The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-13

HE nsh industry on Puget sound
IN has bean built up In ten years
V~ from nothing to . branch Of
commerce that today uses up
wards OF 3. 10000 annually In
business and gives employment to over
600 people.
During the ten years the great salmon
trade Of the Columbia river has been prac-
tically diverted to this city. and Seattle
ships Il halibut. cod and salmon to every
city OF any si1s In these United States.
and almost every country In the world.
even entering the markets on the Attain
ito coast. during the winter months. and
competing successfully with Atlantic Ash
ermen. Given an equal rate Of freight
and expressage. Seattle would today be
supplying all the Middle West with fresh
fsh. even as It now 10 supplying that dis
trict with the canned and salted fish used
There are but thfee fish used on Puget
sound for export, namely. the salmon. the
halibut and the cod. OF the three the
salmon ia the fish. It is sold canned. salt
ed, frozen. fresh and dried from the Pa
cific coast to Boston harbor on the East.
and Cuba on the South. 1t is exported to
every cline on the globe. and year by year
the demand has increased until the fish
men Of this state have become alarmed
for fear the demand will In the future ex-
coed the natural supply. and salmon are
being artificially propagated by millions
in every fish hatchery In this state.
On Puget sound there arc seventeen nsh
canneries, employing $500 people. canning
and curing salmon and cod. The canning
season for salmon lasts from June to Sep
TENDER. but the salmon season lasts the
year around. and the fish in some form
are steadily going from this city to feed
the people from January to January.
From June to about the middle Of Au-
gust the sockeye salmon are caught in the
waters Of the Sound. This IS the best va
riety Of salmon. fresh, canned or salted,
that ocean gives US. although by no means
the largest OF this family Of fish.
Attain . Rich Flavor.
From the middle Of August to December
the silver and fall salmon are caught.
From December to April they catch the
steel-head salmon. and from April to juno
they catch the tyee salmon. Also known
as the king salmon. and on the Columbia
river. where this species OF the nsh at
tains its greatest size. finest grain and
richest flavor. 1t II known al the chinook.
Last year was the smallest In volume
OF business In many years for Puget sound
canneries, and yet they shipped. in addi-
ton to dried and sailed fish, 10000 cases
OF salmon, forty-eight cans to the case.
or a total OF A00o,0oo cans. the money
value being upwards Of 100000. This year
the canneries win ship over 10000 cases
of salmon. In fact. they have orders for
nearly that amount on fiie.
Next in importance to the salmon comes
the halibut. As q fish for canning hahbut
is worthless. Thousands OF dollars have
been wasted In experiments trying to find
some process by which this fish can be
preserved. As a fresh FISH the halibut out
ranks the salmon with the popular taste.
Halibut are caught the year around The
banks run from OF Cape F1attery to the
Aleutian islands. and perhaps even further
north There is feet OF over sixty hall
but boats In this port alone. The local
or coast demand uses much of the fish,
but in winter Seattle ships to New York.
Boston, Washington. Philadelphia and
other Atlantic cities tons and tons OF fresh
haiibut.
The great West. that is the country west
OF the Mississippi river and east OF the
Rocky mountains. Ii not peopled with fish
eaters. Having no great lakes nor many
rivers. the inhabitants OF the plains live
on meat. But Seattle is educating them
rapidly. Within three years the demand
for Puget sound fish and Puget sound
oysters has more than doubled In the
cities from Denver to Chicago. This win
ter, transportation being equal and rates
reasonable, the people OF the plains will
be given fresh nsh In abundance by Puget
sound fish men.
Next IN Importance commercially In Pu-
get sound fishing il the Boring sea cod.
II IL not as good as the Georgia cod but
better than tho Grand hanks cod. and con-
sequensiy II slowly suppianting the latter
Ash In Western markets. The trade In
this fish is. II may be said. In its infancy.
A Large Consumer.
The local market uses up all the other
fish found in the streams and waters Of
Puget sound and the great Northwest
Herring there 10 In abundance. and some
day the ash men viii do q deal OF busi-
ness with them. They DO a little even
now. But the trout. lake and river. sal
mon. perch. smeit and all the rest Of the
Amy family are here In abundance. oys-
tiers too. small but sweet. 20 sweet that
Denver. Chicago and other Eastern cities
prefe. them TO the b.vaives Of the Allan
tic There are q number OF people now
experimenting with Eastern oysters. trans
planting them in Puget sound. They ex-
pect them TO grow smaller than the parent
tribe. but even At that 10 b larger than
the native oyster. Considering that Puges
sound fishing companies are only ten yenrs
aid TIE progrsss they have made and The