The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-22
By REX BEACH
(Continued.)


 remarked to Cherry later in the day.
 Yes: the ships arrive io May. and the fish begin to run in July. After that nobody sleeps"
 'Tt must be rather interesting"
 ''It is more than that: it is inspiring. Why, the story of the salmon Is an epic in itself. You know they live a cycle of four years, no more. always returning to the waters of their nativ- fty to die. And l have heard it said that during one of those four years they disappear, no one knows where, reappearing out of the mysterious depths of the sea as if at a signal. They come by the legion. in countless scores of thousands. and when once they have tasted the waters of their birth they never touch food again, nev- CT cease their onward rush until they become bruised and battered wrecks, drifting down from the spawning beds When the call of nature is answered and the spawn is laid they die. They never seek the salt sea again. but car pet the rivers with their bones. When they feel the homing impulse they come from the remotest depths, head ing unerringly for the particular par ent stream whence they originated If sand bars should block their course in dry seasons or obstacles intercept them they will hurl themselves out of the water in an endeavor to get across. They may disregard a thousand rivers one by one. but when they finally taste the sweet currents which flow from their birthplaces their whole nature changes, and even their physical fea- lures alter. They grow thin, and the head takes on the sinister curve of the preying bird.
 'Why. you just ought to witness the run These empty waters become suddenly crowded. and the fish come in a great silver horde, which races up. up. up toward death and obliteration. They come with the violence of sum- mer storm; like prodigious. gleaming army they swarm and bend forward, eager, undertaking. one purposed. It's quite impossible to describe it, this great silver horde. They are entirely defenseless. of course, and almost every living thing preys upon them The birds congregate in millions, the four footed beasts come down from the hills, the Apaches of the sea harry them in dense droves. and even man appears from distant coasts to take his toll. but still they press braveIy on. The clank of, machinery makes the hills rumble; the hiss of steam and the sighs of the soldering furnaces are like, the complaint of some giant overgorging himself"
 "How long does it all Iastr'
 "Only about six weeks; then the furnace fires die out, the ships are loaded. the men go to sleep, after which Kalvik sags back into its ten months coma. becoming, as you see 1t now. dead. deserted village. summed by man."
 "But I don't see how those huge plants can pay for their upkeep with such short run"
 "WeT, they do. and, what's more, they pay tremendously, sometimes 100 per cent year or more.
 Two years ago a ship sailed into port in early May loaded with an army of men with machinery, lumber, coal, and so forth. They landed, built the plant and had it ready to operate by the time the run started They made thefr catch and sailed away again in August with enough salmon in the hold to pay twice over for the whole thing. Willis Marsh did even better than that the year before. but of course the price of fish was high then Next sea son will be another big year."
 How is thatT -
 Every fourth season the run is large; nobody knows why. Every time there is a presidential election the fish are shy and very scarce; that lifts prices Every year in which a presi- dent of the United States is inausurat- ed they are plentiful"
 Emerson rose.
 'I had no idea there were such prof its in the fisheries up here"
 Nobody knows it outside of those interested The Kalvik river is the most wonderful salmon river in the world. for it has never failed once. That's why the companies guard it so jealously."
 It was evident that the young man was vitally interested now.
 "What does it cost to install and op- crate cannery for the first seasou?'
 About s2O0.OO0. II am told. Eut be- neve- one can mortgage his catch or borrow money on it from the banks. and so not have to carry the full bur den."
 What's to prevent me from going into the bnsinessT'
 Several things. Have you the mon. eyT
 Possibly. What else?"
 GA site" SXtyas4N
 ''That ought to be easy"
 Cherry laughed "On the contrary. a suitable cannery site is very hard tc get. because there are natural condi- tions necessary. fresh flowing water for one. and. furthermore. because the companies have taken them all up."
 "Ah! I sec" The light died out of Emerson'. eyee. the eagerna:ys left his voice. He flung himself dejectedly into . chair by the fire. moodily watch ing the flames licking the burning logs. All at once he gripped the arms of his chair and muttered through set jaws. God, I'd like to take one more chance"