ALASKA FISHERY Al^B FUR-SEAL IXDUSTRIES, 1920. 147 



is almost certainly inadequate — there would be a total provision of 

 dried salmon for the Yukon and its tributaries in 1920 amountins: 

 to 722 tons. 



The onl}' previous estimate known, based on a partial canvass of 

 the fishing camps, was that prepared by Messrs. H. J. Christoffers 

 and C. F. Townsend, of the Bureau of Fisheries, in 1918 for the 

 ]Hirpose of the Yukon hearing of that year. They enumerated 393 

 fish wheels and a total product of 650 to 700 tons for the Yukon 

 and Tanana Rivers, exclusive of Yukon Territory. Mr. Volney 

 Richmond, manager of the Xorthem Commercial Co. stores, basing 

 his estimate on conditions throughout the Yukon Valley, intimately 

 known by him for many years, gave 600 tons as a fair annual provi- 

 sion of dried salmon for the region. It is possible that more salmon 

 were dried in 1920 than would represent a fair average for tlie river, 

 inasmuch as the previous year had been largely a failure, prices for 

 dried salmon had risen to unheard of figures, and all reserve stocks 

 had been exhausted. 



Estimating the average dried king salmon at 5 ]X)unds, and 

 the average chum at 1^ pounds, there were about 23,000 kings and 

 1.000,000 chums put up on the Yukon in 1920 for local use. 



COMPARISON OF 1920 WITH 1919. 



At all fish camj^s visited expressions of o])inion Avere invited as to 

 the rolativ(> size of the runs in 1920 and in 1919.* The evidence given 

 was overwhelmingly in favor of the run of 1919 l)eing considered one 

 of the worst if not the very worst ever known on the Yukon. Natives 

 and whites all were practically a unit in this belief. Those who 

 believed the cannery was not responsible for the shortage were as well 

 satisfied on the subject of the shortage itself as were those who laid 

 the entire responsibility at the door of the cannery. Those who did 

 put up fairly satisfactory supplies of salmon recognized that they 

 Mere especially favored in their locations, but thought that the river 

 as a whole was relatively bare of fish. 



In the lower sec-tion of the rivei- more fish would have been pre- 

 pared if storms had not broken the wheels and intermitted the fish- 

 ing. Storms al.so broke wheels and interrupted fishing along this 

 section of the river in 1920, but racks and smokehouses were not 

 empty of fish. The natives about Nulato and Koyukuk would have 

 made better provision for the winter of 1919 had they fished dili- 

 gently throughout the season instead of potlatchinjr as they did. 

 They would unc|uestionably have had more fish, but it is doubtful 

 whether they could have secured enough even had they fished consist- 

 ently with as mueh diligence as they ever display. Tt was impos- 

 sil)le to doubt, after interviewing several hundred people distributed 

 along the entire length of the Yukon, that the run of 1919 was phe- 

 nomenally deficient : and, furthermore, that if this condition should 

 become permanent, or should frequently recur, a very serious condi- 

 tion would arise in the interior of Alaska. 



No basis is available for a well-founded estimate of the amount of 

 dried salmon put up in 1919. but we believe that 150 or 200 tons 

 would be an outside estimate for the entire river. The price rose 

 to 2;*), 30, and 3.5 cents per pound, with no stocks available even at 

 those prices. Men compelled to travel during the winter experienced 



