White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-08
B0atmen Waste Food as Market
Sets Losing Figure.
REFUSE TO SELL Al PRICE
Fisherman Explains That He Would
Have to Pay Out Money IL He Sold
His Cargo at Figure offered-New
York Pays Fancy Price for Storage
Fish While Fresh Fish Are Being
Thrown Away.

II a dealer were 10 take a fish and
throw it into South street. New
York, and repeat the performance
twenty or thirty times in a minute, and
We're to keep II up for fifteen or more
minutes without even an attempt at
rest, there would be something doing.
The dealer would be held as a maniac.
Thousands of freshly caught fish are
| thrown away at Block island each sea-
son. To a New Yorker there is some.
thing horrifying about the perform
ance. To the islander II Is simply mo-
! %notonous. Ever since he can remem-
Der he has seer fish thrown away. He
expects to see them thrown away.
The fisherman always knows New
York prices. If the figure given by the
dealer is much lower than New York
prices the fisherman will decide 10 ship
| his fish to New York.
Sometimes he makes money by ship
| ping to New York, but again he will
lose by so doing. Fulton market prices
have a way of rising and falling that
Is beyond the calculation of the wisest
fisherman.
The schooner Susan tied up with =
cargo In the main butterf1sh.
Refuses to Sell at Price.
As the price for the Susan's cargo OF
butterfsh was too low. the captain re-
fused the dealers offer and made a de-
mand for barrels.
The sorting OF the fish was done with
almost incredible speed. The sorter
held a short baton, on the end OF
which was a sharp, curved hook. lie
stuck this hook into everything but
butterfsh. He made only two motions,
With one motion he jabbed a fish,
With another motion he flung II into a
far corner or overheard. The fish flung
into a far corner were whiting. a bone
less fish that makes good eating. The
fish flung overheard were bake, and
not bad eating either. The sorter made
no mistakes, though ne jabbed into a
solid pile Of fish, and his motions were
swift as thought.
When a large part Of the surface OF
the New harbor was covered with hake
thrown overheard from the Susan an
onlooker said to the captain:
Are not these hake good fish and
good eatin'r'
.They be" he answered.
Then why throw them overboardY'
he asked.
"well," replied the captain. what
else is there to do with themf Tn Of
fered 2 cents a pound for them. After
I've paid for barrels and Ice and pack
ing and freight and commissions, what
do you suppose I'd getf"
"What would you get7" asked the
inquisitive one
I'D get a bill and a request to remit
at once"
Fish as q Fertilizer.
But fish," II was suggested. us a
fine fertilizer. and the farmers would
be glad to have that fish,"
II don't doubt IT," answered the cap
tain, but Tn a fisherman and I don't
own a cart. and I wouldn't be allowed
to leave this fish on the dock"
''What will become Of these ishf" l
asked.
Most Of them will sink" said the
captain, "and the rest will be cast
ashore"
"what will you do with the whitingT'
mot sure" said the captain. IF |
raj get any kind of a price, a price
that will pay expenses. I'll sell. If not,
overheard they 60"
New York is about hundred and
twenty miles by boat from Block
island. A fast boat will cover the dis
lance in daylight. A slow sailer will
make the trip in less than twenty-one
hours.
In New York people are paying all
sorts of prices for storage fish. They
are throwing away freshly caught fish
at Block island. There Is certainly
something out of gear in the fish bust
ness.