TIIE SAltDINE INDUSTRY. 41)3 



writer decided to overcome this objection by putting up the fish in square and oblong tin cans, 

 holding two pounds each, hoping at the same time that by ornamenting the cans with an attract- 

 ive label they could be more readily introduced to the trade. It was by such and other means and 

 devices that the domestic article was soon well introduced, and it took but a few years, on account 

 of the excellent quality of the goods and the lower price at which they could be sold, to establish 

 them so firmly in the market that the importation from Germany had to be abandoned by the 

 parties who up to that time had made it a well-controlled specialty and had grown rich at the 

 business. 



" It may be well to add that a powerful help in the introduction of the domestic sardines pre- 

 sented itself in the fact that their keeping quality was found to be far superior to that of the 

 imported sardines, which were very liable to spoil in a comparatively short time, especially in the 

 summer season, during which and in the early fall the demand for Russian sardines is greater 

 than at any other time. For years dealers had been much annoyed and in many instances had 

 lost considerable money by the spoiling of the imported sardines after they had been shipped to 

 the trade. Tour correspondent took good care that the fish were immediately and thoroughly 

 salted upon being taken from the water. The care taken in the preparation of the fish placed their 

 keeping qualities beyond question, and justified the packers, after stipulating a reasonable time 

 during which the guarantee should hold good, in making the following offer to the trade : ' War- 

 ranted to keep sound; if not so found, money will be refunded.' No such guarantee was given in 

 regard to the imported sardines. This proved a great stumbling-block to the importers ; it was, 

 indeed, the death-blow to the imported article. 



" The firm of Hansen & Dieckmann, of New York, who had so far controlled the importation 

 of the article, at this stage of the introduction of the domestic article began to realize the fact 

 that the importation of Eussian sardines was a thing of the past ; and they at once turned their 

 attention to the preparation of the home-made goods in order to retain their hold on their American 

 trade. Their efforts in the introduction of the domestic article had a very beneficial effect, and the 

 sales were greatly increased. Later, when the supply of fish was found to be practically inexhaust- 

 ible, other parties engaged extensively in the work, and the competition greatly reduced the 

 price of the manufactured article. Fishermen and dealers in fish at Eastport were not slow in 

 profiting by the demand for small salted herring, and they soon began to put up quantities of 

 them. It was found profitable now to prepare the fish at Eastport and to extract the oil from the 

 heads and entrails by means of presses, and to convert the residuum into pomace for manuring 

 purposes. 



" During my first visit to Eastport I had an opportunity of examining the quality of the little 

 fishes before they were salted, and it at once occurred to me that they would answer other purposes 

 than those for which they were then used, namely, for smoking, pressing, and preparing, as Russian 

 sardines. I dressed a few of them after the manner of French oil sardines, and, after frying them, 

 was satisfied that the fish, if properly prepared, would be a good substitute for the imported oil 

 sardines, and that by their use a new home industry of great promise might be opened up. For 

 the purpose of personally conducting careful experiments, I found it necessary to temporarily 

 locate at Eastport, after having associated myself with the firm of Wolff & Eeessing, of New York, 

 and with them, under the firm name of the "Eagle Preserved Fish Company," pushed the experi- 

 ments very vigorously. I made it my business to inform myself as thoroughly as possible on the 

 methods employed by the French in the preparation of sardines, and for this purpose spent many 

 hours in the public libraries of New York in search of such information, with but little success. I 



