THE SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 
105 
111 1897 the cannery received and packed the following salmon, according to the 
cannery books: 
Species. 
Dates. 
Total 
number 
of lisli. 
Kuinlier 
of cases. 
Number 
of lish 
per case. 
Remarks. 
King 
Redfisli 
Cohoe.s 
Humpbacks 
1897. 
MaylS to.Tune 25 
June 25 to Aug. 6 
July 7 to Sept. 15 
July 12 to Aug. 18 
4, 94G 
70, 870 
76, 153 
662, 563 
1,246 
7, 428 
8, 620 
28, 624 
3.9 
9.5 
8.8 
23.1 
All taken in gill net.s at 
mouth of Stikine River. 
In 1896 and 1897 the cannery paid $5.50 per 100 forredfish and cohoes at the fish- 
eries, and $7 per 100 delivered; and for humpbacks 50 cents per 100, the steamer calling 
for them. The run of redfish in 1897 was very small, but humpbacks were so plentiful 
that the canneries here, as elsewhere, did not have the facilities for handling the catch. 
The fishing contract here differs from that at Loring on account of the gill-net 
fishing. The company pays each man $125 for his services in taking the transport 
vessel to the cannery and back to San Francisco, and for discharging and loading at 
the cannery. There are two men to a gill-net outfit. When fishing commences the 
cannery supplies the gear and pays 5 cents for king salmon and 2^ cents each for 
redfish and cohoes. The fishermen also receive their board and lodging. The Chinese 
contract price for packing is 40 cents per case. 
The streams supplying the cannery at Wrangell are the following: Stikine Kiver, 
Salmon Bay, Bed Bay, Lake Bay, Whale Passage, Katz Harbor, Old Village, Anan 
(Bradfield Canal), Kah-Sheets, Wrangell Harrows, and incidentally a few fish are 
received from Shiiiley Bay and Point Barrie. 
STIKINE RIVER. 
The Stikine River (see Chart A) is the largest in southeast Alaska, and is the 
only one that is navigable; but as yet it has no very important relation to the salmon 
fisheries. A small stern-wheel steamer of light draft makes occasional trips to the 
trading posts located on its upper waters. The Cassiar gold discovery, near its head- 
waters, gave it additional interest in 1875-1877, and it has been much talked of as 
a route to the upper Yukon. It is said to receive the waters of 300 glaciers. It dis- 
charges through a wide delta with numerous shallow channels and a current of from 
3 to 4 miles an hour, but in the upper waters, where it rushes through the canyons, 
the velocity pi’obably reaches 10 miles. The fiats formed by the river silt close the 
passages to the northward between the islands and the mainland, except for small 
boats. 
It is believed that the run of all species of salmon up this river is large, and, if 
they could be easily captured, several canneries might be supplied; but only gill-net 
fishing is feasible, and on account of the wide expanse of river mouth, the numerous 
snags and bowlders, and strong currents, this method is not very profitable, as the 
best salmon are obtained in Alaska for a cent a pound, and in some places for little 
more than a cent a fish. The fishing here is carried on around the flats at the mouth 
of the river, in the sloughs and channels where the current is not too strong. Usually 
the gill nets are anchored; sometimes they are drifted. The Wrangell cannery in a 
