The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-18
THE INDUSTRY
OF CURING COD
Astoria With a Railroad Can Be Made
the Greatest Fish Market
In the World.
MILES OF FISHING GROUNDS
Convenient 10 Columbia River Alaska
Waters Tsemiag With Fish hoN Cod
A's SuS.Cured oregon Just
the Climate.


the Climate
The Item appearing IN these columns on
the 10Th referring to the possibilities OF
salt 1shing industries which might be-
conir He'd upon the Sound. and In which
II was stated that large and profitable
market was open 20 every pound Of such
nah IN Central and South America. has
awakened many In Astoria TO a rcallza-
ton OF the fact that this city Is In a
much better position. from every point
oi view. TO carry on cod nrhing. than
aro the Bound cities or any other city on
the Pacinc Coast
why should not the citizens OF As
ioria. like every citizen In Gloucester
Mass. own an Interest In a nsnlnK
schooner The way ln now opcn for
them 10 do 30
The fishing grounds along the Alaska
coast. and even along the northern coast
OF Washington and British Columbia. AS
veil 40 IN The Okuirk Sea. are teemlng
with millions Of cod ana halibut The
experience OF one man In seattle with
NAlNhF HlNAAA ~ NbhNfEs lllANAlAAFh NUAh
ntlgh, be done with a regularly organized
feet Astoria and the Columbia river
have become known as the hAhing ccnters
OF the Pacific coast. Why not make
this port the great center OF the hshlng
industry of the Word1 II II asserted that
cod nEhing. properly carried on. would
b" more profitable than the salmon In
duHtry, and OF all climates and locations
for carrying on the business. Astoria II
superior TO anything In the United States
The supply ~ both cod and haiibut. with
In easy reach OF this port. Is inexhausti-
bic
THE FISHING GROUNDS.
Mr. Rent Young last evening stated to
an ANorian reporter that for afteen
years ho had been advocating the estab-
llshmen, Of cod nshing at Astoria. He
said. In ls,i-I9 y | was In the nshinE
business sailing out Of San Francisco.
For two years made trips 10 Chemer-
gen Island and for two years l visited
the Sea Of Okotsk. and we nshed In all
OF the grounds along the Washington
and Alaska coasts. at Cooks Inlet, etc.
There are nn- banks Of black cod on
uray's Harbor Cape Flai,ery, and In
Queen Charlottc's Sound The best FISH.
however arr found In the Sea OF Okotsk.
and IN the vicinity " Cooks Inlet. There
are miles and miles OF fishing hanks and
IN my opinion the supply is incShnustihlc.
The haiihut also are lnc. and they are
50 thick in some places that Il is hard
to sink your leads to the bottom. The
distance IL only about q thousand miles
to the Islands, and many times with
favorable winds we have made the trip
In ten 20 twelve days TO the mouth OF
"a. HaNt aVs.. fuL aFV Nfsh
course from Alaska 20 this port and
make better time than landing cargo
az Seattle. II usually takes eight or ten
days TO beat up tho Straits from Flat
terry TO the Sound cities Astoria has one
advantage In the mere matter OF time
should she carry on cod fishing,
what has prevented myself as well as
others from engaging In this business In
the past. has been the lack OF transporta-
ton facilities TO handle the product after
getting IL 10 port. II the nsh Is shipped
green In salt, q must have quick trans
portntion. and II also requires q cold
storage plant IN which TO land the goods
from the schooucrs, Captain Rel and
myself have often talked over this sub
icct. and he has frequently brought car
goes In here Of both cod and halibut,
but as the market here ls n limited one.
the rest nNu 10 ne tnTnWU nNtTNhWtNs US
the expense OF shipping In Ice with three
or four transfers en- route, was to Creat
TO make the business n paying one
am satisfied that the fish can be dry
cured here az Is done In Gloucester and
Iceland. hut during the winter months
they would have 20 he handled In cold
storage. The outfits necessary to carry
on this business would he cheap. COM
pany or syndicate would have TO outlay
comparatively u small amount OF money
in few S-ton schooncrs. salt lines and
leads, and should very much like TO
see such n syndicate organised to en-
gaze In this business This Is certainly
great opportunity for Astoria. II is
possible to establish the greatest ilshing
industry In the United States at this
point. and Il would be the means Of add
ing large population TO the city and
the distribution OF immense sums OF
money yearly"
HOW TO CURE FISH,
Captain johnson, OF the Fishermen's
Union. In speaking OF the subject OF cod
fishing by feet out OF Astoria, said
that he was heartily in favor OF such
movement. and that he believed II
could be made most profitable. The cap
tain stated that ever since hoy OF seven
years OF age, he had been engaged In the
business OF fishing. ~ started In rs a
little shaver In the north OF Iceland, help !
ing TO distribute on the rocky beaches
the catches OF cod fish that they might
he dried In the sun. This was the mart
Of the work done by the womeI and
children, and our hsh had the bef rep
utation on the continent. First fish
are cut and salted, Then they are crubb-
ed with brushes, and the women and chill
dren clean them by taking out the bones
and black spots. After that they are
spread out on the sands or rocky beaches
to dry In the sun, After being exposed
for n day or two. they are piled up In
square piles to about the he. hit OF four
feet, and then covered with boards upon
which heavy rocks are piled Here they
are left for another day, during which
time all the water Is pressed out OF
the fish Then they are again spread
on the sands, sun dried, piled up again,
and pressed another time. This process
Is repeated three or four times. and the
fsh come out as white as the driven snow
and hard as n bone. In this condition
they will keep indefinitely, and can be
piled up like cordwood In the warehouses.
With the other processes OF curing, the
fish must be carefully packed in boxes.
and even then you frequently eat par
TALLY spoiled fish.
'T had not thought much about the
handling or packing or curing OF Goldfish
in Astoria, but believe II could be made
n most profitable business. The distance
from here to the fishing grounds is short