﻿THE 
  HERRING 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  THE 
  PASSAMAQUODDY 
  REGION. 
  475 
  

  

  not 
  only 
  cuts 
  but 
  also 
  shapes 
  the 
  covers 
  and 
  bottoms 
  for 
  the 
  cans. 
  

   After 
  the 
  tin 
  is 
  cut, 
  the 
  decorated 
  strips 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  rimmer 
  and 
  bender, 
  

   who 
  bends 
  them 
  into 
  the 
  proper 
  shape 
  and 
  otherwise 
  completes 
  them. 
  

   The 
  seamers 
  solder 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  strips 
  together 
  and 
  insert 
  tlie 
  bot- 
  

   toms. 
  The 
  can 
  is 
  then 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  can-makers, 
  so 
  called, 
  who 
  solder 
  

   in 
  the 
  bottoms. 
  The 
  sealing, 
  which 
  may 
  not, 
  perhaps, 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  

   strictly 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  can-making, 
  is 
  done 
  after 
  the 
  fish 
  have 
  been 
  put 
  

   in 
  the 
  cans, 
  the 
  work 
  being 
  simply 
  to 
  solder 
  on 
  the 
  covers. 
  

  

  The 
  implement 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  solder 
  is 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  cans 
  is 
  termed 
  

   a 
  "copper," 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  made 
  principally 
  of 
  that 
  metal. 
  

   The 
  soldering 
  coppers 
  are 
  bought 
  by 
  the 
  case 
  or 
  box, 
  each 
  box 
  contain- 
  

   ing 
  25 
  pairs, 
  sometimes 
  weighing 
  4, 
  but 
  generally 
  5, 
  pounds 
  per 
  pair, 
  

   and 
  costing 
  from 
  $17.50 
  to 
  $22 
  per 
  box. 
  To 
  fit 
  them 
  for 
  use 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  adjust 
  the 
  iron 
  shank 
  of 
  the 
  copper 
  to 
  a 
  wooden 
  handle 
  

   and 
  forge 
  the 
  point 
  on 
  an 
  anvil 
  to 
  any 
  shape 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  desired 
  by 
  

   the 
  operative, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  kept 
  sharp 
  by 
  filing 
  them. 
  The 
  

   heat 
  for 
  soldering 
  is 
  furnished 
  by 
  a 
  small 
  blast 
  stove 
  in 
  which 
  kerosene 
  

   oil 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  fuel. 
  Coke 
  is 
  also 
  used 
  to 
  a 
  limited 
  extent 
  for 
  fuel, 
  in 
  

   this 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  work, 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  canneries. 
  

  

  Case-maMng. 
  — 
  The 
  cases 
  or 
  boxes 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  sardines 
  are 
  packed 
  

   for 
  shipment 
  are, 
  like 
  the 
  smoked-herring 
  boxes, 
  made 
  from 
  what 
  are 
  

   termed 
  "shooks." 
  These 
  are 
  prepared 
  at 
  the 
  sawmills 
  and 
  are 
  ready 
  

   for 
  use 
  when 
  they 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  cannery. 
  A 
  "shook" 
  contains 
  the 
  

   material 
  for 
  the 
  sides, 
  ends, 
  bottom, 
  and 
  cover 
  of 
  the 
  case, 
  and 
  the 
  

   work 
  of 
  making 
  the 
  case 
  consists 
  simply 
  in 
  nailing 
  the 
  parts 
  together, 
  

   except 
  nailing 
  on 
  the 
  covers, 
  which 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  shipi)ing 
  or 
  testing 
  

   room 
  after 
  the 
  goods 
  are 
  packed. 
  The 
  " 
  shooks," 
  which 
  are 
  usually 
  of 
  

   spruce, 
  cost 
  from 
  $65 
  to 
  $70 
  per 
  thousand. 
  The 
  nails 
  are 
  5-penny 
  box 
  

   nails, 
  and 
  cost 
  from 
  $2.50 
  to 
  $3 
  per 
  keg, 
  about 
  50 
  kegs 
  being 
  required 
  

   for 
  22,000 
  cases. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  one 
  case 
  is 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  8i 
  cents 
  — 
  the 
  shook 
  

   costs 
  from 
  G^ 
  to 
  7 
  cents, 
  nails 
  about 
  one-half 
  cent, 
  and 
  making 
  1 
  cent. 
  

  

  Treatment 
  of 
  the 
  fish. 
  — 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  cannery 
  they 
  are 
  

   hoisted 
  from 
  the 
  collecting 
  boat 
  to 
  the 
  wharf 
  in 
  baskets. 
  This 
  is 
  done 
  

   by 
  hand 
  or 
  steam 
  power, 
  but 
  usually 
  the 
  latter, 
  as 
  nearly 
  all 
  tlie 
  can- 
  

   neries 
  are 
  supplied 
  with 
  engines. 
  The 
  baskets 
  are 
  carried 
  into 
  the 
  

   cutting 
  room, 
  either 
  on 
  wheelbarrows 
  or 
  by 
  being 
  attached 
  to 
  hooks 
  

   suspended 
  from 
  an 
  overhead 
  track 
  which 
  passes 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  

   the 
  cutting 
  tables. 
  They 
  are 
  sometimes 
  carried 
  on 
  cars 
  which 
  run 
  on 
  

   tracks 
  on 
  the 
  floor. 
  As 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  brought 
  in 
  they 
  are 
  turned 
  out 
  and 
  

   distributed 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  tbe 
  tables, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  within 
  easy 
  reach 
  

   of 
  the 
  cutters, 
  who 
  stand 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  at 
  convenient 
  distances 
  apart. 
  

   In 
  the 
  larger 
  canneries 
  there 
  are 
  sometimes 
  from 
  50 
  to 
  100 
  persons 
  

   around 
  the 
  cutting 
  tables 
  at 
  one 
  time. 
  The 
  fish-cutting 
  consists 
  in 
  

   removing 
  the 
  heads 
  and 
  viscera, 
  the 
  work 
  being 
  doive 
  with 
  great 
  rapid- 
  

   ity. 
  The 
  cutter 
  takes 
  several 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  left 
  hand 
  at 
  once 
  and, 
  with 
  a 
  

   large 
  knife 
  in 
  the 
  right, 
  cuts 
  off 
  the 
  heads 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  A 
  sweep 
  of 
  

   the 
  knife 
  removes 
  the 
  viscera 
  and 
  throws 
  the 
  "cuttings" 
  into 
  a 
  barrel 
  

  

  