A CAN OF 8ALMOX.
folly overcome the obstacles encoun
tered in their journey. Tho millions of
young fry produced find their way down
the streams to the ocean, whence they
return, when full grown, to the place of
their birth. In this wsy, the species is
propagated and the annual influx from
tho sea offers fishermen a certain bar.
vest
From time immemorial, the Indians
living along tho banks of the Sacramcn
to, Columbia, Fraser and other rivers
flowing into the Pacific, have depended
upon salmon as their chief article of
food. During tho summer season they
assembled along the streams in great
numbers, and speared the fish or caught
them in nets, and it is still customary
for tho survivors of tho once powerful
tribes, to thus gather a supply of food
for winter us3. The spot usually chosen
is some cascado or rapids, offering an
advantageous position for spearing the
fish as they attempt to leap over the ob
stacle, A little staging is built out over
the water, in favorable places, upon
which an Indian perches himself and
weilds a net, with a long handle, which
he passes rapidly through the water,
time after time, until his patience is re
warded with the capture of a fish. Thou
sands of salmon are thus yearly caught
by the Indians, and dried in the sun for
winter use.
The Columbia river leads all other
streams, both in tht size and quality of
its fish, and in tho quantity packed. The
Sacramento, in California, and tho Fra
ser, in British Columbia, are also im.
portant salmon streams. There are can
nerics located on various other streams
of Oregon, Washington, British Colam.
bia and Alaska. The unusual size and
quantity of salmon in the Colombia was
remarked early in the present century,
by traders whose vessels occasionally
entered the river, and the officers of the
Hudson's Day Company. Indeed, as
early as 1832, more than half a century
ago, an effort was made by a 1 Won firm
to turn them to account Nathaniel J.
Wycth came across tho continent with
eleven followers, but returned again tho
next spring. In 1831, ho again cntno
out as the manager of tho Columbia
River Fishing fc Trailing Co,, and built
Fort Williams, on Sauvio's island, at tho
mouth of tho Willamette. His enter
prise proved a fail are, and ho sold out
to tho Hudson's Bay Co. in 1830. Tho
pioneers of Oregon used salmon freely,
both fresh and salted, and it is still a fa
vorite dish. Much salmon was salted
for winter use, and mauy families still
salt a quantity every year for private
use. Tho first cannery was built in
18G7, by William, Oeorgo and It. 1).
Hume and A. 8. Hapgood, at Faglo
cliff, where they packed four thousand
cases that year. Since that time, the
business of canning salmon has increasl
yearly on tho Columbia, until it now
reaches an averago annual valuo of 1,.
000,000.00, and gives employment to
moro than four thousand fishermen and
a largo number of bauds in tho can.
neriea.
The great seat of this industry is As
toria, where three-fourths of tho can
neries are located, and whero nearly all
the pack finds shipment to market The
season begins, according lo legal restric
tion, on tho first of April, and ch tin
last of July, this limitation being placet
by tho legislature to prevent tho corn,
plcto extermination of tho fih. During
that period, tho fmh which succwtl in
safely pasning tho cordon of ii' U, trap,
seines and fish wheels, havo guod reason
to congratulate themnelre. Two thou,
sand boats, each with a net threo bun
dred fathoms long, tin in wait t catch
them as they come in over the Ur at iln
turn of the tidn. Such as safely run tho
gauntlet of the nets at tho mouth of th
strtaui, encounter other n U, sinm and