Author: Pennsylvania Dept. of Fisheries
Title: Report of the Department of Fisheries of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Place of Publication: Harrisburg
Copyright Date: 1904/1905
Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg238.5
CHARLES L. MILLER.
REPORT
OF TH1-:
Departmeit of Fisheries
OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA,
FROM
DECEMBER 1, 1904 TO NOVEMBER 30. 1905.
HARRISBUKG, PA.:
HARRISBURG PUBLISHING CO., STATE PRINTER.
1906.
CHAItLKS I.. MILLKU.
REl^ORT
OP THi:
DEPARTMEIT OF FISHERIES
OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA,
FROM
DECEMBER 1, 1904 TO NOVEMBER 30. 1905.
HAKHISIU K(;, TA.:
HAHRISBTTRG PTTBT.TSHING CO., STATE PRINTER.
VM)Q,
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT,
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES OF THE COMMON- WEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA.
COMMISHIONEK OF FISHERIES. Wll.LlAM E. MEEHAN, Office, Hanisbui'K.
BOARD OF FISHERY COMMISSIONERS.
W. E. MEEHAN, President.
JOHN HAMBERGER, Erie.
HENRY C. COX, Wellsboro.
ANDREW R. WHITAKER, Phoenixville.
W. A. LEISENRING, Maiich Chunk.
SUrERINTEN DENTS OF HATCHERIES.
Covvy HalclMMV No. 1, ^VilHMln Biiller, Corry, Pa. ErieHatclieivNo. 2, Abraham i\. BuIUm-, Union (hty. Assistant in Vliarj-v, Philip Hart man. Erie t, ,. t.
BolU'font(^ Hatchery No. :^, Howard M. BuUer, Bellefonte, R. t. D.
WavneHatclierv No. 4, Natlian R. Buller, Pleasant Monnt. Torn^sdah^ Hatchery No. 5, William H. Safford, Holmesbnrg, Phila- delphia. . .,. ^T /> *i V r* T('miK>rary Siii>erint(mdent ITnion City Auxiliary No. 6, Abraham It.
I^uller. Union City.
I GG Z^
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1_23— P.)05
£-^S-f3
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.
No. 23.
LKTTEK OF TKANSMITTAL.
Hon. Samiu'l ^\^ I'eiinypacker, Oovenioi- of Pennsylvania, Harris- burg, Pa.:
Sir: I have the honor to herewith present a report of the work of the Departnu^nt of Fisheries for the past year, the second report since mv incumbency as Commissioner of Fisheries. I felt when making mv first re])ort that a satisfactory amount of work had been accomplished; but I determined if possible that the work of 1905 should excel that of 1904. In this endeavor 1 believe I have sue-
ceeded.
Pennsylvania's work in fish culture since the establishment of the Department of Fisheries has attracted the attention of those inter- ested in an increase of fish life in all parts of the country. Com- missions of some states have given public recognition in their annual reports of value of what Pennsylvania is doing. Magazines inter- ested in the subject declare that Pennsylvania is a leader in most features of both fish cultural and fish protective work. In at least two instances in the respect of the former it has taken the initiative even over the Ignited States Government. T believe T can say with confidence that more work was done and greater results accom- plished bv mv Department in 1005 than in any single year since Penn- sylvania began the task of fish culture and of protecting the fish. ' I have been materially assisted in my undertaking by the continued CO operation of each member of the Board of Fisheries Commission. The advice and assistance of (h(^ Board has been ludpful to a marked
degree.
The death of the Hon. Charles L. Miller, of Altoona, on October 2, one of the members, was a source of much sorrow^ to me and to his surviving colleagues. Mr. Miller had greatly endeared himself to all of us by his manly, upright Avays and for the energy with which he performed his duties.
As far as I can ascertain. ]>ublic sentiment in favor of the Depart- nu^nt's work is constantly increasing in strength.
In pursuance of tlu^ plan which I adopted last y(\ar, T herewith lih-e vou for vour convenience in mv letter of transmittal, a brief out- line of the work accomplished.
A marked increase in the nuniber of game fish in all waters of Pennsylvania in which such fish lived.
The'rod and line fishing for game fish was the most successful ex- perienced in many years; this was particularly true with respect to brook trout, black bass and wall-eyed pike, commonly called Susque- hanna salmon.
An even better season in 1900 is indicated by the ]>resence, for the first time in several years, of the large numbers of young of the species of fish just named.
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REPORT OF THE
Oft. Doc.
Pennsylvania's commercial fisheries in Lake P>ie rank second among the States which border on this lake. The value of the catch in 1905 was $201,085.94 for 6,380,757 pounds of fish, a decrease of about 1100,000 and 900,000 pounds of fish. The decrease was caused through a partial enforcement of the new closed season and heavy
storms on the lake.
The catch of shad in the Delaware river was at least 9^9,7 (U nsu with a value of |424,556. This was a decrease in the catch by nearly 300,000 fish, but this is believed to have been due chiefly to the low
temperature of the water. <n.-,oo ina
The German carp industry in Philadelphia amounts to $lJd,100 for 2 262,000 pounds of fish, for the whole State the industry amounts to about 1300,000. The capture of 158,729 pounds of eels were re- ported with a value of |22,500.
The value of the commercial brook trout industry is reported to
have been |20,461.35. «, . „ +
Shad industrv in the Susquehanna river was said unomcially to
have been about 1100,000.
The aggregate commercial fish industry excluding the Susque- hanna, as reported is |771,241.94. . ^ . ^i. , ..
Sites for three of the four new hatcheries authorized at the last session of the legislature were located and one put in operation, with more than 2,000,000 eggs being hatched therein on December
1st.
Necessary extensions were made to the Bellefonte and Wayne Hatcheries including about 40 new ponds for breeding fish.
There were hatched and distributed from the five hatcheries in operation during the entire vear, 143,550,108 fish of different kinds of which all but about 16,000,000 were what are known as purely food fishes, the 16.000,000 being what are commonly called game
fish. , . . _ ,
Among the game fishes propagated were 10,200,600 chain pickerel. This is the first time that this species of fish has ever been propa- gated in any fish cultural establishments in the United States for public distribution.
Among the output were 90,900 frogs. This is the second year for this work by Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania is the pioneer for
this work.
