The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-01-15
An Official ON Fish.

oeaelStiCal agent or the United States
fish commission, published in the year
1898, contains full information regard
ing the fisheries of the Pacific coast
dealing with the subject by counties.
OF King county it says:
"The most important fishing center
OF this county is Seattle. The rapid
growth in the population of Seattle,
the building of cold-storage ware
house, and the establishment of new
fishing firms have led to a threefold
increase in the fisheries of this county
as compared with 1883. The most
abundant salmon taken in this coun-
ty is the dog salmon, which consti-
tutes about fve-twelfths of the catch.
Silver salmon is next in abundance,
representing one-third of the catch,
while steelhead and chinook salmoon.
respectively, comprise one-sixth and
one-twelfth of the yield. In 1889
about three-eighths of the salmon
catch of this county was obtained by
means of pound nets, but in the later
years the use of purse seines has been
increasing and pound nets have been
given up, so that in 1892 three-fourths
o. the catch was made with purse
selnes and one-fourth with gill nets.
GA fleet o. small-sized schooners,
built for the fisheries during the years
1891 and 1892, at once inaugurated
the halibut fishery. and their catch
met with ready sale at seattle.
The business of shipping fish fresh
in refrigerator cars is growing in i'm
portance. Shipments are as yet con-
fined to fresh salmon and halibut con-
signed mostly to points east of the
Missouri river. Each car carries from
IL to Is tons of fish. In 1890 six car
loads, comprising 1926 pounds of
fresh fish were sent East from Seattle /;
the following year, nineteen carloads,
aggregating 690,210 pounds, were sent
East. Up to December l, 1892, five
carloads, equivalent to 121 $50 pounds,
had been sent, and it is probable that
the shipments during the remainder
of the year would make the aggregate
for the season fully equal to that of
1891.
"The Puget Sound & Alaska Com
mercial Company, of Seattle, was the
pioneer of the cod-fshing business Of
that city. The firm began operations
in February, 1892. and on March OF
that year sent the schooner Moonlight,
of 6S tons, with a crew of II men, on
the first cod-fshing trip from Seattle.
The vessel fished in Bering sea and re-
turned to Seattle on August 20 with
175,000 pounds of salt cod. Soon after
being landed the fish were prepared in
the usual manner as boneless cod and
placed on the market. The success
attending this first trip and the favor
able reception accorded the prepared
catch indicate that the future may see
this business largely increased"
Under the head OF Skagit county the
following account of the inception OF
cod fishing is given:
"This county is favorably located
with reference to the fishing grounds
of the Strait of Fuca and Strait of
Georgia, and will no doubt come into
prominence with the further settle
ment of the section, but at the present
time it maintains no local fisheries,
and the only feature which entities it
to mention is the offshore cod fishery
carried on from .Anacortes, in this
county. During 1892 direct rail COM
munication was established between
Seattle and this county, with the
water terminal at Anacortes, This
town was one of many communities
that the opening of the railroad
brought into existence. Up to the
date of the visit of the agent of the
fish commission no attention had been
given to the fisheries, with the excep-
ton of the cod fishery noted.
"In 1891 Capt. J. A. Matteson of
Provineetown, Mass, brought to Ana
cortes the schooner Lizzie Colby,
which had for number of years been
engaged in the Grand Banks cod fish
cry out of Provincetown. On the ar
rival of the vessel she was at once sent
to the fishing banks in Bering sea.
Although the season was late when
fishing negan and the operations were
continued only twenty days, So 5OO0
pounds of cod fish were taken and
brought to Anacortes. On March II
1892, this pioneer vessel in the cod
fishery of. Washington sailed from
Anacortes on her second trip to Bristol
bay, Alaska, returning August 80 with
384; GOO pounds Of codfsh, which wezs