PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 237 
Yaquina River.—Since the closing of the small canneries located on 
this stream in 1889 the fishing business has greatly decreased. A few 
barrels of salmon are annually packed for their own use by the ranchers 
living near by, and about 100,000 pounds are shipped fresh to Port- 
land, Salem, and Albany. In the fall of 1892 one man from Oak- 
land, Cal., was engaged in salting salmon. At the time the river was 
visited by the writer a few hundred barrels had been salted. The fish 
are mostly silver saimon, averaging 12 pounds each. The fishermen 
receive only 8 cents apiece for them. 
The shipments of fresh salmon from the Yaquina River to Portland 
and other places in Oregon are quite large, and during the years 1889- 
1892 were as follows: 
Years. Pounds. | Value. 
SEES tata Ae aac ine kintamints reo octok atch & ERs cits Onis ae Sees Gate es chee eels 208, 137 $4, 163 
DRY Ws sano DESEO DONEC De OS DEGREE DO BIOGOHE ORDO 00 SOC ROR Ee Cee Oe Don Rae ae aac meme | 118, 060 2, 361 
Riis ool DES SES YS See oe eee ae Se et ee pee en ee eee eee Re ee ee 102, 742 2, 055 
SSS dare ae tT mies ovate mim alain "elm eiicsoic] ar <tcyefeisiere avalets oxetate alec Pipes eyere.c 4 v.ciauecimtelbim aieicnwio ici yee | 125, 000 2,500 
The Yaquina is noticeable as being the only river on the Pacific Coast 
in which any considerable quantities of oysters are found. The oysters 
are natives, having the small size and peculiar flavor of those taken in 
Willapa Bay and Puget Sound. The quantity of oysters marketed, 
prices received, and persons employed in the business, etc., show few 
changes since the last inquiry, although the oystermen report that at 
present they can not tong and cull more than 2 or 3 bushels a day as 
against 5 or 6 bushels in past years. By State law the native oyster 
beds are apportioned out to citizens desiring to work them. No one is 
permitted to have over 2 acres. The aggregate acreage is small and 
the available land is all taken up. Oysters are tonged in water 12 to 
15 feet deep at low tide. The tongs have handles 15 to 18 feet long, 
some being 26 feet long. 
The price commanded by the oysters remains about the same from 
year to year, $2.50 a sack when shipped away, or $3 a sack for local use 
being the ruling prices. A sack weighs 105 pounds, and is known as 2 
bushels, but is somewhat short of that amount. 
The oyster output of the Yaquina River from 1889 to 1892, inclusive, 
was as follows: 
Years. | Sacks. | Value. 
adds ote UA AU MRCRE SY Ts Sa Me hile nat mee Be Oe 1,250 | $3, 125 
Ried Omer eee eis ete ec civics we RE Se sth atlas Cacte Semen clas Guicioe kins werasiace f 1,103 2, 758 
AB sche bee Be SPS TE BS 7 5S 9 ill ne ts Ale SM a OT a 1217} 3/043 
UUM) aes SE eeDADOCCE CEE OSCe, SACRE OG SEO Heme oe cee Se Se ine aes AM Bee 1,225 3, 062 
Crabs enter the river in considerable quantities. They are picked 
from the salmon nets and are gathered by the oystermen. The catch, 
which is small, is mostly shipped to Albany, Salem, and Portland. 
