The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-15
FISH FOR THE WORLD.
The Industry on Puget Sound
Is Growing Rapidly.
SEATTLE THE BASIS OF SUPPLY.
The Product, Fresh From the Sea. Sent
70 Many states-salmon Leads
and Halfbut Comes Next.

and the whole NorthweS-. This secIson
is rapadly witnessing the realization or
fns most saug5fane pre1Icliofls, maze
when many We're disposed 10 doubt that
the fishing Industry would have any ex-
issence outside OF the minds OF townSlte
boomers and their advertising matter.
Money talks. however. and better still.
the cash returns IN the hands OF the men
who have done the work. while In many
cases probably not as large as they may
have hot.d for. are in evidence 20 prove
that there is real live paying industry,
the best. branch OF which can be carried
on by men with hrtle capital besides their
labor and experience. While during the
past few months In the fluctuations OF
the market no large profits have been
made. yet the business IS conducted on
an entirely cash basis. The dealer pays
the cash TO the owner OF the catch, the
expenses of the trip are paid in cash, ana
the fishermen who work on a profit-shar-
ing basis get their money at once. The
wholesale dealer dssposes of HIS fish 10
the trade. and that Is conducted on a
practically cash basis. The profits, If not
as large as during better times. are coun-
eeg'ssa3aEcesi by this splendid feature Of the
business.
seattle ships the Fish.
Seattle has gained a name IN the conn
mercIal world as the fish shipping center
of the Northwest Only a few years since
ern fresh fish which We're not I'D from
Portland. Fish which were caught in the
Sound or at the Cape Flattery banks had
TO be sent TO the Oregon metropolis for
reshlpsnent, and the business at that
place actually exceeded that done here
in the proportion OF 100 TO /. IN fresh FISH
now the situation Is reversed. While
the Columbia has many large cannerses
for salmon, the fresh fish business IS 81
done here on the Sound, and of that nine
tenths is done in this city.
Salmon canning covers the whole Coast.
and beside the large number of cannerfes
on the Columbia river and In California,
there are many, weil-appodnted and we'll
conducted, ON the Sound. That branch of
the industry in Alaska Is growing at a
great pace, and will lead them all. This
city being the shipping point for the
north, the benefits. from a commercial
view. are largely gathered here A prom
snent salt fish buyer who was recently
IN this city but now IN Alaska, states
that in his opinion the Alaska fish bust
ness alone will reach such magnitude as
TO make Seattle a great commercial
center.
The Profits Widely Distributed.
OF 100000 pounds OF fresh fish handled
IN this city annually 20 per cent are sal
mon, 70 per cent. hatlbut, and the re-
maining 10 per cent. smaller varieties.
principally smelt and herring. The aver
age price TO the fishermen viii net him
pa cents a pound. The dealer. with his
force OF men for storing and shipping,
gets his profits The transportation tins
receive good rates for quick dispatch
The wharf owneTs, and there are num-
Der of them, receive large rentals for
their properties. The boat builders and
sailmakers do as much If not more work
for the fishermen than any other line OF
sailing craft The grocer furnishes sup
plies. the hardware dealer, and often the
sporting goods dealer, the lines, hooks
and seines. The bait for halibut is Sc
cured from herring fishermen. and is an
industry In a small way itself. To sum
up the fresh FISH business in figures, the
aggregate cash received annually by the
men engaged as owners and employees is
Ss5 coo at a very conservative estimate,
The Puget sound fishing business entire,
including the canned, salted, smoked and
picked. will easily reach ten times that
amount.
The principal varieties are salmon Of
SIX kinds, 1lalfbut, sturgeon. deep sea cod,
rock cod tom cod. smelt, herring, folJu-
der. perch. trout and salmon trout The
Increase within the past two years has
been decidedly On halibut, with a possible
decrease IN sturgeon.
seattle Fish Go Everywhere.
Shipments OF fresh fish from Seattle are
made In refrigerator ears later in the seal
son, and In boxes OF from 50 10 500 pounds,
packed IN ire during the slunnzr
months. The local wholesale dealers get
orders from all over the country. from
Galveston. Tex. to Gloucester. Mass,
ard IN the Middle states the sight Of
salt water fresh fish like the halihut at
tracts a curiosity and comment which is
nos unexpected from their odd appear
ance. But when the housewife has
learned the improved ethods OF cooking
and seasoning them the popularity OF the
The knowledge OF this excellent article
Of food having gained circulation, the de-
nfand Il surely increasing as the good
times return. but 10 the Eastern trade
the Seattle dealer does not look SO conf
IDENTIFY as he does no the growth OF ths
Northwestern states themselves. Wash
iagton. Oregon. Idaho. Montana wyo-
ming. North Dakota ana South Dakota
ara tha ressi territory Tor the trade. When
these states viii have become more
eastckiy populated the fresh fish industry
wall be at its height ard the Eastern
shipments are not likely Go assume great
proportions anti the railroads make
lower rates.
The Growing Haiibut Fleet.
Yet with these retarding circumstance
the halfbut buslneSssslas doubled in three
years The number OF boats engaged in
fishing for halfbuf has increased within
year and many OF those were not fishing
steadily until this season. There are sew
en- schooners plying between this port and
the banks and an indefinite number OF
Scoops The schooners are the AIcedo,
LOYAL. Pilot, Annie, st. Lawrence. Caro-
tine and Doncaster. Among the sloops
are the ProSpector. Viola. 6ydA, Fox W
T Tickle Annie. Never Mind ana Morn
ing Star. The Schooners Yukon. Lincoln
and Annie Nixon are engaged IN fetch
sng.
The hallbut schooner does not have a
distinctive outward appearance but the
interior % the hold must contain alright
See chambers for six or eight tons. as the
fish are preserved ;n ice as soon as
caught. The cost OF a good schooner
With equipment Will amount 20 $50 boats
OF about sifteen or twenty tons ba5nS the
most popular. The crew consists OF I'VE
men The captain. zrho IS a ssliIfal fish
ernan himself and does as mlsch work
as any OF his men. three fishermen and a
cook comprise the crew.
A Ton or Fish az One Haul.
on reaching the banks The schooner IS
anchored. The cook stays aboard TO bait
the hooks and clean the FISH. and the
fishermen. with travis % rope with 50
hooks attached two fathOrss auart and
hated With herring. go two in a dorv.
The dory is a fisaln< boat twenty feet n
length ard VIII carry a ten OF fsh. As
she trawi becomes weighted with fish Il
- raised 10 rhe surface as quickly as r,os-
slbie As many as 2a" pounds have been
landed AZ ore hani. ana asso Pounds IS a
good days ashinx Cor two dories. Cara.
Galley. OF the Ahceso. states that on MS
las, srlr - = was necessary % make -
Eaefovia