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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  It 
  seems 
  probable 
  that 
  before 
  long 
  a 
  profitable 
  market 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  

   for 
  the 
  surplus 
  mullet 
  by 
  salting 
  them. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  fish 
  trade 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  throughout 
  the 
  year, 
  it 
  

   is 
  most 
  active 
  between 
  October 
  and 
  April, 
  when 
  the 
  northern 
  markets 
  

   are 
  largely 
  dependent 
  on 
  southern 
  waters 
  for 
  their 
  fish 
  supply. 
  

  

  The 
  catch 
  is 
  landed 
  from 
  the 
  fishing-grounds 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  

   and 
  at 
  once 
  packed 
  in 
  barrels 
  with 
  ice 
  for 
  shipment 
  on 
  the 
  early 
  express 
  

   train 
  going 
  north. 
  The 
  more 
  select 
  fish 
  go 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  New 
  York, 
  Louis- 
  

   ville, 
  and 
  k5t. 
  Louis, 
  but 
  the 
  mullet 
  are 
  chiefly 
  consigned 
  to 
  points 
  in 
  

   Florida 
  and 
  Georgia. 
  The 
  express 
  rates 
  being 
  from 
  $2 
  to 
  $8 
  per 
  barrel, 
  

   the 
  shipments 
  to 
  the 
  northern 
  cities 
  usually 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  

   highest-priced 
  fishes. 
  

  

  Ice 
  is 
  an 
  imiiortant 
  and 
  expensive 
  item 
  in 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  this 
  region. 
  

   Owing 
  to 
  the 
  long 
  distances 
  to 
  which 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  shipped, 
  it 
  

   is 
  necessary 
  to 
  use 
  relatively 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  ice 
  for 
  its 
  preservation. 
  

   Ice 
  is 
  procured 
  in 
  small 
  lots 
  from 
  factories 
  at 
  Titusville, 
  Cocoa, 
  and 
  

   West 
  Palmbeach 
  at 
  prices 
  ranging 
  from 
  $4.50 
  to 
  $G 
  per 
  ton 
  ; 
  the 
  freight 
  

   charges 
  sometimes 
  bring 
  the 
  price 
  up 
  to 
  more 
  than 
  $7 
  per 
  ton. 
  The 
  

   total 
  quantity 
  of 
  ice 
  consumed 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  business 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  in 
  

   1895 
  was 
  1,220 
  tons, 
  or 
  2,452,000 
  pounds, 
  an 
  amount 
  nearly 
  equal 
  in 
  

   weight 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  shipped. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  ice 
  was 
  $8,187, 
  an 
  

   average 
  of 
  $6.07 
  per 
  ton. 
  

  

  STATISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  appended 
  tables 
  detailed 
  figures 
  are 
  given 
  .showing 
  the 
  extent 
  

   of 
  the 
  commercial 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  Kiver 
  in 
  1895. 
  The 
  statistical 
  

   information 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  personal 
  interviews 
  with 
  fishermen 
  and 
  dealers 
  

   and 
  careful 
  examination 
  of 
  available 
  records. 
  The 
  investigation 
  

   showed 
  that 
  the 
  industry 
  gave 
  employment 
  to 
  254 
  persons, 
  represented 
  

   an 
  investment 
  of 
  $41,512, 
  and 
  yielded 
  2,659,815 
  jjounds 
  of 
  fish 
  and 
  

   other 
  products, 
  having 
  a 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  $37,657. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  directly 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  fisheries 
  

   in 
  1895, 
  172 
  were 
  engaged 
  in 
  taking 
  fish, 
  29 
  in 
  oystering, 
  8 
  in 
  catching 
  

   turtles, 
  and 
  41 
  in 
  caring 
  for 
  the 
  products 
  pending 
  shipment 
  or 
  in 
  pre- 
  

   paring 
  them 
  for 
  market. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  each 
  class 
  in 
  each 
  locality 
  is 
  

   shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  : 
  

  

  Tahle 
  showinrf 
  the 
  ntiviher 
  of 
  persons 
  emplojied 
  in 
  ihe 
  commercial 
  lisherics 
  of 
  IndUm 
  Biver, 
  

  

  Florida, 
  in 
  ISO'). 
  

  

  