378 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Table showing the extent of the oyster industry of Rhode Island in 1898. 



\ 



Items. 



No. 



Value. 



Persons engaged 



Vessels fashing (steam) 



Tonnage 



Outfit 



Vessels fishing (sail) 



Tonnage 



Vessels transporting (steam) 



Tonnage 



Outfit... 



Vessels transporting (sail). . . 



Tonnage 



Outfit 



Boats 



Apparatus on vessels: 



Tongs 



Dredges 



Apparatus on boats: 



Tongs 



Dredges 



*312 



13 



276 



1 

 11 



1 

 13 



$54,900 



9,789 

 800 



4,000 



394 



'iii" 



46 

 35 



154 

 61 



350 

 29,000 



637 

 13, 836 



279 

 910 



798 

 759 



Items. 



No. 



Shore and accessory property 



Oyster ground held by les- 

 sees (acres) 



Amount of rental paid 



Oysters, market,from planted 

 grounds (bushels) 



Oysters, market, from natu- 

 ral grounds (bushels) 



Oysters, native seed planted 

 (bushels) 



Oysters, seed from other 

 States, planted (bushels)... 



Oyster shells sold (bushels).. 



Starfish caught and de- 

 stroyed (bushels) 



$41,800.00 



1,922.3 



t439, 148 



t2,580 



15,650 



404, 550 

 127,900 



27, 362 



Value. 



7, 690. 07 



497,360.00 



2, 788. 00 



5,230.00 



263, 500. 00 

 3,968.00 



*0n vessels fishing, 69; on vessels transporting, 26; on boats, 107; on shore, 110. 

 t Oyster season of 1898-99. 



THE MENHADEN INDUSlllY. 



In 1898 there were two menhaden factories in Rhode Island, one of 

 which was in operation only six weeks. 106,838 barrels of menhaden, 

 equivalent to about 35,612,667 fish, were handled at these factories, and 

 the resulting products were 306,960 gallons of oil, valued at $61,407, 

 and 3,576 tons of scrap, valued at $34,982. The largest catches of 

 menhaden are made in June, July, August, and September. The yield 

 of oil varies from i to 4 gallons for each barrel of fish, according to 

 their condition, which depends somewhat on where they are obtained 

 and the time of the season in which they are caught. 



The following table shows the important features of the menhaden 

 industr}^ in Rhode Island for 1898: 



Table showing the extent of the menhaden industry of Rhode Island in 1898. 



Items. 



Number. 



Value. 



Factories 



Cash capital 



Wages paid 



Persons employed 



Menhaden pressed 



Tons of acidulated scrap prepared 

 Gallons of oil made 



206 



35, 612, 667 



3,576 



306, 960 



$328, 000 

 60,000 

 27,630 



53,419 

 34,982 

 61,407 



THE WHOLESALE FISHERY TRADE. 



The wholesale trade was conducted by three firms in Providence 

 and one in Newport, the principal products being fresh fish and lob- 

 sters. The greater part of the lobsters were handled at Newport. 

 The value of the four establishments was $28,025. The amount of 

 cash capital was 120,500, while $13,180 were paid out in wages, the 

 number of employees being 28. The value of the products as sold 

 amounted to nearly $200,000. 



