The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-02-18
CLAIMS and Clam Nectar.

The National Packing Co. of Por
Angeles has again resumed operation
and is now working a full force putting
up the Liberty brand of clam nectar
The steamer Evangel brought IN SOC
bu.'pf CLAIMS Sunday evening and the
Garland brought in about 500 bu. more
on Monday, making in all nearly 1,0O(
bu. of CLAIMS. These make close to SOC
cases, or 24,OOO 2-lb cans, and require
four days to put them up. The can
merry will have to close as soon as this
lot is disposed of, and walt for the next
long tide which will not occur until
about the first OF March. CLANS can
be dug only at extremely low tide
The company expects to put up 5000
cases of nectar during March, and in
order to do this the company will in
crease It's force. Heretofore the can
ming OF CLAIMS has been more or less OF
an experiment, but Mr.. J. w. Humes,
manager OF the company, is now
thoroughly convinced of the practic-
ability of the clam nectar canning and
1T will be made one of the important
features of this plant.
1t is not generally known that the
National Packing Go. put up more
cases of CLAIMS last season than the
combined output of the other canneries
on the Sound, but such is the case.
This company is making a special
feature of canning CLAIMS, and it has
made a success beyond the most
sanguine expectation. To opepate
this plant requires about 12O men and
women, 40 of them being employed in
the cannery and the rest are kept busy
supplying the company with CLAIMS.
The payroll aggregates $170 a day, or
something over $4,000 year. Those
who dig the CLAIMS are paid 25c per bu.
During the present season the COM
pany expects to keep its plant running
during the greater portion of the sea-
son putting up salmons and CLAIMS.
The output last season was 27,7O0
cases of salmon and this amount is
expected to be largely increased dur
ing the present season. The capacity
of the plant is about 700 cases o. salm-
on day. The daily output of clam
nectar is but 14O cases, owing to the
necessity Of having to solder the cans
by hand machinery.
1t may be interesting to our readers
to learn the process through which
the CLAIMS go before reaching the din
ner table. when brought to the can
merry they are dumped in heap near
large tank, in which they are
thoroughly cleansed. They are then
placed on iron CRATES, put on trucks
and run into furnace, where they
are allowed to steam sufficiently to
open the shell and permit the nectar
to escape into pans placed underneath
the CRATES for that purpose. They are
then brought out and the meat taken
from the shells. This work is done by
women whose nlmble fingers quickly
separate the clam from the shell. The
meat is then passed to the cleanser,
where it gees through another wash
ing, and when thoroughly cleansed is
ready for the cans. Three women are
kept busy filling the cans, which are,
when filled, passed to the boys, who
put in the nectar and place the caps.
The cans are then ready to be closed.
Two Cinnamon are employed in solder
ing the cans. The cans are then test
ed to ascertain whether they are prop
erly sealed, and all that are found de-
fective are cast aside, and the balance
are run into the furnace and cooked.
The cans are then ready for coloring
and labelling.-Port Angeles Tribune
| Times.
Some of the finest beds of the succu-
lent clans exist in Mason Cou3ty
which are practically undisturbed, and
offer splendid field for canning in
dustry.