Morris tribune., 1882-10-26
SALMON WHEEL IN OREGON.
A Novel Way of Catching Fish on the
Columbia River.

IA NOVc1 way Ol CdCCn1H5 FISH Oh UIle
Columbia River.
From the New York Evening Post.
COLUMBIA RIVER, Sept. 27.-"How are
so many fish caught? haven't noticed
any nets"
"Nets are of no account now. Go and
see the SNAIL" said the captain, as he
bent over and rang the slowing bell for
the Dalles.
Some time after / saw the "snail, and
most ingenious, successful, detestable
engine of destruction it was. The owner
had admirably planted it just above the
upper Cascades, on the north bank of
the river, and the south bank being at
that point almost impossible to the fish.
1t was placed just where the swift edge
of the current makes a most inviting
eddy, through which the salmon must
naturally "run" on their way UP stream.
Here the current was about eight feet
deep. The salmon never swim lower
than four feet below the surface. Erect.
ed over what would be the entire width
of the ''run" was huge frame. Sus.
pended within this an immense wheel
revolved, SO adjusted on pulleyys as to
rise and fall with the changing depth Of
wheel, eight in number, were fastened
as many wire nets, each thirty
feet in diameter, loose and baggy
and movable, resembling in appear
ance the pouch of "a pelican. The cur
rent itself is the force that turns
the wheel like an undershot. Very
slowly it goes around. The great scoop
nets spread lazily through the water, one
after another, at just the depth where
they are most fatal. Their arms almost
pause and float motionless through the
stream. But, though slowly, the great
wheel, called from this motion the
SNAIL" does move, and with just the
right tardiness, for as the nets emerge
from the water they are so filled with
the struggling prey that Mr.. Williams,
owner of one ofthe wheels, pronounced
800 an average catch. At the proper an
gle above, the net is turned upside do wn.
Its contents are dumped along the arm
ofthe wheel to what might be termed its
hub, striking which they rebound along
cruel sight, for there are many small and
unmarketable fish in every "haul." The
theory is that these are returned to the
water and live, but it is like the returns
of the killed and wounded" after battle
so stunned and MANNED are they that
but few survive. The wheel presents
busy scene, and the profits must be enor-
nous; for the simple contrivance costs
but about $400, and requires but half
dozen attendants. There are four of
these on the river, aud a gentleman en-
gagged in the fishing business informed
me that the calculation was they caught
about halfthe salmon that go up. There is
wheel on Bradford's Island, above Bon
neville, the work of which has become
so notorious (not merely killing mer
chantable fish, but in so doing destroying
a dozen times as many OF a size as yet
too small for commerce) that the public
press has demanded its suppression.
But all these wheels, as has been said,
are "the production ola brain which aims
to live without work" Probably from
$500 to 5000 salmon (for proprietors of
actual fgures), large and small, are caught
every hour, night and day, of the week,
save from Saturday to Sunday night.
compute the amount. l know of one
actuul catch of 6,400 salmon in day
large fish, suitable for the canneries.
An experienced fisherman stated it as
the result of his observation that about
one in ten of those caught were used.
Even of the number used, packed, and
sent down in barrels. one wheel kept the
large cannery at Warrendale busy all
| through the season. and then the cannery
couldn't take care of all!
Looking at the descending stream of
half dead fish literally "broken on the
| Wheel" I could not but regard the
| question for moment in the light of an
angler and an economist. Meanwhile,
day and night, the "barbarous and muir
derous" Il am using an intelligent fisher
mans phrase "snail" wheel is keptgo
ing and the salmon are literally corralled
ed by millions in the very haunts where
they 60 to bring forth their kind. Mean
while, too, all along the Sound to Alaska,
| the larger part of the fish SO plentifully
| caught is wasted, just as the buffalo were
in Montana, and the tendency is to the
same result-extinction What will be-
| come of an industry which supports TO-
600 men when the price of its product
has fallen three-fourths during the past
| to1u xyooro