The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-12
OUR PHENOMENAL WINTER.

The winter we have just passed
through-that is if we have passed
through twill long be remembered for
it's terrible severity. One of its pheno-
1nena was the great number OF elderly
people who died under the strain of the
long-continued cold Another, and an
unforeseen result, is its effect upon our
fisheries We find the following remark
able statement in the ST. Paul Globe
All indications point to fish famine
for the Northwest and unless something
unforeseen turns up planked whitehsll.
Will only be found this year on the tables
OF millionaires. Prices are TIP and the
supply OF Lake Superior fish is almost
exhausted, all because of the backward
ness of spring. according to Charles w.
Turner. Chicago, manager OF the Booth
Packing company, which controls the hsh
supply at the head of the lakes. Mr..
Turner was in the city yesterday. return
ING from a trip of inspection to the Lake
Superior fisheries of his company and he
foretells gloomy prospect tor the peo-
pie who are fond OF finny food.
There has never been such shortage
in the fish supply in the history Of the
trade" said Mr.. Turner last evening.
The condition at the head OF the lakes is
unparalleled Last year we started out
our boats from Duluth on April 10th and
from Bayfield, on April 6. This year it
will be May 10. at least, before the boats.
can get out. That means that we lose
from a month to six weeks of fishing and
our supply without exaggeraton is prac-
tieally exhausted.
..TEere is three feet of ice on Lake Su-
perior and the keeper OF the Sand island
light house writes me that he cannot see
blue water for twenty miles. That is the
condition at Bayfield, and at the head OF
the lakes there is $50 miles of ice that
will average three feet in thickness.
John Beargrease, the Indian mail carrier
who carries the mails by means OF his
dog sleds from Two Harbors to Grand
Portage, tells me that there is at least $50
miles Of the ice.
There is solid ice at Outer Island and
Beaver bay.
THE fish that we get from Lake ST.
peror are largely taken by the 1win
Cities and the Northwest and our depots
at the head of the lakes are practically
supply houses for ST. Paul and Mime
apols. There is not pound of white
fish up there now, because the sales have
been SO unprecedented All frozen fish are
gone 1t has been our custom to keep
100000 to 100000 pounds in the freezers
at the central house at Chicago. but we
have not enough to supply our customers
The freezer supply is put on the market
during the summer months when the de-
mand exceeds the supply. In July. Aug
ust and September it is almost impossible
to get wlitefsll.
Our lake fisheries are at Duluth, Bay
field. Ashland. Ontonagon, the 500. Man
istique and Grand Marais, and the re-
ports are the same from all of them.
This is the greatest cleanup on record.
Il bought fish yesterday 1880 miles
north of St. Paul. in Northern Canada.
and paid 8 cents pound for it. The
fish will cost 10 cents pound delivered
here. have paid 9 cents for sturgeon
that three years ago sold in Duluth for
cent a pound The sturgeon will all go
to New York and Chicago because the
price is prohibitory in this market.
eve do not intend to advance the price
in the same proportion as the cost has
increased Ten cents will probably be
the wholesale price on whitehsh, and the
same fish will bring I2H cents in Chicago
When the supply is totally exhausted, as
appears to be the outlook, whitehsh cam
not be purchased for love nor money.
"One factor in the scarcity has been
that the winter was SO cold that our fish
ermen could not get out to fish through
the ice. One-third of the winter supply
had heretofore been caught through the
ice, but this year doubt if one-tenth will
be. In many places on the north shore of
Lake Superior the weather has been 30
degrees below zero for weeks at a time
A still more serious consequence of the
winter has been the destruction of large
part of the winter-wheat crop 1t is
claimed that in Kansas one-half of the
land sowed last fall to wheat will have