226 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



The most striking fact brought out is that Maine realized 

 11% of the oil from 46% of fish used. Further, the total 

 Maine capital, $983,000, turned out a total product of 

 $1,071,449, whereas the rest of the country realized only 

 $637,600 from $1,767,000.* 



The amount of capital invested in factories, vessels and 

 gear in the Maine menhaden fishery increased from $613,- 

 500 in 1873 to $1,051,812 in 1878. During the period of 

 these six years there were 57,456 barrels of fish sold for 

 bait, and 3,570,041 barrels taken at the factories. There 

 was also produced 108,063 tons of crude guano, and 9,673,- 

 843 gallons of oil. The average yield of oil was 2% gal- 

 lons of oil from every barrel of fish used. The amount of 

 oil taken from a barrel of menhaden in the Maine factories 

 was always greater than at factories farther south even 

 on the New England shore. 



The value of guano at $11 per ton was $1,194,093. The 

 fish sold for one dollar per barrel for bait; the oil, at 37 

 cts. per gallon, was worth $3,679,321.91. The total value 

 of this industry for Maine for the six years, 1873 to 1878, 

 was $4,93-0,870.91, a yearly value of $821,611.82. So rapid 

 and disastrous was the decline of the fishery along the 

 Maine shore that when the census of 1880 was taken the 

 State had neither fishermen nor factory hands employed 

 in the business. In 1889 there were three factories, valued 

 at $22,200 in the menhaden industry of Maine. In 1898 

 there were four factories, valued at $190,000. The products 

 of 1889 were 282,465 gallons of oil, valued at $62,405 and 

 and 2,305 tons of scrap worth $24,735, a total value of 

 $87,140. 



The results of 1898 show there was a considerable in- 

 crease in the Maine menhaden industry after 1889. The 

 product increased to 765,000 gallons of oil made, valued 

 at $191,250, and 9,120 tons of guano, valued at $91,200. 



iGoode, Ibid, p. 360. 



