The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-02
DAILY INTELLIGENCER,
Tuesday, Aug. 9. 1881.
THU COLUMBIA SALMON CAN
NERIES.

From tue advance sheets of "The
Commerce and Industries OF the Pacific
Coast of North America we take the
following interesting item regarding the
salmon cannerles on the Colum bia
River
The Columbia River has thirty-fve
canneries. including twenty-nine on the
Oregon and six on the Washington
side; the Sacramento has nine, iuclud-
ing four in San Francisco; the Fraser
has four; Rogue and Smith rivers,
Puget Sound and Alaska have each
one. All obtain their fish from rivers,
except the Klawock cannery, fPrince
Of Wales Island) Alaska, where the
/ fish are caught with seine in the bay.
Ga the Columbia three average salmon
will fill four dozen cans, which with
their case ready for shipment will
weigh seventy-two pounds. A car
load is 800 cases. One fifth OF the
men employed in the Columbia can
neries are whites. the others China
men; in the Sacramento canneries, the
proportion of Cinnamon is large. The
white men receive from $50 TO $45
month, with board; the Cinnamon
from SIS to $35. without board. The
Columbia canneries give employment
to 32e0 Cinnamon.
The first salmon cannery on our coast
and the first extensive one anywhere.
was established at Washington, on the
Sacramento river, in 1864, by Hapgood
s. Co, the partners not mentioned 10
the firm name being G w and Wm
Hume. They cold their canned fish for
twenty cents pound. and satisfied
themselves that there was money in
the business; but after several years of
experience, became convinced that they
could do better on the Columbia River,
where the fish were larger, more album
dant and better favored. In 1867 they
moved to Oregon. built their cannery,
and obtained their boats and nets, so
that they were ready for work in 1868
They had good catch. cheap fish. q
ready sale at good prices. and profit.
able year. Tbs two Humes are BROTH
ers; r d. another brother, was with
them, aud Joseph, fourth, came out
from the East in 1871, aud went into
the same business. in which the Hume
FIRMLY has occupied q prominent posi-
ton from the start. The original firm
divided. ani has been the source of diff.
ferent canneIies. Haywood &.Co have
one at Oak Point; q w Hume has one
at Astoria; Vim Hume has one at AS
toria aud another at Eagle Cliff. and r
ID Hume has one at Bay View, making
six canneries on the Columbia owned
by Hapgood and the Humes. OF these,
three were established by r d Hume.
who sold out those at Eagle Cliff and
at Astoria. He also built one at
Rainier. now belonging to jackson s.
Myers; and one at Ellensburg, Rogue
river, which he still owns. His pack In
1876 amounted to $4,000 cases, and
to as much in 1877; and in 1880 it was
10000.
Jackson & Myers have cannery at
Rainier, and began work in 1877, can
ming $4,000 cases from the catch of
twenty seven boats. In 1880 their
pack amounted TO 1000 cases from
twelve boats.
JIG Megler & Co started their can
ming business in 1871, at Chinook, near
the mouth of the river. beginning with
two boats, with which. in 1873, they
caught enough fish for 1850 cases. In
shat year they moved their cannery
about twenty miles up the river to
Brookfeld. Their pack was 26,330
cases from forty-two boats in 1878, and
1900 cases from tbirty-iive boats in
1880.
A Booth & Cos csnnery at Astoria,
established in 1879. packed 81, 900 cases
in 1877 from fifty boats.
The Aberdeen Packing Company
cannery at Baker Bay, in the Columbia,
packed 10000 eases in 1880 from the
catch of twenty, boats.
Watson 81 Bannan had sailed from
800 10 700 barrels OF salmon every sea.
son Tor some years, before 1874, when
they began canning at Westport, about
thirty miles from the ocean; and two
years afterwards they moved to site
fifteen miles further down the river.
They have thirty-ive boats aud nets,
and canned $4,000 cases in 1878, IL, GOO
in 1879, and Is, 900 in 1880.
The first canning at Astoria was done
in 1874. by Badollet 4 Co. They have
for.y-eight boats, vita nets 275
fathoms long and forty meshes deep.
They,canped $4,000 cases in 1879, and
800 0 in 1880. b.
The West Coast Packing Company
at Astoria has ten equal shareholders,
who are their own fishermen, and can
their own catch on q cooperative plan.
They have twenty FIVE boats, AID in
1850 put up 10000 cases. t
The Columbia Canning Company has
thirty-three boats, and in 1880 canned
Il. Ola cases. This company is q reor-
gsnization of the Fishertou Company.
which began work in 1876, and under
the influence Of pecuniary difficulties
dissolved in 1877.
Nearly all the cannsr;es on the Co.
lumbia are within forty miles of the
ocean, and more than half of them are
not more than tifeeen miles from the
mouth OF the river, there about six
miles wide.