Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-16
MENHADEN YIELD
SMALL THIS YEAR
New Jersey Coast Industry Is
Hard Hit Because Fish Have
Left Usual Haunts.


NEW YORK, Sept. 1e.-Owners Of
the menhaden fleets, which patrol the
New Jersey and Long Island coasts,
are facing the worst season in the
history of the industry. This con-
dition has arisen from the fact that
the catch so far has practically
amounted to nothing and there is but
slim hope of a change before the
cold weather opens.
The menhaden, also known as the
mossbunker. has been by far the most
abundant of fishes on the Atlantic
coast, occurring In enormous schools
as a rule. 1t is converted into Oil
and fertilizer at large factories.
According to Edward j. McKeever,
Of the firm Of McKeever & Brothers.
of this city, which operate a big
menhaden factory at Egg Harbor, n.
J., the catch this season is nine hun
bred million fish short of normal, up
to this time. This, he explained,
means a total loss of approximately
s.. 900, 900 to the New Jersey and Long
Island coasts. He added: I'VE are
keeping the fires banked on our oil
steamers at Egg Harbor, but we
have little hope that we win accom-
plish anything this season."
Water Is Too Cold.
Mr.. McKeeyer said that his cap
tains were of the opinion that the
constant northeast winds on the New
Jersey coast were responsible for the
scarcity of menhaden. What few
catches his boats made were in wa
ter unusually cold for any time, al
though it has been pleasant enough
where bathers worry the lifeguards.
The menhaden loves warm water.
The McKeevers and some of the
other fleet owners have not quit. The
season does not end until around Mo-
vember 1, and they have hopes that
when the sun crosses the line on Sep
TENDER % business will improve.
Fishermen and other sailors believe
that the wind blowing when the sun
crosses the line will be the wind that
will prevail through the season. 1t
was northeast at the vernal equinox
this year, and the old superstition
made good with costly vengeance.
IF 1t is more favorable at the au-
tumnal equinox they expect 1t to con-
tinue so and watt the menhaden to
place where they may be caught
with neatness and dispatch.
Drum Fish Also Scarce.
An odd coincidence that is perturb-
ing the McKeevers more than other
factory men is that the black drum
fish has also disappeared this year.
They have special chopping machines
made for the drum, which is entirely
too large to run through the ma
chimes made for menhaden, and It
annoys them to think that two
sources of profit ducked out the same
year. They are the only folk who re-
greet the vacation taken by the drum,
for it is the worst nuisance in these
waters. A school of them win go
| through an oyster bed like a swarm
| of locusts through wheat field,
grinding up every young oyster they
can find. They got into the New
Jersey beds around Egg Harbor SO
persistently some years ago and
wrought such ruin that special per-
mission was obtained from Washing
ton to dynamite the water and kill
them off, which was done very eff
| fectually.
| The black drum is not edible, Meth
er is the menhaden. Eating a black
drum Is like eating a sirloin of boot
| Ieg. The menhaden can be eaten
| by some people, but IT is SO oily that
a man has to be mighty hungry to
tackle one.
One million menhaden weight $50
tons, which reduce to seventy five
tons of very high-grade fertilizer.
known as fish "chum,' which is sold
at prices ranging from sS5 to $40 per
ton.
One million fish produce lao barrels
of a very valuable oil for which no
substitute as a lubricant has yet been
found That oil sells readily at the
factories for Sic or more per barrel.
As an evidence of how scarce the
fish are. it is said that the Promised
Land fleet on the Long Island coast,
which numbers twenty-odd boats, has
only four now at sea. while most of
the other fleets have entirely quit, as
they were wasting wages and coal
looking for fish that were not there.