0>^C) ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



fully maintaiued, aud, while all such operated by white men had been 

 removed previous to my expected arrival, the evidences to me were 

 conclusive as to their previous existence. In most instances, the fact 

 being known that an officer to enforce the law was appointed was suffi- 

 cient to cause a hasty removal of all such obstructions as were unlavvful, 

 and I am led to believe that for the latter part of the season the salmon 

 had unrestricted passage to the lakes which constitute their breeding- 

 grounds and which find their outlet^to the ocean through the smaller, 

 clear-water streams. 



The most successful obstructionists of these small salmon rivers are 

 the natives themselves?. Those having proprietary rights to a salmon 

 "cliucic" find no difficulty in disposing of all the salmon they may 

 deliver at the nearest canning establishment, and with them the first 

 move is to barricade the stream a short distance above its mouth or 

 just above the confluence of the tides with the current, so that seining 

 for the mass of fish struggling to ascend the river is a matter of little 

 labor and productive, to the native fishermen, of desirable results. To 

 reach these violators of the law is practically inipossible. The natives 

 are mostly impecunious, and the collection of a fine is impracticable to 

 a degree. 



In this connection, and also to enable the officer having charge of this 

 work to reach the more numerous and irresponsible violators of a law 

 which they do not entirely comprehend, it is, in my opinion, necessary 

 to revise aud amend the law, so that an alternative punishment, by means 

 of imprisonment, can be inflicted by the court. I am led to believe, as 

 the result of formal interviews with several representatives of more pre- 

 tentious establishments than those controlled by the natives, that the 

 payment of the fine of $250 imposed by the present hnv would not be 

 considered an insuperable hardship, and that in the height of the "run" 

 it would be to their advantage to ]iay the fine, " if convicted," rather 

 than lose the fish. 



As to the possibilities of conviction under the i)resent Jury system of 

 Alaska, I will leave the prosecuting attorney to speak for himself. My 

 own ]n'evious experience has led nie into the belief that in cases where 

 the United States is the plaintitf tlie average Alaska jury is for the 

 defense. 



FISH HATCHERIES. 



Several of the more experienced fishermen have attempted the prop- 

 agation of salmon in the streams entirely controlled by them, and others 

 are said to be anxious to provide for their future wants by a system of 

 spawn hatching if the Government will sanction their means and meth- 

 ods. Application to the special agent in charge for permission could 

 only result in a reference to the law, which, if interi)reted literally and 

 enforced impartially, would prevent the maintenance of the necessary 

 dams in the hatching streams. A typical hatchery of this class has 

 been in operation at the works of Calbreath & Co., at Point Ellis, on 

 Kuiii Island, Chatham Straits, which can best be described as follows: 



A dam has been constructed at a point just above extreme high tide, 

 with a second dam a short distance above it, with access thereto by a 

 suitable passageway, so that a person standing upon the lower dam, 

 armed with a scoop net, can dij) up the desired salmon from below and 

 readily transfer them into the stream above the upper or second dam, 

 beyond which there are no furtlier obstructions, aud the fish are left 

 undisturbed to finish their journey to their breeding waters, never far 

 removed. 



