Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-11-08

cheeks and quickened her eyes
Good morning. r"nl'c u"n." she
cried. removing the wni'e fur hood
which gave Il setting u her sparkling
eyes and teeth. "Oh. but it's II glnri.
Gus morning! We did the five miles
from the village in seventeen minutes"
"And how is your meaSly latient?"
asked Fraser.
Hes doing well. thank you" She
stepped to the door to admit Chaka-
wana, who had evidently hurried
around from tho other house and now
came in, Dureheaded and needless Of
the cold. bearing a bundle clasped to
her breast. Il brought the little fei-
low home with me. See!
II dare say Kalvlk Is rather lively
during the summer season." Emerson
remarked to Cherry later in the day.
"Yes: the ships arrive in May, and
the fish begin to run in July. After
that nobody sleeps"
1T must be rather interesting"
ut is more than that: 1t ia inspiring
Why, the story OF the salmon is an
epic in itself. You know they live q
cycle Of four years. no more. always
ity to die. And l have heard 1t 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. new
er 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. II
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 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 great silver horde. which races up.
up. up toward death and obliteration.
They come with the violence Of sum-
mer storm; like prodigious. cleaning
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
appears from distant coasts to take
his toll. but still they press bravely on.
The clank Of machinery makes the
hills rumble: the hiss Of steam and
the signs of the soldering furnaces
are like the complaint Of some giant
overgorging himself"
How long does 1t all last?"
"Only about six weeks: then the
furnace fires die out. the ships are
loaded. the men go to sleep. after
which Kalvik Says back into its ten
months coma. becoming. as you see it
now. Il dead. deserted village. Stunned
by man.
But don't see how those huge
plants can pay for their upkeep with
such a short run"
well. they do. and. what's more.
they pay tremendously. sometimes 100
per cent year or more.
1.-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
their 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 that?"
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 presi-
dent Of the United States is inaugural
ed they are plentiful"
Emerson rose,
81 had no idea there were such prof
its in the fisheries up here"
Nobody knows 1t outside OF those
Interested The Ealvik river Is the
most wonderful salmon river IN the
world. for it has never failed once.
That's why the companies guard 1t
so jealousy"
ii WIS ~ l(letlt tuil tue S'uuSN u"h
was vitality interested now.
what does ii cost to install and OPP
crate cannery for the first senson?"
About S2tO.OOO. | am told. But be.
lieve one can mortgage his catch or
borrow money on it from the banks.
and SO not have to carry the full bur
den"
whats to prevent me from going
into the businesS?"
Several things Have you the mon
eyY'
"Possibly. What else?''