rendering at Wallingford; he had a load of white-fish carted to his fac tory from Branford, 16 miles distant. At night, after his men had left the factory, he cleaned out his tallow tanks, steamed his fish, and extracted the oil; his experiment was satisfactory and the process was immediately patented. The priority of his discovery is challenged by Mr. D. D. Wells, of Greenport, who claims to have used the process for some years previous to this time. After securing his patents, Mr. Hall visited numerous "pot works," which had by this time been established, for the purpose of introducing his new methods. At this time he also secured a patent for the process of drying fish scraps upon platforms by solar heat. The inception of the oil business in Maine. 227. The first factory in Maine was built by a company from Rhode Island, in 1864, at Blue Hill, and the next by another company from Rhode Island, at Bristol, on John's Bay, the same season. Operations being successful, home parties in Booth Bay, Bristol, Bremen, and Southport went into the business. In the spring of 1866 eleven factories were built, all using steam. This may be regarded as the beginning of the industry in Maine on a scale at all in ratio with its capabilities. Erection of factories in Maine. 228. The following table, taken from Mr. Maddock's pamphlet, gives the dates at which the factories of the several firms named were built, and the cost of the same. The titles of some have since been changed by incorporation with others, change of ownership, &c. Of the eleven factories specified before as built in 1866, one has been burned, and two absorbed by now existing corporations. The original investment of $260,500 has been increased, as shown by the report for 1877, to $1,083,612. 42.-THE LOCATIONS OF THE OIL FACTORIES. Factories in Maine. 229. The oil and guano factories are located chiefly on the coasts of Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island, at the localities. already designated as being most frequented by large schools of menhaden. In 1877 there were on the coast of Maine fourteen establishments of sufficient importance to be represented in the Maine Oil and Guano Association, all but two of them in good financial standing. I am indebted to Messrs. Church, Pryer and Maddocks for the detailed list given below, including those not now in operation. There are, besides, several small factories of no great statistical importance. On Muscongus Sound, near Round Pond, are six factories owned by THE BRISTOL OIL WORKS, with two presses; ALBERT GRAY & Co., with two presses; JOSEPH CHURCH & CO., with four presses; the ROUND POND OIL COMPANY, not now in operation; LEONARD BRIGHTMAN & Co., now bankrupt; the BROWN'S COVE COMPANY (not operated in 1877), and the LOUD'S ISLAND OIL COMPANY. On John's Bay, Liniken's Bay, and in that vicinity are ten, owned by the PEMAQUID OIL COMPANY, with three presses; WELLS & Co., with two presses; TUTHILL, FRENCH & CO., with two presses; FOWLER, FOOTE & Co.; the SUFFOLK OIL COMPANY, with two presses; GALLUP & HOLMES, with two presses; GALLUP, MORGAN & Co., with two presses; KENNISTON, COBB & Co., with two presses (not now in operation); LUTHER MADDOCKS; the WHITE WINE BROOK COMPANY. There is also a factory at Brooklin owned by ROBERT A. FRIEND, and the SOUTH SAINT GEORGE OIL WORKS, at South Saint George. The GEORGE W. MILES COMPANY, of Milford, Conn., have for several years operated their ship, the Alabama, with two presses, in John's Bay. There have also been within a few years factories at Blue Hill, owned by CONARY & Co.; in Brooklin, owned by G. ALLEN & Co.; in Brookville, owned by E. C. CHATTO & Co.; in Belfast, owned by J. C. CONDON and by J. C. MAYO. The first is known to be abandoned, and no returns have been received from the others since 1873. A considerable amount of oil is also tried out by individuals who carry on a small business of this description in connection with other occupations. The amount thus produced in 1874 was estimated by Mr. Eben B. Phillips at from 50,000 to 75,000 gallons. Factories in Massachusetts. 230. In Massachusetts there are no important factories; the CAPE COD OIL WORKS, at Provincetown, and the NORTH AMERICAN OIL WORKS, at Wellfleet, try out a small quantity of menhaden oil annually, but this is merely incidental, their chief source of supply being bodies of stranded blackfish and porpoises. A small quantity of oil is tried out by the fishermen on Cape Cod, chiefly, perhaps, from the refuse remaining after the fish have been "slivered" for bait. Near Wood's Holl, Mass., is the factory of the PACIFIC GUANO COM PANY, which at the time of its establishment in 1863 was engaged largely in the fisheries and oil pressing, but has now discontinued this branch of the business. At Dartmouth is the factory of ERSKINE PIERCE, and at Fall River that of JOB T. WILSON, which is referred to below in the Narragansett Bay list. Factories in Rhode Island. 