The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-20
LAST OF THE WHITE FISH.
Their Numbers Getting Few In Con-
nectiCut Waters.

Their Numbers Getting Few in Con-
necticut Waters.
Not far from New Haven, on pictur-
esque little island fronting a popular
summer resort is located an industry
which Is noteworthy from the fact that
| it is all that remains in this vicinity of
pursuit that was once verw com
| mon means of livelihood. The little
island referred to is Kelsey's Island
and Just across the water from it lies
Short Beach. Almost any summer res
| dent Of the latter place could describe
| if he chose to, the workings of the lit
tie red painted factory across the bay,
| for bright and early on any summer
morn may be seen a cheerful party or
half a dozen or so. lounging around the
end of the old pier, engaged in the oc-
cupation of watching the fishermen as
they unload the wide deep scows loaded
with fish. To them the interesting part
lies not so much In the making of the
thousands of white fish into phosphate
and ol-for this is the industry refer
red to-but rather In the hundreds of
other fish, edible, perhaps, or curious,
which are disclosed to view as the men
shovel load after load into the elevator
which bears them from the dock into
the factory Side by side in the boats
are to be seen small sharks and little
snapper blues, large blue fish and bright
little butter fish, black fish, founders
and little fiat fish, all in heap togeth-
er. Nearly covering all Is the white or
bony fish, which, despite the inroads
which are yearly made upon it, like the
cod, still fourishes In more or less di-
minished numbers. For the most part
\ the fish which are good for table pur-
poses are sorted from the others and In
, the course OF the morning find their
way into the markets. The pick of the
lot Is very often given to the little party
watching the proceedings and these re-
ceiye it very thankfully. secure in the
knowledge that the fish has not been
out Of the water more than half an
hour.
The boats are unloaded almost before
the sun has begun to shine clear above
the eastern horizon, and in short while
the smoke begins to rise from the tall
black chimney of the factory, while in
side the machinery Is set In motion by
which the fish are first ground up. This
done they are thrown into large watts
which soon begin to BOIL and to draw
out the oil of the fish. The odor which
begins to permeate the atmosphere In
the vicinity of the factory at this point
in the proceedings is not exactly pleas
ant, but those at work in the factory
seem not to mind It In the least. The
little party on the launch has left the
dock long before this, however, so the
odor is not intended perhaps for sensi-
tive nostrils.
OF the process by which the oil is sep
arated from the particles Of matter and
the other steps In the industry II Is not
the purpose of this article to describe.
but to consider more at length the white
fish itself Bushels of the fish are not
thrown into the vat at all, and glance
around an adjoining cornf1eld on the
island will disclose the purpose for
which these fish are reserved. The corn
grown on Kelsey Island Is we'll known
to many an old Short Beach cottager
for it's swee. and tender qualities. For
many year, following the valuable adj
vice given the early New England col
onists by the Indians, the white fish
has been used as fertilizer on Kelsey
Island and although the land itself is
naturally sandy and rocky, the soil Is
rich and loamy and its products are
the best of The season.
1t was its use as fertilizer that made
the white esh so valuable years ago to
settlers near the shores of our own har-
Dor The white fish was more plentiful
then than now, and hundreds of nets
We're set for their capture by the care
full farmers. The fish, as many an old
inhabitant remembers, would come up
the harbors in large schools, their fins
showing thick above the water as they
were holly pursued by the sharks. At
times the water seemed alive with them
as they swan hither and thither in a
frightened way. At that time the early
drawing Of the nets yielded many hun
dred bushels, but gradually the fish de-
creased In numbers and with them the
nets. Nowadays but few nets are seen
In these waters, one in Morris Cove and |
a few off Ke'sey's Island being about I
all These latter are drawn mornings,
as has been stated before the sun is ,
yet IN, and the scows at once take the /
catch 20 the mill. The old fishermen I
claim that the white fish is yearly get
ting less in numbers and it Is not UNI
likely that before many years the last /
of them will have been seen in these
waters.
MORE SPECIFIC STATEMENT