ALASKA SALMON INVESTIGATIONS IN 1900. 
219 
The fishermen’s contract varied in the different canneries. In one, all fishermen 
and trapmen were paid $30 per month, with full board, from the time of signing’ in 
San Francisco until paid off on return, and one-fourth cent per case. In two other 
canneries the same contract as the preceding was made with the trapmen, except that 
their pay ceased on leaving Chignik, for the reason that they were not obliged to 
work the vessel. In these two canneries the gill-netters were differently paid. In 
one they received $15 per month, without board, from the day of arrival until the 
day of departure, 3 cents per fish to be divided among all netters, and 35 cents per 
day for commutation of ration. In the other cannery gill-netters had $20 per month 
from the date of arrival to that of departure, full board, and 3 cents per fish. 
We spent a Saturday in the lagoon. One cannery packed a few fish in the 
morning, left from the preceding day, and was then closed. The turn .els of the traps of 
this cannery were all up, so far as could be seen, and upon inquiry it was reported that 
they had strict orders to obey the weekly close season, and were doing so. Several 
scow-loads of fish, however, were noticed during the afternoon on their way out, and 
the web of a number of traps was noticed down. 
For a history of the canneries, with their locations, etc., see my former report. 
The Chignik Bay Company has a daily capacity of 1,600 cases, and operates in 
its cannery 7 retorts, 2 fillers, 2 toppers, 2 solderers, and 1 cutter. It has two sets 
of can-makers, with a capacity of 70,000 cans per day, and all the tins are made at the 
cannery, largely of imported material, using 100-pound plate for the bodies and 
95-pound plate for the tops. The fish are pewed from boats and lighters to the fish- 
house, and the cleaned fish are conveyed by car to the cannery. It employed in 1900 
63 white fishermen, 13 white beachmen, 3 white coal-miners, 1 white cannery-hands, 
2 natives, and 90 Chinese. They used 1 gill net, but have 10, each 135 fathoms long, 
30 meshes deep, 6^-inch mesh, value 65 cents per fathom; 3 drag seines, but have 1, 
from 75 to 180 fathoms long, 3 to 3£ inch mesh, 120 to ISO meshes deep at bunt, value 
$1.50 per fathom; 6 traps of L pot and 2 traps of 2 pots, shore leads varying from 
150 to 3,500 feet, average 1,000 feet; channel leads, 100 to 1,600 feet, average 900 feet; 
hearts 75 feet across, and pots 10 feet by 10 feet, average value $1,500 each. The 
trap web is all tanned, pots 51-thread, wings 36-thread; the piles are 10 feet apart. 
The following boats were used: Two schooner-rigged lighters, capacity 11,000 fish, 
value $1,500 each; 1 sloop-rigged lighter, capacity 1,000 fish, value $750; 12 trap 
scows, capacity 1,800 to 3,500 fish, average value $250; 3 flat-bottom seine boats, $100 
each; 15 skiffs, $25 each; 7 Columbia River boats, $200 each; 8 flat-bottom gill-net 
boats, $100 each; 3 pile-drivers, $750 each. 
The following vessels owned by the company were employed: 
Class and name. 
Tons. 
Crew. 
Value. 
Steamer Afognak 
37 
5 
$18, 000 
Steamer Baby Ruth 
10 
4 
5, 000 
Ship George Skolfield 
1,275 
(9 
20, 000 
1 Fishermen. 
The following was the ouput in 1900: Redfish, 10,331 cases, 10.5 to the case, 
June 10 to August 12; cohoes, 62 cases, 10 to the case, August 3 to August 12. 
