﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  PACIFIC 
  COAST 
  IN 
  1895. 
  583 
  

  

  NOTES 
  ON 
  SALMON-CANNING. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Eeport 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  for 
  1880 
  a 
  brief 
  

   historical 
  and 
  descriptive 
  sketch 
  is 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which, 
  in 
  

   18G4, 
  the 
  canning- 
  of 
  sahnon 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast 
  was 
  inaiignvnted. 
  

   The 
  woiiderfnl 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  business 
  since 
  that 
  day 
  is 
  well 
  known. 
  

   New 
  and 
  improved 
  methods 
  of 
  handbng 
  the 
  products, 
  from 
  the 
  crude 
  

   or 
  raw 
  state 
  to 
  the 
  cooked, 
  canned, 
  and 
  finished 
  article, 
  have 
  kept 
  

   pace 
  with 
  the 
  ever-increasing 
  demand. 
  

  

  The 
  evolution 
  in 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  salmon-canning 
  since 
  the 
  first 
  pack 
  

   has 
  been 
  as 
  marked 
  as 
  that 
  from 
  the 
  stage-coach, 
  that 
  then 
  passed 
  the 
  

   cannery 
  door, 
  to 
  the 
  railroad 
  train 
  which 
  succeeded 
  it. 
  The 
  improve- 
  

   ments 
  have 
  resulted 
  in 
  much 
  reduction 
  of 
  loss 
  from 
  leaks 
  and 
  bad 
  can- 
  

   ning 
  and 
  in 
  reduced 
  expenses, 
  and 
  have 
  provided 
  a 
  much 
  better 
  food 
  

   article 
  at 
  prices 
  not 
  over 
  one-third 
  those 
  that 
  i)revailed 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  

   days 
  of 
  the 
  industry. 
  

  

  As 
  at 
  present 
  conducted, 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  slight 
  difyerence 
  in 
  the 
  man- 
  

   ner 
  of 
  preparing 
  canned 
  salmon 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  canneries. 
  As 
  a 
  rule 
  

   the 
  lactones 
  are 
  located 
  adjacent 
  to 
  or 
  very 
  near 
  the 
  fishing-grounds, 
  

   so 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  most 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  hours 
  elapse 
  from 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  

   freely 
  swimming 
  until 
  they 
  are 
  caught, 
  delivered 
  at 
  the 
  cannerj^, 
  

   dressed, 
  canned, 
  cooked, 
  and 
  packed, 
  thus 
  insuring 
  a 
  perfectly 
  fresh 
  

   product, 
  old 
  or 
  stale 
  fish 
  never 
  being 
  met 
  with 
  at 
  a 
  salmon 
  cannery. 
  

   Tlie 
  neatness 
  and 
  cleanliness 
  of 
  the 
  canneries 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  things 
  

   noticed 
  by 
  visitors 
  during 
  the 
  packing 
  season. 
  

  

  The 
  notes 
  here 
  presented 
  on 
  the 
  present 
  methods 
  of 
  salmon-canning 
  

   were 
  taken 
  in 
  ISDO 
  at 
  a 
  cannery 
  on 
  the 
  Columbia 
  Kiver, 
  and 
  Avith 
  few 
  

   exceptions 
  represent 
  the 
  canneries 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  west 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  buildings 
  connected 
  with 
  a 
  salmon 
  cannery 
  are 
  always 
  built 
  at 
  

   the 
  Avater's 
  edge 
  or 
  partly 
  over 
  the 
  water, 
  so 
  that 
  A^essels 
  or 
  boats 
  may 
  

   come 
  alongside 
  and 
  deliver 
  their 
  fish 
  and 
  supplies 
  or 
  receive 
  the 
  packed 
  

   products. 
  As 
  a 
  rule 
  they 
  are 
  large, 
  roomy, 
  one-story 
  frame 
  structures, 
  

   the 
  business 
  of 
  receiving, 
  cooking, 
  and 
  packing 
  of 
  salmon 
  all 
  being 
  in 
  

   the 
  one 
  large, 
  high, 
  and 
  well 
  lighted 
  room. 
  The 
  lofts 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  

   storage 
  of 
  empty 
  packing 
  cases, 
  empty 
  cans, 
  nets, 
  etc., 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  

   instances 
  large 
  rooms 
  are 
  there 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  mainifacture 
  of 
  cans. 
  

   Adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  cannery 
  are 
  the 
  rude 
  <iuarters 
  in 
  which 
  tlie 
  Cliinese 
  

   employees 
  live, 
  and 
  near 
  by 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  superintendent. 
  

  

  Chinese 
  have 
  a 
  monopoly 
  in 
  the 
  canning 
  of 
  salmon, 
  but 
  never 
  engage 
  

   in 
  their 
  capture. 
  Before 
  the 
  season 
  opens 
  contracts 
  are 
  made 
  with 
  

   some 
  large 
  Chinese 
  firm 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco 
  or 
  Porthmd 
  to 
  do 
  the 
  w<n'k 
  

   so 
  far 
  as 
  relates 
  to 
  receiving 
  raw 
  i)roducts 
  and 
  turning 
  the 
  same 
  over 
  

   canned, 
  packed, 
  and 
  ready 
  for 
  shii^ment. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  rule 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  bought 
  from 
  the 
  fishermen 
  at 
  so 
  much 
  apiece 
  

   or 
  per 
  pound, 
  a 
  stipulated 
  price 
  for 
  the 
  season 
  having 
  previously 
  been 
  

   agreed 
  on; 
  but 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  the 
  fishermen 
  are 
  hired 
  by 
  the 
  month, 
  

   with 
  or 
  without 
  board, 
  the 
  fishing 
  i)oats 
  and 
  nets, 
  in 
  that 
  event, 
  being 
  

   furnished 
  by 
  the 
  cannery. 
  

  

  