National Republican., 1883-07-11


been complied with
The United states and the Fisheries Exhi-
bitiOn
Tho display made by tho United States at
the fisheries cNhibtion in London excited
the wonder and admiration not only Of tho
English people, but of the representatives
from other countries. Our country was for
tunato in having for its commissioner 80
thoroughly qualified n man US Prof. G. Brown
Goode, the assistant director of the national
museum. Prof. Goodo during the exhibition
gave very interesting account of the growth
Of the fishing industries of tho United States,
The first American colony established in the
United States owed its success in great meas
ure to the abundance of fish and oysters in
the vicinity of Jamestown. Novel; directed
efforts, and consequently no substantial pro-
gress, were made in tho matter of fish propaga-
tion until after 1865. The increase in the
product of fisheries since then, and especially
within the past decade, have been unparalleled
On tho lakes and the Pacific coast large
| freezing houses have been constructed, as
also in many of the cities in the eastern part
of the country, and refrigerator cars are run
on all of tho principal railways Salmon
from the Columbia river, white fish from the
northern lakes, cod from tho shores of New
England, Spanish mackcrel from the lower
! A al n,I tyI, Y,I u,,op IN
| pompna from the Gulf of Mexico can be OBJ
tanned at any point in the country reached
| by railway, and at almost any season of the
year. Smclts and trout, packed in snow
in the north ARE received daily in New York
| by the car load. Halibut are brought from
! distant points, and from twelve to fourteen
millions OF pounds are shipped to interior
cities.
Fish put up in cans, such as salmon, lob
stcrs, sardines, and mackcrel, are exported
annually to the value of 5300O,00O.
In 1850, 2,153OOO salmon wcrs packed on
the Pacific slope, valued at S3,255,OOO. In
Maine sardines of the value of $525,0O0 were
packed, being simply young herrings put up
in cotton seed oil of domestic manufacture.
In Maine and Massachusetts 4,l7S,0OO cans of
lobs' ers were packed and shipped.
Prof Goode estimates that there are 1A00
varieties of fish in the United States, of which
300 have recognized economic value. He
divides the forty fishing industries into
four divisions rs follows: The ocean fisheries,
carried on by sca-going vessels; the coast fish
cries carried on in small boats the river and
lake fisheries, and the strand fisheries. The
introduction of mineral oils and or-ilshing
i have greatly decreased the once profitable and
extensive business of whale fishing.
The Marquis of Exeter moved u vote of
thanks to Prof. Goodc, and declared that his
report was one of the most interesting he
had ever heard, and he acknowledged, in Il
very handsome manner, the kind assistance
he himself had received from the United
States in prosecuting his own psaccultura raj
efforts in England. Prof. Huxley seconded
tho motion for the vote of thanks and said
that no other country in the world had
taken up the subject of fish culture in Sc
scientific spirit and with such succe srul
results as the United States. The Ameri-
can minister, Mr.. Lowell applaudcd
the wisdom and liberality of congress in ap-
propriating $4,000 for the encouragement of
the fisheries exhibit, and remarked that the
fact that fish culture in the United States
was promoted rather by individual effort than
state assistance, was curious as wei as in
teresting illustration of one of the results of
that progress of democracy of which SO many
people stand in terror.
Altogether our government and people
have gained great credit by our splendid
showing at the fisheries exhibition.