FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
199 
Oregon and Washington. In many instances canneries and apparatus 
operated on one side of the river are owned and controlled by capitalists 
residing on the other side, while fish taken in the waters of one State 
are caught by the fishermen of the other, who carry them to the can- 
neries across the river, or otherwise, as the case may be. For the sake 
of clearness a summation of the combined fishery interests of both sides 
of the river is given in this chapter, together with a statement of the 
extent of the fisheries prosecuted from Oregon alone. 
Geographical . — The Columbia Eiver rises in British Columbia, flows 
through Washington, reaching the northern border of Oregon about 
75 miles west of its eastern boundary $ from this point the river forms 
the dividing line between Oregon and Washington, its general course 
being westerly. It empties into the Pacific at Cape Disappointment. 
Its principal tributaries are the Snake and Willamette Rivers, but 
Day’s and Des Chutes Rivers are streams of some note. The Columbia 
is the largest river of the west coast $ it is most favorably situated for 
the fisheries, and its headwaters constitute excellent breeding grounds 
for the salmonidse. 
Fishing centers .— The great fishing center On the Columbia, and the 
only one of marked commercial importance, is Astoria, Oregon. All 
other so-called fishing centers, excepting the Cascades and The Dalles, 
are small settlements that have grown up around the canneries. Astoria 
is not only the headquarters of the salmon-canning industry, but it is 
in all essentials a fishery center, since it is the home of a very large pro- 
portion of those persons who are engaged in fishing on the river, and 
is also the principal shipping point of the region. 
The city is located about 15 miles from the mouth of the Columbia. 
It is historically interesting as being one of the first settlements on the 
Pacific coast, and its intimate association with the salmon industry has 
given it a peculiar importance in connection with the fisheries of this 
region. It has held the foremost position as a packing and shipping 
point, but in very recent years the decline in the abundance of salmon 
in the Columbia and the increased activity in salmon packing in Alaska 
have had a marked influence upon the prosperity of the town. Thus in 
1887 there were 17 canneries at Astoria, while in 1888 there were but 
14 canneries, and in 1889 only 11 packing establishments in active opera- 
tion. In the meantime 6 firms that had formerly carried on business 
at Astoria removed their entire plants to Alaska. A few of the firms 
that still continue operations at Astoria also have canneries at points in 
Alaska. The city has a population of about 5,000 during the winter, 
w'hich is increased to 6,000 or more during the salmon season, at which 
time many fishermen and cannery employes come to this section from 
other regions. 
Astoria has many peculiarities, among which is the fact that it is 
built on piling and extends out over the river ; the steep hills that 
come down to the water’s edge afford little opportunity for the erection 
