VIOLATING THE LAW 347 



The rival companies, when spoken to, make the same 

 reply; so accusations are bandied back and forth. 

 Nothing is done and the bad work goes on. 



Nor are the concerns satisfied with capturing the vast 

 quantities of fish as they are schooling in the salt water 

 preparatory to running up the streams to their spawning 

 ground. To do this systematically would be to catch most 

 of the fish, but it would not catch them all it would not 

 make a clean sweep. So, on many of the streams the 

 companies build dams or barricades, designed to prevent 

 any fish from ascending. Drawn by instinct to the mouths 

 of the rivers, the fish crowd to them trying to ascend, 

 pushing forward, going only in one direction, and never 

 becoming discouraged so long as life remains. None 

 ever turn back, and so, in the course of the summer the 

 whole number which in the natural course of things would 

 ascend a river finally collect at its mouth. If the nets are 

 systematically drawn, all these fish are caught; not one 

 escapes, and the river is absolutely despoiled of breeding 

 fish for that year. Not one ascends, and so no eggs are 

 deposited and no fry are hatched the next spring. 



Of course this absolute obstruction of the streams is 

 practicable only on the smaller rivers. But it is carried 

 on to a greater or less extent all through the Territory 

 wherever it can be done, and yet " the erection of dams, 

 barricades, fish wheels, fences or any such fixed or station- 

 ary obstructions in any part of the rivers or streams of 

 Alaska ... is declared to be unlawful," and is 

 punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprison- 

 ment at hard labor for a term of 90 days, or by both such 

 fine and imprisonment, and by a further fine of $250 per 

 day for each day that such obstruction is maintained. 



There are certain rivers too large to be barricaded, and 

 up these some fish run, notwithstanding the continual net- 

 ting at their mouths. Such rivers often head in consider- 



