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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1883)
November, 1883. FISHERIES Quinn's cannery, .bout a mile below Oak Point on the Oregon side of the Columbia, was destroyed by fire on the first of November. Ten tons of live Ilaltimore oysters were recently transplanted near Victoria. This U a work that should not be confind to one section. The Williams cannery at Tacoma was not successful this season as anticipated. After loo barrels were salted and 2,000 cases packed, the salmon ran ended, leaving cans for about 15,000 cases to be held over. Reports from the Alaska whaling fleet are very discouraging. Up to the twenty-eighth of August five vessels had caught ten whales, while the lemainder of the fleet of thirty-eight had none. The ice was very bad and whales were seen outside Point Harrow but twice. The Cpwt went ashore five miles north of Point llelcher and is a total wreck. The fleet is exacted to return in a lew days, and then the full catch of the season will be known. The salmon run in Rogue and Cocuille rivers has been unusually large and the season is now at an end. Recently 3,200 were caught in two hauls of the seine at Ellensburg and the cannery there after using up all its material for canning, salted fish in great quantities. On the Ctxuille about 10,000 cases have been packed and some 1,300 barrels salted. This industry is increasing rapidly on the southwestern coast of Oregon, where there are yet a number of fine salmon streams upon which canneries could be profita bly located. A car containing 10,000 young carp arrived in this city on the fourteenth of Novcmlwr, having leen sent out by Prof. Iiaird, U. S. fish com missioner. To all parties on the coast who apply for them for the purpose of slcilting onds fifty are given free of charge. Now is the best opor. tunily farmers will probably ever enjoy to obtain a supply of these excellent food fish for breeding uion their own premises. They require but little care and in two years become large and valuable. Since the above was in tyjie we have learned from the gentleman in charge that the carp have all been distributed. This Is an evidence that our people recognize their value. The fisheries of Alaska are only exceeded by the fur industry in importance, and are increasing so rapidly that they may take the first rank In I few years. The extent of the whaling interests is well known. The principal food fish are cod, halibut, salmon, herring and oolachon (eulachon) The last named are extremely oily and are caught by the natives in great numbers, who e: tract the oil and use it for food grease, as some tribes do whale oil. These fish are also dried and then burned for candles, being on that account known also as the candle fish. The oil has been bottled and exported to some extent and is pronounced superior to cod liver oil for medicinal purposes. This fish is most abundant in southern Alaska and British Columbia. At present the salting and canning of salmon is the leading industry Seven canneries, situated at Kenai, Pyramid Harbor, Cape F'ox, Karlook, Chiloit, Carter bay, and Kiaovack, are in operation this season and the result of their labor is not yet known. At THE WEST SHORE. Killiknoo the Northwestern T.-Ji.l(( Urn,,.,, has a large establishment for extracting oil and drying lish. They produce gB quantities ol herring oil, cod liver oil, portk.ise oil, whale oil, dried cod and dried herring. Fish are alio dried and salted at Token, Silka, Naha bay, llartlelt hay, Unga island, and Choumagin islands. The black cod, a superior finnl lull alKiul which little has heretofore lwen known, abounds from Cape Flattery to the Arctic ocean. The fuh is very fat and oily, some of the native trilws catching it for its oil in the place of oolachon. Under the auspices of the United Slates Fish Commission James (i. Swan has recenlly nude some expert nienls in salting the black cod which have lwen highly successful, and 500 pounds of the fuh have Ucn sent to Washington. An effort was made thirty years ago by Captain lliolchie to secure a cargo of these fish at Knight's island, but as the natives have a siiersliiious regard for them he was prevented from accomplishing his puiKe. There is an opening here for an extensive and profitable industry. In 1878 a few shad were planted In the Sacramento river, anil now this fine fih is occasionally caught In the waters of Pugel sound, llritish Columbia and Alaska. FLATHEAD KF.SF.KVATION AND MISSION. Pruhahly the most conlcnlcd of reservation In dians in the United Slates are those occupying the region embracing the Flathead lake ami valley of the Jocko, in Montana. These Indians have been continuously under the religious insliucllon of the missionary fathers of the Catholic church since early pioneer times, and it can be said of them that they have never