The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-05-21
County and City Official Press.
Monday. May 81, 1877.
THE COLUMBIA FISHERIES

A correspondent Of the Albany iran
ccrat furnishes that paper very read
able aud thoroGgh-going account II this
great business which has spruug up
along the hanks Of the Columbia within
Che past few years.
We learn that there are % companies
engaged at the seyerai Ioinis OF Asto-
ria. Cascade. Rainier. Wesfpar;, Man
haitian. Clinton. Woody Island. Tongue
Point. Transport. Eagle Cliff, Water
ford. cathlame., Bay View, Gi,nella,
Fisherton. Brookficii aud PHO. Rock
A goodly number of these are in our
own Territory. They have facilities
fer putting ap this year. provided the
ruiz - sufficient. u total Of .l35. 900
cases OF 5i,4s0, 900 lib cans. This ut 81
per case, the price OF last year, (which
is below the present qaotation) would
rcprc.en, <6.sl0. 900 gold coia
The la.ges. establishments are those
Of the Messrs Cook, ut Clinton; Booth
s. Co, and Kinney Il Co. Astoria; j.
Hume. Eagle Cliff, and MegIer II Co
Brook6eid. each having capacity of
10000 cases The others range from
81, COG To 20 600
The fishing fleet Of the river now
comprises thousand smacks and :he
stream is said TO be maze of floating
nets for a distance oi 100 miles
The process is thus graphically de-
scribed by the writer above mentioned
THE proprietors Of the several can
neries arc not fishermen, bat rather
contractors and packers They furnish
the fishing boat. net. ctc--and hire cx-
perts 20 take the fish. paying for them
this season fifty cents for each iish de-
livered 10y them at the cannery. The
fishermen are mostly sailors. and are Of
almost every known nationality. not all
Of them being complete models of pur-
ity and sound morals The waters Of
the Columbia. habisually limpid, are
remarkably clear this spring, compel
ling the fisherman to DO their work at
night. The character Of this work is
indicated by the following. A fishing
boat. or smack, is put in charge of each
fisherman, who employs an osrsman Ia
manage II for him. To each buat is al
lotted net, or seine, variable IN size.
the average being 300 fathoms, Il 200
feet. in length. by Is feet in depth
The meshes Of the nets arc large enouy Oh
TO admit the heads o: the salmon, 10 Il
point behind the gills. but too small Ia
allow the body Ia pass through 1t Is
suspended between two lines. the upper
one supported 10y corks or floats. while
the bottom line is provided with leads
Ia sink and bold the net in perpendicu-
lar position. The smack being provided
with an oarsman. sail. anchor. line and
ballast, the fisherman. about sunset.
moves out into the river. and
dfeps his net on line across
th. current. 10y which i, is borne
down the stream many miles, perhaps.
before the coming morn. The fisher
man, during the night. passes back and
from snags, and remove 10 his boat any
fish he may find entangled III It's
msshea At daylight the nets are
hauled aboard. and all the boats be-
longing to zach cannery gathered up.
and with their lines attached 10 y
steamer. they are ,owed up the river TO
their respective quarters. when they
discharge the catch of the night, The
fish. on reaching the cannery. are. by \
process OF bakery aud cookery. quickly
transferred 10 the cans. herme,icall Y
sealed and packed in four dozen can
cases. ready for shipment to any part
OF the globe,
The cost of the building and ma
rhinery at the Brcoktield establishment
cannot. think. fall below s-o.o 900
Fifty fishing smaeks rugged complete
At $500 each. with as many nets costing
tho same 3o.ooo; steam tug. "Edua. "
Of Brookfield. jus, launched. at Sis. 600.
Then passing over the heavy outlay
for plate tin. packing eases. salt. etc.
we note the wages If 53 Cinnamon AZ
one dollar per day each, can makers,
aud $50 Chinamen employed In the
packing house. at the same wage
There are also employed a, this osnnery
100 white men. including fishermen
The at,ve relates 70 bu. one of the
twenty niue establishments eli the river