Experiments were begun in the propagation of several mmor but useful game and food fishes suitable for the warmer waters of the State, among them being yellow perch, rock bass and cat fish.
The output of brook trout was increased by nearly 2,000,000 fish and the total output of all kinds of fish was nearly double that of the previous vear.
A fishway of the Oail pattern was erected in a dam in Pine creek, at Galeton, Potter county, at a cost to the State of only |1,750.
Progress was made in the beginning of an attempt to suppress the pollution of the water to the extent of killing fish.
The Department by the aid and assistance of a Commissiou ap- pointed at the last session of the Legislature succeeded in induc- ing the States of New York and New Jersey 1o co-operate with Penn sylvania in fish cultural work and for the establishment of unifcjnn h\ws for the Delaware river and Lak<* Erie for the protection of fish.
The De]>artment has arranged for harmonious co oi>eration with
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin and the United States Govern- ment and by the arrangements made Pennsylvania will secure large quantities of eggs of the true muscallonge, Lake Chatauqua mus- callonge, smelt, California trout, lake trout and other lake fish eggs.
Arrangements were nearly completed at the close of the year tor ioint work on the part of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and the United States for sturgeon work. With New York, New Jer- sey, Pennsylvania and the United States for shad work on the Dela- ware river. , ^ . ^ ^ ^
Arrangements were made with the United States Government for consignments of silver salmon for introduction into the Delaware
for a period of years.
I secured from the United States 70,000 eggs of cut throat trout, hatched and planted them in carefully selected waters to ascertain the propriety of introducing them into the mountain lakes of the State.
California Trout Work was Resumed. I designed a new type of hatching jar which stood severe tests for
efficiency.
I made successful experiments with freezing trout and reviving them to prove that freezing of streams do not necessarily destroy
fish. , .
1 drew a rough plan for co-operation with the Commission ot New York and the Commission of New Jersey for the establishment of a Tri-State Hatcher v on the upper Delaware river in conformity with the resolution adopted by Legislative Commissions appointed by the
three States.
I continued with satisfactory results the strengthening of the new State Fisheries Association organized through the ertorts of the Department in 1904 to aid in the State's work of fish protection and
fish culture.
Acting under section 29 of the act of May 29, 1901, caused the re- moval, through authorized representatives, of 29,905 German carp from the waters of the State during the year 1905. There were issued to fishermen on Lake Erie 101 licenses, under the act of April 2, 1905, for which they paid |1,536.
County treasurers issued 208 licenses for the catching of eels by means of fish baskets, for which the Department received |1,033, five dollars less than tine full amount which should have been received. The 15.00 was traced to another Department to which it had acci- dentally been paid by the county treasurer.
With' the assistance of Professor H. A. Surface, two biological students connected with the State College were assigned to study water life in the different water sheds of the State and the charac- ter of the water. Their studies resulted in the discovery of several species of fishes not before known in the w\aters of the Common- wealth and of much information of great value to the D(^partment.
Fish wardens made 530 arrests of ])ersons charged with illegal lishing. Four hundred and thirty were convicted by juslices of tlu' peace, 89 cases were appealed, and five cases were discharged by magistrates.
Amount of money collected for illegal fishing |8,560, of which the
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
wardens received one-half and the balance, less 5 per cent, claimed bv the county treasurer was paid into the State Treasury.
'An important event was the granting of requisition papers by the Governor of New York on your request for men charged with illegal
fishing on the Delaware. , , ^ ^v a .^^^
Six cases of illegal fish law violators were appealed to the Super- ior Court, four bv the Department and two by the defendants. In two cases the Department gained signal victories and m two there were indecisive judgments rendered. One case was lost by the De- partment and one case is still pending.
Respectfully,
W. E. MEEHAN, ConnnissioTKM- of Fisheries.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT,
No. 23.
SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
BOARD OF FISHERY COMMISSION.
To the Don. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Governor of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania:
Sir: The Board of the Fishery Commission have the honor to sub- mit this their second annual report.
Since our last report, death has taken one of the members of the lioard. On October '2'2, diaries L. Miller, of Altoona, passed away (piietly from lieari trouble, after a prolonged illness. Although sntfering from this c()m])laint for .several years he had been confined to his bed for less than two months. His death although a fore- gone conclusion was nevertheh'ss sudden. On the date preceding his demise he ap]»ear('d in a much bett<M' condition and indeed was able to direct the transaction of some busiiu^ss, among which was a letter to the Commissioner* of Fisheries calling his attention to some fishery matters of importance in Blair county. He ])assed a comfor- table night and on Sunday morning when his physician called he ap- peared to be in good s]>irits and in a favorable condition. Within half an hour after the de])arture of the doctor Mr. Miller was dead; death coming ]>eacefnlly and quietly as though passing him into sleep. The funeral services of Mr, Miller were held in Philadelphia from the residence of his mother and interment made in T^iurel Hill C(^metery.
The Board keenly feels the loss of Mr. Miller. H(» was invariably genial and bore the knowledge of his fatal comy)laint with cheerful- ness, enthusiastic on the subject of fish culture and the protection and maintenance of the fish of the Commonwealth, he threw him- self with enthusiasm into the work and ]>ei*f()rmed his duties as Fish Commissioner to the full.
Mr. Miller was a good citizen and a faithful public official. The Board can pay him no higher tribute.
The second year's work shows clearly (ha I the Department of Fisheries is organized on a strong and good basis. It has become a well constructed machine, working with reasonable smoothness and its work seems to be meeting with general ]>ublic approval. Indexed
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
iu liaU'hiug and vlaulinj; lish, luaiulaiiiiug and nphoJding he bsli laws the Department appears to be exceedingly strong in all parts of the Commonwealth. With very few exceptions the laws on the statute books relating to fish are approved and regarded as produc- ing the most eliective results with the least amount ot restriction on fishermen. The one law which has been most widely discussed and over which there seems to be the greatest ditterenceot senti- ment is section IT of the act of June a, 1878, which forbids hshing
^\here^was a prevailing opinion that the section above named had been repealed by the act of May 29, IDOl; but the Superior Court in an opinion handed down last April decided it still to be on the statute books and entirely constitutional. It is dithcult for this Board to decide whether public sentiment is more widespread in favor of Sunday fishing or whether it is opposed. It appears to be equally divided. The advocates of Sunday fishing claim that there are thousands upon thousands of respectable law abiding citizens, ardent anglers whose business contine them closely to Iheir tasks or professions for the six secular days of the week, and that Sunday is the only day on which they can pursue tlieir favorite recreation. That fishing on Sunday when properly and discreetly conducted does not interfere in anywise with people who desire to spend the first day of the week in purelv religious ways. That a man sitting quietly bv the stream side screened by bushes or rocks or who fol- lows the streams in the woods cannot in anywise hurt the sensibili- ties of the most religiouslv inclined. There is no noise or open dese- cration of the Sabbath. They claim that it is less objectionable than bicycling, automobiling, carriage riding or even strolling alon^; the highway or through the fields and woods.
