REPORT OF SPECIAL AGENT LUTTRELL. 



CONDENSATION AND REARRANGEMENT OF DATA EMBODIED IN 

 ANNUAL REPORT OF PAUL S. LUTTRELL, SPECIAL AGENT FOR THE 

 SALMON FISHERIES IN ALASKA, YEAR 1893. 



Mr. J. K. Luttrell, the former special agent, had made an extended 

 tour through Alaska, visiting the various salmon canneries, and had 

 laid the foundation of a complete and exhaustive report upon their con- 

 dition, etc. Owing to his death, however, before the latter object had 

 been accomplished, his son. Paul S. Luttrell, was delegated to collect 

 data from the papers of the late J. K. Luttrell, and to construct there- 

 from as complete a report upon the condition of the salmon fisheries as 

 was possible. Such report has been submitted, but was somewhat 

 prolix, and in form but a verbatim copy of what letters he could find 

 bearing upon the salmon packing industry, and written by various per- 

 sons in Alaska upon the solicitation of J. K. Luttrell. It is the pur- 

 pose, therefore, to present here, in a compact form, the substance of the 

 report. 



SALMON HATCHERIES. 



It is the opinion of the packers on the Karluk River the greatest 

 breeding grounds of the salmon that the supply of red salmon is 

 rapidly decreasing, owing to the increased catch, and that some meas- 

 ures should be taken to artificially propagate this species, in addition 

 to prohibitory measures. These Karluk River canneries erected a 

 hatchery and achieved considerable success in the propagation of the 

 salmon spawn, several millions of the young salmon having been 

 hatched out. That hatchery, however, is now closed. 



Mr. J. C. Oallbreath has also erected a hatchery on Ethaleue Island, 

 and as the method employed at his hatchery is somewhat different from 

 that usually pursued, a brief statement of his practice is here made: 

 His hatchery is located on a small creek, practically useless, because 

 few fish visit it. This creek is the outlet of a small lake. The creek 

 is dammed completely across by two dams, one above the other, the 

 first 5 feet high, just above tide water, while the other is 15 feet high, 

 and 150 yards farther upstream. The hatchery is located between 

 these two dams. No fish can pass either of these dams unaided. 

 When the salmon try to ascend this stream, they are picked up with a 

 dip net and passed over the first dam, leaving behind the trout, bull- 

 head, and other fish that prey upon the salmon spawn. Owing to the 

 i'act, however, that the dams were erected so near salt water, many of 

 the salmon, when they reached the barrier, did not attempt to pass, 

 but lay in salt water until they were ready to spawn, and when taken 

 up their eggs would not hatch out owing to the fact that they " ripened " 

 in salt water. The hatchery will be moved to a point immediately on 

 the lake, where there is an abundance of fresh water, and where it is 

 expected much better results will be attained. As it was, Mr. Call- 

 breath turned out over 700,000 young iish, where they had absolutely 



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