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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1883)
THE WEST SHORE. April, 1883. 78 slructing the Oregon Short Line, which leaves (he main line t Granger, Wyoming, nd strikes off through Idaho in generally northwest direc tion toward Oregon, and it intended to connect with the Orfj jn system nt, or fifty tnilr east of, Haker Cily. The road mi opened to Shoshone, Maho, on Match Ut, adislance of 321 miles fiom Granger. Shoshone ia ot the junclion of the Woixl river liranch, which extends northward. The Short Line not only connects with the Ore gon system, hut it striving after Pujet sound business, and this interest is spurring the North ern Pacific company to put in the projected road across the Cascade range from its trunk line to a Pugft sound outlet. Not only are these two great rival trans-conlirtental companies thus reach ing and straining after North I'acilic traffic, but it is said that the Chicago & Northwestern com pany is stretching for the Pacific through a region midway lielween the lines ol the Union i'acilic ami Northern Pacific, ami will soon have a road completed to Pradwood, in the lilack Hills. Further progress westward across the Rockies is only a 'pieslion of lime. These three great trunk lines will quite thoroughly oen the regions of Idnho and Montana, and each is sure to throw 01ft branchrs at the two that have already penetrated the country have begun to do. It it safe to tay that, within from three (0 five years, Idaho, Mon tana, F.aslcrn Oregon and Washington will be as well supplied wilh railroads at Iowa ami Minn aula are now. This, of course, means settlement, hundreds of new towns and cities, and the use of any amount of lumlx-r." Fisheries. A cannery is in course of construction near the mouth of Coiii!le river. A hew floating fishery ami canning factory has been built at Victoria uhw improved plans. The lug Uial Mountain Oiwh has lcn built for Mr. IVlill, to be used in catching fish for his cannciy at Astoria, Hie dmon trason on thi Columbia opened Monday, April 3d. At Astoria the catch for the lint day was alxiut twenty-five to the IhkiI, though several look fifty each, and one brought in eighty five. The government fih commission has announced that the fishery on Mcleod river, California, will lie discontinued, as no appropiiation ha been made, and the opinion prevails lhal thi MtIod salmon do not thrive when transplanted If the plant of these woikt could lie removed to aortic tributary of the Columbia, it could be util lied to some advantage. The Astoria shops have been unusually busy in wqaiinc machinery and appliances for the can rung establishments. An ingenious machine for canning salmon has been invented and is now use in tome of the factories. It automatically cms tnc run and nils the can, doing the work twenty men, and requires iwn or three men feed it. The machine costs $Soo and will dotiU come inlo general use. me canning or salmon in Alaska it an industry w men tumoral to justify the expendilure of $;.rjoa,oco paid to Kusua for that lerriionr. S,.. eta) (actum are being erected this spring and old one Utrased to capaaly. The river, Uayt and inlets of the coast and adjacent islands offer unparalleled facilities for this growing industry, and Alaska is capable of supplying the world wilh this delicious article of food. Th Orrcon and Washington Fish Co. has been incorporated for the purpose of building fish traps upon the plan patented by J. M. Frazier. The trap consists of a floating boat or platform, to which is attached a netway extending to the bottom of the river, and guiding all fish that come within the limits of its wide-spread arms into a cage directly beneath the boat, which can be elevated to the deck and be relieved of its wrig gling burden. There is but little chance for fish to elude this patent catch-all. There is one method employed in catching salmon which merits the hearty disapproval of every one interested in the canning industry, and that is the destroying lish-wheel. From a project- nc rock on the bank a large wheel is suspended, which is revolved by the force of the current flow ing against the paddles. Nets within the paddles scoop up all the fish coming withjn their reach, and dump them into a chute down which they slide to Imxes on the shore. By this means both large and small fish are taken and none once within the net escape destruction. Several ol these machines were operated on the Columbia last season, and with such success that others are being put in this spring. One wheel captured 4,000 pounds in twenty-four hours and made money for its proprietor as long as the season lasted. They are very successful near rapids where the fish hug the shore in their passage up the stream. These wheels will undoubtedly come under the ban of the law, but not, probably, until they have multiplied to such an extent