The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-27

Preparsfions 50r > big Pack Dur-
fnx tie Coming Season-



wharf Is hail covered with lumber.
piled 10 feet nigh, to b taken north
for the Chilczt canneTy- Fiffy-nine
Chinese arrived By the W4ila WaIla
Yesterday and VIII 60 north on the
Idaho 70 engage in cannery work, TO-
gethes with about 10 picked up At
Portland and Astoria. and several
fishang bostz Anent these prep4xz-
tons for canning salmon. kai an in
teresting and neaty conversation with
Mr.. Thomas McCauley. supezintend-
enf Of the AIaska Salmon Packing Co.
At Loring, and Mr.. A. w. Berry, an
old Columbia river packer. now large
" interested IN the Tongzs Packing
Company. As they were detailing the
facts concerning the salmon industry
in Alaska last year and the outlook
for the coming spring and summer,
which are given below, / was remind
ed OF talk hsd just one year ago at
the Palace hotel, San Francisco, with
Mr.. j. X. Armsby Of Chicago. Mr..
Armsby Is the head OF the house that
buys and sells more canned salmon
than any other firm in America At
that time the Columbia River Fisher
mems Union had passed resolution
Exing SIS Il think as the price of
salmon for the ensuing season. Mr..
Arnasby said: Unless the fishermen
receie from this stand few canneries
will make money this year; most of
them viii do well If they come out
even and some viii suffer loss. You
have done nothing artificially to re-
place the stock OF salmon which with
every year since the industry was
started. has suffered depletion. 1t is
nay judgment that the high price now
demanded for fish will precipitate
what must inevitably come in the
course OF events, namely the removal
of the industry from the Columbia
river To Alaska"
Mr.. Armsby went on TO say that
while the Alaska salmon lacked in
some degree the rich quality of the
Columbia river product, vet the color
was line and they were indeed good
food far superior to all other out
side" brands, and that they would in
time be demanded by the middle class
OF consumers, though epicures would
avoid them SO long as Columbia river
salmon were TO be had. He looked
for big things in the Alaska salmon
industry for the near future. Mr..
Armsby seems TO have been good
prophet for what he then predicted is
now about to come 10 pass.
A PREDICTION FULFILLED.
Mr.. McCaaley who has spent several
years in the salmon industry in Alaska
gave methe following facts: The pack
from Alaskan waters last year was
375, 900 cases, which was about equal
to the Columbia river pack. The can
neries numbered Is. Five are located
on the Karluk river which thus far
has proved the most profitable ground.
The combined output of the five kar-
lux canneries was about 200, 900 cases
of which one establishment put up
i0l 900 cases. This year three more
canneries will be erected on the Kar-
lux. Twenty-one canneries are in
course of construction which viii
make 50 canneries as against Is last
year. Ii is not unreasonable to esti-
mate that the Alaska pack this season
viii be $50 900 cases.
Fifty-four deep-sea vessels have been
engaged during the past winter to
carry supplies to the canneries, in
many instances carrying the lumber
To build the canneries. and To bring
back the product. Besides these, IA
new steam schooncrs have been built,
or are now building in San Francisco,
to serve as tenders TO the canneries.
Mr.. Berry gave it as his experience
that new canning establishments usu-
ally spend the first year in gaining in
formation. Where a eannery is estab-
Hshed on or near stream that has
been iished. the owner reaps the bene-
fits of knowledge which the pioneers
in the business had paid for. Nothing
is known of the habits and habitats
of the salmon In the new streams of
the northern district. Not even the
shoals and spawning grounds are
known, but one season usually suffices
for enough information on those main
questions to enable the canneries to
make money the next year. All the
rivers swarm with salmon, and the
only problem is to know where they
chang OUT during the spawning sea
son.
The run is not nearly so long as in
the Columbia, usually lasting from six
to eight weeks. Cost of labor in the
canneries is greater than on the Co
iumbia, because the Chinese must be
paid for four months work while do
ing only two. The great saving is in
the cost of the fish. Indians are
largely employed in catching SALMON,
and the average cost is not over five
cents. In the big canneries the cost
was not over III cents. while with the
smaller establishments the cost was
nearly 10 cents each. Adding the cost
of transportation te San Francisco,
canned salmon cost about 10 per cent.
more than snlmon caught and put up
on the Columbia river.
Ii may be remarked incidentally
that Port Townsend is the nearest
harber to Alaska, and that the more
salmon packed there the more there
viii be received here for transhipment
East and south. n. J. L..