The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-21


government. until their active services
may % required I WISH this ysofr. 20 be
observed. II IS al important feature with
reference 90 this dry dock that we are TO
have this adjunct Of access % ths fresh
waters Of Lake Union and Lake Wash
trgson-
Dir. President. ought. I suppose. 60
speak about tbs proximity OF the state Of
Washington 20 the territory OF Alaska
We all know what Alaska means 70 the
United States: We have all heard q great
deal about the seal fisheries: we know
something OF Its mineral resources. ard
] believe that region IL destined 20 be OF
great Importance think no greater act
no more advantageous and s.ate<rnanltke
act. ever occurred IN the life OF that
great premier. William III. Seward. than
when he advocated the purchase OF that
great district OF Alaska The wisdom OF
that purchase has already been proven
The state Of Washington Is the nearest OF
the possessions OF the United States 70
the district OF Alaska. and the commerce
between the United States and Alaska
mus. necessarily IN large part pass be-
tween Puget sound and Alaskan waters
Mr.. President. as / said before / do
not want TO take Up too much time bat
IL Is rare opportunity 10 speak on a
subjec. which is so near 10 r4y heart
have not adverted to many things which
x.
for example. the fisheries. We have had
great interest manifested on the subject
OF the fisheries on the Atlantic coast
There have even been great International
disputes In regard 10 the fsheries-grsa,
disputes between the United States and
Great Britain as TO the fisheries On the
banks OF Newfoundland.
Let me say. and be very gentle about
Il. that all the fisheries so far as l know
and / have paid some little attention TO
that subject as a member OF the commit
tee on fisheries Ia this body-all the in
terests of the United States on the At
Iantic coast are small as compared with
the interests of the people and of this
government IN the fisheries on the Pacific
coast, and the Indications are great as
to the future development, so far as mar
keting the product of those fisheries are
concerned and all point to the north
shore of the Pacific ocean along the re-
gfon OF Washington and Puget sound. and
its affiliated waters. and the shores OF
Alaska But, Mr.. President. the people
OF this country have no idea Of the re-
sources that are possessed on the Pacific
coast.
Mr. Fr-ye-I do not like TO hear the SEN
ator boast of the fish over there in the Pa
cific In comparison with those in the
East The fish on the Pacific coast are
entirely without education. You cannot
find a salmon there who knows enough
to rise 10 fly. U4aughterD
Mr. Squirrel suppose II we attribute to
intellect the characteristic of the salmon
not 10 rise TO a fly, we should say he had
done very well in not rising TO the fly.
The fact about IL is that the salmon OF
the Pacific coast have so much On which
TO feed in those waters they are not
eager TO rise to the fly. u.aughter)
There Is a prodigality of food In those
a. fe nat ~ In ma
salmon TO jump at every hook; but we
catch them IN great quantities. and there
are no salmon superior. I venture to say,
TO those on the Columbia river and those
on Puget sound. We ship carload after
carload of salmon aud other FISH to the
East.
| wander along the docks In the city
OF Seattle. and i see an italian there
the Italians go everywhere in the line
of fish vending--haying spread out before
him perhaps two or three hundred OF
those magnificent fish. l ask the price of
ihem-great fish. perhaps two or three
feet in length-and he tells me he Will
sell them to me at two for a quarter l
should like to know what there is COM
parable TO that on the AtlaItic coast.
A laboring man whom / stopped on the
street one day. who was carrying fish.
said 10 me. lone of those fish answers
for my family for two days"
Mr. President, the time will come when
the people OF the United States VIII wake
up to the resources of this country.
speak not of salmon alone, but / could
go on and give You page after page rel
alive TO the fisheries of that section OF
country.
/ made an investigation OF the subject
OF the food fishes of the state OF Wash
ington, and / found there were salmon
there in great Quantities. so numerous
that they dash themselves 10 pieces upon
The rocks as they are trying to urge their
vvav up stream, and color the waters with
their blood This was during the days
OF the year when the spring run or sal
mon habitually occurs. i found that there
were I'm the waters adjacent 10 our shores
not only the salmon, but the halibut. the
true cod the green cod. the rock cod.
thes eulachon smelt, herringl etc, ana
OF edible mollusks the oyster. clam holo-
thurian or beche de mer. which may be
found OF commercial value. as well as
other varieties. the skate, cuttlefsh.
squin. etc.
The salmon Of the Pacific coast IL per-
haps the most valuable for trausporta-
ton to the East The salmon which Is
the most popular is the hook -jawed' the
oncorhynchus a Greek derivative mean
ing hook jawed. from a peculiar growth
which takes place in these fish. especially
the male. after they ascend the river TO
spawn.
or all the anafromous salmon OF the
Pacific the spring silver salmon OF the
Columbia river. oncorhynchus quinnat, Is
acknowledged the best In size. flavor, and
richness. far SURPRISING any salmon, 'ex-
cept. perhaps the king salmon OF Alaska.
which Is thought 20 ia of this species.
As | have stated. there are already COM
panles and individuals engaged In ship
ping these fresh fish TO the East by the
carload. The product OF the fish canning
Industry has amounted TO millions Of dol
lars per annum.
have barely touched on the subject
have said nothing as yet OF the precious
ores OF the state OF Washington. We
have already large development IN that
direction There are snlelters at Spo-
kane. Tacoma and at Everett. In that
country the people are very much inter
eSted in the development OF both gold
and silver mining: perhaps ! may say the
people are divided on the subject OF the
free coinage OF silver. but they are all
Interested In the development Of these
precious ores We are going 10 show you
something important In that direction.
have not alluded 20 the more recent
sevalopyuent OF the state as 10 popua-
ton. I only refer 10 the population in
1Sg I believe the ponlstion OF that state
has increased at least 20 Per cent. At that
time thu population OF Seattle was only
- coo Seattle now has e7.eo So ] may
sneak OF the city OF Tacoma, the city OF
Spokaee. arta,f other towns in the state,
showing tia, that state now has prob
ably A population Of 5n0osel. The vote
for members Of congress In lsz7 was about
- 0N8 There has been no falling or. but
there has been an increase. and the indi-
cations are from that vote. and from the