The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-08-17
dAZMQY cAMTZEPY

has reached them by being
shipped around Cape Horn In
stead Of being sent by rail to
Chicago. Not all Pacific coast salmon
is sent in this way. but enough Is to
make this method OF long distance
shipment noticeable and to set one
wondering about freight rates.
1t is said that last year the large
packing establishments on the Colum.
hta river e their cans east by tramp
and regular steamers. around the
Horn to Atlantic ports, where the ans
were sent by rail- into the Interior.
One reason for shipping by water in.
stead OF rail is that the vans can be
Qoaded directly on to the boats in
Alaska and on the Columbia, and not
taken OF until they reach the Atlantic
seaboard. whereas If they are sent by
rail- they must be stored in Seattle
or some other large point and then
reloaded on TO the cars. So great has
been the effect OF this water shipment
that It has reduced the freight rates
on salmon from the Pacific TO eastern
points.
No n can realize the extent Of
the salmon industry and the figure It
cuts IN trade. unless he has visited.
the salmon canneries on the colum-
ota, Puget sound aad in Alaska. On
the Columbia the salmon is taken up
In places with wheels. but at the
mouth the Firms are adept at collect
ing them In nets. In Alaska nets are
extensively used and It is a common
thing to get as many as 10000 in a
seine. The seines are usually set at
the mouth Of q river. for the fish al
ways seek fresh water in which 10
spawn. A net ten feet or SO wide.
and many thousand feet long. is load
ed on a tug. which pays U the net so
that 1t protects a large area. Then
one end OF the seine is made fast,
while the other end Is attached TO a
windlass and drawn slowly IN to shore.
When the seine fills II is made small.
er and smaller by the windlass and
men IN boats gather up the fish With
baskets. At length the net is drawn
ashore and the remainder OF the fish,
are collected. The salmon are taken
IN immense quantities 10 the can.
nertes, where the fish are placed upon
the floor. AS many as $4,000 have
been taken at n time. go there Is
always danger OF much waste. The
process OF canning is rapid. and con.
sists in cleaning. cutting. putting IN
cans and boiling. Then II is labeled.
Grated and ready for shipment. Much
Of the work IS done by Chinese and In.
dams. Many well-equipped c~anneries
make their ans and get the
crates ready to ship In bond TO foreign
ports.
The red salmon is generally consid.
cred the best and It is found abup.
dainty in the cold waters OF the
rorth. Wherever there are streams
running inland on the northwest coast
on the Pacific there may be salmon.
The salmon have been known to jump
over huge barriers to reach fresh wa.
ter, and they often choke the mouth
81 a stream. They are valueless for
food after they have spawned. and sell
dom find their way back TO salt wa.
ter, usually dying where they lay
their eggs. Because they come in
such vast quantities It Is a small tric.:
to catch them, and such waste goes
en- that the government is trying in
some manner TO stop 1t.
Not all salmon is canned. Japan
and China take much sailed salmon.
other kinds are dried. The Indians
are fond OF dried salmon and open the
fish, bone It and slash the flesh be.
fore hanging It up IN the sun 10 dry.
After It is exposed in this way for a
week It is smoked and in the winter
time dipped in oil and fried. But these
are crude methods OF preparing
salmon compared with the canning
process. So expeditions are salmon
Gamers that they can over 60 cans a
minute. All the cans are subjected 10
intense heat and If tapping discloses
that one is o air tight It is imme-
diately rejected.
Salmon fishing and canning is sum.
mer business. June. July and August
are the months when the salmon rush
for fresh water streams from their
home in the ocean. It IS necessary 10
work fast to accomplish In that short
time what every salmon factory own,
Ter desires-namely. &c make as much
money he can and at the same time
comply with government regulations.
There is usually an overseer at the
factories and the workers get often
$500. shelter and food. for he three
months they are employed. It is no
1ceable that salmon catching fuc-
mates, some seasons being better than
others, but so far there has been no
ADEQUATE solution Of the reason. In
fact. the salmon is a sort OF a mys-
terry. The fish secs out TO salt water
shortly after It Is born and returns
% fresh water to spawn This is