cooked for a
number of hours. Then they are put in
big presses, which squeeze out the oil into
long pans. The oil is graded according to
it's color and thickness. The refuse
gpaTo left after the oil Is pressed out is
| mixed with sulphuric acid in the proportion
of fifty-two gallons of acid to 1900 tons Of
scrap In order to fix the ammonia. 1t Is
then spread out on a great drying lot seven
acres in extent, and is treated exactly like
hay, being turned, raked into pies and
loaded into wagons, which convey it 10
cars for shipment to the great fertilizer
factories. Nearly every fertilizer manufac-
turer in the country uses this nsh product
in the preparation of its patent manures.
on account of its. richness in ammonia and
phosphoric acid, the two most valuable in
gradients for the restoration of land.
The Beginnings OF the American Fly.
Fred. Mather in Forest and Stream.
In 1913 Sam PhilIippi. a gunsmith at
Easton, Pa, got hold of some Calcutta
bamboo used and sold some for fishing
rods in the natural state. This cane was
long, slim and tapered, with greater dis
lance between the leaf joints, which, you
know show elevated rings on the outside
and have a diaphragm across the hollow.
Haven't you cut into them and seen this?'
Yes, and made flies from the joints in
boyhood days, leaving one end with its
natural STOP"
We'll, Sam Phinippi wanted a jointed
rod. he fitted ferrules and made his tip
and second joint OF the Calcutta bamboo
never split the cane as we do now. / saw
one Of his roGs which had an ash butt, and
1 tested the spring of the rod and liked ii.
1 showed the rod to Mr.. z. A. Green of
Newark, and he got some Calcutta bamboo
and made a rod of three pieces for his own
use, of carefully selected material, and it
was an extra good rod for its day. Then
we talked the matter over. Says i, There
is a lot Of waste material in that rod, and
the joints in the cane are no good and so
it came about that L split the cane, only
into four parts at first, shaved down the
PUPPY inside, and glued the pieces tog ether
cast a fly and had the backbone TO fight
a salmon"
when was this?'
1T was in 1868. 1 soon found that four
strips left too much pulp on the inside for
the strength is all in the enamel, and L
made rods of six and eight strips. The lat
ter are too small to work accurately, but
the six-strip was received with favor by
such anglers as Frank Endicott, Genio c.
Scott, Robert B. Roosevelt and others
Two years later 1 made salmon rod and
Mr.. Andrew Clerk took it to Scotland,
where 1t attracted much attention Mr.
Clerk gave this rod to Genio c. Scott who
took 1t up to the st. Lawrence river and
killed some big pike and muskallonge with
1t. and wrote 1t up I'm the sportsmen's pa
pers of the day, which gave the new make
of rod great popularity. Then In 1866 /
made split-bamboo bait-rod for black
bass and arranged with the firm of An
drew Clerk & Co. to sell my rods, which
they did for some years, and then they be-
gan to make them on a larger scale"
On the Trail.