The record-union., 1893-05-18
THE SALMON INDUSTRY.
A Valuable Food Product That Needs
Protection.
What Has Been Accomplished Since
the First Cannery Was started
at Sacramento.

The following article by r. D. Hume,
in the Gold Beach (Or.) Gazette, on tne
above subject, will be read with interest
by all persons who have given any atten-
ton to the importance of the salmon in
dustry of the Pacific Coast. Mr.. Hume
gained his first knowledge of the salmon
canning industry in Sacramento in early
Gays. In his article he says:
To give the reader a clear idea of the
salmon industry of the Pacific Coast, and
the influence it has had in the develop
ment of the Northwest, it will be neces-
sary to give brief history of the salmon
canning business, the advent of which
practically begins the salmon-fishing era
of the Pacific Coast, although prior to
that time the taking of salmon had been
done to considerable extent TO supply
the market with fresh fish, and moder-
ate quantity had been salted. But in
comparison with the canning business, the
quantity taken for these purposes was OF
little Importance.
THE PIONEER GAMERS.
The business of canning salmon on the
Pacific Coast was begun in the spring of
1864, at the town of Washington, \ olo
County, Cal, on the banks of the Sacra-
mento River, opposite the foot of X street,
Sacramento City, by the firm of Hap
good, Hume IL Co., the firm consisting of
Andrew 5. Hapgood, George w. and
William Hume, with the writer as sub"
under small pay, but with large eXpecta-
tions of partnership interest, to be
realized whenever the business should
prove the success anticipated.
The pack OF the first year amounted to
about :, 600 cases, and the trials and diff
culties attending their production are al
most impossible to realize and describe
after the lapse of twenty-nine years, con-
sidering the improved methods of to-day.
The business being in the form of an ex-
pertinent, and the tools used being of the
most primitive character, made the work
necessarily slow and difficult, and the
product defective.
EARLY DIFFICULTIES.
As l cast my mind backward to those
early days of the business, / wonder that
it was not given up in despair At least
so per cent of the product spoiled at the
cannery from the effect of defective work,
as we had at that time no process for test
ing for leaks, as at present; consequently
all leaky tins were lost; and there were
many also in addition to those so imper-
fectly made that they burst in cooking.
To these troubles were added the diff
Guilty OF disposing of that part of the pro-
duct that was good, the article being new
to the merchants of San Francisco. They
would have nothing to do with it for a
long time, and in the interim the firm
was very much discouraged, and was
on the point OF breaking up. At that
time a few hundred dollars would have
purchased all their interests in the bust
ness. Just at the darkest time, however,
n merchant of San Francisco advanced
shipping charges on the lot and found
market at good prices, which awakened
new enthusiasm, and the business went
ahead again.
In the next two years the amount
packed per annum was not much in
creased, on account of the scarcity of
salmon in the Sacramento, and in the
spring of 1866 William Hume went to the
Columbia to see what could be done.
Upon his return with favorable reports
G.. w. Hume also went to the Columbia,
for the purpose of selecting a site and
building a cannery and other necessary
buildings, that should be ready for the re-
ception of the others, who went there some
time in October OF that year. The point
selected by HIM was at Eagle Cliff, in
Wahkiakum County, Washington, and
part of the cannery now owned and
operated there by William Hume is the
original building erected by him. During
the winter of lS66-67 we nut our ma
chimes in order and made the nets and
cans for the spring season of 1867, at
which time we packed 1000 cases of As
cans each.
OPENING UP ON THE COLUMBIA.
At the time of our arrival there was but
little business done on the Columbia
River below Portland, and, in fact Port
land itself was Il small town, all the busi-
ness houses being located on Front and
First streets. The business of the lower
Columbia River was done at st. Helens,
Rainier, Oak Point, Cathalamet and AS
toria, which town boasted one small
wharf and that was in chronic state of
dilapidation. The steamboat service was
performed by small sde-wheel steamer
called the John II. Couch, which made
tri-weekly trips between Portland and
Astoria with the mails, touching at each
of the points mentioned above. Some
times she would get a schooner to tow,
and then the routine would be broken, as
it would take her two days to get from
Astoria to Portland.
AT this date her passenger list, at times
would consist of a solitary soldier from
Fort Stevens, who had been discharged
or granted furlough; and the freight, q
case of condemned cartridges from the
same place. At this time the business of
the lower Columbia cut but a small
figure-a wheezy old mill at Astoria and
dilapidated affair of the same kind at
each of the other places on the Columbia
except Cathalamet, which had nothing in
the way of manufactures, comprised ali
there was to furnish livelihood for the
laborers of that section, except that fur
nished by the few engaged in sailing
salmon, and that work was mostly done
by Indians.
WHAT 4 DECADE HAS DONE.
In lapse of ten years, what a change!
Portland has by this time become city
of importance, and Astoria has stretched
itself along three miles of water front;
while instead of four small landings
along the main Columbia between
Astoria and Portland the number has in
creased to more than forty, and instead
of one small steamer making tri-weekly
trips, we have four elegant steamers run
ming between these places daily, besides
about a dozen running in the fish carry
ing trade for the use of the canneries, and
in place of a product OF 1900 cases OF
forty-eight tins each, we have a product
OF 450,0 cases, of the same number of
tins, and we have our wheezy and
diiapidated old mills running night and
day to supply the demand for lumber to
build new canneries, and where desola-
ton ruled before we find signs OF the
greatest activity.
We find all trades and professions
plunging to get whack at this new El
Dorado, all seeking a fortune to be made
from the capture of the scaly beauties
What a mine of wealth. that even all
who might plunge could be enriched.
But all good things which nature has
furnished have a capacity beyond which
they cannot be strained, and the year 1888
brings the Columbia to its maximum,
when the vast quantity of $4,000 cases
- /. 4 -.