650 



GEOGRAPHICAL KEV1EW OF THE FISHERIES. 



the sewerage and refuse of the city, flowed into the lake. There has been little change since 1875, 

 and in that year about three hundred men, according to Mr. Nelson (Eeport United States Com- 

 missioner of Fish and Fisheries, Part IV, 1S75-'7G, page 785), were engaged in fishing. The 

 majority used well-built Mackinaw boats and ventured 15 or 20 miles from the city, but some fished 

 with hand-lines near the city and caught only the less important kinds of fish. 



Three pound-nets and about one hundred boats were employed, which, together with minor 

 apparatus, were valued at about $10,000. 



The catch consists principally of trout, sturgeon, and catfish. Under the general head of fish 

 markets in another section of this report, the fish trade of Chicago is treated of at length, and it 

 will not be necessary to give more than a summary here. According to the investigations and 

 estimates made the amount of fresh and smoked fish received into Chicago during 1879 was as 

 follows : 



The total amount of fresh fish was, therefore, 5,910,570 pounds, and of smoked fish 532,000 

 pounds. Of this amount about 2,000,000 pounds were consumed in the city and its suburbs, of 

 which amount about 1,000,000 pounds were fresh whitefish, and the remainder river fish, trout and 

 smoked sturgeon, and whitefish. In addition to the fresh and smoked fish, about 10,805,000 pounds 

 of salt fish were received. The aggregate amount, therefore, handled by the dealers in 1879 was 

 not less than 17,247,570 pounds. This amount is less .by 9,552,430 pounds than that given in the 

 newspapers for the same year, but it is more by about 10,000,000 pounds than the aggregate given 

 iu the tables for 1872, published by the late Mr. Milner in the Eeport of the United States Fish 

 Commissioner. 



The fisheries of South Chicago are similar in character to those carried on on the west shore 

 of the lake. They are not very extensive, only fifteen fishermen being engaged in them. The 

 principal apparatus, consisting of one steam-tug, three sail -boats, eleven pound-nets, and about one 

 hundred gill-nets, is worth about $10,000. To this amount, Mr. Nelson, in the Eeport of the 

 United States Fish Commissioner for 1875-'76, adds $60,000 for the value of "ice-houses, fish-houses, 

 wagons, and various other material and property belonging strictly to the business," but this 

 amount appears to us very large. A letter from M. Hausler & Brother, one of the principal firms 

 at South Chicago, contains the following information regarding the yield: 



"The amount of fish caught here in 1879 was about 150,000 pounds. Two-fifths were white- 

 fish and three-fifths sturgeon and herring. All were sold fresh in Chicago." 



232. THE FISHEEIES OF THE EASTEEN SHOEE. 



MICHIGAN CITY, IND., AND NEW BUFFALO, MICH. Michigan City is the only community in 

 Indiana interested in fishing in Lake Michigan. The grounds lie between the city and New 

 Buffalo, the adjoining village in Michigan. 



