Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-01

stated that, $50 tremendous is the Influx Of
fish. that hundreds are actually forced out
Of the warer and into the boats.
-FOUR MILLION DOLLARS HAUL.
THE Salmon pack or canning output in
Isal-a good year-for tie Fraser river fish
eries wRe 40s. 464, valued al s., 351 ,OS3. With
thEFe figures as q bRsiE il would hardly be
an eXaggeTHtion 20 say hat these seine
hshericA with their greatly increased tacili-
ties and larger number Of hands, ought in
1887 to turn out canned fish TO the value of
about 81, 900. 600. Statistics are less exactly
taken in cur Alaskan fisheries, but they also
ought 10 show L marked increase. In Rudl-
ton 10 all this, il must be tina
the Indians do Il great deal OF prfvateef
fishing. In fact, the aborigines largely sub
sist On dried fish, the bucks netting them
and the sQuRws cleaning and Trying.
Salmon years do not run, as Is generally
suppased. in cycles Of fous. The fact lie
ina, none tan exactly predict the approach OF
Il banner year n the fisheries; buf, when
il comes, st either long or short Intervals.
he market usually becomes giutt-d. ] tear
that. this season. canned salmon VIII re
main for some time & drug il the market.
The salmon industry Is doing wonders for
British Columbia. New Westminster, the
capital of the fisheries, had in 1881 3 popuia-
lion of 8. 600 souls To-Day the population has
qua drupied. exceeding 1900, sno tins tx
elusive of Indians and transient labOrs-s. In
the fisheries and canning factories over 6.OOO
people are now employed, according 20 the
official reports. These are almost altogether
ChiDese and Indians. The fishermen who
are paid per FISH caught, regardless Of weight,
about in their ranks
English, Scotch ~crofiers. Irish, French
Canadians, ScandinsviRns. Italians. Jspane-e
and Indians. In spite Of the small pay, II is
possible IN q year like the present 10 make
big money.
The incorporated fisheries possess miles
-. a..I.r H. - hpGtH pr7 unn - :
sheds for the canning. in process OF time !
have no doubt but that entsrpriFing Ameri-
cans VIII make tbe Alaskan rivers rival
those OF British
DR.. Bean declined 10 discuss the prevalent
rumor that q big English syndicate liz about
TO purchase ths entire canning and packing
plant of the Fraser river fisheries.
john A. Fraser. r. c. a, the well known
landscape painter, spent many years on his
natpesRke river, while preparing & series Of
views a. the instance Of the Canadian govern
ment. Asked concerning the hsheiles, he
said:
To BERN with. bOat-fshins does not exist
for more han E few miles above the delta
Of the Fraser. Beyond that point al fishing
: done from The shore, by men, and some
times, IL exceptional years, with ths aid Of
horses.
HOW THE FISH ARR CAUGHT,
The net used differs largely from the
EfAlEE ArNA "a . a 11A 11-0EAA - -
nothing better than 6 huge hammock slung
by both ends 10 B pole. Night il The time
for fishing opere ions. The men arrange
amCnE themselves for certain stretches Of
river. Below the delte line they cast their
nets from boats with high platformed sterns.
Further up, the river being unnavIgAble on
account of its fierce current and sunkeu
rocks, they cast from the bank. A good
man can catch hundreds daily. Two hun
dred FISH et G cents q FISH means sl2 q day,
end thai Is no unusual wage in the season.
Below the delta ! have heard of 300 being
earned by WI men IN & single day-or, TO
be exact, in 3 single night.
That 1897 IL 10 be 3 banner year ] have
heard from various friends At New West
minister. Strange as il may seem, the can
ming people are not always elaten by banner
wears. So much salmon drugs the market
and even hurts the canning industry.
Nobody who has not beeu il The north
west can have any notion of the awful in
rush Of salmon during 6 very big year, like
the present. A single ulnstrstion from my
personal knowledge mey sufiue. On one coca
sion ] crossed d tributary OF the Fraser river
literally over q bridge MADE Of salmon. The
fish we're quite dead and had begun to
purify FNrced from the main stream into
the tributary 10y the terrific legiOns OF up
going fish behind, they were driven into 8
long reach where the water grew shallow and
the rocky L very marrow. Here they be-
came an absolute Wedge-s jam, like The
human one that occurred on the Brooklyn
forward or backward, and, thus imprisoned.
az in & wise, and without water, they died
bg hundreds under the searching sun.
ii WGF quite easy for my Indian driver 10
take the horse ana buggy across this extra
ordinary natural bridge, while ! followed