The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-30
FISHERMEN AT WAR.
A Pitched Battle On the C0lum-
bia River.
TWO MEN KILLED. TWO WOUNDED


past trouble among the Columbia river
fishermen has been feared. The union
fishermen have refused 10 FISH unless they
were paid ST. 3 for each fish, and they we're
determined that no one should fish till the
eannery men had agreed 10 this price
There hes been very good run of salmon
in the Columbia during the past week. and
a considerable number of men who do not
belong TO the union have been catching
them, and selling them to several can
neries- Humes', the Eureka. and George &
Bakers.
These men are mostly settlers who have
taken up claims along the Columbia and
who work on them in the winser and fish
during the summer. They brayed the
anger of the union and went to fishing,
and have been making good wages selling
their fish for IS cents each or : cents per
pound.
The union fishermen have many good
men among their members. but are pr;nci-
pally composed Of Greeks, Austrians, Rus
slams. Finns, etc. and are very rough.
lawless lot, VINO run things in Astoria dur
ing the fishing season, and terrorize all
who oppose them.
These fellows determined to put stop to
we're complied with. They have been cut
ting nets at night and ordering non-union
fishermen to quit fishing Finally they
started out in a fleet of boats, armed. and
came up the river like gang OF pirates to
put stop to fishing altogether
On Sunday night a fisherman, hearing
some one at work about his nets. came out
OF his house and discharged his rife, when
in an instant four shots were fred at him
and he was glad to seek shelter. This man
had four nets cut adrift or stolen.
The piratical gang came across fisher
man in boat and ordered him to take in
his net, at the same time covering him
with guns He began taking in his net and
some of the pirates began taking in the
other end, and when they came together
the pirates cut the net in two and carried
of the greater portion of il. The men thus
treated are no towards and expressed their
intention of protecting their property and
the results that might be expected soon fol-
lowed.
Early yesterday afternoon the following
dispatch, bringing news of bloody feud
between the fishermen of the opposing fac
tions, was received in this city:
ST. HELESs, Or, April 29.-The steamer
Manzaniilo passed six or seven fishing
boats coming up the river this morning.
each containing from five to twelve armed
men, members of the fishermen's union.
They fired A. some fishermen during the
night and succeeded in stopping them
from fishing. Steamer Telephone reports q
disturbance between same party and nom
union fishermen at Rainier. There Is a
dead men. Jack Hayman. at Rsinier, and
one who Is supposed to be fssaiiv and an
other seriously wounded. The Telephone
has two men who are on their way to the
hospital. AS far as can be learned they are
all union men.
Sheriff Holmes. OF Columbia county, has
left for the scene of the trouble. 1t is ru-
mored that further trouble is anticipated
which may result in bloodshed.
As soon as the steamer Manzanilio ar
rived. a reporter armed with the above dis
patch. stepped aboard and interviewed
Captain G. NJ. Shaver. The captain said,
after glancing over the dispatch: 1T is
all true. We passed five or six men in a
boat just below Rainier and saw altogether
about fourteen boats containing armed
union fishermen. They have heen keeping
the non-union men, or ''scabs" as they are
called by the opposite faction. from fishing.
/ heard that some one had been shot
at Dauby, but learned nothing definitely.
1t is very likely. however. that some one
was hurt at that place. for the union men
intended going there to compel three nom
union fishermen, who were fishing every
night in defiance of the unions orders, to
desist. All the fishermen have quit. and
at points where we always took on good
load we received nothing today.
THE night before last about fourteen
shots were exchanged by the opposing
fishermen. but don't think anyone was
hit Down along Cottonwood point. every
body. both union and non union. has quit
fishing. and two non-union men concluded
to leave the scene and come up 10 Portland
on this steamer
When the steamer Telephone arrived a
police patrol wagon was on hand and the
two men wounded near Rainier were con-
veyed 10 the Good Samaritan hospital.
One man named Olsen was shot in the
back and is thought TO be fatally injured,
and .he other. James Wilson, has three
bullets in his leg. One shot took effect
near the thigh. the second struck the knee
aud the other bullet embedded itself In
his snkie.
From Mate Larkins. of the Telephone,
the following detailed particulars were
learned:
We got the wounded men at Rainie,
and heard that two more were dead q, thai
place. Half an hour before we came across
ffty-five union men. divided up 10 eleven
boats, most OF whom came up from As
tofia- They were ali coming up the river.
THE union fleet came across two men
fishing about txo miles above Rainier.
The men we're ordered 20 take up their nets
and 20 home The union men offered no
vioi euce and were leaving. after giving the
order, when party OF non-unionists con-
cealed in aa old stranded boalhouse opened
Ere upon their enemies in the sraall boats,
With Winchester rifles. The union men
concluded they had no business IN the
locality. and beat a hasty retreat The
result. as may be seen, proved disastrous 70
the unionists. 1t was stated that thFee
were injured in one boat and two In an
other. After we leli Rainier aud came past
the scene OF the shooting we noticed Two or
three men lying around, as II wounded or
dead, in a boat. One man sas lying oser
the ganwaies nearly ia the water. and tao
more we're lying fas in the bottom oi the
boa.
TIE tirst shooting occurred last Saturday
night. when the union men hrsd at = party
OF fishermen abreast OF Eagse Clsa, and
although no one was hurt, sererxi boats
were Tiddied with bullets and sank The