ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 389 



of like clianicter, Upou this matter 1 also corresponded witli tlie 

 Treasury Department, and in Appendix C will be found a copy of the 

 correspondence. 



FISHIN(r INDUSTRIES OTHER THAN SALMON. 



While salmon heads the list as among the productive food lishes of 

 Alaska, it is by no means the only profitable industry. A further 

 reference to the tables. Appendix D, shows the catch of cod as reported 

 by the two concerns engaged in this industry. Explorations by the 

 United States Fish Commission steamer Albatross have definitely 

 located a number of "banks" greater in area than those of Xewfouml- 

 land, upon which feed innumerable codfish of good size and superior 

 flavor, and it needs but a market within reach of the distributing point 

 of San Francisco to insure a permanent and ample supply. 



As compared with the fisheries of the Atlantic banks, those of the 

 Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea are to all intents and purposes to be 

 preferred. The dangers to the fishermen are but few. The loss of a 

 dory or a man is so infrequent, and the climatic conditions so favorable, 

 as to reduce the risk to a minimum. Much of the fishing is conducted 

 from shore stations, located in snug harbors. The men are comfortably 

 provided for and well paid. A reduction in freights such as would 

 ensue from the completion of an interoceanic canal would, in my esti- 

 mation, place at the disposal of the millions of the people of the United 

 States east of the Rocky Mountains the delicious quality and inestima- 

 ble quantity of the Alaskan codfish. 



OTHER FISHING INDUSTRIES. 



Many of the inlets and lagoons to which access is had from the 

 straits^ sounds, and gulf of the Alexander Archipelago are, in their 

 season, full of herring, smelt, and capelin, and they all have their share 

 in the furnishing of the larders of the Alaskan housekeeper. There is 

 but one concern engaged in the business of preparing marketable 

 product from such sources — the Alaska Oil and Guano Cempany, located 

 at Killisnoo, Admiralty Island — and the productions of tliis concern, 

 such as herring oil and fish guano, find a ready sale m the United 

 States, Hawaiian Islands, and quite recently shipments by means of 

 sailing vessels have been made direct to England. As a fertilizer the 

 guano is said to be superior to all others in the production of sugar 

 cane, while the oil can be used by special preparation for all the ordi- 

 nary purposes to which linseed oil is put in the pre])aration of paints. 



The output of this concern for the season is given in Appendix E. 



HALIBUT FISHERIES. 



Nearly all the inshore banks and sheltered bays contain halibut in 

 large quantities, and sporadic efforts have been made to find a market 

 for them. Canning has not met with success, but such would come into 

 demand were the salmon output much reduced below the present limit. 

 The fish when so prepared is delicate and toothsome. An occasional 

 schooner has secured a load of fresh halibut, packing same in ice 

 obtained from the near-by glaciers, meeting with more or less success 

 by shipping same in refrigerator cars from ports on Puget Sound direct 

 to New York and Boston. 



Sun-dried or smoked halibut is a staple article of food for the native 

 Alaskan during the winter months, and salted napes and lins are 



