The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-26
Salmon Canning.

Astoria, little "salmon" town at the
mouth Of the Columbia, OH the ocean,
also makes some pretensions to being
the culture great" 1t is. the oldest
town here, having been established as a
trading post in 1911. 1t isa wierd-look-
ing place, built on the side of a hill slop
ing TO tho ocean. It's chief industry is
salmon fishing and canning. Tho fish
ing season begins about the middle of
April and lasts four months. Then these
'salmon towns' go to sleep for The To-
malnder of the year, like summer resorts.
The buy at. the smoutl Of the Columbia
ltlVer Is very stormy during tho fishing
months, and loss Of life is frequent.
The fishermen are mainly Greeks, Portn-
gucse, Russians, Films and Scaniinay-
lans. Some have their own boats and
nets, while others are supplied by their
employers. These who have their own
Doats and nets are paid 60 cents q SAL
mon OF eight pounds weight; the latter
arc pilld 40 cents IL salmon. A "warn
has also broken out among tho canneries.
One largo establishment announces th,t
1t Will give 80 cents q salmon. The
rise OF 80 per cent creates CONSERVATION
among The canning establishments, and
reduces their profits to nearly nothinq
The man who is SO extravagant is inter.
cStcd III canncrieS on the Sacramento
River, where the spring run of fish IS
very light. This induccmcnt will at
tract independent fishermen from tho
Sacramento and essen compctition
there. AS fishermen are employed near
~ all tho year OH the Sacramento, they
can work cheaper, and the reduced price
Oh material and cost of living enables
the sacramento canncr to can for about
oo per cent less; yet he sells very little
II any cheaper than the Columbia can-
ner. Some of the leading canning firms
at Astoria have from seventy-flvo TO 100
Do Is. 1T is designed to make Astoria
the headquarters of the canning business
lor 1t ~ cheaper to seine salmon there
thahto catch them further up the stream
and bring them back by boat. The
smcll are very fat, and canning smoked
smcl is one of the growing industries
OF that iishy town. The spced trout
The wise Fasteners get from the far
West are only Il species of salmon.
There are thrty-siX canncries on the
Columbia River. They turn out fir IN
5000 tos25, 900 cases each. The total
FOR the season 1882 was 535, 900 cases,
which at an average Of S. 20 per case
would make the total value of the in
dustry S2,7S2,000 The shipments
direct to forign ports were 344, 1923 cases,
being about double the number shipped
to San Francisco, the East and islands
in the Pacific. Several vessels were dis
patched from Astoria direct to Liver
pool, with whole or part cargoes of sal
mon, one vessel taking 10000 cases.
The estimated capital invested in can
nerics is 81 ,OOO, 600, and during the four
months fishing season employment is
given to about 7, 900 men. In the dis
tant future it is proposed to establish a
hatchery, whom instead of turning out
100000 cases yearly three or four times
that number will be canned The run
of salmon in the Columbia River is re-
markable, and seems to be inexhaustible
considering the laxity of the law in ro-
gard to the destruction of fish by traps
and wheels. This system of wholesale
slaughter and wantOn destruction brings
on another "war" between the Gamers
and tho frce-bootcrS. There is Il law
prohibiting fishing from Saturday until
Monday, in order to allow the fish to as
ccnd to their natural spawning grounds,
but the buccaneers, with their wheel of
iron spikes, violate it with impunity.
Large quantities Of tin for making cans
are imported direct from England to
this point--this industry having intro
duccd direct trade with England.
Duty on tin plate, less 10 per cent, is
refunded to Gamers on their making
proper entry at the Portland Custom
House ut the time of making foreign
| shipment. Chemicals required for can
ming are also imported. Salmon canning
has given an impetus to bodybuilding at
Astoria. A few years ago nearly all
of the fishing boats were built at San
Francisco. Several boat-shops were
recently established at Astoria, and last
winter turned out an aggregate Of 800
boats.
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Flowers IOr Cutting.
If you care to cut many flowers for
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