HEAVY INVESTMENTS IN ALASKA FISHING.
More than sixty two million dollars invested in shore prop
erty and boats.
Statistical Bulletin No* 660 of the Bureau of Fisheries, of
which Henry O’Malley is commissioner, has just been issued by the
Department of Commerce and deals with fisheries of Alaska for the
year 1924. The publication shows that 25,194 persons were em
ployed in the fishing business in the Territory during the year,
of whom 11,963 were in Southeastern Alaska, 6,012 in Central
Alaska and 7,219 in Western Alaska.
Capital invested in the fishing industry in Alaska totals *
$62,660,637, of which upward of #30,000,000 is represented in
Southeastern, $15,000,000 in Central and $16,000,000 in Western
Alaska, while the products of the investments for the year 1924
were valued at $40,289,273, of which Southeastern Alaska led with
$18,768,786, Central Alaska coming second with $12,560,864 and
Western Alaska third $8,959,623.
The report shows that the total value of fishery products
was $1,918,275 greater in 1924 than in 1923, when it was $38,370
998.
The foregoing figures do not include nearly seven million
pounds of drjr salted cod valued at nearly $400,000, or nearly
94,000 pounds of tonguD valued at $657 taken in water adjacent to
and in which taking 240 persons T.vere employed by investments
amounting to $200,000.
SKAGWAY TO HOLD BIG HARVEST FESTIVAL.
A letter was real at the luncheon meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce yesterday from Clara Redman, secretary of the Skagway
Women’s Club, inviting the co-operation of Juneau in a Harvest
Festival and general fair which is proposed to be held in Skagway
during the early fall, the exact date to be announced later.
The secretary of the chamber was Instructed to turn the let
ter over to the secretary of the Southeastern Alaska Fair Asso
ciation* 0, , , . ...11
- Stroller’s Weekly.
REPORTER PLACER STRIKE WAS A HOAX.
That renowned musher, Solomon Albert, who covers wide league
of territory for the joy of it, is back here from his last exploi
to the Pelly River ’’stampede". He left early in the spring with
a fine string of huskies and struck for the Pelly via Mayo on the
whisper of a big placer strike somewhere in that region. He found
nothing. He broke trail twenty five miles above Russell Creek;
there was no sign of a track, no foot-prints leading to a new
eldorado; the wilds were silent and undisturbed. Solomon camped.
He was used tc that sort of thing and did not worry.
Cn his return trip he had lots of excitement. He built a
raft of logs, piled his huskies and goods on board and cut loose.
He followed the ice as it was breaking up. He got into jams,
snags and sweepers. The Pelly was running high in flood and was*
swift, and it was loaded with thrills. It is bad enough following
ice in boats that respond to the steerman’s oar, but a raft is
wilful and does the unexpected thing without much warning.
Solomon found he had all he could do to keep himself and his
raft right side up.
He relates that one night he camped in a safe looking place
on the river beach but had all he could do to get the raft back
into water. -Dawson Hews.
c+ m