The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-23
Decreased Salmon Pack.


The total pack of the Puget sound
salmon during the season of 1900 has
been ascertained from reports from
the various canneries, and shows de-
crease from the pack of 1899 of a
trifle over so per cent. The partial
failure of the sockeye salmon run this
year has already been frequently not
ed by the Post-Intelligencer in inter-
views with prominent fish men of all
parts of the Sound, and the final re-
ports from the canneries for the year
show that while there has been con-
siderable increase in the pack over
1898, it makes up scarcely half of the
pack of 1899.
The salmon pack for 1900 has hcen
footed up, as it was in the years 1898
and 1899, by Philip F Kelley, of this
city, who is the representative of a
number of Washington and Oregon
canreries. His report, which was is
sued yesterday, shows the output OF
the Sound canneries for 1900 to have
been 432, OBJ cases. In 1898 the out
put was 1886, 900 which would lndi.
cate an increase of nearly 100000 in
two years. But the great run of fish
in 1899 caused total output OF ST..
500 cases, more than go per cent, in
excess of the preceding year and more
than so per cent greater than the GU,
put OF the current year.
The report covers the output of the
fifteen principal packing companies
on Puget Sound. One of these com.
panies operates three canneries, two
other companies operate two can
neries each, and the remainder. of the
companies operate one cannery each
making total of nineteen plants.
The Puget Sound run of salmon in.
cludes five varieties, coming along at
different stages of the season. These
are the sockeye, red spring, cohoes
humpbacks and chums. The run oil
humpback salmon is biennial, and this
has been the off year. There were nc
humpbacks in 1898, but in 1899 the
run was very heavy, the pack amount
ing to 245 400, more than a'quarter OF
the entire pack OF all varieties for that
year.
To the absence of the humpback
and the falling off IN the run of sock
eyes is due the great reduction of the
pack from last year. In other varie-
ties the pack of 1900 exceeds that OF
any previous year. The output OF red
spring, cohoes, and chums in 1898 was
Ill 900 cases; in 1899 it amounted to
LIS, 400 cases; the year 2O3,327 cases
have been procured.
The approximate value of the pack
of 1900 is $2,348.142. The decrease
in value under 1899 is not, however
proportionate with the decrease in
quantity, AS with the reduction of the
supply prices have shown slight adj
vance.
Although they had prepared to dc
business this year on larger scale
than ever before, the salmon packer.
are by far no means discouraged witt
the falling off in the run of fish. On,
or two of the canneries are newly es
tabllshed, and In all great improve
ments were made at the beginning O.
this season. Although the season has
been Disappointment and the money
invested is firmly tied up, the improve
ments are of permanent character ano
the values of the properties are by Sc
much enchanced. The packers are il
position to handle the most prodigiou
run OF fish next season, aud with tn,
humphacks returning on their oien
Mai excursion and the almost certain
increase in the run of sockeyes, the,
Will have chance for a season at full
capacity.-P. I.