The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-06
TRAP FISHING.


70 ths Editor: Il Is FATHER early in the
seasoz % prepare fgy fSAlax bBt there
are certain clsszez e people wa9 are 70
sooner flashed wstn Gre seasons werk
tran anothsr = begun.
They are called fz7srusu. and their
system CO operation = wat distinguishes
them II their ealing.
Some are trap men. some are gil net
su~n. Wnfe etaerE are Sesns D@n tanG
again there are those WHO are sometimes
called insane menl. A. require capital
lsoor ard experience.
Taken as a wnose, TIRE business accord
lag 20 the Hsh eommIzzioner'E report. 10
3 development % ore os the greatest na-
tur&l resources 81 the stale. and every
tnduceElsnt should - offered 70 encour-
age - important an industry where the
Interest r - extensive. The trsp system
seems 90 be the one non occupying pub
lsc attention
II = not necessary 70 enter into a de-
tailed description Of the different meth
o1s % taking 8sn from the waters. bat
sufficient 90 say that tire trap system Of
fers greater ludBcement for capital. both
foreign and domestic than al the Others
combined. and 81 our own waters does
Rot come into competition WITH the net
men. - the fsa fhus caught are not Of
fsred for sac IN the local markets
The capital thus invested furnishes Ia
Dor &C. a larger number % men than al
the other methods together.
That there Should bo some regulations
II regard 10 . season Of rest. and also TO
TIE size of meshes 1-ed. cannot BE- denied.
But 70 ALLOW FrasleF river men. or any
other river men. VINO are unfortunately
deprived 81 this trap method. 10 dictate
70 us AZ 10 how and when We snail take
salmon from the waters o. TIRE Sound Is
ridiculous. and should not De considered
for a moment.
Twenty-Five years ago the same COM
plant Of determination vas heard away
down in Maine bat they are sill fishing
and VIII continue for some time 10 come.
The trap industry il CON paFatively a
rev fssture here. and Is attracting cap
ifaL Millions are invested ard more Is
waiting the result Of our az makers at
Olympia W. f. DAVIS.
Friday Harbor. Feb. g. 1897.
To the Editor: The people Of San Juan
county are very much alarmed for fear
the legislature wHi do away with a. n
traps and thus ruin not only the can
merry business IN our county. but also
rain ths FISH business. The waters are ~
clear that nsh cannot b. caught in our
county with gu nets. and 50 there would
be no hsh caught and the thousands Of
dollars nov paid 20 fishermen on the
traps every year would De lost.
Prior 10 three years ago no FISH were
caught In the county excep; few caught
BY the Indians with reef nets. and when
the csnnsry was started at this place
three years age the first year they had
no traps and they brought all the fish
from Blaine TO Seattle. and then only had
hair pack. and lost money on the bus
lnexs The next year they operated traps
successfully and that brought I've more
c8nnerles 20 the lower Sound, and al OF
these cannerleH va have 70 shut down
II traps are done away with. The fish
caught among the San Juan islands are
the sockeye salmon and are al bound
fer the Fraser river. 50 ttrat the Fraser
river canneries are very much interested
IN killing the Industry on the American
side They have over twenty-five Gamer
les now on ths Fraser and II traps are
prohibited there Will ~ ten more Gamer
les put up there within year.
The people OF this county cannot under
stand why any citizen Of our state would
want 10 transfer the cannery business 70
the Canadian side and they DO not under
stand why glN net fishing should be made
"a monopoly The traps IN this county
have never inteFfered with Fiil net fishing
and before traps were pat IN scckeye
salmon were sold for two cents piece
while last year they commanded twenty
% twenty-five cents each. and marke'
Ter al that were caught IL would APP
pear that what We want is mora Gamer
ies on the American side. and that there
Is no need 20 legislate for the benefit 81
Fraser river
Last year there was more money paid
oul 90 trap fishermen and the caonsry
employees in san Juan county than f0I
aH the produce sold BY our farmers. and
the peou}e OF this co0nty are 10th 20 be
| lieve that tho legislature viii enact any
law that means almost ruluation 20 them
J. l.. BLAIR