Those who oppose fishing on Sunday for the most part, do so purelv on religious grounds, although there is a coterie who declare that it is for the interest of protection of fish that there should be one day in each week in which fishing should be prohibited; that the oreatest slaughter of fish occurs on Sunday when most men are at leisure. That while many men would fish iiuietly and not dis- turb the religious repose of the day, there are thousands who make fishing simplv an excuse for a day's riotous outing.
The only thing of which the Board is really convinced is that an effort to repeal the present law against fishing on Sunday will meet with violent resistance of citizens in all parts of tlie State and what ever result, there will be wide spread dissatisfaction.
The Department of Fisheries was greatly hampered in its work this vear by the enactment of a measure which gave defendants in cases of summarv prociH'dings the right of appeal to answer a charge of misdemeanor' before the court of (piarter sessions. Fully sev- entv-five per cent, of all the suits brought by the wardens were pro'mptly appealed under the new act, without regard to whether the defendants were caught in the act of illegal fishing or not. It aiipeared to (he Hoard of the Fishery Commission that the lU'w act was clearly unconstitutional. Section 14 of article ."I of the (Nmsti- tution of Vennsvlvania declares that in all cases of summary ]>ro- ceedings before a ccmrt not of record either ])arty may appeal to some court of record as may be prescribed by law upon allowance of the ai>pellate court or judge thereof upon caus<* shown. In 1870
an act was passed by the Legislature to carry into etiect the provi- sions of this section of the Constitution. It did so by naming the court of quarter sessions as the proper court. The act of lUOo struck out the provisions permitting either party to appeal and named the defendant only and struck out the provisions which pro vided "for cause shown.' In its place was inserted a provision that the defendant should give bail to appear before the court of quarter sessions to answer a charge of misdemeanor.
Feeling that these changes were clearly unconstitutional and that the efforts of the Department to suppress illegal fishing were being seriously hampered, the Department decided that it was necessary to have the constitutionality of the new act tested and it was put to the expense of employing lawyers in nearly lUU cases to go into court and ask to have the appeals quashed on the ground that the act was unconstitutional. Fending decisions, cases which have been decided by the magistrate courts, and in which fines amownting to very nearly $4,000 were hung up, indeed most of them are not yet settled. The Lehigh county court was the first to render a decision, and it was emphatically in support of the contention of the Board of the Fishjery Commission, in handing down a decision the learned judge of Lehigh county said, ''the act is so manifestly unconstitu- tional as not to admit of argument." The Lebanon county court has also rendered a decision declaring the act unconstitutional. The Board feels confident that there is no other conclusion to be reached and strongly hopes that when it comes to prepare its next report it will be able to declare that this hindrance to its work of fish protection has been entirely removed.
In 1903, it carried one case to the Superior Court on appeal from adverse decisions from the county court, and defended a case against an appeal taken by a defendant who had lost his case in the county court. In the beginning of the present year, the Superior Court handed down decisions sustaining the Department in both cases. During the present year the Board has appealed five cases to the Superior Court in which adverse decisions were rendered by county courts. The particulars will be found in the report of the Commissioner. In four of the five cases the decisions of the county courts appeared to the Board to be very clearly in error and to have been rendered without the importance of having been clearly understood. In the fifth case, the appeal was taken for the purpose of definitely settling a question which is of very great importance both to the Department and the commercial fishermen.
The question was, could the fish dealers in the city of Erie sell wall-eyed pike and blue pike in the State of Fennsylvania from February 15 to June 15, contrary to section 17 of the act of ^May 29, 1901, relating to fish and fishing in the interior waters, the fish being caught lawfully from the waters of Lake Erie, within the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, under the act of May 29, 1901, relating to fishing
on Lake Erie.
Under the first named act, wall-eyed i)ike and blue ]>ike were de- signated as game fish. Fnder the latter act as food fish; but sec- tion 17 of the first named act prohibited the sale of either game or food fish caught in the Commonwealth during the close seasiui. The Department claimed that as that part of Lake ?]rie covered by the Lake Erie act was within the juridiction of Fennsylvania, the 2
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
11
tish could not be sold. The case was tried before a magistrate in Pittsburgh, and the de;fendauts were convicted. The defendants appealed to the county court which reversed the magistrate. The Department took an appeal to the Superior Court and the Superior Court upheld the lower court, giving the dealers the right to sell. This is the only case which the Department has lost, indicating that great care is exercised in preparing and prosecuting cases.
If anything, the public outcry against the pollution of streams during the past year was much greater than the previous year. From data received, the evil of water pollution seems to be on the increase and the demand for legislation to bring about purification, or at least restrict further pollution, is much stronger and more insistent. The outcry against the pollution of streams has taken a much broader ground than ilu' protection of fish, although that re- mains a prominent issue.
The preservation of public health and animal health are potent reasons given for stopping water pollution in addition to the pre- servation of the tish. Indeed that phase has put on a more import- ant plane, namely, the preservation of a valuable food commodity. Of the hundn-ds of cases of pollution which were reported to the Department, there were onlv three in which prosecution was justi- lied under section 20 of the act of May 29, 11)01. One was a case of a gas companv at Honesdale, a second of an artificial smoke es- tablishment oil the Swatara, and a third an industrial establishment at Phoenixville. In the first case the parties pleaded guilty, paid their fine and put a stop to the pollution. In the second case the l»arties were convicted by the magistrate and an appeal was taken to the Lebanon county court and the api>eals quashed because the act under which they took the apptnil was declared unconstitutional. The case is still unsettled nevertheless, since the allowance of nunc ]n-o tunc was asked for. The third case has not yet been tried.
