238 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The number of salmon cannerie.s operated in the Columbia basin in 1893 was 24, of 
which 13 were in Oregon and 11 in Washington. They were located as follows: 
Locality. 
County. 
Kumber. 
Oregon : 
8 
do 
1 
1 
1 
] 
. . do 
1 
13 
Wasliington : 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Bag'le Cliff 
AVabkiakuin 
1 
1 
9 
1 
1 
....do 
1 
11 
24 
The reduced pack led some of the canners to resume the business when the close 
time was over and the fall fishing began on September 10. At that time there was a 
numerous run of salmon in the river. By some these were regarded as small chinook 
salmon, by others they were thought to be dog salmon. Judging from the size, 10 to 
15 pounds on an average, it seems probable the fish were dog salmon {Oncoyhyuclms 
Iceta). If so, this was the first year any business was made of packing them on the 
Colnmbia, although they were rather extensively canned on some of the coast streams 
in 1892. The lish were known as “chums” iu the lower river. The boats could go 
out from Astoria and return loaded in a few hours. Tlie price at first was 5 cents i>er 
fish, but it quickly dropped to 2 cents per fish, and even then the demand was far 
below the sui)ply. The canners could doubtless have packed three or five times as 
many as they did. They were restrained in packing these tish extensively by their 
poor quality when canned. When fresh the fish were fine-looking, with firm flesh 
and a good color to their meat. When canned, however, they bleached out and became 
white or straw color. They could only be sold as tliird or fourth class goods, bringing 
$3.20 per case. The quantity canned was about 20,000 cases. 
The unusiial feature of the fall packing operatimis was the utilization of humpback 
salmon {0. gorbuscha). The canners paid 5 cents each for the fish. According to Mr. 
M. J. Kinney, between 2,500 and 5,000 cases were prei)ared. Some of the raw material 
came from Puget Sound. A few silver salmon (0. liisutcli) were also canned. 
Condition o f the salmon industry in 1894 . — The regular salmon-fishing season of 1894 
began April 10 and ended August 10. During the months of May and June the suc- 
cess of this industry was seriously jeopardized by the occurrence of unprecedentedly 
high freshets, which constituted one of the principal features of the season. A later 
extraordinarily large run of salmon overbalanced the injurious effects of the floods. 
During the height of the flood the operations of the gill-net fishermen were inter- 
rupted, but by the middle of June the gill nets began to take large numbers of fine 
Chinooks, and are reported to have done well during the remaining part of the season. 
The run of fish continiied large to the very end of the season. On August 7, three 
