El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-12

the menhaden. a palatabls food fish. .
abundant that our rsnermen catch It In
order that It may be turned into oil and
fertilizer. The fish Is almost as fat as the
famous candle fish OF Alaska. watch when
! dry viii burn like a candle Just before
| the war began the bureau Of fisheries
that the catch Of that year produced
$500, 900 gallons OF oil and nearly $4,000
tons OF fertilizer, and that the number
Of fish caught were 50 many that n they
were laid end 10 end they would reach
in an unbroken line six times around the
earth at the equator.
We have more fishermen catching men
haden than in any other branch Of the
Industry The fish are taken in seines,
hundreds OF thousands being sometimes
pulled Up in 2 single net They swim
about in immense schools. their heads
close 10 the surface. and often tier above
: tier. packed almost as closely together
as sardines IN a box They are OF
bright silver and are phosphorescent at
night, so that a school often looks Ike
moving bed OF flaming fire. As they
swim below the surface IN the daytime
one may see their glittering backs down
under the water and the beats seem to
be gliding over floor inlaid with blocks
Of silver This statement comes from one
OF the reports OF the bureau OF fisheries
The menhaden is good not only for man,
but FOR many Of the other fishes we eat
It IS the principal diet Of the mackerel,
the bluefish and swordfish. and many
other fishes prey upon it. II is caught
AL cAtiAA@ AAAE ALAAlAAE Quasi lEtLl l4tlle 70
Florida The Industry IS well organized
and could be easily mobilized by the food
administration.
Alaskan Waters Best.
Our best fishing grounds in proportion
to the number Of men employed are the
waters OF Alaska We have %. Oe0 men
there who are catching hundreds OF mil
lions OF pounds Of sea rood every year.
We have $4,000 fishermen farther south
IN the Pacific ocean and about 10000 in
the great lakes and the Mississippi river.
We have 2. 600 fishermen in New Eng
land. $1,000 along the Gulf OF Mexico and
more than 10000 working along the At
lantie coast from New England to Florida
Altogether there IS an army OF 10000 en-
gagged in fishing as q business and the
capital invested is nearly S60.0Oo-00o- The
number Of vessels employed IS more than
1000 and the total catch runs high into
tie hundreds OF millions OF pounds.
Our most important fisheries just now
are those OF Alaska, Puget sound and the
Columbia river This is on account OF
the salmon. which is put up in cans so
that It can easily be shipped to the SOL
diers- Salmon has become a popular sea
food ell over the world It IS known to I
Last year we took out OF the Pacific /
ocean enough salmon TO fiji 5000, 900 cases
each holding IS one-pound cans In round /
numbers the amount was 200 900, 600 /
pounds, or more than the weight OF the 1
first 100000 men we shall send 10 the 1
war. The whole catch was almost enough 1
to give can 70 every man, woman and /
child in Europe OF taree cans 10 every I
citizen OF the United States It was 4
worth more than SEE, 600 900. In addition /
10 this an enormous amount OF salmon 4
has been sailed or smoked This also /
can be shipped abroad for the use CT cur 4
allies The same is true Of halibut. her 4
ring and cod
Tie coast OF Alaska winds about to 1
such an extent that Il # were stretched I
out Il would be 1000 miles longer than 4
the distance around the world Nearly /
every part OF it swarms with fish, and
We have caught so many since we bought /,
the territory OF Russia that the amount
received Is 30 times as much as We paid \
Tor the country It is now close 10 $500.
o0o,0 600. and the bureau OF fisheries says
that with proper care the product may be
made continuous Tor al time TO come.
Waters Swarm With Fish
Nearly every part OF the Alaskan wa
tiers swarms with fish. and there are GER
tain banks or beds Of the ocean which 4
are paved with halibut and cod. We used I
lantic. and It has been one OF the chief
sea foods OF the eastern part OF orr coun- I
Try ever since Capt John Smith wrote 1
Of Il in his history OF Virginia
Now four-fifths OF our halibut comes
from the Pacific ocean and the bulk OF II 4
from the waters Of Alaska The fish are 4
caught with hooks and put upon ice as
are shipped over the United States by i
fast trains OF cold storge cars. Some Of I
the halibut is sailed and put 10 in hogs
heads for shipment abroad Tne Germans
have been laying IN a stock OF such fish 4
for their army, and doubt not we could 4
use some in the same way for our SOL
diers. The Germans imported the fish