14 
FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1909. 
he was successful the government would enact a special law making 
all the increase his own property. 
The stream selected for the experiment is at the head of McHenry 
Inlet, on Etolin Island, in southeast Alaska. It is small, about one- 
half mile in length, and, like most of the streams in this region, flows 
over a rocky and bowldery bed between heavily wooded shelving 
banks. At its head is a small lake, 42 feet above tide water. The 
stream w x as considered to have a run of from 3,000 to 5,000 red sal- 
mon, a number too small to attract the fishermen, who rarely visited 
it. In 1892 a small hatchery was built on the stream about 200 yards 
from the mouth. In the spring of 1893, however, it was removed to 
the lake, the first location having been found not to be suitable. 
From the very beginning it was decided to exclude all but the most 
desirable species from the lake. To accomplish this, dams were built 
across the stream, with racks below them, at a point about 100 yards 
from salt water, where an islet divides the stream into two parts. 
The dam and fence on the western side of the islet allow nothing to 
pass. The fence on the eastern side has a trap opening, admitting 
the fish to the foot of the dam. Here the red and coho salmon are 
lifted by dip nets to the pool above, from which point they can 
ascend quickly to the lake. Nothing can enter the lake which is not 
passed over the dam by hand. In addition to keeping out the hump- 
back and dog salmon and all trout, the lake has been carefully fished 
and all enemies of the salmon that could be caught have been removed. 
Under these exceptionally favorable conditions the work was 
carried on from 1892 until the spring of 1906, when Mr. Callbreath 
was obliged to discontinue the operation of the hatchery, owing to 
lack of funds and failing eyesight, the latter misfortune resulting a 
year or two later in total blindness. He still maintained the dam 
and racks, however, employing a man to lift the fish over the dam 
as usual each fall. 
The following statement shows the number of red salmon passed 
over the dam each season : 
1892 
3, 000 
1893 
3, 010 
1894 
_ _ 4,463 
1895 
5, 026 
1896 
_ 3,627 
1897 
2, 589 
1898 
2, 010 
1899 
2, 233 
1900 
3, 854 
1901 2,924 
1902 5,077 
1903 5,648 
1904 7,432 
1905 IS 7,623 
1906 7,320 
1907 7,542 
1908 slightly over 3,000 
It is very evident from the above that Mr. Callbreath’s expectations 
have been far from realized, but he is entitled to great credit for the 
persistence with which he has carried on the experiment despite the 
natural difficulties encountered and the almost overwhelming physical 
afflictions under which he has labored for the past four years. 
