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or the silver salmon, but its rich red color has become so 
desirable that other kinds are filling subordinate places 
for the present, at least. 
These poor little fishes have many difficulties to sur- 
mount: They run in very turbulent waters, they are 
sought after by man and beast, they have been threat- 
ened with extermination by the excessive greed of those 
who would like to take the season’s catch in one great 
haul. And yet they are very abundant so far. Just 
here comes the opportunity for the question of the pro- 
tection of the fish—not only of the salmon of the great 
North-west, but of the beautiful food fishes of our own 
immediate streams and rivers as well. 
I note a successful exchange of edible fish with Great 
Britain, with apparent favorable results. Now, if foreign 
fish will thrive in interchange, | think there should be 
wider diffusion of the varieties in the waters of the 
United States. 
Alaska is not limited to salmon alone, though it is 
most useful of all; there are trout, greyling, white fish, 
and many other small fishes; and the black cod, the ne 
geon, and the famous halibut ; all grow to perfection i in 
the pure, snow-fed waters of the territory. 
The value of the salmon alone is wonderful, and _ it 
may be increased with no apparent limit for,years. In 
1889 there were thirty-six canneries in operation, repre- 
senting an outlay of four millions of dollars. A vast 
sum, but the product of the year was estimated at three 
millions of dollars. Certainly a good interest for the 
money expended. ; 
While we are speaking of the enormous products and 
profits of the West, we must not forget the steady, plod- 
ding industry of the East, where for years the sturdy 
fishers have gained an honest living. They smile at the 
wild stories of the North-western fisheries as if they 
thought it was but a flash in the business that will soon 
settle to a quiet, rather uncertain status such as their 
