MILNER FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 6 



history of the more important species, and the general results of the 

 work of the past two years. 



B— GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LAKE-FISHERIES. 



3. — INVESTMENT IN THE FISHERIES. 



The fisheries of the lakes are an industrial interest of large extent and 

 considerable commercial value, of which little is known except among 

 those directly interested. 



Back from the lakes the very i)revalent idea is that fishing is an un- 

 profitable employment for an irregular class of men who eke out a 

 meager subsistence from year to year by this pursuit. Though the risks 

 and uncertainties of this vocation make the yearly income very variable, 

 the investments of fishermen in their stocks are quite respectable sums, 

 and compare favorably with the farming-communities, being all the way 

 from three hundred to twenty thousand dollars, their sales reachiug in 

 some instances as high as $7,000 from their own nets. This refers to 

 those men only who actually superintend their own fisheries. A few 

 dealers who furnish the nets on shares sell five or six times as much 

 in a year. Nor is there any truth in the aspersion on the class of men, 

 who are industrious, hard-working citizens, and, considering the hard- 

 ships and exposures incident to their calling, singularly free from the 

 habit of hard drinking. 



The fishing-stocks are necessarily a less stable investment than farm- 

 ing-lands, liable to frequent loss and injury, and as the success of a 

 fishing-season depends much on the character of the weather, there i.s 

 of course uncertainty in the yearly income. 



The same as in other vocations, the alternation of abundance and 

 scarcity does not develop the provident faculty that accumulates prop- 

 erty, for though as a class not given to dissipation, they spend their 

 money freely for comfort and good living when the fishing is prosper- 

 ous. In spite of all these unfavorable conditions many attain com- 

 fortable circumstances. 



The investment of fishermen and net-owners by itself is not inconsid- 

 erable. Under your instructions last year I visited nearly all the 

 fishing-ports on Lake Michigan, and made an accurate count of the 

 fishingstocfes owned and used on the lake. 



In the following pages are given the statistics of permanent invest- 

 ment, of the number of men employed, and their wages, for the yeai: 

 1871. 



Investment in Jishing-stocJis on Lake Michigan in 1871. 



281 pound-nets, average value $500 $140, 5p0 



102 gill-nets, "heavy-rigs," average value .$725 73, 950 



348 gill-nets, " light-rigs," average value $225 78, 300 



98 boats, average value $500 49, 000 



348 Mackinaw boats, average value $100 34, 800 



