152 
l^ULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
a crew of 11, and valued at $10,000; the bark Merom, of 1,159 tons, with a crew of 15, 
and valued at $16,000. 
The Santa Clara made two trips to Karluk; the Nicholas Thayer, besides tlie 
Karluk trip, made two trips to Loring, and the bark Merom made one trip to Naknek. 
The canneries used 13 lighters, valued at $400 each; 21 seine boats, valued at $125 
each ; and 113 dories, valued at $25 each. There is a large amount of spare equipment 
on hand. 
The Chinese contract was 40 cents a case, and, as is always the arrangement, on 
a guaranteed pack. The fishermen have wages until fishing begins, and then an 
allowance per case. This nets them about $45 per mouth and board. 
REGULATION OF WORK IN CANNERIES. 
The canneries at Karluk and the one at Uganuk are under the management of 
one general superintendent. Each cannery has its foreman and regular number of 
employees, and in many ways they are separate and work independently of each other. 
The fish caught are equally divided among the canneries, the pack of each from day 
to day being so regulated as to amount to about the same. Each cannery packs 
salmon under the original brands used previous to coming into the association. It 
has been found necessary to do this in order to hold the established trade. Had new 
brands been substituted, considerable confusion and dissatisfaction would have 
arisen, followed by a decrease in the demand for Karluk salmon, for after establishing 
a reputation a brand of salmon can not be changed without a loss to the cannery. 
FISHERMEN IN THE KARLUK REGION. 
Each fishing gang has a boss, who directs the setting of the seine and the handling 
of the boats. Seines are set in their regular turn ; as soou as one haul has been made 
another is commenced. This is kept up day and night when fish are plentiful and the 
weather and tide favorable. On shore two men, who are known as shore-boss fisher- 
men, keep a sharp lookout for any signs of salmon which may appear off the spit. If, 
in their judgment, the conditions are favorable for setting seines, the fishermen are 
called out and repeated hauls made. It frequently happens that fish will be jumping 
and no particular notice taken of them; at other times one or two salmon observed 
will be sufficient for the seine to be set. Long experience has taught these men when 
to make hauls to obtain the best results. They are governed largely by the weather, 
direction of the wind, and the way fish are playing. 
SIZE AND NUMBER OF SEINES. 
It has been frequently found necessary to increase the number and length of the 
seines at Karluk. Commencing with nets 40 fathoms long, they have now reached a 
length of 500 fathoms. The average length, however, is 450 fathoms. The size of 
mesh is 3 inches, stretch measure. 
A large amount of web and other material for making seines is kept in stock. In 
the spring the necessary seines are manufactured; when one is worn out, it is replaced 
by another. The wear which seines receive in this fishery is considerable, and the 
number expended each year amounts to several thousand fathoms. The quantity of 
web, corks, and rope kept on hand for making seines varies but little from year to 
year. In 1895 an inventory of the amount on hand was taken, and, as there has been 
no material change since, the quantity for that year will answer for 1897. At the 
