90 GEOGRAPHICAL EEYIEW OP THE FISHERIES. 



THE TRADE IN FISH OIL. A large part of the oil saved by the Maine fishermen is carried 

 directly to Boston for a market, and outside of Portland and Eastport there are no oil dealers in 

 the State of Maine. Eastport handles but a limited quantity, the greater part of which is obtained 

 from the provincial fishermen. The firm of John Conley & Son controls the oil' trade of the city, 

 less than 5 per cent, of the total quantity brought to Portland being handled by other parties. 

 Mr. Conley furnishes the following statement of the trade for 1880: 



"On account of the higher prices paid for oil in the West, we have allowed much that is 

 usually landed in Portland to go to Boston and other places. The quantity handled in this city 

 was 49,851 gallons of liver oil from the coast of Maine, and 2,475 gallons from ]S"ova Scotia; also 

 595 gallons of herring and 2,372 gallons of menhaden oil from different sources. This gives a 

 total of 52,818 gallons, costing at first hands $20,422.36. About 4,464 gallons of the above were 

 sold to dealers in New York, and the rest was shipped direct to the consumers throughout the 



country'" 



THE TRADE IN PROVISIONS AND OUTFITS. With so large a fishing fleet of its own, and so 

 many outside vessels visiting the city for a market, it is reasonable to suppose that Portland does a 

 large business in supplying the fishermen with provisions, salt, and ice. Five firms depend wholly 

 on their trade with fishermen and fishing vessels, and a sixth supplies a large amount of ship- 

 chandlery to the vessels of the port. The dealers depend largely on Boston for their provisions 

 and other supplies, but a portion of their stock comes direct from the factories along the coast. 

 The lines and trawls are made in Castine ; the cordage in Plymouth and Boston ; the nets in 

 Boston; the seine-boats in Gloucester, and the dories in Salisbury, Newburyport, Gloucester, and 

 Harpswell. The trade amounts to $150,000 annually, and requires the services of sixteen clerks 

 and accountants. 



The salt trade has been extensive for many years. From 1812 to 1866, it was largely con- 

 trolled by Dana & Co., and by E. G. Willard from 1867 to the close of 1878. Mr. Willard acted 

 as agent for the large importing house of J. P. & G. C. Robinson, of New York, and for the 

 thirteen years during which he controlled the fishing trade in salt he estimates that 30,000 hogs- 

 heads were sold annually at $1.50 to $1.75 per hogshead. About one-half of the entire quantity 

 was used by Portland vessels, and the remainder was sold to vessels belonging in Southport, 

 Wesrport, Boothbay, and other towns along the coast of Maine. 



With so extensive a trade in fresh fish and so large a market fleet, Portland requires a large 

 supply of ice. This is supplied by several firms, the principal one being D. W. Clark & Co., who 

 estimate the annual quantity consumed by the fishing trade to be about 2,200 tons, worth $6,600. 

 This is divided as follows: 1,000 tons to the fresh-fish dealers, 700 tons to the large vessels in the 

 mackerel and halibut fishery, and 500 tons to the smaller market vessels and boats. 



THE TRADE IN DRY AND PICKLED FISH. Having spoken of the quantity of fish cured and 

 inspected in Portland, we now consider the city as a distributing center. We are indebted to Mr. 

 E. G. Willard, who buys a greater part of the fish landed in Portland either for himself or on 

 commission for the largest houses in New York and Boston, for many of the following facts which, 

 though only estimates, probably vary but little from the actual figures. 



Most of the Portland cod are kench-cured, many of them being prepared for exportation to the 

 West Indies. Formerly nearly all of the cod were packed in drums before shipping, but now the 

 curers on the islands are beginning to carry their large fish in bulk to Boston and New York. At 

 the present time, fully 50 per cent, of the cod are packed in drums and sold to the larger dealers of 

 Boston and New York, by whom they are exported to the West Indies. The remainder are pur- 

 chased by the same parties for shipment to the Western and Southern States. In 1880, Portland 