231. In Narragansett Bay are thirteen factories, specified in the fol lowing list kindly furnished by Mr. Church: THE ATLANTIC OIL AND GUANO COMPANY, operating 3 presses. THOMAS F. GRAY, operating 2 presses. Mr. Pryer gives the names of the following manufacturers not included in Mr. Church's list. Some of them are doubtless concerned in the titled companies already mentioned: JOHN SOUTHWORTH, Portsmouth, R. I. W. H. H. HOWLAND, Portsmouth, R. I. WILCOX MANCHESTER, Tiverton Four Corners, R. I. Rhode Island has no factories west of Narragansett Bay. Factories in Connecticut. 232. Another group of factories is located between the eastern boundary of Connecticut and the Connecticut River. In 1877 these were five in number, as follows: GURDON S. ALLYN & Co., on Mason's Island, between Stonington and Noank, running three gangs. LEANDER WILCOX & Co. (formerly J. GREEN & Co.), on Mint Head, also east of Noank, running two gangs. WALEY & Co., at Poquonnock Bridge, east of the Thames River, running one gang. QUINNIPIAC FERTILIZER COMPANY, on Pine Island, Groton, at the mouth of the Thames River, running four gangs. LUCE BROTHERS, at Niantic. Several other factories were formerly operated in this vicinity, namely, the QUIAMBOG OIL COMPANY, on Noyes Neck (one gang), burnt down in 1876; the GARDNER OIL COMPANY and REUBEN CHAPMAN'S WORKS on Mason's Island (one gang), abandoned. Luce Brothers, of Niantic, formerly had a floating factory built on the hull of the old railway ferry-boat "Union." In 1876 a new factory was built by them and the floating factory was abandoned. West of the Connecticut River the factories are not numerous. I learn the names of the following companies: SALT ISLAND OIL COMPANY, at Westbrook, owned by J. L. Stokes and others, not now running. J. H. BISHOP, at Madison. FOWLER & COLBURN, at Guilford. E. R. KELSEY, at Branford, supplied by weir fisheries. THE GEORGE W. MILES Co., at Milford, owning a factory on the shore and a floating factory, the "Alabama," built upon the hull of an old man-ofwar. This is usually operated on the coast of Maine and is referred to in the list of Maine factories. In 1878 it is the intention of Mr. Miles to work it on the coast of New Jersey. Factories in New York. 233. At the eastern end of Long Island is another cluster of oil works. The following list was furnished by Capt. Benjamin H. Sisson in 1873: D. D. WELLS AND SONS. HAWKINS BROTHERS. H. CORWIN & Co. FITHIAN & HORTON. BENJAMIN PAYNE, GREEN & Co. B. C. CARTWRIGHT & Co. VAIL, BENJAMIN & CO. THE STERLING CO. Also two floating factories the "Falcon," 2,500 tons, Capt. Geo. F. Tuthill; the "Ranger," 1,500 tons, Capt. F. Frank Price. Many have since been established and in Mr. Pryers' list (Appendix H) the following manufacturing firms are enumerated, fifteen in number: W. Y. FITHIAN & Co., at Napeague (Amagansett). JOSEPH D. PARSONS, at Springs. G. H. PAYNE, at Deep Hole, Easthampton. T. F. PRICE, at Greenport. J. NORRISON RAYNOR, at Greenport. On the Great South Bay are four factories: SMITH, GREEN & Co., at Sayville. SMITH & YARRINGTON, at Sayville. SOUTH BAY OIL COMPANY, at Sayville. On the south shore of Long Island, at Barren Island, a few miles east of the entrance to New York Harbor, at the mouth of Jamaica Bay, are four factories, owned by SEAMAN JONES & Co. HAWKINS BROTHERS. FRANK SWIFT.* BARREN ISLAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY. In these four factories, according to Mr. Seaman Jones, about $200,000 capital is invested, half of it on shore and half in "sailing rigs." Factories in New Jersey. 234. In 1873 there were said to be one or two oil factories in Southern New Jersey, at Somers Point and Little and Great Egg Harbors. The fisheries in this vicinity are not vigorously prosecuted, and in 1873 the factory at Atlantic City had already been deserted. Mr. Miles informs me that he proposes to operate his floating factory, the Alabama, in New Jersey waters during the coming season of 1878. According to Mr. Pryer the following factories were in existence in 1877: GRIFFIN & VAIL, at Port Monmouth. CAPT. C. DOUGHTY, at Somers Point. CYRUS N. SMITH, at Tuckerton. Factories on Chesapeake Bay. 235. I am informed by Mr. H. L. Dudley that there are four factories in the Chesapeake Bay between Norfolk and Baltimore. I have not learned the names and locations of all these establishments. One, “THE VIRGINIA OIL AND GUANO COMPANY," of which Mr. O. E. Maltby, of Norfolk, is president and Mr. Dudley agent, is located at New Point Comfort. A second is owned by WILLIAM D. HALL, of Willenbeck, * Better known by the name of its former owner, Mr. Koon. |