The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-16
BOOM N TRAP LOCATIONS.
HUNDREDS BEING HELD ALONG
THE LOWER SOUND.
Thousands Of Dollars BEING SUNK II
the Hope of striking . Place
where Salmon Can BE Caught
Canuerymeu Furnish the Money.

Special Dispatch 70 the Post-Inteiigencer.
WHATCOM. March l5.-The stimulus
given by the action OF the Pacific AIners-
can Fish Company in buying forty-six trap
locations a majority OF which had been
demonstrated 10 be good properties. - be
ing shown now by the large number or
new locations made from Anacortes 10
Point Roberts In the hast month pile
drivers have been pounding piles in along
the shores Of all the Islands ard the main-
land, where there was u chance OF school
OF salmon running. un.a II can be said
that the navigator OF these waters ~ new
er out OF sight Of a trap.
The cost OF making location of trap
varies from Siao 10 $40 and dozens Of In
experienced Men are driving the three piles
necessary 20 hold a location, trusting to
luck TO give them some chance 20 dispose
OF IL. Many Of these locations are IN places
that stand no poSS. be show OF proving re-
munersi1ve, and the location viii ae idle
for The year and then be abandoned. What
number Of absurd ventures of this kind
there are Is difficult TO tell. but there are
very large number The Sound begins
boom is on. and every one has his pros
psct staked out. The trap locations CORE
spond exactly 10 such prospects.
The party. however. that has a location
that is promising stands a good show OF
having it developed this year without
much cost TO himself The Chicago com
paay has not more than half The develop
ed trans under its control. and is not at
tempting TO dominate the fish market on
the Sound, but II has enough of them TO
cut severa! OF the canneries very close in
their supplies in short year and all the
managers of canner.eS are looking sharply
after promising locations OF their own. In
dealing With other parties they are not
buying locations. but IL the results prom
Use 10 justify the expenditure, in some cases
they are helping the locator 10 develop his
trap. number of such locations are
being supplied with piles and webbing by
the canneryman, who gets for his invest
inent an interest in the trap and also the
catch this year at the market price. It
costs from s. 500 to $500 TO put in the
trap. the average being about $3.50. 1t
the salmon do not run at that particular
point. or II the trap Is set at "A wrong an
gle. or II it h carried out by the tide. as
frequently occurs. the canneryman loses
his thousands. II the catch is good he Is
a heavy winner As the experience of the
Oldest trapinan is OF little value III pTophe-
sying results, the losses are i've TO one
more frequent than the gains. The can
neries, however, must have fish, and al
though most of them have a fair supply
contracted for this year, they see that next
year the Chicago company VIII get the
product OF all the traps they have bought.
and that new loca lions must be developed
10 meet the demand ard they are taking
many present risks to assure a future sup
ply. From the indications the number OF
paying traps viii BE- increased one-thrd,
and PERHAPS more, this summer.
Manager Sutter. OF the Fida,go Island
company, one of the beSt-equpped com
panies on the Sound, estimates that the
amount sunk in failures ar trap fishing
this year from Anaeortes to Point Roberts
will be $2a1.ooo- To pus it truthfully, that
amount VIII be gamblei and lost for the
prospect OF making ii big winning The
ers viii see their thousands sink III the
Sound"