COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1905. 13 



the st a I ions before good fishing grounds are reached. There is usually 

 one man to a boat and trawl lines are quite generally employed, 

 although a few hand lines are used. In good weather the trawls are 

 hauled two or three times a day, but the fish are not dressed until 

 the last haul for the day has been made. 



When not out in the dories the fisherman's time is his own. He 

 is paid from $25 to $30 per thousand fish of 26 or more inches in 

 length, and he must dress and salt them. The wage is less for fish 

 under 26 inches. The station owner furnishes the men with boats, 

 lodging, food, and fuel, the fishermen providing only the fishing gear. 

 The catch is kench cured, and later shipped away to San Francisco 

 and Puget Sound ports on the transporting vessels, where the final 

 curing is accomplished. 



VESSEL FISHERIES. 



Nearly all of the fleet fish in Bering Sea, where the banks are 

 too far from the shore for shore fishing, or where harbors are not 

 available. 



With the exception of three vessels which use trawl lines, all fish- 

 ing is with hand lines from dories,, one man to a boat. The fisher- 

 men do not dress and salt their own catch, as is the custom on the 

 Atlantic coast, but each vessel carries a dressing gang, varying with 

 the number of fishermen, and a splitter and salter, who do this work. 

 The captain usually receives about $125 per month; the cook, $75; 

 the first mate, $40; the second mate, $35; the fishermen, $25 and 

 $27 per 1,000 fish, according to the size; dressing gang, $25 per 

 month each, and the splitter and salter, $75 per month. All hands 

 get board also. When not engaged in their regular work the 

 dressing gang usually fish over the side of the vessel and are paid 

 $25 per 1,000 for all fish so caught. A vessel usually makes but 

 one trip to the banks, leaving in the spring and returning in the 

 late summer or early fall, but sometimes if she meets with good 

 luck on her first trip she will make a second one. The fish are 

 salted in bulk in the hold of the vessel, about 1 ton of salt being 

 required for 1,000 fish, and the balance of the curing is done at the 

 vessel's home port. The crew have nothing to do with unloading 

 the vessel, that work being done by the employees at the home 

 station. 



The principal bait used in both shore and vessel fisheries is hali- 

 but, sculpins, and cuttlefish. In hand-lining only a small quantity 

 of bait is brought on the vessels, because after the first few hours' 

 fishing the shack fish brought up will suffice for baiting. For 

 trawling, however, more bait is required, and the stations generally 

 gather it at various places and furnish it to the fishermen either 

 fresh or salted, as may be most convenient. 



