672 



OREGON. 



Dishing nets and boats. The canneries are im- 

 mense wooden buildings, upon piles, with the 

 river flowing under their floors. The work at 

 the canneries is thus described : 



On the arrival of the boats in the morning the fish 

 are taken in hand by the cleaners, who are skilled 

 Chinamen, and who polish off a fish and pass it on 

 to the cutting-machines in wonderfully quick time. 

 From the cutting-machines the pieces are carried in- 

 doors to the packers, who fill the cans and pass them 

 on to the cappers, who quickly put tops on them and 

 send them along to the cooking-tanks. Before final- 

 ly closing the cans, each one is carefully tested by 

 an expert, and, if the slightest leak is detected, the 

 can is put aside for examination, the leak is found, 

 and the can closed up. The cans are then varnished, 

 labeled, and packed in cases holding four dozen one- 

 pound or two dozen two-pound cans: the cases are 

 branded, and the fish are ready for shipment. The 

 whole operation of cleaning, canning, and cooking 

 is done by Chinamen, and must be performed witli 

 great celerity, particularly when the night's catch 

 has been heavy, as no fish are allowed to remain 

 over to another day. The- large canneries have 

 sometimes to go through as many as 3,000 fish, fill- 

 ing 48,000 cans, in one day. The upper floors of the 

 buildings are filled with busy employees making 

 cans, nearly 9,000,000 cans being required by the 

 Astoria canneries for their season's work, which 

 lasts about 100 days. The twenty-eight canneries 

 on the river put up 450,000 cases containing 11,600,- 

 000 pounds of salmon last season, though they com- 

 plain that fish are getting scarcer each year ; but if 

 the number offish passing up the river is diminish- 

 ing, the nets and fishermen are increasing, and there 

 is real danger that all the salmon that come into the 

 river will be destroyed. The cost of fish has risen 

 with the demand and the multiplication of canneries 

 from ten cents to fifty cents per fish, and the profits 

 are proportionately lessened. The following is a 

 correct estimate of the cost of a four-dozen case to 

 the cannery at this season's prices: Cans, 48 at 3c., 

 $1.44; fish, 3i at 50c., $1.75; labels, lOc. ; cases, 

 18c. ; lead and tin, 12c. ; labor and fuel, 80c. ; total, 

 $4.39; worth, at $1.25 per dozen, $5; leaving but 

 61 c. margin to cover rent, interest, insurance, and 

 repairs to buildings, boats, and nets. The canneries 

 in British Columbia and Alaska get their fish for 



five cents each, and thus save $1.57 per case, a say- 

 ing which must make the Northern rivers formi- 

 dable competitors to the Columbia in the canning 

 business. It is obvious that the industry here has 

 reached its maximum, and that it can not be kept up 

 at its present rate without rapidly exhausting the 

 supply of fish. 



The cases of canned salmon up to August 

 1st were 345,000, or about 50,000 less than in 

 1877. In 18T6 the production was 438,730; 

 so that in two years the decrease has been 22 

 per cent. 



The export of wool to San Francisco in 1877 

 was 16,417 bales, weighing 4,929,675 pounds, 

 being an increase of 150,000 pounds over the 

 preceding year. The export for 1878 was ex- 

 pected to reach 6,500,000 pounds previous to 

 the outbreak of the Indian troubles, which 

 would reduce it. The export of canned beef 

 in 1876-'77 amounted to 23,000 cases. In 

 1877-'78 it fell to 8,000 cases. But the de- 

 mand for cattle from eastern Oregon and 

 "Washington Territory increased greatly, and 

 at remunerative prices. 



Manufactures have very slightly increased 

 in the State during the year. Many offers 

 have been made by large Eastern concerns to 

 locate in the State, if an exemption from taxa- 

 tion for fifteen or twenty years could be ob- 

 tained. It is regarded as settled that ships 

 can be built at Portland 25 to 30 per cent, 

 cheaper than elsewhere in the United States 

 or Europe. Immediately after being built, a 

 vessel can secure a profitable grain freight to 

 England. 



Mining has developed about as much this 

 year as last. In southern and eastern Oregon 

 mining prospects are good. Coal and timber 

 exports from Coos Bay and Puget Sound have 

 not been so large as formerly ; while the ex- 

 ports of lumber (except to San Francisco) have 

 shown a falling off. 



Abstract of Oregon's Exports for the Year ending August 1, 1878, compared with Preceding Year- 



The assessment roll for the year 1877 repre- 

 sents the gross value of property in the State 

 at $64,778,906, and the value of taxable prop- 

 erty at $43,324,511. 



Much desire exists in the State to secure a 

 railroad connection with the Atlantic States. 

 The Salt Lake enterprise, equally with the 

 Winnemucca proposed road, depend for their 



