“364 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
this was a war price. The following table shows the average prices of the different grades of oil 
in the New York market for a period of seven years. 
Table showing highest and lowest prices of menhaden oil for the years 1871 to 1877. 
[Compiled from Oil, Paint, and Drug Reporter.] 
Select Choice | Inferior to : Select light, 
Years. light. brown. dark. Gurry. Strained. | Pressed. |" jtrained. || Bleached. 
iat 53 t055 | 50 to52h| 4744050 | 35 to40 | 60 toG2h |............|---.-eeeeeefeeee ee cence 
Gio Gul Sic a { 40h to41 | 394t040 | 35 to8B | 20 to25 | 58 to60 |......... 22] cece e seen ee len ne eenenees 
1872 624 to 65 60 +0624 | 55 to574 | 45 to50 60 to 65 64 toG6 |.......---2.] eceneseeeee 
Crk tenant? { 40 to424 | 40 to4l 86 to 38 
60 to 62 59 to 60 52 to 58 
1878: i { 324 to 35 30 to 32 29 to— 
1874 f 45 to474 | 45 to46 | 4231045 
73 yet 324 to 35 35 to35h | 32 to 34 
45 to474 | 43 to44 | 38 to40 
A senovesneeses { 32 to83 | 31 to32 | 20 to30 
1876 48 to 50 46 to 48 36 to— 
ee { 324 to 33 | 3241033 34 to 36 
1877 46 to47 | 45 to46 | 40 to42 
nee tas eee } 33 to 34 33 to 34 30 to 32 
REVIEWS OF THE MARKETS.—In January, 1874, the manufacturers composing the “ United 
States Menhaden Oil and Guano Association” had on hand 484,520 gallons of oil, or about 21 per 
cent. of the amount manufactured in 1873; in January, 1875, 648,000 gallons, or about 19 per cent. ; 
in January, 1876, 125,000, or over 4 per cent.; in January, 1877, 264,000, or over 8 per cent.; and 
in January, 1878, 94,000, or over 4 per cent. These figures seem to indicate that the demand for oil 
quite keeps pace with the supply. 
The following editorial on the value of menhaden oil appeared in the Oil, Paint, and Drug 
Reporter, October 21, 1874: 
‘¢Prices for menhaden oil have ruled very low this year, and it has probably been relatively 
the cheapest grease in market. This fact, together with a poor run of fish part of the season, 
caused several of the weakest of the manufacturers to close their works, and the natural result has 
been less than an average season’s production, except in Maine. The Maine season ended some 
time since, and the fall catch of the other States, which is usually the best, has thus far been com- 
paratively nothing, and, as it will soon close, cannot be improved much. To-day we should estimate 
the stock in the hands of fishermen as fully one-quarter less than last year, and with one exception 
the dealers in this city are almost without stock. 
“The entire failure of the Arctic whaling fleet, the high price of all other grease, and the 
advance in the price of Newfoundland cod oil point to advanced prices for menhaden. We said 
early in the season that menhaden oil was cheap at 40 cents, and it ought not to have gone below 
that price. At the present time some parties talk of 50 cents as the point the market will reach, 
but we hope that manufacturers will not hold for such high prices. This would be as much too high 
as 35 cents was too low, and as soon as you get an article above its real value something takes its 
place and you cannot get it into the same channels until it becomes so low that it is forced back.” 
ll. HISTORY OF THE MENHADEN OIL INDUSTRY. 
THE CLAIMS OF MAINE TO THE DISCOVERY OF MENHADEN OIL.—The manufacture of men- 
haden oil has been prosecuted for a few years only. Several individuals claim the honor of having 
been first to discover its value. About the year 1850 Mrs. John Bartlett, of Blue Hill, near Mount 
