Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-11
FISHING WITH THE SALMON WHEEL.
The LATEST Scheme Ever Invented for
Capturing the Finny Tribe.

Inc hhktcst tShcme Ever tnNe"tcu ~
Capturing the Finny Tribe.
The man who invented the Column
bia river salmon wheel was a genius.
The LATEST fisherman who ever baited
q hook could ask no easier way OF
landing fish. And only the fact that
il can only be used at certain points
on the stream prevents this machine
from exterminating the salmon in one
season. Imagine "A common under.
shot wheel, with the buckets turned
wrong way about This is set in a
high narrow Hume nea the bank OF
the river, where the current is very
swift. From the down stream end Of
this liumc. extended outward at an
angle of forty-fve degrees, are twoup-
right fences, formed by pickets driven
closely together into the bottom Of the
river, and wired 10 keep them from
washing away. Just above the wheel
(which is some ten feet IN diameterl,
at the up stream end. is a platform,
from which "A box ilume runs TO the
shore.
Now LET us see how il works. When
the salmon are running. as every
body knows, they come up in the Co
lumbia river by millions. The stream
is very deep, and a large percentage
always succeed in getting 10 the breed
ing grounds in safety, When salmon
are running up river they are con,
stantly ON the lookout for small
strelms ia which 10 spawn. Also
where the current is very swift they
are unable To- make Roadway ia the
center Of the stream, and consequently
seek the more quiet water near the
bank. OF these two instincts the in
vcutor Of the fish wheel took a mean
advantage. At the Cascades, for in
stance, where the water is very swift,
he sets his wheel. Here come the
fish. hugging the bank by thousands
great black fellows, from two to four
feet long, heading r~esolutely up
stream. Nothing can turn them back.
ward. That wonderful instinct Of ma.
ture which insures the preservation OF
species is nowhere better developed
than in "A salmon. Now they are just
below that widespread fence. The cur
rent which is rushing through the
fumes, and turning the big wheel
at a lively pace, attracts their at
tention. The upper fence, which sets
nearly square across the stream, makes
quiet water there, and this flow seems
To come from the bank. This, TO the
salmon's mind, is evidently the mouth
of a shallow creek. Here is a spawn
ing ground. TO our liking. and up this
little stream we 60. So they crowd
up between the two narrowing fences
toward the fatal wheel. The first fish
reaches il, goes with a rush 10 over
come the current, is caught by q
bucket, and up he goes high in the
air, while every bucket brings up an,
other and another, till there is pro.
cession Of ascending fish. Al the TOP
the velocity throws the fish violently
upon the platform, from which he
shoots down the ilume To "A great tank
on the shore. Here come the fish,
crowding each other forward TO the
busy wheel. None al go under mol
TO one side. None will go back. And
once a school starts for a wheel the
owner can consider that he has a title
deed to the entire lot.
One wheel will run acannery. Day
and night, while the run lasts, they
come flying up the wheel and shoot
ing down the hume in q continuou.
stream. Fortunately there are bul
few places ON the river where tn,
wheels can be worked with this result
Where the fish can keep in the middle
Of the river few can be caught in thi.
way. But the men who control thes'
points are making fortunes. AS il j
salmon are rapidly disappearing from
the Columbia. -Livermore Herald.