The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-29
FEW FISH TO CATCH
Chicago Men in That Business,
Out Of Employment.
CAUSE OF THE lscARclTY.
The General Effect on Market Prices
Has Been Very Perceptible in
All Marge Centres.
CAUSE OF THE lscARclTY.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
There is dlsmay among the 1000 or more
men engaged in the fishing industry in
this port over the remarkable disappear
ance of the finny tribe from the waters OF
Lake Mishigan. There have been a dozen
to twenty steam tugs and 200 sailboats
employed in fishing near Chicago, and
most of them have abandoned the work.
What has become Of the fish is a mystery
to the local fishermen, though various
theories are advanced to account for
their disappearance.
So far as Chicago is concerned the catch
this spring is so far below that of pre-
vious seasons as to put the balance on
the wrong side of the ledger. ]. H.
Brunjes, owner of the fishing tug Sum
beam, which has all winter raised nets
set for trout, white fish and perch, said
yesterday he had taken up his nets and
placed the boat in the excursion business
two weeks ago because the catch would
not pay for the fuel consumed on the tug.
Mr.. Brunjes said
1 don't know what has become Of the
fish, but I know they are not around
here and that there is no money in
looking after them. When l quit fishing
two weeks ago had eighty nets set. The
average catch daily for the whole num-
ber of nets was not more than 300 pounds,
and sometimes l would not get fifty
pounds. year ago l used to get from
100 to 200 pounds in each net, making d
catch of 5000 to 5000 pounds daily. The
catch this spring would not pay for fuel
to say nothing about wages and the wear
and tear on twine."
Mr.. Brunjes was asked whether the
scarcity of tisn was merely local or ex-
tended to all ports of the lake, and re-
piled:
well, I'm told by the A.. Booth
Packing company and the Connable Fish
company, both of which keep three or
hour tugs empIoyed In ns4iing IN waters
north OF here, that they do not eaten
enough to pay expenses. l see by the
newspapers tnat the fishing tugs at
st. Joseph and Benton harpor ana other
points on the east snore nave been iaiu
up, so l suppose there are not hsh
enough anywhere to pay Tor tne c-0tc4ans.
Mr.. Brunjes said the tugs Rice, Claribel,
Sunbeam and Charm had all gone out
of the fishing business and were cater
ing Tor excursion trade. Captain Davis
of the Claribel, he Said, had declared ne
would never fish again.
1T is a puzzling task" said Mr..
Brunjes, ito attempt to account for the
scarcity of fish. l think the round nets
around the piers has something to do
with 1t. Hundreds of these nets are
raised every few minutes anu tney p,ch
up many small fry that are not fit for
food or anything else, but which are
thrown out and left to die on the piers.
spawn. In the winter they keep in the
deep water. When they come to shore
to spawn they are caught in pound nets.
In this way not only the fish are caught
but their eggs, which have not been de-
posted, are destroyed. 1 think the fish
commissioners should take the matter in
hand and that law should be passed
fishing during the spawning
season.
$50 far this season the fishermen have
caught only herring and perch. In
former years they caught profitable
quantities of whitefish and trout. This
spring no trout have been caught and
only a few whitefsh. Such perch as
raised have been small. A
good many perch and herring, few of
them more than two or three inches
ong, have been caught around the piers,
They should all be thrown back into the
water, but they are allowed to die.
"This sort of work doubtless has some
effect on the fish supply, but whether
t accounts for the whole matter is more
# the fish in the western rivers were
Silled last winter by the severe cold. It
s said the ice formation was so un-
Usual that not enough air got into the
water to keep the fish alive. 1t is said
'y some Of the men engaged in fishing
hat the fish have been driven away from
he vicinity of Chicago by the sewerage
implied into the lake. There are plenty
# causes assigned, but the only thing we
inow positively about 1t is the effect,
md that is that the fish have gone else
vhSre."
Notwithstanding the scarcity the price
f fish has not advanced as much as
night be expected. The quotation at
resent is 2, 2h and cents a pound for
erch and herring and a year ago when
he supply was plenty the price was
y to 2 cents.