The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-08
SALMON TOO COSTLY.
Express Charges From Puget Sound to
the East Are Exorbitant.
Chicago Herald

The salmon. as everybody knows, is the
prince of fish. Its firm. pink flesh delights
the palate of the epicure far enough adj
vanced in the science of eating and drink
ing to appreciate dainty morsel from the
piscatorial realms. There are many who
declare that Q salmon steak beats porter
house any day in the week. But salmon,
unfortunately, comes high. Throughout
the year it ranges in price between 25 and
so cents pound, and it is much oftener
nearer the latter mark than the former. 1t
is because of this that there are many thou
sands of Chicagoans who never feel like in
dulging In the luxury of feasling on this
delicious fish. The humble artisan, the
mechanic, the iaboring man and the
smaller tradesmen are thus practically shut
out of the circle of salmon eaters. When
the finest and tenderest be (. mutton, veal
or pork, when choice game even may be
bought al a much lower figure than fresh
salmon, it is no wonder that people whose
pocketbooks do not wear very thick gold
lining prefer the former to tie latter.
A month ago number OF leading fish
dealers OF Chicago and other cities went on
a trip of investigation TO the far Northwest.
They were in search of the causes that
make salmon. when brought TO Chicago so
expensive. And having found the reasons
they were also TO find the remedy. Their
trip was entirely successful and it may
now be stated positively that by the middle
of November fresh salmon will be sold in
this city at so low figure as TO enable
everybod to buy it without enlisting do
mestic bankruptcy. The royal salmon will
be sold at the same price. or even lower,
than the commonest lake fish caught righ'
at our doors, so to speak, whit-fsh and
trout. sold at 10 10 II cents pound.
One of the Chicagoans who was in
fac. the originator of the move.
told q number of interesting details about
the project and the trip yesterday He
was f. NJ. Smith, the big poultry. fish and
game dealer, OF Dearborn street. SAID Mr..
Smith: Anybody who so far has ordered
salmon from Portland, Tacoma or Seattle
had to pay $3.50 in express charges for
every 100 pounds OF FISH. When bought of
the fishermen the fish brings from 8 to
cents pound, so that the cost of transper-
tation from Puget sound on the Columbia
river to the point of consumption alone
amounted to almost three times the
the or cents pound profit that was
made by middlemen in handling the fish
and il will be seen that the salmon had
cost the dealer 10 cents pound when laid
down here in Chicago. of which eleven or
twelve cents was outside of the price OF the
expenditure Tor the ice for preserving il, the
risk taken and the ordinary profit necessary
Tor the retail dealer In conducting sue
crssful business, and it will be readily I'M
derstood how it is that salmon has hitherto
not been sold for less than % cents
pound.
Now, then. during my recent tour of in-
vestigation along the coast of Oregon and
Washington-where the salmon is caught
in enormous quantities, thousands and
thousands OF tons, in fact-I became con-
WINGED that 1t was quite feasible 20 change
all this. My plan Is 10 buy direct from the
fishermen, and 10 snip the fish here in car
load lots-by refrigerator Cars of course.
Thus I'll do away with middlemen's profits
for one thing, but the largest saving eff
fec ed will be by the greatly reduced cost OF
transportation. For on that item / shall
save aSout 50 Tor every 100 pounds of fish.
These re frigerator cars will bring the fish
here just as quickly as it his ever been
brought, for the cars will be attached to
the express trains and brought right
through The difficulty, of course is in
getting carloads together"
And how about the supply Are salmon
and halibut so abundant along Puget sound
that they may be shipped all the time in
such enormous quantities ?''
Abundant Why. that isn't the right
word. Salmon, of course, have their runs.
wen, anu SpflNg. Aleh ING
fish come up the Columbia river and into
the little iniets along the Sound to spawn
there are millions and millions of them.
In places. in fact, salmon during that time
are so thick IN the river that one can al.
most walk dry shod across il on the shiny
backs of the fish. And this is meant liter
ally, not metaphoricaliy. 1t is similar with
haiibut although that fish is not nearly so
abundant as salmon. Bat saimon is as
matter OF fact. about the cheapest fish in
he world. as soon as you can bring il and
the consumer nearer together-to q better
understanding, so 10 peak. There Is no
danger OF the supply giving CUT