FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 169 



whom about 720 persons were dependent. They used 2 fishing steamers 

 valued at $16,000; 42 boats valued at $2,695; 480 whitefish gill-nets, 

 132,000 feet in length, 62 herring and perch gill-nets, 8,675 feet in length, 

 the total value of gill-nets being $3,788; 10 pound-nets, valued at 

 $4,600; 234,000 feet of set-lines, with 23,400 hooks, valued at $200; 

 and miscellaneous apparatus and shore property, fixtures, fish cars, and 

 workiug capital to the value of*$310,185, giving as the total amount of 

 capital invested in the fisheries $337,468. 



The yield of the fisheries of this section in 1885 was somewhat smaller 

 than in 1884, owing, it was believed, to protracted cold and stormy 

 weather preceding the close of the fishing season. The quantities of the 

 various species taken were : 



» Pounds. 



Whitefisli 81,696 



Herring 75, 165 



Sturgeon 101,362 



Perch 575,025 



Eels, catfish, and other fish 27, 927 



The manufactured and secondary products consisted of 230 pounds 

 of caviare, 80 pounds of isinglass, and 80 gallons of sturgeon oil ; these 

 were all prepared by one man, in South Chicago. The value of the 

 fishery products was $72,041. 



57. INDIANA. 



General remarks. — The coast-line of Indiana, about 40 miles in length, 

 is less in extent than that of any other state bordering on the Great 

 Lakes, and the fisheries are of small importance. Indiana borders on 

 the extreme southern part of Lake Michigan, and its shores are sandy 

 and hilly throughout. There are but two places in ^the state from 

 which fishing is carried on, and only one of these engages in fishing to 

 any considerable extent. This is Michigan City, near the eastern state- 

 line, in Laporte County, a railroad, manufacturing, and lumber town of 

 7,800 inhabitants. At one time fishing was one of the most important 

 occupations of the people, but since 1879 there has been a gradual de- 

 cline in the business, owing to the decrease of whitefish and sturgeon ; 

 perch, however, have been steadily increasing in abundance. One 

 crew of pound-net fishermen, it may be said, were taking as many fish 

 as ever in 1885, and believed the decrease is only apparent, the stormy 

 weather preventing fishermen from going out into the lake after the 

 fish. 



From City West, an unimportant community in Porter County about 

 10 miles west of Michigan City, and the only other fishing center in the 

 State, a little seine and set-line fishing is done in the spring and fall by 

 two or three men from Chesterton, an inland town ; six pound-nets, 

 fished by as many men, are also set off the place, and are operated by 

 two firms, one of which belongs at Toledo, Ohio, and uses the same nets 

 at Monroe, Mich., on Lake Erie. 



