The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-11
Alaska Fisheries.

Capt. Joshua Slocum, of the Ameri.
can clipper ship Northern Light, has
had much experience in the fishery
business, and was one of the pioneers
of the Alaska fisheries. In view of the
latter fact New York Tribune reporter
asked him to tell in his own way what
he he had learned about the fisheries
on that far distant coast.
s'Now l don't wish to comment upon
our intelligent fish commissioners
said the captain, ''though the scaly bus.
mess of throwing away money on for.
eign fisheries, when we have such am.
pie fields at home is open to criticism.
For one whose business FOR so many
years has been wet one to attempt to
give sketch of one or two of my fish
ing cruises may seem dry. However,
if truths will interest l will be able to
give little seasoning. Before I had
command of the Amethyst, the Oldest
American ship afoat and known bet
ter as old Hickory wei mean my.
self and wife, for we were at the head
of the expedition, and our family was
augmented early in the voyage, despite
the assertion that fishing is not healthy
brought to the Columbia river car
90 of %, 900 Alaska cod. The voyage
was success and the fact soon became
known that a genuine Alaska cod was
on the market, and, for flavor and nu-
triment, was unsurpassed by any in
the world. 1t would seem that Alaska
became known for the first time. and
this, too, after we had paid S7,2OO,OOO
for that territory, ostensibly for its
worth in fisheries, and again $500, 600
for the right to-tish somewhere else.
Any one having cast hook or line in
the waters Of Alaska would look upon
our worked out Canadian islands with
disdain.
'sTbese facts are not sufficiently
known, else surely this fisherman
paradise would not be neglected. To
one who has seen the millions of the
finest of the finny; the acres of salmon
ranging in weight from ten to one hun
dred pounds or more, hanging in the
sun to dry with salt or other curative
simply cured by the pure air of Alaska
it is hard to speak without the ap-
pearance OF exaggeration. Yet we
have seen all this. We have seen sour
Wy dogs feed on samon-better fish
than some paid guinea each for a
few weeks ago in Liverpool. One SAL
mon such as dogs master would keep
for himself would be a good seasons
work for a British channel trawler.
Such an Alaska salmon would be priced
more than Jumbo was, and the English
public would be less likely to part
with it. have frequently seen three
Alaska salmon fill barrel which it
would take sixteen Columbia river sal
mon to fill. Again, prime Alaska salmon
are as far ahead of Columbia river fish
as the latter are superior to those of
California. There is. to be sure, an
of Alaska fish only fit for fer
tilizing, and this was the kind first
sent aboard branded, Alaska and
which for time jeopardized the Alaska
fishery interests. Again, so much has
been said about the cold, icy regions
1t has been our privilege and pleasure
to feed ON good Strawberries at Kodiac,
Notwithstanding general impression
that only ice grows there.
1.-The best three species of salmon
run in succession and afford nearly six
months good fishing about Cook inlet
and English harbor. An abundance of
wood and several coal mines furnis b
ample means for cooking fish for the
world. if utilized. This should be the
market of employment for large num-
Der of the idle youth of our seaport
towns, and it would have been long
ago had proper consideration been
given to the enterprise"