The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-08-20
THE SALMON PACK
Output Not Much Affected by
the Strike.
REACH 100000 CASES
Cannerymen Made Out Far Better Than
They Expected An Excellent
Quality of Fish

OuallCy OF Fish
Notwithstanding the fishermen
strike, which was prolonged through
two of the five months salmon season
just ended, the catch this year COM
pares favOrably with that of other
years, and will not be more than co.
900 cases short of last years packs
The pack this year, according to the
best information, will probably reach
450, 900 cases, the greater portion of
which was made after July l., as
against sos. 200 cases packed in 1895.
The cannerymen made out far better
than they expected, owing to the
strike, and are especially congratulate
ing themselves upon the extraordinary
fine quality of fish which has made up
the great bulk Of the catch.
If the outlook for marketing the
pack was only better, there would be
no regrets associated with the past
season. Unfortunately, the unsettled
financial condition has atfeoted the
buyers, and George Taylor. of Taylor
Young & Co., stated that Eastern pur-
chasers who formerly placed orders for
1000 cases are now contenting them
selves with SO and 100 cases. AS
consequence, the pack will move
rather slowly.
! The great bulk will go East, though
considerable portion will go abroad.
The British ship Sutherlandshire, in
port at Portland, is loading salmon for
England, and good proportion of the
pack is being forwarded to San Fran
cisco to be shipped from that pc t.
! At the ruling market prices. the
pack. when sold, will bring, in round
figures, $2,70O,OOO into this section.
Prices, however, are not as good as
those obtained last season. The tend
ency of the cannerymen this year has
been toward fancy packing, and, in
the opinion of some, this has been
rather overdone, and will certainly
affect the prices of fats and ovals.
! The strike was somewhat of a benefit
early in the season to the packers at
Eagle Cliff and vicinity. Through the
inactivity at llwaco and Astoria they
secured more than their usual proper.
ton of fish. That the strike was not
success while it lasted is evidence by
the fact that in the neighborhocd of
100, 900 cases were packed up to June
90, when the strikers began fishing.
Among the canneries that packed dur
ing the strike were the Eureka and
Epicure Packing Companies, Hapgood,
j. W. Cook & Co, Seaborg's cannery
at Ilwaco, William Hume at Eagle
Cliff, and McGowan at Chinook
There was no fishing on the upper
river until after the strike, when f.
NJ. Warren and MoGowan made large
packs. very considerably more than
last year. Around The Dalles, though,
the catch was not as good AS had been
expected, and the pack was only me-
dunn.
The season has been an extraordinary
one in many respects. Very few, if
any, bluebacks and steelheads were
caught, the salmon being all chinooks,
and far finer and fatter fish, on the
average than have been taken in the
river in years, and as the run was very
large and steady, increasing SO the last
week of the season that the river was
full of fish, the cannerymen were for
tunately able to make up the anticipat.
ed shortage. The catch proved the
truth of the saying among the Column
bia river fishermen that more than half
of the pack is to come after July 1. In
fact, the fish were SO plentiful the last
few days of the season that the packers
cut the price down to 81 cents per
pound, thereby precipitating a small
strike.
Notwithstanding its superiority, the
Columbia river fish will encounter COZ
siderable opposition from the Alaska
and British Columbia salmon The
Alaska fish is much inferior III quality,
but, on account Of its low price. it finds
good sale. The British Columbia
fish is also affecting the market for co
lumbia river salmon in England, as it
is good in quality and packed by the
most approved appliances, while it is
sold at lower figure. The prestige of
the Columbia river pack, however. will
sell it in any market.
Fire I'm a Penitentiary.
Cedar RAPIDS, Ia, Aug IA Fire