FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
169 
sons, mostly Chinese, and utilized 4,039,200 pounds of salmon, for which 
the fishermen received $201 ,960. The output of the canneries that year 
was 61,200 cases, for which $390,150 were received. Four other can- 
neries on the river were not in operation in 1888. Only three were open 
in 1889, and 57,300 cases of salmon were packed. 
The lay. — The boats and nets are generally the property of the fisher- 
men, who fish on shares. In case the fishermen do not own the appa- 
ratus, the stock of each crew is divided into three parts, one going to 
the owner of the net and one to each of the fishermen. 
Disposition of products. — Previous to 1888 the salmon were sold to 
the canneries by the piece at prices ranging from 50 to 70 cents each 
for all fish weighing 10 pounds or over; under that limit two fish were 
required to represent the value of a single fish over 10 pounds. In 
1888 the packers, finding that all large salmon were being sent to 
market and all the smaller fish sold to them, changed the system and 
decided to buy the fish by the pound, regardless of size, the prices paid 
in that year being 4J to 6 cents, round. Large quantities of various 
species of fish are shipped in ice to San Francisco and other markets 
for immediate consumption. 
Sacramento as a fish marlcet and distributing center . — Although a cer- 
tain amount of fresh-water fish is shipped from Sacramento to San 
Francisco, the receipts of salt-water fish from the latter place are much 
greater. The following table shows the receipts of market fish at Sac- 
ramento in 1888: 
Species. 
w 
No. of 
fish. 
Pounds. 
Value 
to fisher- 
men. 
Salmon 
10, 292 
261 
147 
36 
155, 289 
1,471 
5, 193 
378 
35, 475 
125, 640 
30, 450 
32, 148 
1, 230 
$9, 317 
74 
260 
19 
532 
1, 885 
609 
643 
62 
Shad __ 
Sturgeon 
Pike 
Carp 
Catfish 
Hard-head 
Split-tail 
- 
Chub 
Total 
10, 736 
387, 274 
13, 401 
The following were the ruling prices received by the fishermen of this 
region in 1888 : 
Prices of different species offish , 1888. 
Species. . 
Price per 
pound. 
Species. 
Price per 
pound. 
Salmon, upper river 
Gents. 
4^ 
Sturgeon 
Cents. 
5 
Salmon, lower river..... 
6 
Hard-head 
2 
Shad 
5 
Split-tail 
2 
Carp 
H 
Chub . .. 
5 
Catfish 
H 
I 5 
1 
Perch 
8 
Pike 
