378 Sport and Life. 



THE SALMON CANNING INDUSTRY. 



The following notes contain a brief summary of the history of 

 salmon " packing " or canning : 



The packing of salmon in tin cans was an established industry on the 

 North-East Atlantic coast twenty-three years prior to the inauguration 

 of the industry by William Hume, in 1864, on the Sacramento River. 

 In 1866 there was one cannery on the Columbia River which turned 

 out 4000 cases. In 1883 the pack consisted of 629,000 cases. In 

 1841 Mr. Chas. Mitchell, of Aberdeen, Scotland, who had learned his 

 trade of Jno. Moir and Sons, of Aberdeen, Scotland, and had been in their 

 employ for some years, came to Halifax, N.S., at the request of Alex. 

 Davidson, to there establish the packing of salmon. The business at that 

 time was almost in its infancy. The bulk of the salmon packed by Mitchell 

 at Halifax was shipped to England. Mr. Wm. Underwood had been at 

 that time importing English or Scotch-packed salmon in 2lb., 3lb., and 4lb. 

 tins, which cost him in Liverpool about Q^d. sterling per pound. The 3lb. 

 and 4lb. tins were taper cans, oval in shape. Davidson did not make a 

 financial success of the business and abandoned it. Chas. Mitchell, how- 

 ever, in January, 1843, went to Eastport, Me., and eventually formed a 

 partnership with W. S. Treat and a man named Noble. This firm was first 

 Treat, Noble, and Co., and afterwards Noble and Mitchell. They conducted a 

 general canning business, packing lobsters, partridges, meats of various kinds, 

 corn, peas, &c. ; they also packed salmon at St. John, N.B. William 

 Underwood was one of their principal customers, and in 1845 bought 

 out the Eastport establishment, taking Mr. Mitchell into his employ 

 and giving him charge of the canning business. 



In a short time the establishment at Eastport was abandoned, and 

 the " plant " removed to Boston, Mr. Mitchell still being in charge. 

 From that time on the salmon sold by Underwood was packed 

 in Boston, he receiving the fish in ice by steamer from St. John, N.B. 

 The business increasing and the supply of fish being precarious, a salmon 

 canning establishment was started at Bathurst, N.B., in 1854, which 

 continued to be operated till 1865, at which time freezing establishments 

 were put up near the fisheries, and which could afford to pay higher 

 prices than could the canners, who abandoned the business there, and did 

 not start in a new venture in that direction. At that time W. J. Eraser, 

 of Miramichi, N.B., was heavily engaged in the salmon packing business, 

 and there were also factories on the Restigouche River and at New 

 Bandon, N.B., also at other points. All these continued to operate 

 until the low price of Pacific coast canned salmon and the facilities 



