642 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



four or five persons, making iu all two hundred or two hundred and fifty people dependent upon 

 the fisheries. For about ten weeks in spring, and for about the same period in fall, each of the 

 net owners requires a number of assistants, varying from one to eight. Thus about seventy-five 

 men additional find employment for five months. Not more than ten or twelve of the assistants 

 are married, the remainder being youug men. There are iu all therefore about fifty families and 

 sixty-five unmarried men dependent on the fisheries of this region. 



With the exception of two men, a Frenchman and an Irishman, the pound-net owners represent 

 three nationalities American, German, and Norwegian. Among the assistants a great number 

 of nationalities are represented. 



The fishermen of this region are, almost without exception, in comfortable financial circum- 

 stances, and some have amassed considerable fortunes. They are nearly all land owners to a 

 greater or less extent, some possessing valuable farms in addition to their fisheries. 



There are few localities on the lakes where the fishermen control the business so completely. 

 They buy their own supplies directly from the manufacturers, and in many cases ship the fish which 

 they catch. There is one dealer, however, who buys nearly all the salt fish and a considerable 

 portion of the fresh fish. He employs continually about five men in preparing products for market. 

 Besides this firm there are several others of minor importance. 



The practice of supplying fishermen with outfits on credit has been abolished, and although 

 there are some men who would engage in fishing if they could secure an outfit in advance, the 

 dealers wisely abstain from yielding to their requests. 



As already intimated, the principal fishery carried on is the pound-net fishery. The pounds 

 about Suamico form the southern section of that great line of nets extending all along the west 

 shore of Green Bay. They are all set comparatively near shore, in from 10 to 34 feet of water. 



With the approach of cold weather and the formation of ice in the bay the pound fishery gives 

 way to the winter gill-net fishery. There are no peculiarities, however, in the mode of its operation 

 in this region. 



Seining has been almost abandoned, many of the nets having been used in the construction of 

 pounds. The two seines still in use one at the mouth of Suamico River, the other at the mouth of 

 Ocouto River are small, and the amount of fish taken by means of them is insignificant. 



The amount of capital invested in the apparatus and accessories employed in the fisheries in 

 1879 was about $33,000. The principal factors in this amount are the cost of the pound-nets and 

 the repairs made upon them, of the boats, and of the packages in which the salt fish were shipped. 

 These items combined amount to about five-sixths of the total sum. 



As the result of the activities of the fishermen during 1879, about 600,000 pounds of fresh fish, 

 worth $13,500, and 17,000 half-barrels, worth not less than $27,000, were sent to market. The 

 profits were distributed among seven firms of shippers, and through them to the fishermen. The 

 fresh fish consisted of whitefisb, trout, and the various kinds herring, black bass, pike, catQsh, 

 &c. shipped together under the name of "rough" fish. The amount of salt fish was made up 

 almost entirely of whitefish and herring. 



At Oconto we meet for the first time with an establishment for the manufacture of caviare and 

 isinglass. About 65 pounds of crude isinglass were prepared here in 1879. 



The dealers find markets for their products in Chicago, Saint Louis, and Kansas City, the 

 former city receiving by far the largest share. Little or no salt fish is sent to Saint Louis or Kansas 

 City. 



The principal change which has occurred in the methods of fishing employed in this region is 

 that already referred to, namely, the substitution of pound-nets for seines. 



