22 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Table showing the extent of the wholesale fishery trade of Iowa in 1899. 






























Dubuque. | Bellevue. oe Muscatine. 
Items a Soa es he See 
No. Value. No. | Value.| No. | Value. No. | Value. 
| | SESE 
Establishments .......-- 2 $2, 500 2 | $1,500 3 ; $7,000 2| $2,500 
@Cash:capitall «. 2-2-2 ase eeee sees 25500) eee |; JOO ences aes 1. 9)000 ese , 
Persons engaged ........ U |\osmede sone: oy oy ptt ispeeeace Ie eoeeneos Si iisconceee 
Products sold: | Se sel, ee 
Fresh fish....pounds..) 314, 980 16,093 | 241,684 | 10,839 | 548,650 | 25,262 | 394,864] 17,156 
Oystersice acs gallons.. 5, 500 (AG Uh) Bee aan soos soe 9,500 | 12,050 5, 000 6, 500 
Turtles == -s- pounds. .|.....---- e|bosessse5s|[pcsoscosssoossecs: Seco Se eed ne esin nee 9, 200 115 
Value of products. ee eee 23,1243 | Sls ee ee ah 105839) 22sec oes Si oll ale eee 23, 771 
— —— ——o = Te ee = ————— ———— —— ne 
i é as : 
| Burne end Fort Sioux City. Total 
Items. | z Sehr, eee | 
| No. | Wale. \)- No: Value. No. Value. 
Establishments ...........2..2.22--- 3| $9, 600 | 2| $13, 600 | 14 | $36,700 
Cashccapltalttwss ss. a.cee-cccsiecen ae eS SSSAcee LIS HOOR Smee ese W000 2 2 scetecemee 46, 000 
Personsienpasede ss 2 .n een oon es } ; IES | bososb Sone! ay (Al qaaAaa sas (CET pee ace 
Products sold: | | ey Mid ise rhb res 
Preshtashie es oe ase pounds. -| 1, 137, 747 49,735 | 588,998 | 952,540 | 3, 221,923 171, 625 
Oysters: sees see 2 see en gallons. .| 18, 500 24, 050 39, S60 48, 761 | 74, 360 98, 511 
Turtles a 252s eecanwas cee POUNGSEs | See eeeeen a |seee eee lovecat Jaeisone solve | 9, 200 115 
MalueoPproductss-222 2 sasceen leeacee rR TOMLSOL | etree ee 101, 301 jpttceecteee 270, 251 



WISCONSIN. 
The fisheries of Wisconsin in the Mississippi and its tributary, the 
St. Croix River, were engaged in by 567 persons, and the amount of 
capital invested was $37,825. The products consisted of 976,735 
pounds of fish of various species, valued at $22,029, and 16,260,000 
pounds of mussel shells, with a value, including $4,800 worth of pearls 
and 3,900 worth of baroque pearls, of $66,110. The most important 
food-fishes were buffalo-fish, German carp, cat-fish, and sturgeon. 
The greatest change that has taken place in the fisheries of this 
State in the Mississippi River since the last canvass in 1894 has been 
the development of the mussel fishery, now the most important fish- 
ery prosecuted on the river in Wisconsin. Prairie du Chien was the 
center of this industry in the State in 1899, about 200 men being 
employed here at different times of the year in taking mussels. 
Many valuable pearls are found in the mussels and serve as an extra 
inducement for the fishermen to engage in the fishery. 
Two factories at Prairie du Chien were engaged in manufacturing 
pearl-button blanks from mussel shells, these blanks being shipped to 
New York City, where they were made into buttons. The two facto- 
ries employed 58 men. The buildings, together with the accessory 
property necessary for carrying on the business, were valued at $6,360, 
and the cash capital required was $12,500. Between the two firms 
520 tons of mussel shells were purchased ata cost of $4,224. From 
these shells 73,048 gross of button blanks were manufactured, having 
a value of $8,895. 
There has been a slight decline in the fishing proper, due to the fact 
