The Alaska sourdough. [volume] (Douglas, Alaska) 1911-1911, 1911-10-24

pl0y OF Lne government, 1iohS oChoAo,
David Starr Jordan. Fiftyone families
two hundred and eighty eight species,
have been classified and described.
Geographically, we would wander thou
sands of miles along a coast line of
varied climate and latitude, from the
far Attu islands, swept by the Japan
current, to frozen Point Barrow; di-
vided, for convenience, into four geo
graphic sections-Southeast Alaska,
Central, Western and Arctic Alaska.
But, in tins practical day and age, it
is in the industrial phase that most'pe
Die have interest-what has been done,
really; what it means in dollars to the
nation; how the fish are prepared for
the table. Housewife and business
man, who represent the vast majority
Of the reading public, must know
things of this sort first. The romance
comes later, if they can find time in
this very stern struggle for existance,
W0er0 UuG ulOSG III anu oGIUuS5 SUI FlNO
and the weak, alas, 60 to the wall.
Alaska. as we have said, is divided
by inspectors into four geographic sec
TONS Southeast Alaska, embracing
all that narrow strip of mainland, and
the numerous islands adjacent, from
Portland canal northwestward to and
including Yakutat bay; Central Alaska,
the region on the Pacific or south side,
from Yakutat westward, including the
Aleutian chain; Western Alaska, the
shores of the Bering sea, and islands
in this sea; and Arctic Alaska, from
Bering strait to the Canadian border. =
Reports Of these sections are fairly
complete, though in those difficult OF
access, as Arctic Alaska, it has been
found impossible to give accurate data
on osme points, for example, on the
number of persons employed and the
investment in the fisheries Of aquatic
animals is here general among the ma
tives.
By far the greater part Of the fishery
products Of Alaska are marketed out
side the district, but steadily increas
ing local demand is noticeable, espec
iallv in the case Of hitherto somewhat
neglected minor species
In 1909 { last report published) the
number of persons engaged in the fish
cries of Alaska was 12,5SS, Of whom
4,4S7 were engaged directly in fishing,
1920 in the canneries, salteries, and
other shore work, and 5S1 employed in
the transporting vessels. The invest
ment in fisheries in this year was So
SS1 ,682, the total return value of pro-
duets $11,181,38S. The greater part
of this was. in canned salmon.
Products Of Alaska fisheries include
black cod, cod, eulachon ("hooligan"
is the nearest approach to the prom
unciation of the name of this fish,
favorite with the natives), founders or
sole, halibut, herring, pollock, red fish,
rock cod, salmon, smelt, tom cod, trout
fertilizer, oil, clans, crabs, aquatic
furs and skins, whale products, walrus
ivory and seaweed.
These are the so-called "com-
mercial fisheries of Alaska. The world
outside Of this is one for the sports
man or scientist to explore.
Of the commercial fish Of Alaska
the salmon leads far and away. 1t is
the salmon industry, therefore, that we
shall first consider.
Canned salmon is the most familiar
form of this excellent food fish; but in
Alaska, besides the fresh fish shipped
out and the canned salmon, it is also
treated by freezing, mildcuring, pick
ling, drysalting, and smoking, and any
thing moresdelicious than some Of the
new delicate smok ed products would be
hard to find.
The salmon itself is of five kinds
the coho or silver salmon, the king or
spring salmon, red or sockeye salmon,
pink or humback salmon, and chum or
DOB salmon Salmon trout ar staalhaa