In two instances owners of industrial establishments on appeal being made to them, either- took measures or are taking measures to stop further pollution. One instance was some slag works owned by the Erie Kailroad Company at Sharon, Pa., and the other was a paper works at Williamsburg,' owned by Mr. Schwabb, of Pittsburgh. Considering the difficulties which confront the Department, thesv' successes, few as they were, are cause for the Hoard's feeling satis- faction.
Although there are more than 200 sju'cial wardens, there were only four cases of irregularities on the \n\ri of any of them reported to the Department during the year. One was charged and convicted by the Department of extortion and this is the only instance in which the fisheries were directly concerned. A second wardi^n was convicted of having violated the game laws and was ]H'omptly dis- charged by tlM' Delta rt men t. A third, who had been highly recom mended, was charged by a county detective, who also holds a fish warden's commission, with having practised extortion in relation to game. The cas<' was report<*d to the Came Commission by the Com- niissioner of Fisheries and as the matter has gone to court, the De- ]>artment has taken no action until it is decided whether or not the
man is guilty.
The Hoard takes special pride in the fact that during the year just closed all records in fish cultural work in the State have been
broken save one vear in which there was an abnormal number nt eggs of one particular species of fish. Not only was there hatched and distributed during 1904 more than double the usual annual number, but on December 1st there were over 12,000,000 more eggs in the various hatcheries than the same time last year. In addition, for the first time in the history of fish culture in Pennsylvania, every hatchery in, operation contained eggs and there was one more hatchery in operation than at the same time last year. On Decem- ber 1st of this year there was a total of 05,223,500 as follows:
Erie, lake herring, 0,880,000; white fish, 41,970,000.
Union City, lake trout, 3,000,000.
Corry, lake trout, 2,000,000; brook trout, 4,500,000.
Belief onte, brook trout, 3,875,000.
Wayne, brook trout, 3,100,000.
Torresdale, lake herring, 500,000; white fish, 1,280,000.
Had it not been for a great storm which swept over the great lakes the last week in November there is not the slightest doubt that on the 1st of December there would have been in the hatcheries at least 50,000,000 more eggs.
On December 1st, the Department had six hat(!heries in oi>eration, an increase of one over last year. In addition it located two hatch- eries and there is another yet to be plotted. The hatcheries in operation and located are as follows:
Corry No. 1, 24 acres, established 1872. Erie No. 2, 80x80 feet, established 1874. Bellefonte No. 3, 35 acres, established 1903. Wayne Hatchery No. 4, 29 acres, established 1903. Torresdale No. 5, 10 acres, established 1903. Union City Auxiliary No. 0, 30 acres, established 1905. ♦Crawford Hatchery No. 7, 25 acres, 1905. *Spruce Creek Hatchery No. 8, 30 acres, 1905.
The Union City Auxiliary was established under a special act of the Legislature, which appropriated $15,000 conditional upon citizens of Erie county furnishing at least 15 acres of land. Citizens of Union City, Erie county, instead of 15 acres gave 30 acres. Ground was broken in September and within two months a hatch- ing house 100 feet long and 40 feet wide was erected and ready to receive eggs. This is probably the quickest work on record. In ad dition a large pond for lake trout was begun, but not completed on account of winter setting in.
The amount of land now devoted to fish cultural work is a little more than 133 acres. When it is considered that the fish cultural work in Pennsylvania was began in 1870 with one acre, the advance inav be considered as gratifying.
On the various hatcheries there are at present eight hatching houses, to-wit: One at Erie, one at Union City, three at Corry, one at Bellefonte, one at Wayne, and one at Torresdale. The first and last are equipped with batteries only. The hatching house at Corry and Bellefonte with troughs only. The liatclnM-y at Wayne coii-
•Hatoheries locattd but not built.
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tains both trough and batteries. The total number of batteries ar(^ five— two at Erie, two at Torresdale and one at Wayne. The jar capacity of the five batteries is 1,224, and the equipment is as fol- lows: Of the McDonald pattern 760; of the Downing pattern 252; of the Meehan pattern 212. At the Erie batteries there are 508 Mc- Donald ami two Meehan jars. At the Torresdale hatchery 252 Mc- Donald, 252 Downing and 10 Meehan. At the Wayne hatchery 200 Meehan. The total number of troughs is 540, 414 inside and 126 outside, also 11 nursery ponds, each with a capacity of four times a single outside trough.
At Union City the inside troughs are: Union City 120; Corry 186; Belief onte 84; Wayne 24. Outside troughs: Wayne 48; Belief onte 78. The 11 nursery ponds are at Bellefonte. The 540 inside and outside troughs have a capacity of at least 12,000,000 fry, advanced fry and Fingerling No. 1 brook trout. In case of urgency this could probably be increased by at least 3,0*00,000.
The number of breeding ponds in the hatcheries are as follows: Erie, 3; Union City (incomplete one); ('orry, 47; Bellefonte, 42; Wayne, 10; Torresdale, 5; total 117. The purpose for which they are designed are as follows: Erie for perch, bass and frogs, 3; Corry, trout, 43, perrh, gold fish, sun fish, etc., 3; frogs, 1. Bellefonte, trout 40, gold fish 1, frogs 1. Wayne, trout 7, bass 2, perch and other species 9, pickerel 1. Torresdale, gold fish 1, white and yellow perch f, gold fish 1, sun fish 1, unoccu])ied 1.
Of the eggs in the hatcheries on December 1st all the white fish (ggs and some of the lakejierring eggs were obtained from I^k«' Erie within the jurisdiction of Ohio, and some of the lake herring from the neighborhood of the citv of Erie in Pennsvlvania waters. Of the trout eggs about 4,000,000 were from our own fish at Corry, 000,000 from Bellefonte fish, 300,000 from Wayne fish, 2,100,000 a gift from Penn Forest Brook Trout Company, 1,700,000 a gift from the Weissport Brook Trout Company and 1,000,000 a gift from Col- onel Trexler, of Allentown. The Blooming (irove Park Association has always made a gift to the State of its surplus eggs, and on De- cember 1st, the S])awn takers began the work of galhcring from the fish in the ponds of that organization. There arc still some eggs to be taken from the Penn Forest and Weissport hatcheries. The out- look therefore for next spring is at least 1,000.000 more trout than was distributed this year and nearly 3,000,000 more than in 1004. The following are the superintendents of hatcheries and their sub ordinates:
Corry Hatchery, Superintendent, William Buller; First Assist- ant, William Haas and Jerry Berkhouse and Charles E. Oowles, short one man.
