102 



& 



5 



y 



t> 



PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



Salt Fish Review 



CODFISH. 



The codfish industry began the year 

 1914 under most favorable auspices. 

 The greater part of the catch of 

 1913 had been marketed at remun- 

 erative prices, the local domestic de- 

 mand was in excellent condition, while 

 the demand from the East and from 

 the foreign markets, except Mexico, 

 was good and continually increasing. 

 The civil war which has raged in Mex- 

 ico for many months has seriously 

 curtailed our hitherto large shipments 

 to that country. 



Owing to the favorable outlook most 

 of the companies increased their fleets 

 with the result that the San Fran- 

 cisco fleet comprised 6 vessels as com- 

 pared with 5 in 1913, while the Puget 

 Sound fleet increased from 5 vessels 

 in 1913 to 8 in 1914. Among the new 

 vessels added to the fleet were the 

 following: Schooner Azalea, by Math- 

 eson Fisheries Co., of Anacortes; 

 schooner Wawona, by Robinson Fish- 

 eries Co., of Anacortes. The Union 

 Fish Co., of San Francisco, outfitted 

 the schooner Sequoia, which was the 

 station tender until displaced by the 

 new power schooner Golden State, as 

 a fishing vessel. The Alaska Codfish 

 Co., of San Francisco, which lost the 

 schooners John D. Spreckles and Wil- 

 liam H. Dimond within a year's time, 

 replaced them with the schoners Allen 

 A. and Glendale. The former was used 

 as a station tender and the latter as a 

 fishing vessel. The Pacific Coast Cod- 

 fish Co., of Seattle, added to its fleet 

 by purchasing the schooner Maid of 

 Orleans from the Matheson Fisheries 

 Co.. while the Northern Codfish Co.. 

 of Seattle, a new company, purchased 

 the schooner Fortuna and sent her 

 north. 



On February 2, as the Alaska Cod- 

 fish Company's schooner William II. 

 Dimond was sailing north with a cargo 

 of supplies for the company stations, 

 she struck on Bird Island, one of the 

 Shumagin group, and both vessel and 

 cargo became a total loss. 



The local fleet operating in Alaska 

 was also changed somewhat. The 

 Union Fish Co. replaced the power 

 schooner Union Jack, which had been 

 brought south and sold during the 

 previous winter, with the new power 

 schooner Pirate. Andrew Grosvold. of 

 Sand Point, outfitted the scbooner 

 Letty, and operated her on the inshore 

 banks during the summer. 



The number of shore stations in 

 Alaska was increased by one. A. 

 Komedal, of Unga, having built and 

 operated one near that town. 



During the fishing season the wea- 

 ther proved quite stormy, and much 

 tackle was lost by most of the vessels. 

 Despite this handicap the vessels near- 

 ly all "wet their salt," with the result 

 that the total catch was the greatest 

 ever produced on the Pacific banks in 

 one year. 



The breaking out of the European 

 war near the close of the fishing sea- 

 son completely altered the face of af- 

 fairs. Owing to the derangement of 

 the ordinary channels of commerce it 

 was found difficult to make foreign 



shipments, and doubly difficult to se- 

 cure payment for same, owing to the 

 accompanying breakdown of credit ar- 

 rangements and the resulting lack of 

 money in countries which formerly 

 purchased considerable quantities from 

 us. The widespread distress caused 

 in most of these countries by the lack 

 of foreign demand for their products 

 also aided materially in cutting off the 

 demand. As the same falling off in 

 the demand had occurred in connec- 

 tion with the Atlantic cod fisheries, 

 our East coast demand was also cut 

 off. 



Matters have been gradually adjust- 

 ing themselves to the altered condi- 

 tion of affairs, and when the year 

 closed conditions were looking much 

 brighter both at home and abroad. 



Being caught with such a large stock 

 on hand may ultimately prove a bless- 

 ing in disguise. Several of the com- 

 panies are making strenuous efforts 

 to extend their domestic market for 

 boxed fish, and this, if successful, will 

 provide an outlet for the surplus and 

 prove an even more profitable market 

 than our foreign trade. 



The schooner Fortuna tried a novel 

 experiment this year. A dozen small 

 portable gasoline engines, suitable for 

 use with the regular hand line dories, 

 were taken north. These were fur- 

 nished to the men, with the under- 



standing that they were to be paid for 

 out of their season's returns, the ex- 

 pectation being that by their use the 

 men could make quicker, safer and 

 more numerous trips from the anchor- 

 ed vessel to the nearby fishing spots. 

 They did not prove very useful, how- 

 ever. The men did not understand 

 their operation and most of them 

 would not take care of them. Also, 

 when the engines were attached to 

 the dories their weight detracted con- 

 siderably from the carrying capacity 

 of it, while in slightly rough weather 

 the dories would ship seas which 

 speedily put the motors out of com- 

 mission. 



One of the most regrettable events 

 of the year was the sudden passing 

 away on November 29 of Charles P. 

 Overton, vice-president and general 

 manager of the Union Fish Company, 

 at his home in San Francisco. Mr. 

 Overton was one of the pioneers of 

 the industry, having worked his way 

 from the bottom to the top. He was 

 not only one of the best posted men 

 on the methods of the industry, but 

 also had written much as to the early 

 history of the fishery on this coast, 

 and his loss will be keenly felt by all 

 connected with it. 



Late in the year announcement was 

 made that Capt. J. A. Matheson, of 

 Anacortes, had purchased the schoon- 



1914— PACIFIC COAST CODFISH FLEET— 1914 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



PUGET SOUND. 



Matheson Fisheries Co.. 

 Matheson Fisheries Co.. 



Northern Codfish Co 



Robinson Fisheries Co. . 

 RobinBon Fisheries Co.. 

 raciflc Coast Codfish Co 

 Pacific Coast Codfish Co 

 Pacific Coast Codfish Co 

 Independent Stations . . 



Azalea 



Fanny Dutard. . . . 



Fortuna 



Alice 



Wawona 



John A 



Chas. R. Wilson. 

 Maid of Orleans. 

 Regular vessels. . 



April 

 April 

 April 

 Mar. 

 April 

 April 

 April 

 April 



Sep. 

 Sep. 

 Sep. 

 Sep. 

 Sep. 

 Sep. 



Sep, 



Sep. 



Various dates. 



11. 

 15. 



8. 

 15. 

 11. 

 13. 



7. 

 13. 



212.000 

 172,000 



96,000 



171.000 

 240,000 

 100,000 

 209,000 



52.000 



l.il,.;ini 



BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



Canadian Fish & C. Stor. Co.. Albert. Myer Mar. 23. 



Sep. 9. 



125,000 



RECAPITULATION. 



San Francisco fleet 2.439,_0_ 



Pugel Sound fleet 1 .:!..._.. c«ki 



r.riii^h Columbia fleet 125,000 



Total 3,920.802 



* Cargo from Alaska shore stations. 



