292 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
PIERCE COUNTY. 
This county occupies the head of Puget Sound and has as its fishing 
center Tacoma, where most of the fishermen of the county reside and 
nearly all of the catch is marketed. With the recent growth of the 
city, the construction of a large cold-storage warehouse, and the invest- 
ment of more capital in the industry, the outlook for the fisheries is 
very encouraging to the fishermen, and the results of the business 
present a considerable increase since the last report. 
The principal fisheries are for salmon, carried on with pound nets; 
for cultus-cod, halibut, and rockfish, with lines; for flounders, herring, 
salmon, smelt, etc., with seines; and for oysters and clams, with tongs. 
The most important single products are oysters and silver salmon. 
During 1892 a firm largely interested in the fisheries placed the 
steamer Francis Cutting in the business. This steamer was chiefly 
used as a transporter, making frequent trips from Tacoma to the several 
fishing banks of the scund and strait. The fishing season extended 
from May 1 to November 2, during which time about 500,000 pounds of 
halibut, 50,000 pounds of black-cod, and 75,000 pounds of cultus-cod 
were bought from the fishermen on the fishing-grounds, in addition to 
which the crew of the steamer caught about 20,000 pounds of halibut. 
On securing a fare the steamer returned to Tacoma, where the catch 
was placed in cold storage until needed. Fishing for halibut and the 
other fish is done by a small fleet of sailing vessels using hand lines. 
Besides the halibut, black-cod, and cultus-cod brought in by the 
steamer, this firm handled considerable quantities of salmon, smelt, and 
sturgeon. After supplying the local demand, the surplus catch was 
packed in refrigerator cars and shipped to points east of the Rocky 
Mountains. The sturgeon handled came by rail from Grays Harbor 
the other fish were caught locally. This was probably the first year in 
which smelt were sent from the Pacific Coast to the Kast. The business 
of freezing and shipping fresh fish to eastern points promises a large 
increase in the near future. In 1891 one car, with 20,000 pounds of 
fresh fish, was senteast. In 1892, up to the middle of December, eleven 
cars, coutaining 297,369 pounds of fresh frozen fish, had been sent, 
while half a dozen car loads still remained in storage, to be forwarded 
later. 
KING COUNTY. 
The most important fishing center of this county is Seattle. The 
rapid growth in the population of Seattle, the building of a cold-storage 
warehouse, and the establishment of new fishing firms have led to a 
threefold increase in the fisheries of this county as compared with 1888. 
The sa:mon canning business of Seattle and vicinity has fluctuated 
considerably in recent years. In 1889 three canneries were operated. 
During that season one was destroyed by fire, and the following year 
another shared the same fate, and the third was closed. The cannery 
destroyed in 1890 was burned during the packing season, but the 
business was continued in a hastily provided temporary building, the 
