EMDEN JOINT-STOCK HERRING-FISHERY ASSOCIATION. iio 



packing, and the public sale of fish. Recently a second story has been 

 added, in which the ship-owners, merchants, agents, and commissioners 

 have their offices, for which tli e railroad company get a good rent, 

 fully paying the interest of the money invested in these buildings. Im- 

 mediately on the other side of these halls is the railroad track. Near 

 the depot there are ice-hoiij^es — the ice mostly comes in blocks from 

 Norway, and is brought to the halls in sacks, where it is ground in small 

 mills turned by hand — smoke-houses, and other buildings owing their 

 existence to the fisheries. Not far from the depot there are dry-docks 

 in which vessels can easily be repaired or cleaned in a few days. "Time 

 is money," is the prevailing thought which prompted the erection of all 

 these buildings which have sprung up like mushrooms. Within the 

 space of two to three hours all the fish have been sold for cash at the 

 public sales which any one can hold. The cleaning, packing, &c., all 

 combine to produce the liveliest activity. One train after the other rolls 

 up to the halls ; open cars carry the four-wheeled fish-wagons, which 

 have three to four water-tight compartments ; at 4 p. m. all business is 

 finished ; the business man can return to town and play the "gentleman." 



At the fixed time the fish-trains start, so as to reach their destination 

 early the next morning. Immediately on their arrival one car after the 

 other moves up to a ramp 5 the shaft of the fish-wagon, which has been 

 lying under it, is placed in position, the horses, of which every large 

 railroad company keeps some thousands, and which stand ready, are 

 hitched to the wagon, and the railroad company does not consider its 

 duties fulfilled until the wagon halts before the door of the fishmonger. 



In stores which combine practical arrangements and cleanliness the 

 fish are exposed for sale in the most tempting manner, lying on slightly 

 inclined marble counters with small grooves to gather the moisture 

 which collects by degrees, and kept cool by large pieces of ice. A few 

 hours again suffice to sell all the fish. The great variety in the English 

 methods of preparing fish undoubtedly contributes its share toward this 

 rapid sale, and even a little hmitgotit is masked by a sharp sauce. 

 Englishmen rely on the conscientiousness of the agent of the board of 

 health in the matter of excluding spoiled fish from the market, and it 

 is well known that, especially during the summer months, large quan- 

 tities offish are inexorably condemned. 



In England ice is used very extensively to keep fish from spoiling, 

 while in Germany there is a good deal of prejudice against employing 

 ice. Who does not recollect the violent outcry of shortsighted Ham- 

 burg and Bremen dealers against the so-called "joint-stock company 

 fish," i. €., fish on ice, declaring that it was every way inferior to the 

 " fresh," ^. e., half-dead fish, the worthy companion of the Scotch her- 

 ring? These men, by their violent denunciations, actually succeeded 

 in forcing some associations, which had been dealing in fish on ice, to 

 close their stores. Fish eaters should not allow themselves to be de- 

 ceived in this manner, but should rather try it once more, for the dif- 



