38 THE FISHEEIES OF ALASKA IN 1906. 



The branch cannery of the North Alaska Sahnon Company is located 

 on this river near its mouth. 



During the season of 1906 there were operated in this section two 

 canneries of the North Alaska Salmon Company, a double cannery 

 of the Alaska Packers' Association at Kogiung, the cannery of the 

 Union Packing Company, and the saltery of the Northwestern Pack- 

 ing Company. While the double cannery of the Alaska Packers' 

 Association at Coffey Creek was being prepared for operation, fire — 

 said to be of incendiary origin — broke out about midnight of May 

 31, and destroyed all but the mess and bunk houses and provision 

 storehouse, 7 persons losing their lives. 



Four traps were operated in the Kvichak River this season — two 

 by the Alaska Packers' Association, about 25 miles from the mouth; 

 one by the North Alaska Salmon Company, about 12 miles fi'om the 

 mouth; and one by the Union Packing Company a short distance 

 above the mouth of the river, all but the latter being built with cor- 

 rals. Part of the last-named trap fell down about the middle of 

 July and the part still standing was removed soon thereafter. The 

 season was a disastrous one, hardly enough fish being secured to pay 

 for the labor of operating the nets. The Alaska Packers' Association 

 also operated a trap on the bay just below their Kogiung cannery. 

 It met with a little better success than the river traps. 



The greater part of the fishing for the canneries of this region is 

 carried on in the bay. With the exception of the one trap men- 

 tioned above, gill nets are used exclusivel}^ When fishing in the 

 lower bay, large house lighters and vessels are moored in convenient 

 places and the fishermen live aboard these, the fish being taken to 

 the canneries on the run boats. 



There was a very good run of king salmon this year. The run of 

 humpbacks was better than usual, but some of the fish were so small 

 that 40 were required to make a case. The first good run of red sal- 

 mon began on July 5 and ended on July 8. About the middle of 

 July another fair run came in, which lasted two days. The rest of 

 the season the supply of red salmon w^as exceedingly poor. Accord- 

 ing to one of the superintendents, since 1900 there have been three 

 good seasons (1900, 1902, and 1903) in this section, and four bad ones 

 (1901, 1904, 1905, and 1906). 



According to the superintendent of the Alaska Packers' Associa- 

 tion canneries in this section, the young red salmon pass Kogiung, 

 near the head of the bay, from the first to the middle of June, on 

 their way to the sea. At this time they are from 3^ to 4 inches in 

 length, and art just beginning to show the pink color. Many are 

 caught in buckets by the Chinese employed at the canneries, who 

 dry them for food. In 1905 there was an unusually large run of 

 these young fish, but this year the run was not nearly so large as 