Erie Hatchery, Superintendent, A. O. Buller; Third Assistant, IMiilip Hartman and one laborer.
Bellefonte Hatchery, Suy)erintendent, Howard M. P>nller; First Assistant, B. O. Webster; Third Assistants, Dnniel Houscr, Harry (Jriffith and one laborer.
Wayne Hatchery, Superintendent, Nathan R. Buller; Third Assist- ants, Fred Demming, Cecil Glanville, one laborer.
Torresdale Hatchery, Superintendent, W. H. Sa fiord, Fourlh Assistant, John Sundemeyer; two engineers, one laborer.
No. 23. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. IS
Union City, Superintendent, A. G. Buller; First Assistant, E. F. Tinker; Fourth Assistants, Dennis Sargeant, V. B. King.
The output of fish and eggs for the year 1904 was 143,550,108 as follows:
White fish, 34.489,000
Lake herring, z2,840,000
Pike perch, 51,324,000
Blue perch, 9,450,000
Brook trout all sizes, 7,421,835
Rock bass, o^oOO
Pickerel all sizes, ^ 10,200,600
Lock Leven trout, 68,000
Trout cut throat 70,000
Frogs, 90^900
Catfish all sizes, 2 550
Gold fish, 2,470
Black bass all sizes 7,030
Yellow perch all sizes 655 150
Sunfish all sizes, i 475
Lake trout 977'500
Shad U. S. and Pa. :it Torresdale 3,810,000
Alewife, 2^754
White perch 2,125,000
Miscellaneous 2 844
143,550,108
During the year there were 195 fish basket licenses granted, 120 less than were issued last year. The cause for the diminishing num- ber is supposed to have been two fold; first almost continuous high water in the Susquehanna river and second to bad advice on the j)art of some misguided people to the effect that license was not nec- essary. As will be seen from the number of arrests made, the De- pailment was comi)elled to jirosecute n(»arly double the number of people for oiMMating fish baskets without a license than the previous year.
Tt is to be regretted that quite a number of men who did take out licenses this year sought to evade the law and not build their bask- ets strictly in conformity therewith. This also forced a number of prosecutions. During the year there were 530 arrests made, 430 convictions secured before magistrates and fll, 992.50 in fines ira- l)osed. Of the 430 convictions before magistrates, 89 were appealed bt the defendants to the county courts. The amount of fines actually collected amounted to |5,600.00, the wardens receiving one- half and the balance being turned into the State Treasury for the use of the De])artment. Of the 100 cases discharged, the Depart- ment made five ap]>eals to the county courts.
The arrests 58 wardens, regular and specials. J. W. Criswell lead ing with 82 arrests and 67 convictions. M. F. Albert being second with 61 arrests and 44 (Convictions. C. H. Nesley with 56 arrests and 4U <(»nvictions. Warden C. S. Luwery, although ninth on the list in (he number of arrests, leads them all in the amount of fines which he succeeded in having imposed, the sum amounting to ^1,490. He
14
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
made 22 arrests aud secured 19 convictious. Mr. CrlBwell is second in the amount of fines imposed tlie sum being |1,395. . Mr- Nesley Is hi rd with 11.110 to his credit. M. F. Albert four h with $1,090 and W. E Shoemaker flftli with $1,080; Mr. Shoemaker making 48 ar^ tests and 43 convictions. The following is a tabulated list of the ivardens who made arrests with their records:
Wardens.
E W. Campbell,
J. W. Hague
Albert H. Freed ••
Jenkin Davis
C. S. Lowery
C. P. Coleman
L. S. Houk ••
George D. Shannon ♦•
W. E. Shoemaker,
C. R. Holland
F. B. Whiteman
J. G. Hill
Will J. KefEer
J. W. Criswell.
George Spangler, .Tr
D. K. Fisher
r. H. Nesley,
H. S. Cameron
George F. Shell
Charles D. Chambers
Hiram Brown.
H. M. Doud
Gto. E. Hafner
M. F. Albert
E. W. Shiery
G. H. Simmon?
Fred F. Barrett
E. F. Runhuls, ••••
A. B. Winchester
Robert Kibe
R. Schubert
P. H. Kilday
A. G. Farley
Thomas Sells
John E. Foller
I'^phraim Behney
Harry M. Jones
Thomas Albring,
George L. Horn
Clarence M. Wheeler
Stewart Frey
Harvey Donshimer
Peter Ross
D. A. Pope
Ij. W. Green
Geo. N. Weaver.
Edward Craft
J. 1j. Hahn
Conrad Penning
Canfleld Stone
R. W. Fruit
Jerome Reed
George H. Watson
T. C. Crittenden
George E. Fox
Fred S. Keens
John A. Pennypaoker
J. P. Albert
I
1 23 11 16 22
2 19 25 48 26
4
1
19 82 28
4 56
1
1
3
2
1
2 61
S
1
1
1
1
4
1
Ti
S
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
3
4
1
1
1
1
3
4
1
4
2
530
n
a o
U
V
c
o O
3
2
2
5
1
2
4
I
1
1
1
3
4
1
4
2
480
s
|
1 1 |
$25 00 |
|
23 |
760 00 |
|
9 |
330 00 . |
|
14 |
206 00 |
|
19 |
1.490 CO |
|
2 |
50 00 |
|
19 |
475 OO |
|
23 |
445 00 |
|
33 |
1.080 00 |
|
15 |
426 00 |
|
4 |
140 00 |
|
1 |
25 00 |
|
67 |
1.395 00 |
|
28 |
.^85 00 |
|
1 |
100 00 |
|
49 |
1.110 00 |
|
1 |
100 00 |
|
1 |
20 00 |
|
3 |
75 00 |
|
1 |
100 00 |
|
1 |
10 00 |
|
1 |
10 00 |
|
44 |
1.09O0O |
|
3 |
20 00 |
|
1 |
40 00 |
|
1 |
20 00 |
|
1 |
25 00 |
|
1 |
10 00 |
100 00 25 00 S.=i 00 32 50 10 00 40 00 25 00 50 00 25 00
25 00
150 00 25 00 140 00 125 00 100 00
65 00 250 00
25 00 100 00
20 00
40 00 100 00 lOOOO
2« 00 lOO 00
50 00
f 11. 992 50
Thp above is resportfuUy submitted.
