New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-27
MAINE SA RDlNES.
A REPORT ON THE HERRING lNoO , ia
OF THE PASSAMAQUODDf.

ROW TIE FISH ARE CAUGHT ANp TREATED
cpr,r INDUSTRY AND IT. DEVELOPMENT
r,o United states Commission on Fish and
Fisheries has published an interesting pafhP"i''
on the subject Of the herring industry OF me
pagsamaluoddy region Of Maine. Inc "orN
WAS oompuod ~ Amsey Hall. Who left no part
of tho industry unexplorcd The FaSsama-
ouo1dv REGION. so far IS il relates to Maine lies
ol,nr tha western shore Of the st. CroiX i'Nei
and Passa,ra muddy Bay. its southern terhiha-
tion b,jng at the eastern extremity OF the Az
,o,tic Ccas, of the United states. The popuia-
,ion If the places where the industry IS catr4eu
ON aggregates about 5000 OF whom '"o- WIZ
cmployed in the herring industry III l''.' VI
these 1ig were engaged in the fisheries ''' III
the smoked and picked herring ihduSu! al"
a. iOi in the sardine industry. the 'o'a' ''''.
Of wages distributed was $1Si..3'' Oh VINO"
soS 1Js WAS paid to the employees OF smoke
houses and $J.G.ii to the operatives III 'he
sardinc Cann"ricS
The amount Of capital invested in "icfS' "S'
cries boats and appliances was S-o'fo'', III w
smoked and picked herring industry fi'"''''
and in the sardine industry S'V''"'' 'o."'
OF SS4S. lbs The cost of materials used III lne
smoking and picking of herring was *"',-'
and in the preparation of sardincs ana other
ring used for smoking and picking was if'of'
hoesheads or 14G41 900 pounds and in prepar-
ing sardjnes or other canned herring and Rus-
sian" sardines. SO i96 hogsheads, or n.iHVO
pounds.
The fish are caught in brush wiers. when are
described as "thc most primitive form OF APP
paratus in use at the present time. The prih-
chile which it involves. so far as its effective
ness for fishing is concerned. is essential! the
same as that OF the ordinary pound net Inc
FISH are led into large irclosure py HcahS VI
lang leaders and wings which usually terminate
I'm a funnr-shaped entrance. Thelr escape 10
prevented by the extension OF these WINGS INTO
the inclosurc. thereby forming triangular nook
az each end Of IT, that the fish. as they 'ir''e
around inside the wier. are directed past the
entrance These wiers, which differ IN shape
ACCORDING, t. the location. are CONSTRUCTED OF
poles ard brush and cost from $40 10 Sl,Vo ac-
coriing to size.
The weirs are named by their owners. ana the
fish is referred 20 az coming. not from the man.
but from the weir. These are some or the
names: West Quoldy Bay. Godfrey, Yankee
Doodle. Wild Man. Haddock Point, Lonsstakes'
IIyder Ali. Diccbox Grasper. Grcenback. Demo
Graf left Davis. The Colonel Jewsharp and
Uncf Sam.
In the chapter devoted to the smoked and
picl<led herring industry the author describes
the smokchouses and picking watts, and has
this to say rs t. scaling
1T was formerly customary to remove the
scales from the herring intended for smoking
purposes before taking them from the boat.
The fishermen with their rubber boots walked
through the mass Of fish without lifting their
feet. and the contact of the fish with each other
and with the legs of the men removed the
greater part of the scales. This laborious proc
ess was called 'treading them out. 1t Is said
to have been begun in 1870 ard was continued
until about 1880. Another method of scaling the
fish during that period was to stir them with
sDudger In recent years It has not been con-
sdered necessary to resort to these or other
methods for removing the scales. since the fire.
uuent handling which the fish undergo renders
them practically scaleless when they reach the
smOkehouse. The scales Of the herring come Off
very easily when the fish first taken from
the water but II allowed to dry they become
set and are removed with difficulty. The meth
DDS for removing them above described insured
a more thorough and uniform scaling of the
fish than would otherwise be effected. but II the
work was not carefully performed it was liable
20 result in brusinS the fish and in an increased
loss in broken beied herring"
The following table shows the number of can
leries operated the number Of cases and value
OF sardnes packed and the average value per
case in various years from 1870 to 1893:
Average