The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-29

When Lewis and Clark made their
first exploration trip down the Columbia
they found salmon the chief food OF the
Indians salmon later became one OF the
first commercial products OF the north
west; and salmon is still counted among
, the chief resources OF oregon and Wash
inzton. The ROYAL Chinook OF the Col
umbia river is called the finest species
OF salmon in the world. 1t commands
fancy prices in every market, and lis
catching, canning and distribution has
built up great Industry. Oregon counts
salmon its third most valuable present
resource, the salmon catch being exceed
ed in value only by the lumber and the
wheat output Last year Oregon received
about 81 O00. 900 from the sole of salmon,
caught chiefly In the Columbia river and
The total sum of S. 600. 600 is invested In
salmon cannerIes, fishing gear and fish
ing boats.
The Investment and the profits are al
most as large on the Washington side
of the Columbia. though Puget Sound
is also an important fishing point In
Washington. II is established that be-
tween 10000 and 10000 persons are de.
pendent upon the salmon fisheries OF
the Columbia. During the fishing season
this great river Is threaded with hundreds
Of glllnets and seines, and dotted with
myriad gasoline launches and white sails
Of fishing boats. There are also hundreds
Of fishing traps in the shallow bays at
the mouth of the river and dozens OF
great fishing wheels revolving In the
swift vaters.
.
bis river Is Astoria which town was the
first American settlement on the Pacific
coast almost n century ago. To-day Aa-
,oyia is a thriving town of about 5000
fisher-folk The town is huddled against
the hillside and the chief business streets
are built over the water, Out toward
the edge OF the town are the great sal
mon canneries which, together with their
children in Alaska, are counted models
Acres of pier space are devoted to long
racks OF fishing nets drying ready to
be mended. Some of the women as well
as the men are expert net members, and
they may he seen at work almost any
hour of the day or night for the period
of fishing is governed by the flowing OF
the tide. Beneath the piers and at every
conceivable place are hundreds OF easo-
line launches and fishing sallboats ready
10 start when the tide Is right
Tho methods OF the Columbia river
salmon fisherman are very simple, de.
pending first OF all upon knowledge ot
salmon habits. Beginning in the carly
snring. insfinct impels the salmon 10
leave it's natural home in salt water and
enter a fresh water channel through
which IL may swim to spawning place
In some cool mountain brook. Having
deposited their several thousand eggs the
salmon waste awav and become food for
tho brown bear and other wild animals
that are awaiting this yearly feast.
Some authorities on the salmon assert
that Instinct carries il back TO the verI
same channel and the Identical spot
whore II was spawned several years be-
fore. though fhc point Is disputed. Al
anH rate the Columbia is n notable sal
mon highway. though the runs" are not
50 heavy rs they were n decade ago. Up
In the Puget Sound section the heavy
runs come only every fourth year. and
this period is anNiously awaited. The
coming OF the salmon school is noted by
scouts far out In the sca and the news is
fastened back and the fishing nets and
canncTlaS are made ready for fast work,
since the profits Of four years must be
crowded into few weeks.
Tho Columbia river salmon are more
regular in their habits. coming every
year, In the old DAYS no restrictions
were placed on the fishermen During
The past ten years, however, the price
paid for salmon at the cannery has
doubled and the fishing has greatly in
creased. Consequently the supply OF fish
has fallen Oft and as protective measure
Tho fishing season has bcen United by
There arc four chief methods OF catch
ing salmon on the Columbia, About 90
per cent OF the total is caught by means
seines. representing two distinct meth
DDS: and per cent by fish wheels.
The work Of the gill-netter is pic
turesque and, very interesting. Near the
u-outh OF the Columbia. where the river
is ten miles Or moro wide. the white sails
pf the little fishing boats Of the gill;
meters may be counted by the hundred
when the salmon are running As the
~
Of fishing boats take their places. ready
10 be carried back toward the ocean when
the tide turns. Their nets. a quarter
mile or more I'm length are stretched out
at right angles 10 the shore line and
allowed 10 drift with the lowering and
rctreating tide and the river current. The
salnlon-always headed up stream-aro
thus intercepted and the profits of the
gill netter depend upon the number that
become cntangled in the meshes of his
net.
Lead sinkers on the bottom and wooden
iloaters on top hold the net upright in
the wafer and adjust II according TO the
kind Of fish that they expect TO catch.
The Royal Chinook, the most valuable
but least plentiful species OF Columbia
erlVer salmon. run near the top OF the
water, while the Buebacks run low in
the current.
The mcshes OF the sll-net allow the
smaller of the fish TO escape. hut arc
expected To hold all of tho larger and
more valuable ones. The salmon tries "a
swim through mesh opening. but the
back and bellybulge prevent his going
more than part way. while the threads
cntangie fms and gills and prevent re-
treat In the upper waters of the Col
umbia IL is the practice to float the gill
nets at night. excepting when the water
is slightly muddy since the fish Will sec
the net and turn or dart down to deep