W. E. MEEHAN.
President.
JOHN HAMBERCtER. IIKNRY r. COX. ANDREW R. WHITAKER, W. A. LETSENRTNC^i.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
15
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP FISHERIES.
In making this my second annual report as Commissioner of Fish- eries, I feel I can justly express much gratification at the amount of work which was performed in every department and branch of the Department of Fisheries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. From my personal knowledge of the fish cultural work for many years back and from the reports which have been published in the years before I became associated with the Fish Commissions, I can confidently declare that greater and more effective work w^as per- formed and more important results accomplished than in any year since fish culture and fish protection were undertaken by Pennsylva- nia. The beneficent effects of stocking the waters under the juris- diction of the Commonwealth with fish incubated at the State hatch- eries became, during 1905, very apparent. These were exhibited not merely from the planting of one or two species of fish but from nearly every species which are artificially propagated and planted. It is significant and corroborative of the direct benefits derived from the planting of artificially bred fish, that where there was a distant falling off of the catch of any fish, it was of a species in which arti- fical propagation has been temporarily suspended for a period of years or where no artificial propagation had been successfully at- tempted. There are two notable examples of this, the shad and the sturgeon. No shad were hatched and planted by Pennsylvania for five years, beginning with 1900 and there has never been any success- ful propagation of sturgeon. The returns from dealers show a great falling off of the catch of both these fishes, so great that the whole- sale prices realized aggregated very much more money than the much heavier catches in former years. If, as is the case in Lake Erie, with one or two species of propagated fish there was an in- dicated falling off, a careful study of the tables will show it must have been due to some cause other than the lack of supply. In one or two cases referred to. the falling off was due to violent storms at the season for catching them.
T had been looking for improved fishing in the near future, but T confess and with pleasure that the improvement has come sooner than I anticipated or than I could have reasonably hoped for.
The reports which have been r(^ceived of the improved condition of trout fishing are astonishing in their extent and explicitness.
From nearly all quarters of the Commonwealth, the reports were uniformly good, indeed it was stated positively, with the exception of a few counties in the extreme western part of the Commonwealth, that there were never before so many trout in the streams. The re- ports of the wardens and fishermen direct to my office were aug- mented by the reports of the ]>ress generally. With very few excep- tions the most conservative declared that their correspondents re- ported more iTsh than ever. One, the most enthusiastic, declared as a result of the reports of its correspondents that, "There are more
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
17
REPORT OF THE
Off. Do«.
16
trout iu the l'enu.vlvauia waters tWs jear than i"J-,Xh^Pf ^^ll iiur Million of frv have been furnished by the State natcnery, auu
n^der he supervision of the sportsmen of each county^ '^^/J^Z hstrbuted in every stream in which it was known that trout wou d Ihri e-' A nmnber of residents of Wayne county known widely o lu-ir interest in fishing, men who have whipped t^e f --« /- fron, fifty and sixty years, declai^d to me tha the trout fl«^»n« " Wiviic rountv is better to dav than it was thirty jeais ago. yjiu
ngi^'s inSiiehanna county made statements of a similar n^^^^^^ Fishermen in Centre county said emphatically that the streams there eon ained more flsh than they did twenty years ago. Notable Increases were also announced from McKean, Potter, Tioga, Clin-
^"-K^^n'^tiSetwrSred the fish in a ^ew^coiinties not to h
riiiTSintsru^^^i^^^^^^^^
S-o^ru^ed l°^n to appfy for trout running tb-ugU h- prop«t^^
sai^ h<., "1 would not do 't b^^J^LS ^n C^lmTsCre cans, and to-day there are as raanj jouu„ u.i. ^^
niiffl t to be as many in fact as I ever saw in my lite.
is an example of good results which have been achieved ron. stocking, I m gh quotf from a letter written f J the secretary of the Sfoid Fish and Protective Association, to the Hon. H. C. Cox, OK of the members of the Board of Fishery Commissioi. The s c- votnrv «nv<*- "The work done by the association the last three yeais, ^I^p' the fishine better last year than it has been for a long tune." Thfs is o^.tf"'iSe sample' of the hundreds of letters both from
individuals and associations. -.
A noticeable feature of the reports which came *« ^his offic . and others which were published in the newspapers, in addition to the r( orts o the vast number of small fish seen, was an apprecnab e H easo^n le average size of trout caught. In former years, it was Hainud that with tl^ exception of cases of the large^^ streams e arcM-age size of trout caught was only about H "V^l^'^^' twr^r;!. small hsl, of G inches, and under was the rule ra1h(M' than the x- eu/i 1 so thousands of anglers clainu^d. In conseijuence of this, h' aie to be a belief in the minds of many that Pennsylvanm ; oU rout did not as a rule grow to a size much ^-^y^^:^\^^^^^^ Th voun-vr members of the gr(>at army of fishermc^n did not know, nnd the oTdei ones apparc^ntlv forgot the days wh<m large trout were the rulV ad small trout the excerption. Those who knew the capa itie^f Pennsvlvania water and who had carc^fully read the his- o V of he fishing in Tennsylvania, and who knew the deplorable oditfons which 'govern fishing declared tl^^t the av-a^^^ --^;^ size was due not to anv fault of the water in Penns>lvama oi t« ?m'e iMMi ranv ditferent varieties or species but to illegal fishing to an un o^rtunate clause in the laws which permittc^d the^ catch o a 5 inch trout and to lack of intelligent and proper methods of planting fish rec(Mved by individuals from the State l^atcherie^^
That the latter were right in their allegations was shown by the general reports of a greatly increase of the average in ^^'^^'^^^ tis ••iu"h It is safe to sav that the average increase wa. from ^t^h atu^ (>. inch to 7 inch. ' Further, from the fact that th« cat<h of 8,10,12 and 15 inch fish was said to be very much more frequent.
