The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-06-29
FROM OVER THE SEA.
The international Fisheries Exhibition.
Corre,pondencs Ne,o North. West.

Correspondence Ne,o North West.
LONDON, May 24.-The chief attraction
In London at present is the great Information
al Fisheries Exhibition, opened by the Prince
of Wales about week ago in the Horticul-
Lural Gardens, South Kensington, it is likely
to prove to be the London "boom," being
the biggest collection of fishery material,
fish aud fishermen ever brought together in
this or any other country.
The story of the sea is set out exh austiye-
iy 10 series of exhibits covering some %
acres of ground, and every sea and country
has been called upon to contribute its share
to this huge gathering Of things piscaLorlaI.
The show is enlivened by the picturesque
costumes of some 400 fishermen and women
from France, Holland, Sweden, Norway,
Russia and our own coast; their victims be-
ing represented by an immense variety of
the tinny tribe in all stages Of development.
Other phases Of the fish life are represented
by otters and beavers, aamingoes and peli
cans, water.rats and aquatic birds.
There are trophies of walrus, Arctic bears,
sea lions and seals; fish, from whales and
sharks TO golden carp; boats, from the gilded
Royal Thames barge of hundred years ago,
10 the war canoe of the South Sea Islanders.
There are bass wood and Canadian bark ca
noes, and there is a genuine North American
Indian fisherman, who seems almost bewil-
dered by his strange surroundings.
The harvest of the ocean is represented by
a collection from every naval museum in
the world which boasts mile CT sea coast,
from America to Zanzibar, right through the
alphabet--fsh from seas, lakes and rivers, in
tanks, in tins, dried, cured and salted. Dur
ing the last week the exhibition has been
visited by some $4,000 persons, and crowds of
tourists from the Contin Mt and the S. ates
will soon arrive to inspect their own sections
aud compare them with the show made by
their neighbors.
The whole thing is being "bossed" admir-
ably, but the promoters of this great display
of fishery economy have much reason to be
thankful TO the United States for their con
tributions, sent at a cost of some S5O.OOO,
entirely at their own expense. The manag-
ers of the Smithsonian Institute at Washing
ton. the National Museum and the Fish
Commissioners have forwarded a valuable
assortment of their wealth Of fishing appa-
ratus, and the exhibit is surrounded by in.
terested crowds of spectators daily. The
American section is acknowledged by all to
be one of the finest in the whole exhibition.
The scenic views Of their various fisheries,
which have been specially prepared for this
occasion, prove feature of interest to many
visitors, some of whom probably never saw
fish caught.
The participation of the States in the ex.
hibition is ip, accordance with an act of Con-
gress, approved in July of last year, by which
the Commissioner Of fisheries was instructed
to prepare, under the auspices of the Secre'
tary of State, q complete and systematic rep
resenta alive exhibition of the fisheries Of the
the United States. This embraces great
variety of subjects, and has resulted in gath
cred together an exhibit comprising aquatic
animals, fishing apparatus, vessels and boats,
fishery products, methods Of fish culture, and
similar items, the names Of which, however,
will give no idea Of the extensive exhibits
which they represent.
An industry, the value Of whose annual
yield amounts to nearly hundred million
dollars, affords scope for considerable
amount Of enterprise. The fisheries of New
England being the most extensive are more
largely represented than those of other States
but the Pacific States and Territories. with
their fishery products, amounting TO some
81, SOC, 600 annually, are also we'll represent
ed; and the salmon fisheries of Oregon and
California, with numerous samples of canned
and other goods, help to remind the epicure-
an that he is indebted to the Far West for
some of his favorite dishes. The product Of
the thirty.six canneries on the Columbia
River, Oregon, last year amounted TO 81
s72, ,0OG, and it is estimated that the capital
invested in that speculation is about two
million dollars; about two-thirds of the an
nual yield comes to England.
One of the most popular features of the
show Is the cheap fish dinner department
where the inner man Is satisfied at charge
of sixpence head. One of the courses con-
sisted of a kind of soup in which fish, curry,
and pepper all played prominent parts, es-
pecially the pepper; anyway, the crowd
seemed we'll pleased with the bill of fare, and
it has heen found necessary to employ staff
of police to prevent hungry visitors from
making q raid on the establishment and
helping themselves gratis.
As an instance of commercial enterprise, it
NAV be of interest to note that the back page
Of the exhibition catalogue is occupied by an
advertisement of Pears Soap, at cost of
$1,000, an opposition firm offering $1,000 for
the same position when too late.
need scarcely add the credulity of the
British public Is being severely taxed by
long series of most remarkable fish stories in
many OF the newspapers of the current week,
the truth of which is vouched for by those
reliable authorities, Messrs. anonymous"
"Consr ant Reader" and Irregular Subscri-
ber." KEMPsHILL.