given trouble to the white Intruders. In the mailer of education and the practice of agriculture and the induililal ails they are the equal of any save the Creeks and Cherokees, and are nearly self-sustaining. These fads will apiear in the rcirt of Senator Vest and the Indian Commission, where the contrast wilh the condition of many other reservation Irilicswill lie vivid, The following facts aliout I lie Flat head reservation are collated from a Missoula ex change 1 The Jocko valley, where the reservation head quarters are located, Is one of the loveliest spits in Montana. Streams of clear, crystal water flow past the agency liuildings and behind the mountains rise rugged and high. A beautiful moss-banked stream flows swiftly along between the agency and the Jocko. On both sides of lis banks the land Is fenced in, and substantial log houses and smoke-colored lodges alternate as far as the eye can reach. Here a goldrn sluhhl field, wilh slacks of wheat in the center nesl a green meadow, from which the grass lias been cut clean and smooth 1 then a corn patch, and veg etable gaiden, all making a picture of rare Wsuly, which the eye loves to dwell upon. Then the Indians (for every foot of land belongs to them) galloping along with their gaily colored blank' and head-dress of fcaihen nodding in the wind, lent an additional charm to that scene of beauly in the peacelul looking Jocko valley. The agency buildings and surroundings are as clran-krpt ami neat as park. No wotvler Maj Kunan U held In cb high esteem by bulb Indian and while. An honest, upright nun, be I peculiarly fitted fof his difficult imiiuio. 285 A (lure-mile dnve Irum the agency over the graiing lands brings us to the Jocko, The liver hanks are covered wilh rush, which grows down to the water's edge tall pines, larches and firs at intervals throw their shadows ovr the clear, rip. pllng waters, and over many a deep trout pool, where the Indians can always be seen fishing. All along the liver b.tllom the trees aland well apart, with rich pasturage covering I he Sures lie. tween. The drive of fourteen miles down the feitile Jocko valley Is on ol Interest. Well-lllkd fields belonging to the Indians and half-breeds art passed, Ug and frame houses art to be seen on every ranch, some of them belonging o while men who had mauled squaws, fur by such a mi. rlage a while man acquires the privileges and Im munilica of an Indian untaxed. The eulli Jocko valley, with its panorama of beaullful sceneiy, It Indian lodges and farms, Is spread out to the tail road liaveler, fur I lie Norihcin Pacific winds Its way through the liver valley. St. Ignalius Mission was tl,IUhed by Father de Smel In the year 1K5J. when tlx lower Kalis pel Indians cam up and settled In the Mission valley. The Indians who occupy h Hal head reservation art composed of Kaliiil, Pen d'Oreil lei, Flatheads, and Koolenais, as follows 1 I'tn d'Oreillcs and Kallspels, atmul l,un Koolenais, alMiul J 50, and Flalheads alut 150, Th old log church, built at I In beginning of the Mission, was replaced In 1X59 by lb present (ram build, ing, built by Falhei Manelery, which is capel'M of accommodating about l,ux Indians, Then arc two boarding schools 1 th on lot lb girl I conducted by ill Siileis of Providence. Then aie five iistrt and four lay tillers, Tin Uiy' boarding school Is conducted by I lie fathers, there being Ihre laihirs and four lay IhoiImis, 11m Indian children, besides being taught a common school education, are also instructed In manual lalxir of all kinds, I lie boy learning carpentering nd other trades. The glils ar In.liuded In housework, iiccditwork ami other accomplish nienls, In order to make them tidy housewives. The Isihers ar instructing filly Indian boys, and die sitlers about ih sam nuinUr 0 girls, Two new school bouse ar being constructed, tin lor lb glils, 50S45, two slori high, and another (4 lh boys, in th thap f an U having a diwhkt front of Ghsoo fed, and two full slmlas high, wilh a mansard loot. The school houses i put up at lh (spens of tlx nilMloa fsl liars. Th girl' school hjus will coat fully $).uj, ami thai of th boys will not fall shod of from X,ou lo $-V)0, 11m present iisKlenc of th slsln was built In 1K05, ami that of th failwis In 1S76, 'lit mission buildings ar surround,! by smiling gsolcns of fruits and fluweit, Vegetables, hemp, broom cof n, ami lolauto at Icatt (nil bet high. CaMages, squashes, end crflwr vegetal,) attain I wotuWrful growth la tlx anltuu garden, lb best vrgelabl Wing in t garden which ha been cJlllvatsd Uii th paal twenly-nv years. A new Homing mill 00 Willow creek, Madsv eutinly, Montana, ho begun operation. Preparation f being snad lo begin lb snan ufacur at potlery at th large brick yard awar New Taeusna, Th sinrn Unstring mill at Collosi, Whitman county, W. T., ka ) completed. It Km catHy 4 11) barrel in twenty-four hours.