Newspaper correspondents and reports of the wardens and indi- viduals show further an unusual number of fish of an extraordinary size having been caught. As far as ascertained the heaviest fish taken by rod, hook and line was probably from Gordon Run in Craw- ford county. It is said to have measured 39 inches in length and to have weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces. It was probably not a brook trout but a California trout, for it is said to have had the exterior markings of neither a brook nor a brown trout. The fish was caught the latter part of April. On the 28th of the same month there was caught from Pine Creek, Lycoming county, a brook trout which weighed 2 pounds and 9 ounces. Early in June there was caught from the same stream near Blackwells in Tioga county, brown trout which measured 21^ inches in length and had a weight of 4 pounds. The fortunate angler on this occasion only caught two other fish, but these two weighed a little over three pounds, his three fish therefore weighed a little over 7 pounds, and he caught them with a 3 ounce
rod and a No. 16 hook.
On the same day a Wellsboro fisherman captured from the same stream near Four Mile Run, a 17i inch California trout, weighing nearly 3 pounds, and on the following evening an angler of Leetonia captured a trout of the same species from Slate Run, a tributary of Pine Creek, and which measured 23^ inches, and having a weight of nearlv 4 pounds.
Centre county has long been known for large fish, every year some huge specimen are captured from its waters. On April 28th, a California trout of 23 inches was caught from Spring creek in the heart of the town of Bellefonte, and on July 8th, a Lewistown angler captured a brown trout of 2^ inches from the same stream and within 200 yards of the spot where the California trout was caught, the fish weighed 5J pounds.
A 20i inch brook trout weighing 40 ounces was caught in the Antes creek in lAComing county, the last week in May and a few days later a Newbury fisherman caught a 24 inch trout, having a weight of 4 pounds and 2 ounces from the Lycoming creek. A Ply- mouth fisherman caught a 20 inch trout weighing 4 pounds from Howmans creek the first week in June.
A 2 pound California trout was captured from Wilson's creek, Tioga county on July 2.
During the winter of 1004 and 1905, when, on account of the low temi)erature, many of the streams were frozen nearly to the bottom, anglers in all parts of the Commonwealth thought the trout streams had been ruined. They saw thousands of trout frozen in the ice, and Ihev felt naturally that these fish must all die. Even I was some- what affected by numerous reports of this character which came to me, and it lead me to order the experiment of frec^zing fish and thaw- ing them out again to see what proportion would live, if any, the gratifying results of which are given elsewhere. The determination that fish frozen in blocks of ice would not necessarily die gave me renewed confidence as it did also to thousand of anglers in the State when the results of the experiment were published. This confidence was justified later when it was found that the freezing of the streams to the bottom did not destroy the fish.
2 28—1905
18
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
The marked iiierease in the number of trout iu the mountain streams of Pennsylvania may be attributed to three causes, first the large number of fish which have been planted by the old Fish Com- mission and the Department of Fisheries.
Second, to the law which declares six inches to be the minimum size of which trout may be caught. .
Third, the vigilance of the wardens in arresting and securing the punishment of people who catch undersized fish and in preventing fishing before the opening of the season.
It must not be supposed that in making this statement I wish to infer that all the fish were properly planted, that every fisherman restores to the stream all trout caught under six inches; or the il legal catching of trout in other particulars has ceased, on the con- trary I grieve to say that illegal fishing for trout is still widespread, and Very many of the fish secured from the State hatchery are im- properly planted. But the extent of the illegal fishing is much less than it" was prior to the establishment of the fishes and men who fish are rapidly realizing the necessity for observing the laws relat- ing to fish and are exercising greater intelligence in planting the
fry in the streams.
In 1902 there were planted in Pennsylvania's waters, three mil- lion brook trout, 1908, nearly five million five hundred thousand, and in 1905, the planting reached the enormous number of over seven million four hundred thousand. Plantings such as these must have a beneficial ettect on the trout streams of Pennsylvania, despite il- legal fishing.
The opening day for trout was exceedingly disagreeable, the weather in the morning was clear but cold and yery few trout came to the ''fly" the several thousand fish which were caught were mostly taken with worms. For two or three succeeding days snow fell in nearly every quarter where trout congregated and in some instances the cold was so intense that anglers had to stop eyery few minutes to clear the ice from the guides on their rods so that the line would run through freely. That a large number of trout were caught under such adverse circumstances was in itself strong proof of the large number of fish which exist in our waters. That the trout fish- ing in Wavne, Susquehanna, Centre and counties of a similar char- acter where the forest areas are relatively small as compared with Pike, Monroe, Clinton and similar counties should be better than for many years ago is a remarkable and gratifying fact, especially when it is considered that to-day there are at least 100 anglers to one, in the period named. It is surely a great triumph for fish cul- tural and jirotective fish laws.
One of the most remarkable as well as most gratifying evidences of the increase in trout in our streams comes from Lehigh county. At the close of the season it appears that the fishermen during the open period had had remarkable success. It has been stated em- phaticallv that what are called ^'fancy catches" were common.
A large number of anglers caught the full limit allowed by law in a single day's fishing and hundreds of people will catch from thirty to forty in a day. Catches of from three to four hundred for the three months werip said to be numerous. The favorite streams were the Little Lehigh, Spring creek. Trout creek. Cedar creek, Mud run, Lesely run and Hickory run. That such catches were possible
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
19
seem to me remarkable since besides AUentown with its more than thirty-five thousand people has a number of large sized trout, for instance, it is safe to sav that there is a population of nearly sixty thousand within twenty miles of the Little Lehigh. There can be no greater evidence as to good results which have followed the stock- ing of the streams with brook trout from hatcheries and protecting them afterwards from illegal fishermen.
TPIE BASS SEASON.
If the successful trout season and the greatly increased number of small fish of this species noticed in the streams proyed a pleasant surprise to the fishermen, the results of the bass season must have been doubly so. A reference to the reports of the Fish Commission and the Department of Fisheries and to papers read before the State Fisheries Association will show that for the last four or five years there has been an alarming decrease noted in the number of black bass in the waters of Pennsylvania. The decrease was not confined to one locality but seemed to be general throughout the State, with very few exceptions.
Following these reports we find that the decrease was not merely in the catch of legal size fish but what was of far more importance there was noted a marked decrease in the number of smaller fish and of newlv hatched fish. P»y 1904 nuiny streams formerly noted for the abundance of black bass were rei)orted to be almost barren of this great game fish. It was said in 1904 that far more wall-eyed pike commonly called Susquehanna salmon were captured from the Susquehanna riyer than black bass.
