Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-03
Caught His First Salmon
In The kennebec River.
G. W. Hume Gives History Of
Canning Industry.
How He with Ms Brothers Started
Canning on the Pacific.

of the Pacific Coast, who is known
as the Salln3n King:
NV first experience at salmon hsh-
ing was at the age Of ). Ny lather
was n salmon fisher on the kennebet
river. and | went with him one night
to help in place of my brother William
who was away. That night We caught
three salmon, which was considered
n large catch on the kenneDec. They
weighed from fifteen to twenty pounds
each. L. is needless 70 say that next
day | was the proudest boy in Maine
/ did not go again Tor Il year or tw'
until | was able to pull two oars, bu
I never had suea success with my
father again as on the first night.
In 1867 my brother William LETT for
California. returning TO Maine in 1856.
He remained but a few months, but
when he started back to California
NY brother john and ] ACCOMPANIED
| him. We at once began fishing on
the Sacramento river for salmon,
which at that tirncf were plentiful.
w. ash,d until 1851 (using nets) but
,ftar the frs. yeayI owned my out
M a bcag and ret land fshed for my
| self -,
..a ~ iseo due b chils and fever,
| 80, nv rive Jsotlers, after holding
,ars,,l,aiio,J decided to send nc
1910 retfned To Maine and v bile
49,, met old schoolmatc. Andrew
uapgoof who was then in the tin
,,,sinass Ae Suggt sted that We go
~ c,a,;fogia and can salmon. IN
,a,,nna Mr.. Hapgood Lad no CAPT
81 ~ Only a little. but promised
hin n if M brother WMiam would
90 irsith US we would start UP a
,fg business.
rturned to California. My broth
. greed to finance the undertakings
al wrote Mir. liapsood to come on.
lie meantime tad bought n house
IT. and later Gtte1 il mp With tie
Isdde machinery that Mr.. Hapgc cd
tougiit with him across the Isthmus.
sVe Located X in the town of Wash
inston On the banks Of the Saeremen-
IN river, Opposite what is now the
foot of street, Saoremcnto. lu-
stalled farn,er's boiler to cook the
salmon, all our accessories being very
primitive.
The first season We put u9 eco
cases. But we met with many re-
verses and at times We're discouraged.
Once the scoW sank. aud il was With
great difficulty that We rails Il her
T Finding 1t ahnnst impossible to sell
the salmon. We made trip to san
Francisco. and - lille there William T.
Coleman 6 Co promised 10 advance
money on our pack This salmon sold
at s. per dozen. and tie money il
Brought in gave rs Il stare and a
stimulus.
At the end of two years salmon be-
came So scarce on the Sacramento
that I wen; north 10 select a site on
the Columbia river for cannery our
success on the sacramento giving us
p nJidcnce to go n the business OH
larger scale.
On my trip up the Columbia river l
landed at Oak Point. Going ashore
y it. sir. George Alternately, | borrow
ad = boat from uim and afterWard
asuised up and down the Co.umbi&
ookipg for d site, finding one three
piles below Oak Point that suited.
K Uos covered with timber and brush.
Climbing out on fallen tree, | took
and soon after went to
he land office of Vancouver where
entered four fractional sections,
, hieh gave me = mile on the Column
,ia
That fall We put up our pack On
lie Sacramento. as usual, but when
he season was over | again went
lorth, and, clearing off a place, start
d the first cannery on the Columbia
liver. naming it Eagle Cliff" 1t was
i.uated directly beneath u perpendic-
liar cliff about no feet high. on the
,dgo of which an eagle had its nest
II n tree, thus suggesting the name 20
nc.
One day while attempting to burn
lovn ;s&large fir tree by boring a hole
" il and filling the space with live
,oals, the tree fell across pile OF
unher which | had secured for build
ing tie eannerE and destroyed it.
After getting more lumber from Oak
ooirt, commenced erecting the cam
iery, and in 1866 We began orr first |
,acll of salmon. Salmon were plenti-
III, and after packing 5000 cases we
topped in the middle Of the season
o.. fear of breaking the market. AL |
t.DuSN MI ffapSOOu telI uneasy 1
bought it best to continue, surmising |
nat We would not have the business |
q ourselves long.
\ disagreement arising among us. |
We dissolved partnership, my brother |
William aud Mr., Hapsood taking two |
birds Cf the land and | one-third. |
men I put up Il eannery at Eagle |
lift" also, and that year we ran OPP |
osition. but as they were better sit |
atod than l, my pack proved the |
lighter
For my partner [ had taken Mr.. |
'mith. He Gid not understand the |
alTnon business. and the second year !
IT. Francis Cutting of San Francisco |
oueht him out As Mr.. Cutting had
aenty Of capital, we increased our (
aoS to $1,000 cases. Two boats
ronght in two loads every night. |
Yhen the supply gave out, / would
AXE q boat and run over to lothian
,eed's trap, eswhere salmon could be
ad For 5 cents apiece. This kept the
annery going steadily.
After a partnership lasting two or
hree years. | bought out Mr. Cutting.
alter Mr.. Cutting bought me out, al |
hough he had never seen the cannery. |