KETCHIKAN
'‘The First City”
Ketchikan is a town of thriving
industry, good homes, churches,
schools, societies and lodges. Its
population is made up of Caucasi
ans, with some native Indians and a
few Orientals. It is a town that has
never known a boom of any kind,
yet has shown a steady and healthy
growth, gradually increasing in
wealth and population.
Located on the west coast of Re
villagigedo Island, between the
55th and 56th degrees of latitude,
and between the 131st and 132nd de
grees of longitude Ketchikan is
readily accessible to the states, the
port being open 365 days in the
year, and on the regular lines of
steamships from Seattle and Van
couver to all points to the north
and westward. It is approximately
48 hours by water from Ketchikan
to Seattle, and is but seven hours
by steamer from the western ter
minus of the Canadian Grand Trunk
railway.
THE PORT
Statistics of the treasury depart
ment show that Ketchikan is the
leading port of Alaska. Approxi
mately 92 per cent of all the ves
sels entering and clearing in the
Terrtory do so at the port of
Ketchikan. It is the central distrb
uting point for a large surrounding
area in which are located salmon
canneries, mines, lumber camps, fox
farms and salteries.
FRESH FISHERIES
While the Ketchikan district, com
prising an area of 10,000 square
miles, has diversified industries, as
set forth above, it is a fact that the
chief of these, the one which far
outstripes all others at the present
time, is the fisheries. And this
industry is divided into four parts;
fresh fish, frozen fish, canned fish
and salt fish.
The fresh fish business consists
of packing in ice fresh halibut, sal
mon, sable fish and cod, and shipping
them to the markets of the south
and east. And a promising outlook
is presented for the shipment of
fresh herring. Great quantities of
herring are caught in the waters
adjacent to Ketchikan, despite the
fact that few are shipped out as a
food product. Practically all of the
herring caught in the Ketchikan dis
trict are frozen for use as bait by
the halibut fishermen.
The frozen fish industry is also
for the freezing of salmon, halibut
and all other varieties of fresh fish
found in the waters of the North
Pacific, which products are then
kept in cold storage until market
conditions are such that the demand
is greater than the supply of the
fresh product, when the frozen ar
ticle is readily salable.
For the handling of this fresh and
frozen fish, Ketchikan is provided
with two large cold storage plants,
the total compressor capacity of
which is 410 tons; the sharp freez
er capacity, 280,000 pounds every
36 hours, and the total storage ca
pacity of which is 7,500,000 pounds.
Also, these plants will manufacture
100 tons of ice daily, and combined
they have an ice storage capacity
of 3,000 tons. Both plants are op
erated by hydro-electric power. In
addition to these there are several
other fish docks where fresh fish
are packed for quick consumption
and shipment.
The halibut industry is tremendous
in itself, with Ketchikan the head
quarters for a considerable fleet of
vessels which ply the waters of the
north for this most delectable of
delicacies. Halibut are deep sea fish
and are taken from the banks off
the shores of Alaska, from Dixon’s
Entrance to the Aleutian Islands.
These fishing vessels are well built
and powerful, going sometimes more
than 1500 miles. Their fish are
cleaned and iced down immediately
after being caught, and are landed
in port within ten days, when they
are again packed for shipment or
frozen. The work of the halibut
fisherman is hard and hazardous,
but except for infrequent periods
when market conditions are bad, he
is generally well paid for his pro
duct.
Vessels, many in number, and
manned by 1200 to 1500 fishermen,
troll for king salmon, winter and
summer. Their catch is quite prop
erly named, for the king salmon is
the most beautiful and delightful
fish that swims the waters of the
earth. In addition to trolling being
a sizable industry in itself, it is
also one of the greatest outdoor
sports, as any disciple of Isaac Wal
ton may readily understand that
nothing better could be asked for
than to have a game fish weigh
ing from 30 to 80 pounds at the
end of his line and fighting for
life. These salmon, besides those
shipped out iced down, fresh, are
used for mildcure packs; that is,
salted in barrels.
Also, a great many silver sal
mon, caught mostly in fishtraps, or
by seiners, are packed by the mild
curers.
SALMON CANNERIES
During the season of 1923, in the
dstrict covered by this history, thir
ty-one canneries, of which seven are
within the corporate limits of the
city of Ketchikan, will be in opera
tion. Owing to the scarcity of sea
sonable labor, some of the canneries
import from the states pail; of their
crews, but they also give employ
ment to all in town who wish to
engage in that work. Practically all
of the men operating the boats and
other gear of the fisheries in the
Ketchikan section are residents of
Southeastern Alaska.
While it is true that there has
been much strenuous activity in the
canning business during the past
five or six years, Ketchikan and the
surrounding district has never suf
fered a “crop” failure. That, how
ever, does not mean that it will not,
and realizing the danger of over
fishing and the consequent loss of
the industry, the Commercial Club
of Ketchikan has advocated and urg
ed the passage of proper legislation
to protect this food supply, the value
of which runs into millions annually.
In the membership of the Com
mercial Club of Ketchikan are num
erous cannerymen a>id fishermen
and those indirectly dependent upon
the industry. After careful consid
eration and much discussion, the
club went on record as favoring a
closed season to protect fhe salmon.
That is to say the club urged that
representatives of the government
go over the books of the canneries,
in all sections, see in just what
periods of the year they take their
fish and then arbitrarily set aside
twenty-five percent of that time dur
ing which it shall be unlawful to
either catch or pack any salmon.
Such a suggestion backed by other
commercial bodies in Alaska, was
placed in the hands of the federal
bureau of fisheries for consideration,
Before passing over the fisheries,,
it should be said that there are un
told possibilities which have never
been attempted. Among these will
be the packing of cheaper grades
of fish which are not being commer
cially handled at this time.
(Continued in October Issue.)
DR. H D. SHELDON OF
OREGON
He was the distinguished visitor
at the recent Teachers’ Institute, and
speaking on the subject of “Mob
Mindedness” he said in effect, “The
mere ability to read enough English
to read the headlines of a news
paper is more conducive to mob
mindedness than illiteracy because
the illiterate is usually interested
only in the problem that concerns
his daily living and local surround
ings.”
Dr. Sheldon repeated this idea sev
eral times in different words. The
great underlying principle of his
statement, however, was entirely lost
on his literate listeners.
Possibly many of them are af
flicted with the motion picture dis
ease, that of looking with rapt at
tention at pictures for hours at a
time without being ever bothered
with having to think a single
thought.