FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 



199 



and from those of Lake Huron who fish in the vicinity of that place. 

 In 1885, between May 1 and October 1, 120,000 pounds of fresh fish and 

 70,000 pounds of salt fish were handled, divided as follows among the 

 different species : 



Kinds. 



Fresh. 



Salt. 



Whitensh 



Pounds. 

 60, 000 

 42, 000 

 12, 000 



Pounds. 

 49, 000 



Trout 



7,000 



W^all-eyed pike 





Herring 



7,000 



Suckers 





7,000 



Sturgeon 



6,000 









The amounts paid to the fishermen were $4,200 for fresh fish and 

 $2,398 for salt fish. Four men were employed as preparators, and $1,000 

 was invested in the business in wharves, buildings, fish-cars, etc. 



71. BEAVER, FOX, AND MANITOU ISLANDS, MANITOU COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 



General description. — The scattering islands in the northern end of 

 Lake Michigan constitute the county of Manitou. There are, strictly 

 speaking, three groups, the Beaver Islands, the Fox Islands, and the 

 Manitou Islands. The distance between the most northern point of the 

 first named group and the southern extremity of the last mentioned is 

 nearly 70 miles. The islands have for many years been inhabited by 

 fishermen, as fish were abundant iu the vicinity, and the fishing grounds 

 could be more readily reached from the islands than from the mainland. 

 The total population is about 2,000, nearly all of whom are foreign born, 

 and earn their livelihood by fishing or farming. 



Beaver Island group. — The Beaver Islands are the most important 

 and most numerous. Thoy are situated about 40 miles west of Mack- 

 inaw City and 30 miles distant from Petoskey and Harbor Springs, and 

 are made up of Beaver, Garden, High, Hog, Gull, Trout, and Squaw 

 Islands. The county seat is at St. James, a village of 400 inhabitants? 

 located on an excellent harbor near the northern extremity of Beaver 

 Island, the largest of the group. About one-half of the people in the 

 county reside on this island, where at least two-thirds of the adult males 

 are engaged in fishing to a greater or less extent. Fishing is by far the 

 most important industry, and most of the money in circulation is ob- 

 tained from this source. Fully 90 per cent, of the entire population are 

 Irish. The others are chiefly French, Germans, and Scandinavians, 

 with an occasional American. High Island, 4 miles to the westward, is 

 the home of twenty or thirty families of Indians, but only two white 

 men live there during the winter months. Garden and Hog Islands 

 come next in importance, but these have no harbors suitable for vessels, 

 and only three or four families reside there permanently. The other 

 islands are small and unimportant. 



