Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/459

 llars annually.

at least holding our own. Artificial propagation and an effective enforcement of the law as is possible under the somewhat conflicting statutes of the two states bordering the river have permitted the output for the season just closed to reach that of last year, while the value is much greater than that of the 1909 pack. The 1910 business, as summarized in the Astoria dispatch in the Oregonian yes- terday, shows a catch of approximately 20,000,000, valued, in the raw state, at about $1,200,000, with $2,000,000 a fair estimate of the value of the finished pack. Two millions is not a relatively large sum in a state that annually turns off more than $20,000,000 of grain, $10,000,000 worth of lumber, with wool, hops and fruit in corresponding quantities. There is, however, no more nimble dollar in circulation than that which begins moving when the salmon season opens.

The gross value of approximately $2,000,000 for the finished pack in its percolations through the different branches of the industry, represents several times this sum, as it is practically all handled in a four months' season, leaving the thousands of people employed in the industry free to engage in other work for the rest of the year. Its economic value in proportion to the amount involved, is much greater than any other industry with the possible exception of lumber. Having demonstrated that the industry can be placed on a permanent basis and the size of the output maintained or even increased, the necessity for good laws and their strict enforcement is quite plain."

In addition to the salmon, other species of fish taken for 1909 are:

Halibut 732,896 lbs.

Sturgeon 126,543 lbs.

Shad 235,956 lbs.

Smelt 331751 lbs.

Catfish 20,101 lbs.

Tomcod 5,047 lbs.

Black bass 3,080 lbs.

Herring 14,649 lbs.

Flounders 27,564 lbs.

Perch 24, 106 lbs.

Carp 1,150 lbs.

Total 1,522,843 lbs.

ENTIRE PRODUCT SHELLFISH.

Oysters 293,917 lbs.

Crabs 185,402 lbs.

Clams 357.183 lbs.

Crawfish 5,8oo lbs.

FISH CANNERIES.

Number 22

Number of men employed 497

Number of fishermen employed in catching the fish, about 2,000. Besides in- dividual fishermen, there are traps, pounds, horse seines and fish wheels catching the fish.

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.

The regular shipment of lumber from Portland in quantities making it an item of regular income to the city, commenced about the year 1881. There were at that time what would be considered now three small mills. Nearly the whole of their output was taken by building operations in the city. The Pennoyer mill cut about six million feet a year; Smith's mill about five million feet, an