GEEAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 645 



the exact amount of which cannot be ascertained, although it is probably not more than 5,000 

 pounds. 



The total yield in 1879 was about 14,000 pounds of fresh fish and 15,500 pounds of salt fish, 

 worth together about $1,300. The fresh fish consisted principally of whitefish, trout, pickerel, 

 and dory, in about equal proportions. The salt fish were whitefish, trout, herring, and skinned 

 catfish. 



The apparatus consists of a number of small gill-nets, two seines, and about one hundred 

 large dip nets. The total sum invested does not exceed $500. 



A large barrel factory is located at West De Pere, in which in 1879 at least 350,000 barrels 

 and kits were manufactured. Among them were about 60,000 herring kits, a kind of package made 

 here for the first time in 1878. The majority of the stock is shipped to Chicago, and is used by 

 the packers of that city. The firm employs constantly about one hundred and fifty men. 



THE EAST SHOEE OF GREEN BAY. The fisheries of the east shore of Green Bay are carried 

 on at present principally by the fanners who live along the shore. The professional fishermen, 

 who are pound- owners, are only seven in number, six living on the mainland and one on Chambers' 

 Island. South of Little Sturgeon Bay there are about forty-eight farmers who participate in the 

 gill-net fishery in winter, and north of it about six more. . Thus it appears that there are about 

 sixty-two families on this shore which are more or less dependent upon the fisheries for their 

 support. In addition, about twenty assistants are employed during the winter months. 



Both the pound owners and the farmers are almost without exception Belgians. 



The men who fish with pound-nets have made but a scanty living in latter years, but the 

 winter fishermen are usually fairly compensated for their toil. 



There has been a decided decrease in the abundance of fish within the past decade. In 1873 

 Mr. Blakefield, of the firm of Blakefield & Minor, of Fish Creek, sold more than $4,000 worth of 

 fresh fish from two small pound-nets, set in the vicinity of Chambers' Island. During 1879, on the 

 same grounds, with twice the number of nets, the product was worth only about $400. On certain 

 grounds, where a few years ago two men caught $9,000 worth of fish in their gill-nets, no fishing 

 is now carried on. Those who formerly engaged in fishing and were successful have turned their 

 attention to other pursuits, or have sought other fishing grounds in Lake Superior and elsewhere. 



The apparatus, which consists of about 1,800 gill-nets, 15 pounds, a single seine, and a number 

 of boats and accessories, is worth about $11,000, a large amount when compared with the catch. 

 The fact that in 18G9 at least $40,000 were invested in apparatus on this same extent of shore, the 

 profits being more than double those now accruing, in proportion to the money invested, shows 

 how great has been the decrease of the fisheries on this side of the bay. 



Some further details in regard to the destruction of the celebrated fishing grounds at the 

 entrance of Green Bay may be interesting in this connection. The grounds between Washington 

 and Saint Martin's Islands were probably the most productive in the bay, and the most frequented 

 by the fishermen. Their abandonment was due to several causes, and not least to the terrible losses 

 of nets which occurred there in the fall of several seasons. As many as three thousand nets have 

 been lost in one autumn, carrying down with them 500,000 or 600,000 whitefish. Although the 

 loss of the nets was a great discouragement to the fishermen, it is the opinion of all that the pres- 

 ence of so large a mass of decaying fish on the spawning beds effected a much more serious injury 

 in that it drove away the fish which were wont to congregate there. Many of the nets were 

 grappled up in spring completely filled with fish, but the stench from them was so horrible that 

 the fishermen could not take them into their boats. 



