, 1880-05-06


only n few miles of shore; while tile wa
ters of Alaska abound in cod, more plen-
titlll than The famous banks Oh the coasts
OF Newfoundland. Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick. The following statistics will
give some idea of the immense proper
tions to which our s,lmon fisheries are
susceptible of being expanded, when We
consider that 1t is the product of only one
river upon coast over two thousand
miles in extent, at almost every point OH
which salmon school in countless millions:
SALMON CAUGHT AND CANNED ON THE
COLUMBIA RIVER.
1873. $4,000 cases, or 2l,552, 900 lbs,
valued at 5000 500-lS79, 440.00O cs..
or 81 100000 lbs, valued ut $2,2S3, 900.
Salmon were first canned OH this river in
1867, sin ce which the business has in
creased from 10000 cases in 1867 to 449,-
600 cases in 1878. No canneres of I'M
portance save one Or two on Puget Sound
and few in British Columbia and Alas
ka. have been established north OF the
Columbia, consequently nearly the whole
coast north OF the Columbia lies unutil-
lied.
No attention. worth speaking of, has
been given yet to catching hslibut. Cod
fishing has been carried OH more or less
since 1864, and the catch las increased
until importations OF eastern tod to the
Pacific coast has virtually ceased. Dur
ing 1879, according to the Seattle Intelli-
gencer of Feb. Z, 1870 only thirteen YES
sells and 25O men were engaged in this
business; total catch being l,499, 600 fish,
against l,l90,000 caught in 1878. 1t will
be sern that our salmon, halibGt, and cod
fisheries are capable of indefinite expan-
sion, and destined to become of the great
est commercial importance TO the people
provided they are sufficiently alive to their
own interests to make it centre here rs OF
natural right it should do. Mr.. Mceker,
in his pamphlet on Puget Sound says:
"Whle the cod fishing grounds lie Tar
to the North OF the S'und, the climate
and location forbid the extensive curing
of fish North OF the 49th parallel OF lati-
tlde, or very far souih OF the 10Th. In
consequence OF the first OH United States
soil being too far removed from supplies,
and the climate 100 moist, while the latter
locality is TOO hot to cure properly with
,, out injury TO he fish. l.'nnlcss extra pains
are bestowed upon them TO shelter them
. from tie scorching rays OF q Southern
L. sull.~ ,y. ... -...r.. .t #f rI'
% San Francisco Is seven hundred miles
further removed from the fishing grounds
chan is Puget Sound. The equable temper
ature of this region emhently fits it rs a
curing station, and with these advantages
are the great facilities OF the numerous
bays aud nlets of the Sound, with a beau
tiful, clean beach upon which to land the
fish, and where flakes can be erected at
any convenient distance from the beach,
upon which to cure the fish. Added to
these advantages is the fact that fishing
schoOners can be built or repaired on the
Sound as chcaply rs in any part of the U. t
S. Supplies Of all kinds are cheap and
abundant, brought mere at a nominal
freight by vessels coming from all quar-
tiers of the globe for lumber or spars, or
raised upon the alluyial liver bottom lands
adjacent to the Sound.
Two trips q year can be made from this
harbor, while bn one is usually made by
the Eastern fishermen. This difference is
mainly in consequence Of the climate.
Whic the fishing grounds Of the Eastern
coast are periIous even III summer. III voIl-
sequence of prevailing togs, lying, rs the
fishing vessels do, in the track OF tile
great sea-going vessels plying between
the Atlantic sea-board and Europe. that
OF the North West is comparatively free.
from these dangers, and have the addi-
tional advantage Of q mild climate, even
in winter, never encountering ice or OBJ
structons OF that character, either in win
ter or summer. +.
Mr.. Wilson iu his Notes Oh Puget
Sound says: .... r. H l..
The Goldfish cured in San Francisco, is
dried into horn. The climate is toe hot
and dry for the business OF enring 6sll.
1t can never be established there. The at
mOsphere of Alaska is a suspended rain,
and fish cannot be cured there. The air
Oh Puget Sound. Oh the contrary, has the
requisite GOODNESS aud moisture aud even
ness to perfectly cure this hNh." I'''
Continued on eighth page) I