FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
139 
and washing, but this is, perhaps, less necessary. If customers would 
refuse to buy fish that have not been gutted, and, for that reason, can 
not be closely examined to ascertain their exact condition of freshness, 
it would do much to correct the present undesirable condition of affairs. 
It has been claimed by fishermen and dealers that they can not sell 
eviscerated fish, because the buyers believe that only stale fish are 
dressed. This is purely an idea imported from southern Europe, and a 
brief time would suffice to disabuse people’s minds of such impressions. 
Small, swift steamers, adapted to fishing and towing boats in calm 
leather, could undoubtedly do good and profitable service. They might 
also act as carriers and bring to market daily and quickly the catch of 
fleets fishing at the Farallones, about Drake’s Bay, and in the more dis- 
tant parts of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays. Indeed, some 
of them might be fitted with wells for keeping fish alive. Ice should be 
carried and used on the boats if it is feasible. With the present facili- 
ties for manufacturing ice, it ought to be produced at a figure that 
would make it available to all, and the improvement in the fish would 
doubtless repay considerable expenditure in this direction. Probably 
the establishment of cooling houses or refrigerators, such as are in oper- 
ation in the eastern cities and on the Great Lakes, would prove profit- 
able and advance the present condition of the fish trade. 
All fish markets should be kept in a neat and tidy manner. Ice should 
be liberally used. Fish carts should be constructed so that their con- 
tents can be covered, and at least a small amount of ice should be used 
on them. No one is so much benefited as the fishermen by any im-* 
provement of this nature; for whatever adds to the attractiveness of 
goods offered for sale invariably increases the demand and adds to the 
profit of the producer. At the same time the salesmen and general 
public are gainers. 
The effect of improved methods upon the distribution of fresh fish 
to the interior is a matter for special consideration. It is stated that 
the railroads and the express companies of the Pacific coast have signi- 
fied a desire to make liberal concessions to build up the trade, to the 
extent, at least, of offering to transport iced fish and charging only for 
the actual weight of fish carried (no charge being made for weight of ice 
and boxes), and returning all empty packages free of cost to the ship- 
pers. The transportation facilities are good, and San Francisco ought 
to supply an immense area with fresh fish of many kinds. Pacific sal- 
mon reach all the Eastern and Central States, and why should not other 
valuable species do nearly as well ? 
Effects of Chinese traps and sea lions . — The market fisherman com- 
plain of the trouble caused by the trap nets set in the bays by Chinese 
fishermen. These are generally set upon stakes which come to the sur- 
face of the water. Drift nets are often caught and torn upon these 
stakes, and in some cases the damage is considerable. Much annoy- 
ance and some loss are caused by the sea lions that gather in numbers 
