The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-04-16
.%Fishermen's Strike
Declared Off.

III ~ At Oil Cllu
and tonight the river and harbor will
be- dotted with white-winged boats
from one end to the other. Although
every possible obstacle was placed in
the way to prevent an amicable adjust
ment of difficulties between cannery-
men and fishermen, the wiser heads on
the shoulders of the more industrious
OF the fishermen carried the day, and
after a protracted meeting Of the fish
ermen, 1t was decided that 5 cents per
fish wal a fair price, and that that
should be the ruling rate for the sea-
son of 1893. The pirates did not like
to give in, of course, for the reason
that their chances for money making
would be destroyed by an agreement
such as was proposed; and every argu-
ment was made and every inducement
offered to bring about a refusal Of the
cannery mems offer. Many Of these
parties had scows and plungers ready
to begin operations should the can
merry men come to terms on the S1.15
per fish proposition, their plan being 10
purchase all the larger fish at that
price, or even a little more, and then
sell them to the cannery men by the
pound. In this way, as much as So
would occasionally be received for a
single salmon, while 50 would be fire.
quently obtained, many Of the big fish
weighing easily forty pounds, while not
a few reach sixty pounds and even
higher in rare instances. The smaller
fish, of course, would be kept for the
Gamers, who would thus be compelled
to pay an average price Of over 6 cents
per pound. This practice had been re-
sorted to by those parties so frequently
In former years, that this year the
packers were determined to get a
square deal, no matter at what cost,
and the better class of the union fisher
agreed with them and did not hos
itate to state that the cannery men had
been robbed in previous years.
During the day the agitators among
the fishermen, many of them men who
had been In the country for a few
months only, formed in procession and
paraded the principal streets from I'm
to Uppertown, led by a brass
band, and with banners, on each of
which, executed with charcoal, was the
of a salmon, with the words
and figures underneath, price, sl.I5."
of those in the procession were
fishermen, even, but men who were
interested in the piracy business, and
a few of them were not admitted
to the meeting Of the union men in
Hall.
There were but two cases reported
yesterday in which fish were DESTROYED
by the strikers. One was in the FL
more cannery and the other occurred
lear Fort Stevens, where a fisherman
vas chased by some of the strikers
compelled to throw some eight fish
,~verboard. At the Gilmore cannery
he trouble was more serious, but was
ettled as soon as the strikers had ac-
iomplished their object in destroying
he salmon. The latter were brought |
Ip from the American Star Packing
'ompany's traps at Ilwaco, and were
anded on the net racks outside the
annery. Here some three hundred
len had congregated, and as the
chooner effected a landing, approached.
hey were excited. and while some pro-
osed to go aboard the schooner, throw
sack over the head of the captain,
nd thus hide their identity, while the
sh were being thrown overheard, 9TH =
urged that it would be as we'll to
AIT until the fish were landed on the
ock. A few of the crowd objected to
lie destruction Of the property, but
ley were talked down. Some of the
len then approached the salmon
in all, and proceeded to
ROW them overheard. Upon seeing
lis, Mr.. Ridehalgh interfered, but he
as quickly buffeted around and in a
mute was huddled across the net
The fish, meanwhile, were
lrown into the river without the per-
etrators of the outrage being identl-
ed. No attempt was made by the
OBJ to infiict bodily harm upon Mr..
idehalgh, or Pete Shusted, Mr.. FL
foreman, who was also Oh the
,ck at the time. While the crowd
as on the netracks, 1t seemed as If
lie frail structure would collapse, and
mp its load of human freight into /
Ie swiftly running waters beneath. /
None of the fishermen who are en- /
ICED to fish for the Gilmore cannery I
ere among the mob, and the perpe- \
Of the outrage were what are /;
among union men as ''scabs." ;
tier in the afternoon Sheriff Smith !
down with warrants for the ar !
SITS of five ring-leaders, but these
ntlemen remained out of sight, while !
ne Of the men assured the official |
at If one was arrested he would have
take the whole three hundred or
ore. I
Some Of the sober, industrious men !
i'd after the occurrence that the act !
Is unjustifable. !
DO YOU LIKE OYsTERS?. I
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