i»ACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 293 



packing for the season being necessarily much reduced, owing to the 

 interruption. A large new cannery to replace the loss by fire was con- 

 structed, and was the only one in operation during the years 1891 and 

 1892. The most abundant salmon taken in this county is the dog sal- 

 mon, which constitutes about five-twelfths of the catch. Silver salmon 

 is next in abundance, representing one-third the catch, while steelhead 

 and Chinook salmon, respectively, comprise one-sixth and one-twelfth 

 of the yield. In 1889 about three eighths of the salmon catch of this 

 county was obtained by means of pound nets, but in the later years 

 the use of purse seines has been increasing and pound nets have been 

 given up, so that in 1892 three-fourths of the catch was made with purse 

 seines and one-fourth with gill nets. 



A fleet of small-sized schooners, built for the fisheries during the 

 years 1891 and 1892, at once inaugurated the halibut fishery, and their 

 catch met with a ready sale at Seattle. 



The business of shipping fish fresh in refrigerator cars is growing in 

 importance. Shij)ments are as yet confined to fresh salmon and halibut 

 consigned mostly to points east of the Missouri River. Each car carries 

 from 12 to 18 tons of fish. In 1890 six carloads, comprising 195,250 

 pounds of fresh fish, were sent east from Seattle ; the following year, 

 nineteen carloads, aggregating 090,210 pounds, were sent east. Up to 

 December 1, 1892, five carloads, equivalent to 121,550 pounds, had been 

 sent, and it is probable that the shipments during the remainder of the 

 year would make the aggregate for the season fully equal to that of 1891. 



The Puget Sound and Alaska Commercial Company, of Seattle, was 

 the pioneer of the cod-fishing business of that city. The firm began 

 operations in February, 1892, and on March 5 of that year sent the 

 schooner Moonlight, of 68 tons, with a crew of 17 men, on the first cod- 

 fishing trip from Seattle. The vessel fished in Bering Sea and returned 

 to Seattle on August 20 with 175,000 i)ounds of salt cod. Soon after 

 being landed the fish were prepared in the usual manner as boneless 

 cod and placed on the market. The success attending this first trip 

 and the favorable reception accorded the prepared catch indicate that 

 the future may see this business largely increased. 



The pelagic fur-seal fishery has for many y^ars received considerable 

 attention in Seattle. Of late more vessels and larger craft have been 

 engaged in this branch of the fisheries. During 1892 the vessels were 

 very successful in taking seals and in receiving good prices in the 

 London market, to which the entire catch was sent. At the close of 

 1892 vessels were being overhauled and made ready for an early start 

 in January, 1893, for the distant sealing- grounds off the coast of Japan. 



SKAGIT COUNTY. 



This county is favorably located with reference to the f shing-grounds 

 of the Strait of Fuca and Strait of Georgia, and will no doubt come 

 into prominence with the fnrther settlement of the section, but at the 

 present time it maintains no local fisheries, and the only feature which 



