The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport introduced a two-year exhibit this year called “Sardineland.” This has been a major success and increased the number of visitors to the Museum this summer. This industry started in the mid-1870s and thrived for decades, despite its ups and downs. The following are references from the “Maine Industrial Journal,” published in Bangor from 1880 till 1918. I have included all the articles on sardines, but also left the ones on canning as there was a close relationship between them all. This will probably take a several issues to complete, even though I will only do the 1880s.
1882
14 July, Page 441
EASTERN INDUSTRIES
Dyer & Libby, of Portland, have invented a fish-cleaning machine. The invention is a set of Russian bristle brushes, set in a peculiar position and rotated by steam. With one of these simple machines the work of five hands in the old way is done in the same length of time and done much better. About 50 mackerel per minute can be dressed by this machine.
Page 442
FISH AND GAME. — The Eagle Preserved Fish Company of Eastport has recently been re-organized as a stock company under the laws of this State, with a capital of $100,000. General S. L. Leavitt is President, N. H. Kemp, Secretary and Treasurer, and Messrs. Wolff & Reessing, New York, selling agents.
21 July, Page 453-454
It is reported that the owners of the Boothbay porgie factories, whose steamers, scouring the coast from Cape Ann to the Bay of Fundy, have succeeded in exterminating or driving away the menhaden from our shores, have decided to grind up mackerel for oil, and the wholesale slaughter of this fine food fish for this purpose has already commenced. The mackerel fishery is, with the exception of the herring fishery, by far the most important of our shore fisheries, and indeed it may be said that the large majority of our fishing population are directly or indirectly dependent upon this industry for support; directly, on account of the ready demand for this fish in the markets of the cities and towns, particularly at the various hotels and seaside resorts; and indirectly, because since the porgies have become extinct the mackerel furnish about the only source of supply for bait required in the capture of cod, haddock, hake, pollock and in fact nearly all the other food fish. The disappearance of the porgies from the coast has been a severe blow to the fishermen. Many of them have previously had a hard struggle to support themselves and families; they are, generally speaking, an industrious and deserving class of people; they constitute a large proportion of the population of our State; and with this, practically their last resource, swept away, as it soon will be if this wanton destruction upon a large scale be permitted, their future prospects look gloomy indeed. They are reared upon the sea, spend the greater portion of their lives upon it and many find their graves beneath it. They are, as a class, almost totally unfitted for tilling the soil or other land occupation, and it would seem that the strong arm of the Government should afford the only business of which they are capable some measure of protection from the ravenous greed of capitalist, when that business is an honorable and a useful one. The manufacture of fish oils upon a large scale is one of the few industries that is not wanted in Maine, unless the product can be obtained from the refuse of the canning factories and that saved for the purpose by the fishermen. This matter is of such vital importance the fishermen resident on our coast that, surely, if any class of people are ever justified in taking the law into their own hand, they cannot be much blamed for protecting themselves by summary means, as we learn has been threatened in some quarters.
Page 458
EASTERN INDUSTRIES
Business at the Lamoine sardine factory has been very good this season. Up to the present time, from 800 to 900 cases have been shipped.
Page 460
RAMBLES ALONG THE MAINE COAST
(From our regular correspondent.)
DEER ISLE, July 15, 1882—Mount Desert Island, Deer Isle, Isle au Haut, Vinalhaven and Islesboro are becoming more famous every year as summer resorts for people from all parts of the United States. The first is connected by a bridge with the mainland, and all are in near proximity to each other and the thriving towns on the coastline of Hancock county. These islands all lie in and between the ocean outlets of Frenchman’s Bay and the Bay of the Penobscot, which are so justly famous for their picturesque beauty; and then the hundreds of other smaller islands, so profusely scattered here and there in all directions, render the sea, island and coast views from many localities so charming as to seem almost enchanted ground.
The waters of the Edgemoggin (Eggemoggin) Reach separate Deer Isle and little Deer Isle from Sedgwick. The large island extends southerly about twelve miles, and from point to point east and west it is about the same distance in extent. The more northerly portion of the island has an excellent soil and contains many farms under a fair state of cultivation. Apple orchards do as well, with the same amount of care and attention, as in any portion of the State. Marble and lime rock abound in the northeastern section. The marble is black, shading into a beautiful dark green, and will receive so perfect a polish as to become an excellent mirror. An immense outcropping runs back from the shore, about two miles easterly from the steamboat wharf at the head of the island. About ten years ago a company was formed to work it, expecting that there was “millions in it.” Now it came to pass that an old whaleman, famous for his skill in throwing the lance and the harpoon, made the company believe that a man who could kill a whale could open a marble quarry. A steam drill was procured, with all the other fixings necessary, and the superintendent went ahead for a while, but when conceit takes the place of intelligence things are apt to get mixed, and the company suspended operations. Depth can easily be attained by working in from the shore, and as neither perfect slate nor perfect marble can be obtained until a certain depth is reached, all the good marble that ever was there is there still. That sometime it will be profitable worked hardly admits of a doubt. Quite near the head of the island limestone is abundant, and several kilns, built in the old fashioned manner, have been burned. The lime is very strong but not quite white, it is supposed it would make an excellent cement. It is not being worked at present but is believed to be valuable.
The Northwest Harbor village is four miles from the head of the island, and is a place of considerable wealth and business. It has one good hotel, kept by H. R. Haskell, and seven or eight stores. One of the wealthy citizens, John P. Johnson, Esq., lives in a large house the walls of which are entirely of Blue Hill granite.
