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ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1920. 147 
is almost certainly inadequate—there would be a total provision of 
dried salmon for the Yukon and its tributaries in 1920 amounting 
to 722 tons, 
The only 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 
purpose 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 Northern 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 the 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 pounds, and 
the average chum at 14 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 itog19. 
At all fish camps visited expressions of opinion were invited as to 
the relative size of the runs in 1920 and in 1919. The evidence given 
was overwhelmingly in favor of the run of 1919 being 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 
were especially favored in their locations, but thought that the river 
as a whole was relatively bare of fish. 
In the lower section of the river more fish would have been pre- 
pared if storms had not broken the wheels and interrupted the fish- 
ing. Storms also 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 potlatching as they did. 
They would unquestionably have had more fish, but it is doubtful 
whether they could have secured enough even had they fished consist- 
ently with as much diligence as they ever display. It was impos- 
sible 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 25, 30, and 35 cents per pound, with no stocks available even at 
those prices. Men compelled to travel during the winter experienced 
