FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
99 
Miller were employed as tenders to this and the Pirate Cove station, 
carrying the products to Pescada Landing and returning to Alaska 
with supplies. 
Causes of fluctuations . — The fluctuations and vicissitudes of the Pa- 
cific cod fishery are due to several causes. For a long time one of the 
chief drawbacks was found in the lack of experience on the part of 
some of those conducting the business. Often they were deficient in 
the technical skill and knowledge required for properly curing the prod- 
ucts landed from their vessels. Firms and individuals that entered 
into the trade without sufficient knowledge of its requirements soon 
became discouraged, as a rule, and dropped out of the business ; only 
those with greater skill and more persistence continued the industry. 
Wilcox pertinently remarks that “ those that remain have by long and 
sometimes by dear-bought experience thoroughly learned all the details 
of the business and have familiarized themselves with the needs.” 
Paradoxical as it may seem, for some years a season of exceptional 
success was often the cause of disaster. Large profits generally created 
a temporary boom.” Firms or individuals hasteued to engage in the 
fishery. Frequently sufficient care was not exercised in selecting men 
and vessels. Generally the market was much overstocked at the close 
of the season. Prices dropped far below the point where they gave 
remunerative returns to investors. Too often the products could scarcely 
be sold at any price because of the excess of supply over the demand. 
The result was necessarily disastrous, and those who had hasteued to 
engage in an enterprise because others had been “ lucky” usually 
abandoned it with the utmost precipitation, leaving the field only to 
those whose “luck” or experience enabled them to succeed under con- 
ditions that ruined or discouraged their competitors. The year 1869 is 
cited as a fair illustration of the above statements. Serious loss was 
caused that year by overproduction and improper methods of curing. 
As a consequence, hundreds of tons of spoiled fish were thrown into 
the sea. One cargo of 140 tons of cod was brought to San Francisco 
by a foreign vessel. A duty of one-half a cent per pound was paid on 
the fish, which, when opened, were in such condition that the whole lot 
sold for only $500. The fish were shipped around Cape Horn to New 
York to be used for fertilizing purposes, but arrived in such au offen- 
sive condition that they could not be lauded ; they were taken outside 
of New York Harbor and thrown into the sea. 
The competition arising from the introduction of Atlantic cod in 
Western markets has possibly had some influence in causiug fluctuations 
in the Pacific cod fishery. But I look upon this rather as the cause of 
the general decline noticeable in recent years than as a special reason 
for the variableness alluded to. It is now difficult to predict what may 
be the ultimate result of this competition, since so many factors are 
involved, any one of which may have a great iuttuence. The probabil- 
