214 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Trade. — Almost the entire catch was formerly salted and disposed of 

 locally or sold to traders for shipment to Alpena, Detroit, and other 

 lower lake ports. Since the building of the first steam-boat dock at 

 Rogers City in 1872 most of the fish have been shipped fresh in cars 

 to Detroit, though some have each year been salted before shipment, 

 and a few fresh fish have been sold locally, the amount so disposed of 

 in Rogers City and its vicinity being 2 or 3 tons annually. AtPresque 

 Isle the fish were all salted until 1884, the last year of the fishing there, 

 when they were shipped fresh to Alpena. 



Occupation and lay of fishermen. — There is no fishing during the win- 

 ter in this county and most of the fishermen work at that season in the 

 cord-wood and cedar camps. Some of the pound-nets and gill-nets are 

 fished on shares, the owner furnishing the boats and nets complete and 

 material to keep them in repair. The operator pays all running ex- 

 penses including repairs on nets and boats. The fish are all sold to one 

 firm and the money equally divided between owner and operator. 



Statistics. — The number of men engaged in fishing during 1885 on the 

 lake shore of Presque Isle County was 21, of whom 6 were in the pound- 

 net fishery exclusively, 12 in the gill-net fishery only, and 3 in both 

 fisheries. Six shoresmen and preparators were also employed in con- 

 nection with the gill-net fishery. There were 10 pound-nets, worth 

 $2,300, and 425 gill-nets, worth $7,500. The value of wharves and 

 buildings amounted to $1,818, and that of minor apparatus and acces- 

 sories to $300, the working capital being $1,075. The yield consisted 

 of 224,810 pounds of fish, of which 198,910 pounds were sold fresh, in- 

 cluding 138,670 pounds of trout and 51,240 pounds of whitefish. The 

 salt fish were 11,000 pounds of herring, 8,500 pounds of trout, and 

 0,400 pounds of whitefish. The catch was valued at $7,3G0. 



76. ALPENA COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 



Geographical description. — The shore line of Alpena County is a little 

 less than 50 miles in length, and includes Middle Island on the north; 

 and South Point, the lower boundary of Thunder Bay, on the south. 

 The water is generally shallow, and the shores are low, except at Part- 

 ridge Point in Thunder Bay where the shores are quite abrupt with 

 deep water near the land. Thunder Bay forms a very large and ex- 

 cellent harbor, well sheltered against all but easterly winds; wharves 

 may be built on almost any portion of its shores and do not have to be 

 of great strength to withstand the waves. The beach is of sand, gravel, 

 or stone, shelving gradually toward the open lake. The bottom is 

 almost free from obstructions to navigation, the only reef being a small 

 one about half a mile from North Point. 



Between Nine Mile Point and North Point there are many small 

 semicircular bays, usually about half a mile wide, which form good 

 harbors for small fishing boats that do not draw over 3 feet- Just above 

 North Point is Little Thunder Bay or Misery Bay. Its shore is low and 



