STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND 
TRIBUTARIES. 
GENERAL NOTES AND STATISTICS. 
The Mississippi River and tributaries constitute the most extensive 
river system in the United States and embrace many large rivers 
which are of great value as navigable waterways and also on account 
of their fisheries. Among the more important of these, aside from 
the Mississippi itself, are the Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Wabash, Cum- 
berland, Tennessee, St. Francis, Yazoo, Red, and White rivers. 
There are also numerous other rivers, some of which are navigable, 
and small lakes tributary to the Mississippi and its affluents which 
have considerable value for fishing purposes. The fisheries of this 
river system are prosecuted in 17 States, the area of which aggregates 
928,665 square miles and the population 34,792,662. The number of 
persons employed in these fisberies in 1899 was 11,155. Of this num- 
ber, 8,566 were fishermen and 2,589 were shoresmen in the various 
branches of industry related to the fisheries. 
The States having the largest number of persons, including shores- 
men, engaged in the fisheries of these waters, were: Lowa, 2,637; Illinois, 
2,389; Missouri, 1,531, and Kentucky, 589. In the remainder of the 
States the number varied from 68 in Alabama to 567 in Wisconsin. 
The fisheries of greatest prominence were the seine fishery, employ- 
ing 2,782 fishermen; the fyke-net fishery, 3,310; the set-line fishery, 
3,368, and the mussel fishery, with crowfoot lines, rakes, etc., 1,442. 
In many instances, however, the same persons were employed in more 
than one fishery. 
The amount of capital invested in the fisheries, including the value 
of boats, apparatus of capture, sbore and accessory property, and the 
cash or working capital employed in the various fishery industries, was 
$1,782,825. Boats, the number of which was 7,863, represented 
$167,018; fishing apparatus, $303,262; shore and accessory property, 
$719,095, and cash capital, $593,450. 
The forms of apparatus having the widest distribution are seines, 
fyke nets, and lines. The number of seines used was 1,007, the length 
of which was 179,194 yards and the value $71,641. The largest num- 
ber in any single State was 303, valued at $27,780, in Illinois. In 
Missouri, also, there were 154 valued at $8,010, and in Iowa 145 valued 
at $8,130; but in each of the other States they were employed less 
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