THE SMELTS 
257 
Counties 
Year 
1897 . 
1898.. 
1899 .. 
1900 .. 
1901 .. 
1902 .. 
1903 .. 
1904 . 
1905 . 
1906 . 
1907 .. 
1908 .. 
1909 .. 
1910 . 
1911 
1912 , 
1916 . 
1919 .. 
1924 . 
Washing- 
ton 
Hancock 
Penob- 
scot 
Waldo 
Knox 
Lincoln 
Sagada- 
hoc 
Cumber- 
land 
York 
41,360 
240, 114 
65, 450 
1, 638 
207, 237 
180, 692 
376, 714 
7,900 
117,875 
150, 852 
68, 790 
16, 200 
339, 200 
92, 576 
368, 000 
3, 191 
115, 110 
193, 134 
81,860 
24, 078 
272, 335 
4, 206 
187, 236 
2, 147 
199, 960 
219, 658 
70, 850 
37, 700 
193, 731 
78, 935 
212, 600 
4,000 
149, 267 
249, 088 
255, 065 
102, 523 
187, 034 
315, 364 
45, 540 
28,425 
30, 142 
24. 042 
52, 900 
29, 276 
214, 085 
297, 320 
204, 024 
79, 056 
67, 940 
55, 729 
71,815 
119,055 
139, 900 
400 
276, 872 
280, 393 
56, 835 
17, 000 
203, 385 
17,010 
127, 345 
2, 300 
176, 800 
151, 166 
29, 160 
84, 000 
214, 700 
11, 945 
101,420 
1,200 
245,818 
235, 508 
33, 300 
49, 500 
176, 887 
15,535 
164, 765 
208 
238, 635 
180, 249 
46, 700 
25, 375 
117, 648 
11,900 
169, 030 
497 
263, 780 
149, 228 
2, 000 

68, 875 
210, 500 
3, 440 
227, 545 
1,350 
306,601 
207, 170 
217, 738 
292, 109 
7, 500 
12, 000 
45, 000 
25, 195 
57,100 
137, 600 
176, 000 
31, 190 
34, 255 
228, 130 
264, 820 
292, 790 
317, 675 
52, 433 
334, 257 
131, 700 
176, 200 
16, 000 
15, 700 
25, 500 
200 
96, 750 
61,500 
61,000 
125, 200 
185, 000 
3,000 
60, 310 
66, 635 
24, 040 
242, 785 
211,935 
195, 500 
36, 300 
95, 435 
1,900 
23, 450 
93, 600 
53, 500 
74, 230 
136, 202 
8,000 
92, 315 
105,115 
24, 140 
52, 000 
58, 289 
100, 760 
99, 005 
86, 683 
3, 500 
The following table shows the available statistics of the total catch, in pounds, 
value of the catch to the fishermen, number of fishermen and average catch of each, 
average value received by each, and the average price per pound received by the fisher- 
men in certain 3 mars from 1897 to 1924, inclusive, as derived from the reports of the 
commissioners of sea and shore fisheries of Maine and the United States Bureau of 
Fisheries : 
1897. 
1898. 
1899. 
1900. 
1901. 
1902. 
1903. 
1904. 
1905. 
1906. 
1907. 
1908. 
1909. 
1910. 
1911. 
1912. 
1916. 
1919. 
1924. 
Pounds 
Value 
Number 
of men 
Approxi- 
mate 
quantity 
per man 
Average 
value per 
man 
Average 
price per 
pound 
1,121,105 
$67, 960 
1, 121 
1, 000+ 
$60. 62+ 
$0. 060 
1.156, 684 
80.314 
1,095 
1, 058+ 
73. 34+ 
.069 
880, 106 
66, 682 
830 
1,060+ 
80. 33+ 
.076 
1,017, 434 
77, 074 
977 
1,040+ 
78. 80+ 
.076 
686, 328 
56, 930 
859 
798+ 
66. 27+ 
.083 
1,001,762 
95, 833 
753 
1,330+ 
127. 26+ 
.096 
1, 029, 900 
101,720 
824 
1,249+ 
123. 44+ 
.099 
981, 140 
97, 769 
765 
1,282 + 
127. 79+ 
.099 
770, 391 
86, 588 
776 
993 + 
111.58 + 
. 112 
921, 521 
107, 206 
654 
1,409 + 
163. 92+ 
. 116 
790, 034 
86, 437 
. 109 
926, 718 
110, 186 
. 119 
953, 954 
110, 004 
. 115 
1, 088, 454 
115, 107 
. 106 
1, 168, 092 
125, Oil 
. 107 
990, 145 
106, 351 
. 107 
537, 633 
63, 679 
. 118 
523, 967 
94, 496 
. 180 
627, 707 
137, 430 
.219 
Basing computations upon the figures shown in the foregoing tables, there 
apparently was a considerable decline in the smelt fishery up to 1916. In the 
decade from 1887 to 1897 a falling off of 84,045 pounds is found, which might, per- 
haps, represent only a fluctuation due to one cause or another; but in the 20-year 
period from 1888 to 1908 there is a greater loss of 625,550 pounds, and in the 30-year 
period from 1887 to 1916 a still greater falling off of 667,277 pounds is seen. Again, 
taking a 20-year period, from 1897 to 1916, as shown in the last table, while a drop 
