East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-21

Nearly all of the worlds supply OF
canned salmon is packed on the Pa.
CHIC coast, and since the business was
organized in a methodical manner IN
1856 about 55,0O0,0OO cases, worth
about s22O,O0O. 900, have been packed
and sold on the market.
More than 15,OOO,O0O cases have
been packed on the Columbia river
z,oOO,OOO cases in Alaska, 10000, 900
cases In British Columbia and s.
100000 on Puget Sound. For the first
Few years the Sacramento river had
monopoly of the business. Then II
began in a small way on the Column
bia.
In 1875 the first canneries were
built in British Columbia two years
later, in Alaska, and in 1891
two Frenchmen, DIR. Monod and M,
onfroy, went to Bellingham and start
ed little cannery-the first on Pu-
get Sound. 1t failed the first year,
says William E. Curtis in the Phila-
delphla Press.
MI Onfroy saw that the money
was In the fish and not in the packing,
so he hustled around and secured
options upon all the best locations toY
traps. Any man can locate fish trap
anywhere on the shore by following
the same rules that regulate mining
and homestead claims, and he very
soon took up all the best locations,
and, having them as assets, organized
a new company. The next year he
consolidated with the Pacific Steam
Whaling company at San Francisco.
which was working in Alaska, and
they called the new concern the Pa
cific Packing & Navigation company
Floated on Water.
1t was one of the biggest corpora
uons ever floated on water, with $25,,
100000 of stock and $4,000. 900 of
bonds. which were sold for cash in
the open market to a confiding pub
lie, and more than paid the entire cost
ef The plant and the promotion. 1t
was soon developed, however, that the
business could not even pay the inter-
est on the bonds, and there was moth
ing to do but to go into court and ap-
point q receiver, who has been run
ming the company since.
1his co,onsnS ,,;,,,;nS ~: an ir,mense
amount of property, however, includ-
ing 10 canneries in Alaska and on
Puget Sound, 46 fish traps, winch
practically moIopoiize the Puget
Sound fisheries and as many more in
Alaska, with a big fleet of steamers,
schooners, scows. tugs and other flat
boats and fishing things.
Not only in Puget Sound, however,
but all along the coast wrecks are
strewn and millions of dollars of in
nocent money have been sunk in en-
terprises OF the widest description
ever since promoters and spectators
got hold of the business,
The ease with which the raw ma
terial can be obtained and the steady
and increasing demand for the fin
iShed product offered an irresistible
temptation to spectators and adven-
turers to engage in the salmon pack
ing business. The public went wild
over their schemes and fought each
other for the opportunity of investing
their money in water. Conducted up
on a rational and conservative basis
there is no better business, for the
fish and the market are both certain
and the demand never ceases.
Fish Commit Suicide.
Although every salmon commits
suicide when he is years old, if he
is not captured by the trappers before
his self-destruction, each female fish
leaves a million or more eggs and {
large proportion of them are matched
into healthy "fry'' by artificial care
This business has been intrusted t.
competent scientific men in all thu
Pacific states, and they plant the riv
ers annually with billions of youni
fish that go out to sea before the.
celebrate their first birthday and re
turn again to spawn and die whei
they are years old. The Unite'
States government also plants mil
lions every year and exercises a gen
eral supervision over the business
which is growing annually.
Where the Pack is Sold.
OF all the salmon packed on tn
Pacific coast about As per cent Is sol
and consumed In the United State.
40 per cent In Europe and Is per cen
IN the rest of the world. The Englis
people are the largest consumers /
proportion to population, and will at
sorb about 100000 cases every yea
All of the British Columbia cate
Is sold in London except about $50
900 cases, which are consumed l
Canada. Between 100000 and 500
900 cases are shipped to London
sea from San Francisco. The Englis
market demands the best quality. Tn
cheaper qualities are sent to China
Japan and India, about 100000 case
to each country under ordinary cir
cumstances; about $4,000 go to Aus
tralia, $4,000 to Africa and $4,000 t
South and Central America.