Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-01-23

INDUSTRY OF this part OF the world. The
ocean floors of southeastern Alaska are car
peted with fish of many varieties; and there
are large fishing industries carried on all
along the coast out to the Aleutian islands
There are many fish in Boring sea, and the
Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers are filled with
fish of one kind or another The total value
of the Alaskan catch for 1914 was almost
$20,000,O00 and altogether we have caught
enough fish in these waters to equal about
80 times what we paid for the territory.
The total value up to date has been very
close to $220,OOO,OOO
The most of this has been made I'D of
salmon, the canning of which is an enor-
nous industry. l shall write of it in the
future. Next to it comes the haibut which
is only in its beginning, although from five
to ten million dollars year are now spent
upon that industry in wages and supplies.
There are more than 400 men employed in
halibut fishing in Alaska, and the annual
catch is almost 100000 pounds and is
rapidly growing
There are also large cod fisheries In Alas
ka, and the cod are said to be equal to those
caught on the Banks of Newfoundland
Much of the cod fishing is about the Aleu-
tan islands, and there are many vessels and
stations devoted to the industry. The
amount of cod caught last year was more
than 100000 pounds, which was an in
crease Of 20 per cent over the catch of the
year preceding.
In addition to the ordinary cod, they are
now catching black cod, fish of about the
same size as the ordinary cod, but darker in
color. The flesh is much richer in OIL but it
may be prepared in such a way that it is de-
licious. 1t has been eaten for many years il
Alaska, and they have been recently ship
ping it to Seattle, where the restaurants
make special feature of barbecued black
cod. This consists of the backs of the fish,
which are kippered or smoked after being
sailed. They are served with drawn butter
There is prospect that an extensive in
dustry will some time arise in the shell6sh of
Alaska. They have oysters near here as
large around as a saucer, and there are
many places among the Alaskan islands
where you can catch crabs as big around as
dinner plate. There are clans, large and
small; little butter CLAIMS that are delicious
and others good to eat as big around as your
hand. There is a man at Petersburg who
has shipped this year 90 cases of one-pound
cans of clans; and clans and clam juice were
formerly packed at Kawak.
| am told, however, that one has to be
very careful as to the sources of his clam
supply Some OF these bivalves feed in the
water near the copper deposits, and the cop
per poisons their meat. The captain of one
of our coast survey steamers in speaking OF
this recently, told me how his life was saved
by pussy-cat. Said he:
=" 1t was a narrow escape. | had bought a
fine mess of clans and was just about to eat
some of them raw when decided | had bet
ter test their edibility by giving one of them
to my cat The pussy ate it, and moment
later she rolled over and went into convul-
sons. She kept on kicking until every one
of her nine lives had departed The CLAIMS
were poisoned by copper, but they looked
as sweet and healthy as any | have ever
seen. Had the cat not been near, | would
have tried them without question, and
really believe that that cat saved my life
FRANK G.. CARPENTER.