[19] EXPLOKATIONS ON COLUMBIA RIVER. 255 



the most feasible plan for obtaining salmon eggs on a large scale to 

 restore the old breeding establishment on this river. 



On my return from California, in September, 1883, so favorable an 

 opportunity was offered for making some investigations in regard to the 

 run of salmon in the upper tributaries of the Snake Eiver or South 

 Fork of the Columbia that I somewhat exceeded my instructions, whjch 

 limited my inquiries to that portion of the Columbia River which lies 

 along the line of the Northern Pacific, and went to Eagle Eock, Idaho, 

 where the Utah and Northern Eailroad crosses the Snake Eiver, with 

 some hope of finding a suitable place for salmon hatching, but to my 

 surprise I found that no salmon ever came up as far as Eagle Eock. 

 At Pocatello, Idaho, which is the junction of the Utah and Northern 

 Eailroad and the Oregon Short Line, I found also that no salmon cam& 

 up to American Falls, which is 25 miles below Pocatello. In fact, all 

 salmon are stopped in their progress up the Snake Eiver at the Great 

 Shoshone Falls, in Idaho, which are about 80 miles from the American 

 Falls and 107 miles from Pocatello. These falls are very high, and the 

 salmon cannot get over them. The falls are not directly on the line of 

 the railroad, but are 27 miles from the track of the Oregon Short Lin& 

 Eailroad, the point from which they are most accessible probably being* 

 the station of Shoshone. At these falls the salmon, I was told, collect 

 in great numbers, and it is likely that this point may be found to be a 

 good place for establishing a station for collecting salmon eggs and for 

 hatching them. 



I will close by mentioning one more place in this connection, which 

 may some time be found to be a favorable place for a station. This is 

 Salmon City, on the Salmon Eiver, in Idaho. I have the authority of 

 Captain Bendire for stating that salmon can be found here in great 

 quantities in the spawning season, and it probably has other desired 

 qualifications, but it is 100 miles from the nearest railroad point, from 

 which it is reached by a rough and hilly road. If it was not for this 

 objection, a salmon-hatching station might be established here, but its 

 comparative inaccessibility is a serious drawback to the location, and it 

 •ought not to be taken into consideration while other good and mort> 

 accessible points can be found. 



