The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-12-25
ROYAL CHINOOK SALMON FROM
CALIFORNIA.

Last Wednesdays oregouian contains
long article exploiting and commend
ing the Importation to this state, in
care Of one A. D. Fletcher. secretary OF
the California state commission, Of
s.OO0,VOo chinooktD salmon eggs for the
Clackamas hatchery, from the hatchery
located al Battle Creek. California The
following is one Of the paragraphs from
the article:
For the benefit Of the cannerymen
'-and fishermen here, who have objected
10 the introduction OF California salm-
ION eggs into the Columbia. on the
ground that It would result in dete-
''rioration in the native chinook. MIR.
Fletcher stated yesterday TO an Ore
''gonian reporter that the eggs from the
Battle Greek station were all taken
from large-size chinook. which would
rival in size the fish OF the Columbia.
the females averaging Sc pounds,
while the males rauge3 between 20 ard
80 pounds. This should placate the
Oregon fishermen who have objected
Ito the California fish being brought
here. If it is true, as some say, that it
is a popularity in the waters Of the
Columbia. besides the fact that the
fish are taken before they have very
far ascended the stream. that makes
the royal chinook superior to all 9TH
"ers, there is no reason why the fish
matched from these 1900. 600 eggs
should not be as large and fine as the
natives, the conditions being the
same"
Have the cannerymen and fishermen
Of the Columbia river been made the
victims Of another bold and fraudulent
conspiracy on the part Of the slush-tsh
packers? Or are they merely suffer-
ers from the ignorance and incompe-
tency Of some one in authority here in
Oregon? First, the chinook fry in the
Clackamas hatchery basins are mystic
riously poisoned, and then somebody
occupies a column in the Oregonian in
an attempt to make the world believe
that the great chinook salmon has be-
come extinct and Oregon is forced to
import choice varieties Of fish from CAL
ifornia to stock the Columbia river.
What is the true meaning and animus
of this outrage, and do the Columbia
river cannerymen propose to submit to
it? Who is this man Fletcher that the
California packers go kindly send up
here to take charge Of the Oregon fish
cries, and who pretends to know so lit
tie about salmon as to answer the fee
be objections Of Oregon people to the
introduction of California's coarse and
inferior fish into their waters by say
ing the specimens from which he
squeezed his eggs were large nsh-quite
as big as our famous chinoo.: salmon.
This statement shows that Mr.. Fletcher
either really doesn't know anything
dDOuN SoAhibif VI clSt ne ID pfeSuUllnR
on the ignorance Of the great mass of
the people that there is any difference
in the varieties of that fish. What has
the question of size got to do with the
quality of salmon? Does Mr.. Fletcher
think a whale would be as delicate
eating as a Columbia river smelt If
whales could be propagated in the Col
umbia river? If the Clackamas hatch
cry had been established to breed large
salmon for the Columbia river. couldn't
We get all we wanted for that purpose
from Tillamook. Nehalem, or any one
of the other score Of salmon streams in
Oregon whose distinctive varieties OF
fish are much superior in quality to any
produced in California, and which aver
age many pounds more in weight than
the famous chinook Of the Columbia?
1t is absolutely seandalous the way
he Columbia river packers allow theil
great industry to be iobbed by Jealous
and -anserapulous fish dealers else
2 here Instead of getting in and pro
citing themselves from imposition b!
12posing the fraudulent practices O.