The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-22
FISH Arm GETTING Low
A Considerable SlackeDing Up
in the Past Week.
THE QUALITY CONTINUES FINE
Carefully Estimated Figures Give
the Total Pack of the River to
Date at 100000 Cases.

Astoria, Or, 10 p. M, June q, 1S95.-The
principal feature of the past week has
been the rapidly increasing number Of
daily shipments from this point East and
the undoubted strengthening Of all mar
kets east and west in Columbia river sal
mon. Advices to this office from most OF
the canneries along the river state that
goods cannot be packed fast enough to
fill orders as promptly as either Gamers
or jobbers could desire, and the rush Is
accounted for by the quickly-growing
knowledge that the pack Will not nearly
come up to the even moderute expecta-
tions at the beginning of the season. In
deed, there Is a strong probability, see
ing that most of the packers have ac-
cepted orders for goods on the basis of
last years catch, that many buyers will
be forced to go without their expected
deliveries altogether, and this is a mat
ter that is puzzling the parties at both
ends of the transaction more and more
as the season draws to a close. The New
England states according to reports Of
our correspondents in the leading CEN
ters are st.n practically bare of :pring
fish, and forward deliveries are anxiously
awaited. The approaching middle of the
warm season Is bound to cause quick
tdAh-SNSAh9y AOA thO iool ASW CiI5
It has been partcuarly noticeable that
the severity of the heat has an immediate
action N quickening the purchase Of
salmon by the pubic, which drops off to
the same extent as cool fall weather
gets nearer. st. Louis, Chicago, and all
the middle west are big buyers this year
and the same anxiety Is shown from
these localities for quick delivery. Though
transportation facilities are now much
improved over last year, there being no
strikes to speak of on any If the large
lines, they do not seem to be prompt
enough for jobbers, and 1t really seems
to us as though the railroads were in
many cases unnecessarily slow In taking
hold of stocks and delivering them any
where over a thousand miles from this
city. Most of the British Columbia can
neries are now In operation, but all report
small runs. Our Victoria correspondent
writes us Costello and McMorrnns new
clnnery near tine mouth of the Fraser
river was completely destroyed by fire
yesterday Sunday. The proprietors had
made arrangements for packing about
5000 cases of salmon, and the building
was we'll stocked with comparatively
new machinery Mr.. Costello,it Is stated,
VIII rebuild Immediately, but he cannot
do anything with this seasons fish. Last
week the Windsor cannery on the Skee1a
River was totally destroyed by fire when
ii is rumored was Of incendiary origin
The capacity of the building was about
10000 cases" Standard FrIser River
brands are selling well in Eastern Cana
clan centers, and Toronto and Montrea.
Ire entirely bare OF all good goods. Tbs
English market has prlcdcahy compiet-
ed uhe purchase of its Columbia River
sock for this year, though agents of the
big London and Liverpool importing
nrms are still operating a little in this
city with a view of rounding on their
purchases. The run on first qualify
grades, particularly ovals by English pur-
cnaser5 this season has been remarkable,
and had not cannerymen booked orders
eAough from domestic sources to cover
4arge proportion Of their whole pack
of th.s style goods, they would have taxi
en- a great deal more at good figures.
Leading distributions In Liverpool ar
sbli besieged with orders from all trade
cepters In the United Kingdom. We quote
prices this week as follows, all spring
catch: Straight Ch.nooks, $l.35 to $14215
for tallG, and $.52Ia to $1.57h for fats.
Ovais $1.S7lh to $1.95. Ovals for export
sales practically closed, at $2.N to 500,
less per cent. Two-pound regular tails
with key $210. Bluebacks, 1-pound tails,
$1.3715 1-pound fats from $3.50 to $1.52h
with key. Red Alaska rMes firm In ali
centers at &c. Operations on the lower
river during the past week show the
slackest record since the season opened.
Ever since last Friday the catch has de-
creased very perceptfbly and has now
narrowed down to very poor work. In
fact all indications point to the proDa-
bility Of our estimate Of 100000 olses as
the total pack for this season being en-
tirely too large, though the figures are
$1,000 cases less than last year. 1t Is
the general supposition among cannery-
men that the fish now appearing in the
rver are the result OF the propagation
from the CGackamas hatchery four years
ago, when no late fish were matched. II
has been usual, In previous SEASONS, TO
get slack runs at this season on account
of big freshets in the river which have
kept the fish outside in fresh water for
several days. These slack periods, how
ever, have always been followed by large
runs, which viii no. be the case this
season, simply because there has been 10
freshet, and the scardty OF fish cannot
be attributed to that cause. We do not
expect to see any Chinook fish in the
Columbia this year after the middle OF
July. The salmon being caught now av r.
age fully thirty pounds. and in color and
quality are magnificent, showing all the
characteristics of July fish, and being
seasonable like everything else, are just
as much ahead Of time as the vegetation
in this vicinity. The middle river can
neries are packing on the average abou
100 cases a day. Bluebacl1s this year win
be almost an absolute failure, and though
they are slowly beginning to increase In
numbers, Is not probable that half
the orders for this quality Of fish can De
filled. Steedheads are becoming little
more plentiful and by the end OF the pres
ent month may attain full proportions
for an off season. The tower river puck
TO date is now about even width thnt OF
last year to this time. On the upper
river at the Cascades and The Dalles TN
pack Is fully 70 per cent behind and we
have received information stating that
most OF the fish wheels there will be
closed down before the end of this month.
Many of the best wheels have not enough
water to operate In, and those that are
working find the river too clear to FISH
With anything like fair results. as the
salmon viii not lead up to these contri.
yances In cle1r water. Not more than
1900 cases have been packed at the
Cascades and The Dulles dnfng the
whole season. and of these +. NJ. War
ren's cannery Is responsible for G5O0 cases
and MCGOWAN & Sons for 5000 cases Of
the bllance. A careful estimate OF the
pack Of the whole river to date pIlces It
at 1000 cases and these figures are. II
4farr