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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1889)
488 WEST SHORE. colts that will have a greater demand in the general market than those without. He is the only man in the northwest who keeps Bi'ch high priced animals for breeding purposes. Hitherto as soon as a horse made a record that gave it a reputation the owner has sold it instead of keeping it for the farm, but Mr. DeLash mutt considers that no special market will ever be made for northwestern bred horses by such conduct. If a few others would follow his example a demand for horses bred in this region would make the business highly profitable. VANQUISH. m THE STEVENS MONUMENT. ON Thanksgiving's day was unveiled in Sacramen to, California, a monument to the memory of A. J. Stevens, master mechanic for many years of the railroad shops at that place. The me morial is erected in the city plaza, and consists of a pedestal eleven and ono-half feet high and thirteen feet square at the base. Above this is a bronze statue of Stevens eight feet high. Tho unveiling ceremonies were preceded by a parado of civic and military organiza tions and employees of tho shops over which he had presided. The veil was lifted by Maud Hooker, daugh ( ter of tho foreman of tho Southern Pacific lioiler shops, and addresses were delivered by E. I Huswey, chair' man of the Stevens Statue Association, Governor Wat erman, Mayor tin-gory ami Joseph Stephen, president of the board of trade. When a man has risen from the ranks of lalmr by his own industry and ability to as high a position as that occupied by A. J. Stevens, and has so conducted himself that at his death his fellow workmen and citizens combine to thus honor and jicrpetuato his memory, ho has done that which better entitles him to staml in bronzo before tho gazo of coming generations than many whoso names have occupied more space on the pages of history and War more high sounding titles. SALMON CANNING IN ALASKA. THE season of 1889 was one of unprecedented de velopment in the salmon fisheries of Central Alaska, the island of Kodiak, the eastern shore of the Alaska peninsula, and the great estuaries of Cook inlet and Prince William sound. During the early part of the year, beginning with the month of February, San Francisco's water front seemed to have been captured by the Balmon men. Vessels of all sizes were being chartered and purchased, and the construc tion of nine steamers especially adapted for fishing in Alaska waters was well under way. Money seemed to be no object in fitting out for salmon, for had not one company, located on Kodiak island, paid a dividend of 75 per cent, for the season of 1888? Why, there was no other business like it. It was only necessary to pay in $100,000 and to rake in $175,000 in five months' time, with all the cannery plant in Alaska still on hand. Several new corporations invested as much as $200,000 and $250,000 each, preparing for catches of from 50,00 to 90,000 cases. Altogether the invest ments of San Francisco in Central Alaskan canner ies last spring did not fall much Bhort of $2,500,000. The returns, as far as they can be ascertained, ap proximate $3,000,000, but as quite a number of the ex peditions undertaken upon the strength of faulty in formation and exaggerated reports proved total fail ures, tho returns of those who really caught any sal mon were more satisfactory than the total value of the catch would indicate. When we see that in spite of the many disastrous failures the total output of Alaskan canneries foots up nearly GOO.OOO cases, we must acknowledge that the outlook for the developemcnt of a prosperous salmon industry in Alaska is good. If some people have lost money there, others have made money, and it is safe to say that many good locations still remain un touched. In the opinion of the writer, who has been identified with Alaska for twenty-five years, the most profitable fishing establishments in Alaska, in the fu ture, will be small canneries fitted for from 12,000 to 20,000 cases, buying no ships but shipping by or sell ing to tho largo canneries who own shipping. Streanii and bays of such moderate capacity can still be found by those who are satisfied with twenty-five and thirty per cent, on their investment and do not insist upon doubling their capital during the first season. In view of the experience gained by Alaskan can nery firms this year and of their natural efforts to re cover losses, we may predict that the output for 1S90 will exceed that of the season just closed by many thousands of cases. Alaskan fish averago fourteen to a case and cost about four cents each, leaving great margin for profit.-.-ftoan.