as to make the injury they cause perceptible. It is evident that steps ought to be taken to maintain and even increase the run of salmon in the Columbia. If the government does not estab lish a salmon hatchery on the river the cannery men themselves should do so lor the protection of their own business. The fear that others who might not contribute towards defraying the expense of such an institution would profit by its work, ought not to deter them from providing against ihe destruction ol their business by a great diminu tion of ihe fish upon which it depends. The best way would be for the state to take hold of the matter. The canning of salmon is one of the greatest industries of Oregon and should be en couraged to the decree it deserves. The expense of two hatching places, onj on the Columbia and one on the Willamette or Clackamas, could be met by a small tax levied upon each fish taken from the water, or upon each case packed. The burden of supporting them would thus be equally distributed among those deriving the benefit, and 7 w "K Ml heavily upon none. "rc '-lacKatnas, which stream seem, to be . favorite spawning place, can be easily put in good condition again. The current annual expense of this hatchery will be about vte nope the legislature will at least in. vesical thi t"on ai us next session. If it doe. not, the canners themselves should take the hi nana. The twenty factories of Rritl.h i..L. tui-L.,1 ... wuiumoia $.1, "f-'-nin ,88a, valued $'.I7S.ooc, Great activity U being displayed on Fraser river and other points being enlarged, wnue inree new ones are going up on Skeena river. The practice of using but part of the fish has been stopped as a wasteful and extravagant one, and the canneries are now allowed to catch only what they can use. A resolution has passed the legislature asking the Dominion government to place British Columbia on a level with other provinces in the propagation of fish, a matter of great importance to the fishing industry. The spring salmon of these waters are called the sockeye, and seldem exceed ten pounds in weight. lhey are very lat, finely flavored, and the flesh U of a blood red color. The run begins in May and continues about six weeks. In September the coohoes appear, a different variety of salmon, averaging about twenty pounds in weight, though often much heavier . Early in the spring delicately flavored fish about the size of saidines, known as the oolichan, appear in Fraser river in countless numbers. They are very oily and are dried by Indians and burned for candles. Much of the oilhas been shipped to London, and is pro nounced superior to cod liver oil as a medicine. Sturgeon, cod, halibut and other salt water fish abound. The fishing industry is one of the most important of the province. A comparatively new feature of the canning business is the packing of fish as a substitute lor herring. Three years age A. W. Berry & Co., of Astoria, built a factory at Rainier for the pre serving of Oregon trout, a small fish of the salmon trout variety usually called hardheads or steel heads. These are taken from May to December in countless numbers, and are salted, smoked and canned. Last year they tried the experiment of packing smelt by the same process, and were 10 successful that they have gone into it extensively, 1 50 tons being this season's product. The smelt run is about over when the salmon catch begins, and thus the factory is enabled to work its plant nearly the whole year through. Sturgeon in great numbers follow the smelt and feed upon them. These giant fish are also made to yield t revenue to the enterprising canner. Their spawn is purchased at six cents a pound and manufactured ' into that Russian delicacy known as caviar. The fish are sold in the local market and are served up to the eating public as sea-bass. The moked salmon and smelt are shipped to Australia, Europe and the Eastern States. Because of the greater amount of meat in proportion to bones, these fish are preferable to herring. The salmon is equal in flavor to the older product, while the smelt by many considered superior. This is a feature of the canning industry which is bound to grow, and will offer an opportunity for factories to keep busy at seasons of the year during which they now are idle. The canning season is now in full blast at A toria, and thirty-nine factories are in operation in and near that city. These have 1,600 boats i the water, and there has been a great influx of fishermen to man them. In addition to the there is an increased number of private boats. A boat and outfit costs $700 and therefore it will be seen that the factorymen have over $1,000,000 in vested in this branch of the businest alone. The price paid fishermen throughout the season will b about seventy-five cents, though the season it v far enough advanced to determine that point, will be a question of supply and demand. The