138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



in other fisheries, in the statistics for which they are included. Eight 

 thousand pounds of trout, selling for $560, were taken by spearers in 

 1885. 



46. WASHINGTON ISLAND, DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 



Geographical description. — Washington Island is about 7 miles square, 

 and lies in the mouth of Green Bay, just off the extremity of the Green 

 Bay peninsula. There are two good harbors, in each of which is a 

 small hamlet. 



The island is in the line of navigation and readily accessible in sum- 

 mer, but in winter it can only be reached by driving over the ice, which 

 is quite unsafe on account of the currents which frequently break up 

 the ice among the islands at the entrance of Green Bay. Its popula- 

 tion is quite heterogeneous; it includes a good many Icelanders and some 

 Americans, but the majority of the inhabitants are Poles. Farming is 

 the principal industry. 



About ten families live near Washington Harbor on the northern 

 shore of the island, and the same number at Detroit Harbor on the 

 south. The rest are scattered. Most of the fishermen live at Washings 

 ton Harbor. 



History and character of the fisheries. — The gill-net fisheries were car- 

 ried on at Washington Island as early as 1855. Between 1864 and 1877 

 there were about twenty-five crews of gill-net fishermen. In 1879 the 

 fishery began to decline. There was a good catch in 1881, but since 

 that year it has been very poor. There were about ten crews in 1884 

 and eight in 1885. They have from one hundred and twenty to one 

 hundred and fifty nets to each boat, and fish throughout the summer 

 months and occasionally in winter. 



Up to 1873 all the fishing was "with gill-nets, but pound-nets were in- 

 troduced at that time, and three of them were in use up to 1878. From 

 May to August, 1885, two pound-nets were set in Eocky Island passage 

 by a fisherman from Sheboygan. The only other fishing is a little with 

 hand-lines through the ice in winter. 



The catch consists of whitefish and trout, with a great preponder- 

 ance of the former. About 20 per cent, of it was sold fresh to col- 

 lecting steamers belonging at Escanaba, and the remainder was salted 

 and shipped to Milwaukee and Chicago. 



Statistics. — The total amount of property invested in the fisheries of 

 Washington Island in 1885 was $7,980, and the value of the products 

 was about $6,800. 



47. NEWPORT TO LILY BAT, INCLUSIVE, DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 



Past importance of fisheries.— -The east shore of Green Bay peninsula, 

 from Death's Door to the Sturgeon Bay Canal, is of great historic in- 

 terest in connection with the fisheries, which were formerly important, 

 though at present its fishing interests are very much smaller than those 

 of the opposite shore. 



