1 PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 293 
packing for the season being necessarily much reduced, owingeto 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 bas 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. Shipments 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 690,210 pounds, were sent east. Up to 
December 1, 1892, five carloads, equivaient 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 pounds of salt cod. Soon after 
being landed the fish were prepared in the usual manner as boneless 
cod and placed on the market.: The suecess 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 years 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 further settlement of the section, but at the 
present time it maintains no logal fisheries, and the only feature which 
