SALMON INVESTIGATIONS IN COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN IN 1896. 
53 
miles from the sea, the mutilations exhibited could not have been incurred while on 
their way from the sea, but were received on the spawning-beds. Several dead ones 
were seen, and many others were so weak and injured that recovery was not believed 
possible. 
On October 23 and 24 at least 50 Chinooks were seen on spawning-beds. On all 
of these the fins were considerably frayed, while most of them were badly mutilated 
and covered with fungus. A few were so far gone that we captured them by wading 
in the water and catching them by the tails. 
The seals collect in large numbers during the salmon run on the bar at the mouth 
of Siuslaw Eiver. Some enter the river and are seen nearly half way to Mapleton. 
They are regarded as being destructive to the fishing interests, both by destroying 
large numbers of fishes and preventing many more from entering the river. These 
seals are regarded by the fishermen as by far the worst enemy of the salmon. 
The run of silver salmon began later. The first examples were taken about Sep- 
tember 10, but they did not appear in any considerable numbers until about a week 
later. From that date they continued pretty evenly until the 20th of October, after 
which they appeared in much larger numbers. They were still abundant on November 
7, when a sudden rise in the river washed away many of the nets and practically put 
a stop to all fishing for the season. 
The importance of the salmon fishery of the Siuslaw River for each year since its 
beginning in 1889 is shown in the table which follows. For convenience of reference 
the salmon taken in Tsiltcoos (Ten-mile) Creek are included. 
Year. 
j Siuslaw Eiver. 
North 
Fork. 
Tsiltcoos 
Creek- 
silver. 
Chinook. 
Silver. 
Chinook. 
Silver. 
1889 
9, 000 
62, 340 
4,000 
16, 432 
8, 000 
1890 
6, 500 
41, 320 
2, 340 
9, 320 
(0) 
1891 
16, 500 
23, 450 
6,800 
2, 100 
( a ) 
1892 
7, 000 
86, 340 
3, 050 
13, 460 
(a) 
1893 
4, 000 
78, 430 
1, 100 
12, 000 
fi, 300 
1894 
1, 300 
84, 642 
1, 234 
6, 742 
4,870 
1895 
4, 200 
69, 454 
1, 600 
4,340 
8,200 
1896 
4,378 
57, 000 
2, 100 
4, 650 
1, 578 
Totals 
52, 878 
502, 973 
22, 224 
69, 044 
27, 948 
a Did not fish. 
From this it appears that the total number of chinook salmon from the Siuslaw 
River and the North Fork handled by the canneries in the eight years was 75,102 fish, 
or 1,301,632 pounds. Mr. Kyle estimates that this amount should be increased by 
one-sixth, to cover the number salted or shipped away. This would give 87,619 fish, 
or 1,518,750 pounds. The total number of silver salmon handled during the same 
period was 599,965 fish, or 5,429,675 pounds; increased by one-sixth for fish salted or 
otherwise utilized, the total becomes 699,959 fish, or 6,334,620 pounds. The number 
of silver salmon taken in the outlet of Tahkenitch Lake (Five-mile Creek) is said to 
have averaged about 5,000 fish per year for the last three years. 
Condition of salmon . — The Chinooks caught in the Siuslaw River are not so fat as 
those caught in the Columbia. This is no doubt due to the fact that the Siuslaw has 
only a fall run. In any river the spring run is always better than the fall run ; the 