The Deer Isle Mine is located on Dunham’s Point, near the entrance of Northwest Harbor, and is now down 220 feet. The vein is nine feet in width and is rapidly improving in quantity and quality. The box sent to the JOURNAL office shows the prevailing character of the ore, which is that of grey copper more than anything else. The assays of the sulfurets run high in gold and silver, and the present outlook is very promising: About 200 tons are on the dump, which will probably be shipped to Swansea. E. J. Knight, the Superintendent, is pushing the mine down as fast as possible and is very confident as regards its future.
There are fine localities on the north point of the harbor for summer cottages and hotels, which will soon probably be improved. Oceanville, at the southeast part of the island, is also a prominent candidate for future honors in the line of summer travel. The harbor is one of the largest and best on the coast, and the scenery fine. L. B. Crockett and Seth & C. H. Swett are enterprising and public-spirited citizens and will do what they can to forward movements. The Messrs. Webb do a large canning business and put up mackerel, lobsters and clams. They furnish employment, in all departments of their business, to about 200 men. They expect to use about $8,000 worth of tin the present season and have facilities for canning 100 barrels of mackerel per day. They have a little steamer which collects the fish from all points.
“At the “Thoroughfare,” at the south part of the island, is a thrifty and growing village, the post office name of which is Green’s Landing. Charles A. Russ, Esq., who is one of the prominent businessmen there, will erect a hotel this season on the highland north of the village. On the road leading westerly from the entrance of the Thoroughfare, the views are very fine. Isle au Haut is the prominent feature, amid a great archipelago of islands, with Vinalhaven off to the southwest. The Thoroughfare is the great passageway for eastern and western bound steamers and vessels, and this of itself makes things look lively there. There are two canning factories in active operation. W. K. Lewis, of Boston, owns one, of which Thomas Knowlton is superintendent. They payout about $27,000 per year for labor and fish. The other is owned by Potter & Wrightington, of Boston, and their superintendent is a son of Charles Mitchell, who came from Scotland and was the pioneer of the canning business in Maine, commencing in Eastport in 1842 under the firm name of Trent, Noble & Mitchell. They put up, at this factory, clams, clam chowder, mackerel and codfish, and will consume about $5,000 worth of tin this season. They expect to pack this season 300,000 cans of mackerel, if they are as plenty as usual. George Tolman runs another factory at West Deer Isle and packs lobsters, clams and mackerel. He has 70,000 cans made ahead and manufactures his own boxes. We will give special attention to mackerel, if they are plenty. We note great pains in regard to cleanliness at all of the factories visited, and their goods stand high in market.
Crotch Island bounds the Thoroughfare on the south, at Green’s landing, and is noted for its excellent granite quarries. We visited them in company with Job Goss, Jr., the owner of one of them. Mr. Goss is now putting his quarry in first-class condition for rapid work and will employ 15 to 20 men as soon as he can obtain them. He has contracts for Boston and New York. This is among the very best quarries in the county. Another on the south side of the island is owned by Mr. Russ, at the Landing, and Colonel W. H. Darling, of Blue Hill. It is leased at present to Owens & McGee, who are now employing 15 men. They have shipped 100,000 paving blocks thus far this season. These quarries are remarkable for the length and availability of the sheets of granite occurring in regular order, and stone can be put on shipboard at a very low cost. The granite is very handsome polished, and will probably find a market in future for that purpose.
About fifty persons find summer homes on Deer Island from Washington, DC at present, and more from that city are expected. A few have recently arrived from Ohio who never smelt salt water before, and these are already enthusiastic over the beauties and healthfulness of our seacoast resorts.
28 July, Page 474
EASTERN INDUSTRIES
Messrs. C. A. Dyer & Company, at their packing house on Custom House wharf, Portland, are doing a rushing business. One day recently they canned 135 barrels of mackerel. They employ 125 hands at this factory alone. They are the largest canners of mackerel in the country. Besides all their sailing vessels they have two steamers engaged in catching mackerel. The firm have orders for their canned mackerel much faster than they can fill them.
Page 475
A Provincial exchange remarks that it is astonishing how the sardine and lobster canning factories in Eastport have woke up that little town. These industries pay out in wages from $1,500 to $1,800 a week and employ chiefly girls from 12 to 16 years. The amount of money they put in circulation among the fishermen is also very large, the payments being invariably cash. Between the Campobello hotels and the sardine fishery the farmers who till the soil and the sailors who plow the water are prospering beyond all precedent.
Page 475-476
The sardine trade in eastern Maine has the last few years grown very rapidly. From 1876 until the present time the number of factories has increased from one to about twenty-five, of which seventeen or eighteen are in Eastport. The fish are hoisted from the boats on to the wharf, where they are spread on long tables. There the heads and tails are cut off by the “cutters,” after which they are put into pickle for about an hour. Then they are taken out, washed in clean water, and laid on flakes to dry, it being found impossible to fry them when wet, the fish all breaking up. After being dried, which on sunny days is done out of doors, and in damp or wet weather in the dry-house, by means of a circulation of hot or cold air, they are fried in oil. This oil is generally cotton-seed or some cheaper kind. Then they are packed in cans by the girls, the smaller fish being put up in oil and the larger in French mustard or in spices. The oil used in packing ought to be pure olive, but it is found impossible to use it, being so expensive and the price of sardines so low. Cotton-seed, peanut and other kinds of oil are used in packing. After being packed in the cans, the covers are put on and sealed. Then they are put into a bath of boiling water and kept there two hours, the water being kept boiling. At the end of that time they are taken out and a small hole tapped in each can, to let the hot or expanded air escape, and immediately closed. The can then is air tight, and will keep good for years in any climate. They are then cleaned, packed in cases, and shipped to New York or the west. The sardine industry has made good time in this remote locality (Eastport and vicinity.) Any smart boy or girl, with steady work, can earn from $5 to $8 per week. The sealers make from $10 to $20 a week.
