PACIFIC SALMON" FISHERIES. 61 



A couple of years later it was dismantled. This plant was popu- 

 larly known as the "Bradford" cannery. 



The Nushagak Canning Co. built a cannery on the eastern shore 

 of Nushagak Bay in 1888. at a place known as Clark Point, 5^ niiles 

 below Fort Alexander. This cannery also became a member of the 

 Alaska Packers Association in 1893, but from 1891 to 1901 v/as not 

 operated, but held in reserve. In the last-named year a large double 

 cannery was built here and put into operation and has been operated 

 each year since. 



This company also built and operated" a saltery on the Igushik 

 River in 1886. Three years later it was moved to the mouth of the 

 Nushagak. In 1893 C. E. Wliitney & Co. purchased an interest in 

 it and by 1899 owTicd it all. In 1902 the saltery was sold to the 

 Alaska Packers Association, which closed it down. 



In 1899 the Pacific Steam Whaling Co. built a cannery and com- 

 menced canning on the eastern shore of Nushagak Bay at Fort Alex- 

 ander, or Nushagak village. This cannery was purchased by the 

 Pacific Packing & Navigation Co. in 1901, and upon the sale of its 

 properties in 1904 became a part of the Northwestern Fisheries Co. 

 It has been operated each year since the latter company acquired it. 



The same year the Alaska Fishermen's Packing Co., of Astoria, 

 built a cannery immediately below that of the Parinc Steam Whaling 

 Co., and operated it every year to date, control of the company 

 passing to Libby, McNeill & Libby in 1913. 



In 1901 the Columbia River Packers Association, the Alaska- 

 Portland Packers Association, and the Alaska Salmon Co. all built 

 canneries on the Nushagak and have operated them to date, except 

 the last named in 1909, when its supply ship was wrecked. The 

 Alaska Fishermen's Packing Co. also built a saltery here. The 

 latter plant was abandoned in 1904. 



In 1903 the North Alaska Salmon Co. operated a new cannery on 

 the Nushagak, a few miles below Clark Point. 



In 1910, on August 10, shortly after the packing season had ended, 

 tlie plant of the Alaska-Portland Packers Association was completely 

 destroyed by fire. The plant was rebuilt in time to operate the next 

 season. 



KVICHAK RIVER AND BAY. 



The Kvichak River is about 80 miles in length, varies from 100 

 yards to a mile in width, and discharges a vast quantity of water 

 The influence of the tide is felt 30 miles from the mouth. The cur- 

 rent is very swift, running in places as much as 7 miles an hour. 

 The upper half of the river is filled with low, grassy islands, the 

 channels in many places being quite narrow. A launch drawing 3 

 feet of water can reach Lake fliamna with very little difficulty. In 

 most sections there arc over 2 fathoms of water in the channels. The 

 river drains Iliamna Lake, the largest lake in Alaska, which is about 

 90 miles long and about 30 miles wide, and Lake Clark. There are a 

 number of Indian villages along the shores of the river and lakes. 



Practically all of the fishing here is carried on in Kvichak Bay, 

 gill nets being the only form of apparatus in use. As it is not con- 

 venient for the fishermen to take the catch to the canneries, large 

 house lighters and scows are moored in convenient places and the 

 fishermen live aboard the former, while the fish are put aboard the 



