The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-20
ALASKA FISHERIES.

Governor swineford

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While at Carmel | visited the Arctic
Packing Co = cannery, ard also made
formal call as the Eashima. in which
I found several natives al work MAX
ing skin-hasats, tying nets, etc. The
cannerr was in frsl operation, turning
out about 100 cases Of fonr dozen one
pound cans each per day, and the
manner in which the fish were ham
died after they were brought to The
works was altogether Interesting to
one who was not wholly conversant
with the modns operandi. The sal
mon are first brought IN boats along
side the cleaning house. which stands
on pics over the water at low tide, 30
that the offssi can he conveniently dis
posed OF from the boats the fresh sab
mon are thrown into the cleaning
house BY uee OF ordinary g,itchforks.
and after being drawu and having the
heads cut OF. by which process they
are ah0u. one-third their original
weight, they are BY the same means
thrown into tram-cars and run into
the sannery. There, The pitchforks
still beis e used, they are thrown into
cutting machines, from which they
pass into the canning
when the cans being filed and
capped. tfley are rolled along By
means of fat chain cable to the sol
dering val, the ends upon which the
caps have been placed taking up Just
enough OF the solder TO make as neat
job as could be done by hand With
out stopping they are carried along by
thu same cahIe TO the cooking pans,
where they are placed in water, sol
deretl end up. and cooked by steam,
any cans which are not air-tight being
readily discovered and the LEAKS sol
dered UP by hand In other words.
the fresh salmon 20 into one end of
the canneSy and come out a finished
product at the other. the larger part OF
the work being done by machinery.
There are four OF these canneries on
! the Nushegak. and at the time OF my
visit four large ships, which had
brought up the season 5 supply OF cans
and packing cases, were lying at
anchor waiting to take the output
down to San Francisco. These, to-
gather with four steam tugs and 40 to 50
small sleeps plying between the came
ries and the fishing grounds, impaired
an air of business activity TO the To-
cality / have not seen elsewhere in
Alaska. These four canneries-one of
them had but just gone into operation,
and having unfortunately brought mp
force of incompetent aorknen. did
not achieve as large an output as was
expected-turned out during the sea-
son 0s, 900 cases OF As pounds each, and
ut the same time sent away about
1000 barrels of sailed salmon. 954 900
Ia all Il ,.. 81
ket not less than $500 900. The fish
taken here are the large king salmon,
which are the first To appear, the
smaller red salmon which follow after,
and the silver variety which are the
last to put in an appearance, the whole
season during which they can be taken
being from 80 TO 40 days. The four
canneries give employment to about
$50 white men who do the fishing, and
300 Cinnamon who do the cleaning
and canning. Most of these are tran
sients, but ii is expected that many of
them will hereafter remain during the
winter and become permanent resi-
dents.
In addition TO an incipient mining
industry there is still another which |
have only vaguely limited ct, which
is destined To make either Unga or
some other point in this Immediate
section, place OF great importance.
| aliude to the cod-fisheries This
fish, though found all along the
coast from the southern boundary
to Behring strait. is perhap-,
found in greater numbers on the banks
living To the eastward of the Shumagin
islands. or if not SO, the fishermen
give these grounds the preference
because of their close proximity
to harbors which are not only safe,
but easy OF access Ii is Just pos
sibie that other localities may in
time be accorded equally favorable
consideration, bat certain it is,
that the time Is coming, and
that, too, In the not far distant
future, when the cod-fisheries Of
Alaska will supply the greater part of
the United States with the staple com
modify. The New England fishermen
are turning their attention to our cG3-
banks, and the time is not far of
when the sea in the neighborhood of
the Shumagins win be whitened with
the sails of ships, large and small, en-
gagged in a lucrative industry. At
present. however, there are only three
individuals or companies engaged in
these have their stations on Popoff
island, which lies 20 the eastward of
Unga, and separated from il by a
strait only about one mile vide. Owing
10 thick weather | was unable to
visit these stations. but have it
from reliable authority that the
annual catch is from one - one
anu a half millions OF fish per
season. These fish will average about
eight pounds each, but Of course. lose
considerable OF their weight in the
process Of curing. So that the each
may reasonably be estimated ct not
more than $4,000 pounds of the
marketable commodity. These cod
fisheries give employment to feet
~ shout 20 sa;i. large and small, and
the number al persons employed NAV
he gues.esi from the fact that the fish
are caught singiy. ~ no other means
than that ct u hook and line Ii Is
confidently expected, npw that these
prolific banks are known 20 have canl-i
snenslel themselves 30 the favorable
attention of New ENGLAND fishermen.
that the catch viii ise largely iusrea Ell
ffoin YEAR "a year, nutil il rivals. Il IL
does aet exceed. that of the famous