The Herring Oil Boom on Puget Sound

Port Madison, Jan. 2: This quiet milling town has been all life and jollity the past few days on the occasion of mine host of the Port Madison Hotel, P. DeShaw, taking unto himself a wife. I visited the Puget Sound Oil Company's works, where Messrs. Hammond and Emery are in charge and have seventeen men employed. They are at present manufacturing three hundred gallons of oil daily; they have already barreled 8,000 to 9,000 gallons, and before the run of herring stops, they expect to make 10,000 gallons. This manufacturing of oil from the herring and dogfish of Puget Sound is destined to become an important industry of Western Washington. Mr. Hammond informs us that he gets one gallon of oil more from a barrel of herring this season than last—and the smoked herring are much larger this season, consequently a superior article. They have about ready for market something over 5,000 cases. Mr. Hammond is not afraid of competition; he thinks if more manufactories were started, the accumulation of the scrape or guano would be a source of revenue. In the East, it is worth $20 per ton, and they will have 600 tons this season ready for shipment. Some smart Yank will come along soon and for a trifle purchase what they have and make a little fortune. The herring are so plentiful that often at one haul they have enough to fill their two scows and two lighters and then open their seine and let the remainder go.