The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-03

nery--- xne -nat causes ths construction
ot traps Nor Is Il fair 20 put the fishing
q the Columbia AID Fraser rivers and o.
the So1n8 II TIE sane category. TIE Co
f.-9ia has niles ard miles OF excellent
fishing grounds for gilinstsers- The
Fraser itself. and rhe Eats rear the mouth
u that river. extending from Burrsr5's
Inlet % the north 20 Point Roberts on the
E12th- present also \ most inviting field
for gsIin-..ers. During brief periods. In
times % freshets. the muddy watets %
TIE Fraser extend down past the inter
national boundary line. and slllnstting is
carried on with success on tire American
side. But this is the exception. In me
Sound, however, or rather that part OF IL
where traps are used. the water IL too
clear for sillnettinx and other reasons for
failure In gtln<tting may be sad 10 be
that the channels OF the San Juan srchi-
Pesego are TOO deep and permit the SAL
mon 20 detect the nets and. OF
course. avoid them. Tide rsps
ard swift currents -anxie the
nets or practically ron them M into balls
A very limited amount OF good gtIinet
hshing - found a. the mouths Of the
principal streams emptying into the
SOUND. but this IS entirely too limited
FOR extensive fishing: and even II such
streams were crowded fun OF nets gill
neftsrs would then be unable to supply
merely the csnneries now in working or
DER with 10 per cent az the salmon re-
CURED for their operation. Furthermore
the very salmon which the lower Sound
canneryrnsn want most--the sockeye-is
not found In sny Of the tributaries OF the
Ssagit and IN that stream only IN nm-
TIED numbers. The traps are not near
any OF these rivers. but on the contrary
are mostly among the channels OF the
San Juan islands and in the waters north
OF there, and are used almost exclusively
Ia catching the Fraser river sockeye For
years IL has been known that the Fraser
river soekeye. In its passage from the
ocsan TO its spawning grounds. passed
up the San Juan channels. but notwith-
standing this. these fab have not, until
tha past four years, been caught among
the hlancs. The very simple reason for
tiss IL that they could not be success
fully caught with gif'nets or seines. and
traps had not been tried. About the
time stated 0our years ago) q venture
soma spirit tried traps, and the expert
msut proved sufficiently encourag ing to
warrant the building not only OF addi-
uonal traps, but the erection OF Gamer
les Many expensive but unsuccessful at
tempts have been made from time to
time 10 opsrate gillnets and seines in
the San Juan channels, some going 80 far
Al to dye their nets In the hope OF coun-
teract'ng the effect OF the phosphorus:
but a1 without avail, and the more ex-
periaarcsd fishermen admit that the only
known means of catching ths Fraser
river sockeye. II they are to be caught
at all on this side of the boundary line,
Is TO catch them In traps.
The argument that IL traps were abol-
ishsd. sillnetters would be paid a higher
price FOR their fish Is not SOUND. The ef-
feet would be to drive most OF the can
neries that have been established on the
hover Sound during the past few years
either TO British Columbia or Alaska,
Certainly no greater blessing could be
conferred upon the British Columbia
csnnerymen than for the legislature OF
Washington to abolish the lower Sound
traps. So apparent il this that n Is
claimed (but whether with or without
cause / shall not attempt to state) that
the wealthy cannerymen of British Co
luuabia win maintain . lobby at Olympia
with a view to having an anti-nsh law
enacted.
There IL keen competition in the sal
mon canning business The locality that
can get its fish the cheapest viii do the
bulk Of the business. The Fraser river
has hong been leading factor In the
business. because OF the eheapness with
which fish could be taken and handled.
and the value of last seasons pack
amounted TO the magnificent sum of
about s. 900. 600. On account OF the dis
covery OF the utility OF the lower Sound
traps. however, the Fraser eannerfes find
the Sound coming rival OF formidable
proportions. Although the first lower
Sound cannery was erected but few
years ego, ana was q comparatively
small affair the combined output Of tho
canneries OF that same section amounted
last season TO about $3.50, 600 In value. The
amount invested IN canneries. appliances
for taking fish, etc, reaches nearly a NIL
lion dollars.
II the Fraser river or the Oregon can
nerymen can cripple the canneries Of the
lower Sound the people OF the Sound
country may rest assured that the In
Jury will be done. 1t simply remains TO
be seen whether the legislature OF Wash
ington. either through ignorance or 9TH
erwise, assists the British Columbians or
our rivals on the south. or wisely con-
cludes to labor for the upbuiiding of the
Industries of our own state. ID. A.