The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-09-10
BY
THADDEUS HANFORD.
Tuesday, Septem'r 10. 1878.
OUR FISHERIES.

OUR FISHERIES.
Our fisheries have long been con-
sidered ss chief among our numerous
resources; but probably no interest has
been slower of development. Until
very recently, besides what little has
been done BY the aboriginal fisheries,
this industry has been excluiively in
the hands of considerable number OF
slsvonic and Greek fishermen. These
have confined their operations entirely
to meeting the demands Of limited
local market. They are the traditional
fishermen Of the 0rients their methods
of fishing are in no respect dissimilsr to
those employed on the Sea OF Galilee
oyer eighteen hundred years ago; they
know no such thing ss modern i'm
provements in this department OF in
dustry; like their ancestors they cast
their nets in the morning, and dream
away the remainder Of the day in set
ting about their numerous fish stands
disposing Of their limited catch; as
fishers, they are a. much inferior to the
sturdy anglo saxon fishermen Of the
Atlantic coast, % are the Orientsls in
ferior to the anglo. saxon races in oil
other departments of industry. For .
long time it has been painfully ap-
parent that our fisheries must fall into
other hands than these before they
could become source Of profit or
benefit to the country. Happily, at
LIST, the attention Of . more enter
prising and through. going class of men
appears TO have been directed toward
them. Last year, we believe. for the
first time the experiment of putting up
Puget Sound salmon for the San Fran
cisco and other markets was tried. 1t
proved to be an unequivocsl success in
every respect. The canning of these
hsn was commenced for the frst time ut
Auckilteo, and it WAS subsequently
proven that the Puget Sound canned
salmon we're in no respect inferior to
those from other waters. But probably
not less important was tho experiment
Of picking or canning our salmon for
the California market. The undertake
icg proved no less . success than the
former. Several parties engaged in the
enterprise in this city, as also elsewhere
upon the Sound. To large extent the
Indians was employed as catchers. The
salmon were purchased from them for
81 per barrel. all ready for sailing.
The barrels cost 81 so each, and the
salt 15cts extra. The fish in San Fran.
cisco, though in poor demand at hrst.
readily brought from Is to $40 lster in
the season and we know OF one in.
stance where . party put up . large
quantity aud decided to keep them
over till spring. when he readily real.
lied $l6 per barrel for them in San
francisco. This year there will be .
hundred men engaged in this business
on the Sound when there we're bat ten
or twenty last season. The people Of
California have got taste Of Puget
Sound canned salmon. and the demand
for them has increased marvelously
sincs last fall, and the price advanced
accordingly. But As an olfsst to THU
the salmon arc not nearly - plenty
here as last season. II is said that NJ
have very large ran Of siluoa orig
once in two years. and this happens to
be tho of year. However. we con-
slider the present unusual scarcity Of the
dsh due principally to the dry season
for It 10 we'll established fact that SAL
mon never run well while our rivers
are 30 low - At present. Therefore
should we have . few heavy rain,
within the course Of the coming month
large run may DO anticipated.
Thia Il only one branch Of this great
intsrsst that il only just now beginning
to b developed by home enterprises
The waters Of the lower part Of the
Sound, or rather the Straits Of Fucs,
abound in halibut. Up to within Z
year or more those have only bean TAX
en- BY the Sclavonian aud Greek fishsr.
men for the local market. Now they
are being taken in large quantities,
dried and put up in attractive style fo'
other markets than ours. Thsse drisi
halihat have already been fairly intro
duced into the Californis market and
the demand from that quarter is likel,
soon to outstrip the present capacity Of
the concerns engaged in putting them
up.
The herring fisheries are another
branch Of this great interest. Alread,
. considerable number Of entsrprisinl
gentlemen from the Atlantic seaboard
with extensive expsrisacs In this busi
nsss, hare set mp herring presses an
smoking houses on oar shores 1t diner
sst poists and are successfully manufac
tassng oil and putting mp " red bel
sings.' Many anug little fortunes hav