ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAl_, INDUSTRIES, 1922. 51 



Admiral Goodrich and arriving at Bethel June 13. Mr. Wingard 

 made a careful study of conditions, his findings indicating the extent 

 of the run of salmon and the need of conservation to prevent depletion 

 by the influx of fishing concerns from other districts where the indus- 

 try has declined. His report is as follows : 



On arriving at Bethel a good, sturdy gas boat was engaged, as work in the 

 country was to consist wholly of operations along the Kuskokwim River. The 

 first work was the placing of markers at the mouth of the river, which is 

 discussed in detail on page 53. Following that, all fishermen and packers on 

 what is termed the lower river were visited and given notification of the 

 location of the markers and the nature of tlie regulation governing fishing. 

 After this the writer patrolled the river for 32 days. As every evidence during 

 this time showed that both packers and fishermen Intended in entire good faith 

 to obey the regulation, and the run being over except for the silvers, a general 

 trip of observation was made up the river. This trip lasted 18 days and ex- 

 tended as far as the Eskimo village of Tuliviksak, approximately 400 miles 

 up the Kuskokwim River. Here high water, great quantities of drift, consist- 

 ing of stumps, uprooted trees, etc., together with an unpopulated country 

 ahead, and consequently nothing to be gained by a farther advance except 

 the town of McGrath, which was over 100 miles farther, caused the agent to 

 turn back to the lower river. On this trip stops were made not only at every 

 village but at every habitation, interviewing residents, taking notes, and getting 

 as nearly as possible all the information obtainable relative to salmon runs 

 and fishing conditions. 



As there are no canneries located on the Kuskokwim, the packing operations 

 on the river resolve themselves into the activities of salteries and drying 

 stations. Four salteries — Knaflich station, Jessland station, Walsh-Joaquim 

 station, and Lundstrum-Garthy station — operated there this season. The 

 Knaflich station, located at Apokak, 5 miles from Beacon Point, is owned and 

 operated by Louis Knaflich and employed but three fishermen. The season's 

 pack amounted to thirty-one SCO-pound tierces of king salmon and forty-seven 

 200-pound barrels of red salmon. The silver pack at the time of departure 

 was not complete. The Jessland station, located at Quigiung, 20 miles above 

 Beacon Point, had packed 11 tierces of kings and 35 barrels of reds and had dried 

 3,000 chum salmon. The Walsh-Joaquim station, located 45 miles up river 

 from Beacon Point, packed 88 tierces of kings and 24 barrels of reds and dried 

 5,000 chums. The Lundslrom-Garthy station, on the Kuskokwak creek, 5 miles 

 below Beacon Point, i)acked 8 tierces of kings and 30 barrels of reds and dried 

 2,000 chums. The output of these four concerns comprises the entire commercial 

 pack of the river that goes outside and is tlie total pack put up on the river by 

 white men between Bethel and the sea. The total number of fish caught was 

 only 35,000. In explanation of this small number it should be stated that none 

 of the packers ai-e large operators. Two or three natives were the most em- 

 ployed at any one time by them during the summer. 



There are » numlier of small operators drying fish whose output is con- 

 sumed locally or sold to persons traveling in the region. On the river above 

 Bethel, at Steamboat Slough, Neal Corrigan dried 1,500 fish for his own dogs. 

 Farther up the river at Ohogamute a white trader named Morgan caught 1.500 

 small fish and 100 kings, drying them for his own use and for barter with 

 the natives. Five miles above Ohogamute Charley Swanson dried 1,500 small 

 fish and 50 kings. A man named Walters, a mile below the native village of 

 Aniak, dried 1,800 small fish and 50 kings. At Aniak a man named Johnson 

 dried 1.650 small fish and 47 kings. At Napamute George Hoffman dried 2,000 

 small fish and 30 kings for his dogs and for barter. Sam Voich, 32 miles above 

 Napamute. dried 3.500 small fish and 50 kings. At Crooked Creek a man named 

 Dennis Perrin dried 6,000 small fish and 200 kings. At Georgetown, something 

 like 300 miles up the Kuskokwim. George Fredericks dried 5.500 small fish and 

 50 kings. A short distance above Georgetown at what its known as Lousetown 

 J. Young dried 2,500 small fish and 200 kings. Eight miles above Georgetown 

 George Woods dried 2,200 small fish and 400 kings. Thirteen miles below 

 Sleitmute, a native village 350 mih^s from the sea, two partners, Nick Millet 

 and J. Johnson, dried 3,000 .small fish and 150 kings. At Sleitmute a white 

 trader, George Bishop, employed a native fisherman, and after drying 250 

 small fish, desisted on account of high water. Fifty miles above Sleitmute, at 

 the native village Tuliviksak, a trader, Ora Barnhardt, also had a native fishing 



