Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05
PACKING of SALMON.
Over Fifty : Million Cases
Have Been Sold.
MUCH MONEY LOST
ass
CONDUCTED ON RATIONAL BASIS
BUSINESS rs PROFITABLE.
Nearly Half Of the Catch is Consumed
in the United States-Eish Have
Paid for Alaska.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and Chicago Record
Herald.
Nearly all the worlds supply of canned
salmon is packed on the Pacific coast, and
since the business was organized in a me-
thodical manner In 1866 about 55.O00OOO
cases, worth about $220OO0.O0O, have been
packed and sold on the market. More than
100000 eases have been packed on the
Columbia river, 100000 cases in Alaska,
10, 900 900 cases in British Columbia and
5OOO,O 600 on Puget sound. For the first few
years the Sacramento river had a monopoly
of the business. Then it began in small
way on the Columbia. In 1876 the first can
neries were built In British Columbia; two
years later in Alaska, and In 1891 two
Frenchmen, DIR. Monod and M. Onfroy, went
to BelIingham and started little cannery-
the first on Puget sound. 1t failed the
first year.
Secured Fishing Sites.
Mr.. 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 for traps Any man
can locate a 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 loca-
lions, and, having them as assets, organ
lied a new company. The next year ne
consolidated with the Pacific Steam Whal-
ing Company of San Francisco, which was
working in Alaska, and they called the
new concern the Pacific Packing and Navi-
cation Company. 1t was one of the big
best corporations ever foated on water.
with S25 600, 600 of stock and 100000 of
bonds, which were sold for cash in the
open market and more than paid the en-
tire cost of the plant and the promotion 1t
was soon developed, however, that the
h1c the interest
on the bonds, and there was nothing to do
but to go into court and appoint re-
ceiver, who has been running the COM
pany since. This company has an inn
mense amount of property, however, in
Guiding nineteen cannerfes in Alaska ana
on Puget sound, forty-siX fish traps, winch
practically monopolize the Puget SOUND
fisheries and as many more In Alaska,
with big fleet Of steamers, schooners,
scows, tugs and other flat boats and other
fishing things.
The stock was mostly sold in New York
and Chicago John Cudahy, Charles Coun-
selman, Deming Gould & Co. and others
were in it,
Much Money Lost.
Not only in Puget, sound. however, but all
along the coast wrecks are strewn and mil
lions of dollars of innocent money have been
sunk in enterprises of the widest descrip-
ton ever since promoters and spectators
got hold of the business, The. ease with
which thez raw material can be obtained
and the steady and increasing demand LOT
the finished product offered an lrresistl BILE
temptation to spectators and adventurers
to engage in the salmon. packing business
The public, went wild over their schemes
of investing their money in water. Con-
Quoted upon a. rational and conservative
basis. there, is no better business, for the
fish and the market are both certain and
the demand never ceases.
Although every salmon commits suicide
when he is four years old, II he Is not cap
tured by the trappers before his self-de-
struction. each female leaves million or
more eggs, and large proportion of them
are Matched into healthy fry" by artificial
care This business has been intrusted to
competent scientific men in all the Pacific
states, and they plant the rivers annually
with billions of young fish that go out to
sea before they celebrate their first birth
day and return again to spawn and die
when they are four years old. The United
States government also plants millions
every year and exercises general super
vision over the business. which is growing
annually.
Where the Salmon Goes.
OF all the salmon packed on the Pacific
coast about 45 per cent is sold and con-
sumed in the United States. 40 per cent in
Europe and Is per cent In the rest Of the
world. The English people are the largest
consumers in proportion to population, and
All of the British Columbia catch is sold
in London except about 10000 cases, which
are consumed In Canada. Between 4OOOOO
and 100000 cases are shipped to London by
ket demands the best quality. The cheaper
qualities are sent to China, Japan and India
about 100000 cases to each country under
ordinary circumstances; about $1,000 go to
Australia. 10000 to Africa and 80, 600 to
South and Central America. In anticipation
of the war and because canned salmon con-
tains high degree of nouriShment, Is cas-
lily preserved and Is always palataDie, Doth
the Japanese and Russian governments
bought large quantities last fall and winter
Both are ish-eating races. Cured fish Is
staple food in Russia and Japan. Inc Jap
anese purchased not less than 100000 cases
and Russia about half as much.
The Philippines are a good customer, for
salmon is suitable for hot climates and
keeps we'll 1t is one of the regular army
rations, but, like everything else, the SOL
ders get very tired of 1t.
An Unappreciated Christmas Box.
A beneficent government has been in the
habit of carrying free of cost to the soldiers
and sailors in the Philippines holiday pres
ents from the loved ones at home. Last
wear fond mother in one of the western
states sent her boy, who was a corporal in
one of the regular army barracks near
Manila, Christmas box. She wrote him
| that it was on its way, but did not tell him
what was in it. Hence his dreams were
| unlimited in their scope, and In his waking
| hours he used to discuss the contents of
| that box with his comrades and speculate
| as to the items. He figured out that it
would hold about siw nliace pies, four fruit
| cakes, dozen glasses of jelly, and several
| jars of jam. and he was absolutely certain
that there would be large allowance of
! the cookies that mother used to make when
he was a boy at home His bunkies were
quite as much interested as he, for he was
a generous youth, and soldiers. like school,
boys, usually share their good things with
each other. That boy and his cronies ate
that box of good things a dozen times over
in anticipation. It. formed the principal
| topic Of discussion for three weeks before
| it arrived. and when 1t, came and they
opened it they found. to, their disappoint-
| ment and disgust. one dozen tins of canned
salmon. which had been served to them
| three times every week during the three
years they had been stationd in the Phil
ippines. Neither Websters Dictionary nor
the Century contains the words those sol
diers uttered when the lid of that box was
removed, and If they could have gone into
battle Immediately after the enemy would
have been slaughtered even as Samson slew
the Pniiistines with his unique weapon.
1t was some time before the corporal ac-