The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01

1
to-day has Just put in improved machinery at a
great cost The idea Of having these works
came from a man who had seen the Indians We
| civilized out Of existence take the menhaden
and spread them on their fields 10 fcrtilze the
ground for corn. He reasoned out that there
was money In IL, and after many, many moons
began TO get the fish in quantities, the menhaden
supply H. practically boundless Then his neigh
bors came in and by and by the thing got TO be
| a regular business
what sort Of a fish is Il? Well, IL looks some
| thing like a shad but is more compressed, the
head Is larger and the scales are closely over
Tapped, leaving a very high and narrow surface
exposed, while on the back these scales are set
| exactly like the teeth In comb. In fact inter
laced, like the teeth Of two combs The men
baden hasn't any teeth. and there is a peculiar
formation of the Jaw. II ought 10 recommend
itself TO fastidious people for IL isn't feeder on
| other fish nor anything else much except mud
which II takes into Its stomach through an excep
uonally long intestinal canal Itis never more than
six teen inches long, Of a silvery or brassy hue
with yellowish or greenish fms and sometimes
| dark spots II varies in color with the season
and locality. and II Is obtained along the whole
| eastern coast from Maine to Florida In the sum
| mer but in winter only south Of Cape Hatteras.
| People did not Use to think it'edible and many
~
sold for delicacies now. but IL Is fact that
| haden arc canned In oil and sold for sardnes
! This Is before age has developed that peculiarly
| nauseous taste that prevents anyone from taking
| advantage OF the abundance OF the fish 10 live
economically.
The sort that the fishermen catch are scooped
| up in nets and thrown into a well in the vessel
filled with water When this is full Of Ash they
come here and empty their cargo Sometimes
| there are dozen boats unloading. The fish are
| taken into those sheds and machinery extracts
| the oil There is something like half million dol
lars worth OF stuff in those story sheds which
make the factory. The oil is used for lots Of
| purposes and sometimes you meet IL very far
| from its lowly origin When the oil is pressed
out what is left Of the fish is called scrap. That
| Is taken out and spread on that huge platform.
| II Is the odor from that platform which varies
according TO the degree Of age that permeates
| the place and the air for miles Men take this
stun, shake ii and spread IL evenly; then at night
1t is gathered up again and carried into the sheds
This process Is repeated every day the sun shines
| and care Is taken to keep il from getting wet
II IL rains little there is covering spread over
IT, and IL big storm threatens, 1t Is kept in the
sheds, and the utmost haste of a farmer In getting
| In his hay doesnt compare 10 the speed Of these
| fellows rushing it under cover After il is per
| the fertilizer you buy. There are about score
| Of other for the stuff.
| "You don't want to get any nearer? All right
| We can coast along, and can show you where
| the men live My father put up the most of those
buildings and used TO come over and stay with
him. It was impossible to resist the soporifc in
| fuence Of the air, and have since thought this
oil ought to be used TO induce sleep Just awoke.
ate. and went TO bed to resume the process while
was there There are a variety Of odors some of
| which are not at all disagreeable really give q
| pungent inauguration and simply stimulate the
| appetite missed them when 90, home
| After you stayed there any length of time IL
was impossible to get the smell out Of you II got
| into the pores Of the skin Six weeks after il
| would be found on the skin though IL might be
| got rid of by changing garments Those fellows
| who work there keep their good clothes away from
| the place but even then they can't help getting
| some Of the odor You may break you may
shatter the vase il you will, but the scent of the
roses will cling to 1t STILL ditto In the case of bony
| fish Yes; they live there all the year around
| and have a cook and fairly good living They
read and play games in the evening, but 90 to bed
| early and conduct themselves on the primitive
plan. BY working steadily they make good
wages
| "Hoy il got the namer That Ia really the
part that set out to tell you, but how deressed,
| When the concern was started only darkies were
| employed for no white men would work there
| They came from the South, great. big fellows
| who fairly exuded good humor and seemed &c
| grow more Jolly the longer they worked in the
| exhilaratinr atmosphere They were alwayt
singing, and they generally sang religious songs
for the genuine plantation darkey is intensely re
lisious, or thinks he is which is the anne hing
One Of their favoritcs was, Use Got Father in