Points like Peach Bottom, Fites Eddy, Bald Friars and Cove, in former years famous as fishing resorts, were declared to be abso- lute failures. Pine creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna, formerly well-known in the northern part of Pennsylvania as a great bass stream for manv miles above its mouth, was said to be almost en- tirely barren of bass. The Delaware riyer, its tributaries, the Schiivlkill, Brandywine and Darby, all were said to be in the same d(»plorable condition.
Many reasons were assigned for the rapid disappearance of the black bass. I<e gorges in the Susipiehanna and Delaware and some of the tributaries were given by some as a potent cause. It was de- clared by the adherents of this that the ice not only killed thousands upon thousands of mature bass but tore out the grass beds which afforded shelter for snuill bass and on which water life necessary for the existence of the little creatures grow and in which minnow life for mature bass could safely be hatched and find shelter for the proper number of minnows.
Another cause assigned was a wide spread disregard for the laws prohibiting spearing and netting. The people who heard of this theory declared that during the spawning season the gigger would pole his boat to a spawning bed and wait for a few minutes until
20
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
the frightened fish liad retiinied wlieii it was easily speared, thus destroying thousands of eggs. In this manner they accounted for the almost total absence of newly hatched tish. The decrease in the number of larger fish they attributed to the illegal netter and the men who operated a seine for the capture of carp under section 9 of the act of 1901, which was repealed at the session of the Legis- lature of 1903.
A third body assigned as a reason for the decrease the need of a liberal infusion of new blood. Black bass were introduced in Penn- sylvania waters generally between 1874 and 1880 and it was found out that when animal life and vegetable life are removed from their natural surroundings and transplanted to new environments, there is generally a tendency to eventual barrenness. Insufficient appro- priations to the Fish Commission had prevented that body from restocking the streams with small mouth bass for several years and the United States plantings were mostly large mouth bass, which fish was often planted in waters not entirely suitable to them.
While those who advanced the above theories to account for the rapid disappearance of black bass, by far the largest number as- signed as a cause, the German carp. Personally, T was inclined to consider that all the theories were actual causes and factors in the trouble and I was inclined to believe that the principal factor was the German carp. During 1905, however, I was confronted with overwhelming evidence that while the German carp might to some extent be a factor in causing a diminishing supply of black bass in some localities it was by no means the principal factor and in some instances had nothing whatever to do with the matter.
There was proof positive for instance that the carp had nothing whatever to do with the decrease of the black bass in Pine creek for the reason that from one end to the other there were no carp to amount to anything. It was also evident in regard to Pine creek that the large fish had not disappeared because of a lack of minnows for the stream was literally alive with small silver chub, with creek minnows and other foods of which the bass are fond. It was also found out by this Department that on the west branch of the Sus- rpiehanna above Williamsport, the number of carp was small and the bass fishing poor.
From Williamsport to Sunbury where there are many carp re- ported, the bass fishing was reported fair in 1904. On the north branch of the Susquehanna above Wilkes-Barre and beyond the ('ulm the bass fishing was very good prior to 1905, and there were many carp. The Perkiomen creek contains large numbers of carp and the bass fishing was fair. On the other hand the Schuylkill river in which carp also abound, the bass fishing was bad. In the Dela ware river the conditions were the same as in the Sithuylkill, like- wise the Susquehanna below Sunbury.
T was thus forced to revise my ojiinion in regard to the extent of the culpability of the German carp and in looking into the matter more closely became convinced that those who advanced the theory of illegal fishing and of ice devastation were more nearly correct. Subsequent events have confirmed this view.
Almost as soon as the ice cleared from the streams and lakes, re- ports began coming to the office of bass seen everywhere. These reports increased in number and positiveness to the opening of the
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
21
season. From that time until nearly the end of the year there was a constant flow of letters and newspaper clippings all in the same vein namely, manv fish seen both small and large and fin(^ catches. 1 correspondent of the Forest and Stream, under date of October 25 said in regard to fishing conditions in the Delaware river during the last ten davs of September, ''It was no trick for two men in a boat to take 20' to 25 bass weighing 50 to 60 pounds in a few hours, and the fellow who could not get a boat, cast from shore with about (^qual success. Anv kind of bait seemed to be good enough and the fish taken were not small ones either, very few running below a pound and from that to four pounds and over. The river men say they have never known any such fishing since the bass were intro- duced in the river and they are unable to explain it."
Warden Holland on December 21, reported to this Department as follows:
''More black and vellow bass wove caught in the north branch of the Susquehanna river this year than during the last five years."
Mr. W. B. Rhodes, of Danville, Pa., in October wrote as follows:
"I have spent manv weeks on the west branch of the Susquehanna river in the vicinity of Montgomery, Lewisburg, Williamsport, etc. I found excellent results in the suppression of outline fishing and gigging in places where formerly the river was infested. There was scarcelv to be encountered an illegal fisherman. There is reported more successful fishing at these points for bass and salmon than I have had in some years and this we attribute to the efforts of your wardens to break up the character of the fishing I have written about."
Several wardens who had been assigned to the Schuylkill ami Perkiomen streams on various occasions i'ei)ort th(» bass fishing in thse first named stream to be very good and that the stream was "literally alive" with young bass. Officers of the Norristown Fish and Game Protective Association confirmed these reports.
Warden Neslev wrote in his rei)ort: "The Perkiomen was never so full of small bass as it is this year. Frequently, while fishermen are dipping with minnow nets for minnows, to use as bait, they catch as manv Fingerling bass as they do bait fish. People along the stream attribute this to breaking up of the gigging on the Perkio- men wiiich has saved the mature bass from being killed on the spawning beds. Manv catches are being made daily. I saw one man with Bl bass which wn'ighed about 20 pounds and they were caught within 10 hours. The fishermen on this stream average about half a dozen in an afternoon or a morning. Twelve or fifteen a day is the common average." . .
A Study of the newspaper clippings from all over Pennsylvania is interesting from the fact that with very few exceptions they all re- port the return of the small mouth bass.
The West Chester News on September 22 said:
"Despite the report that bass are scarce in I he Brandy wine, l^Kdesville has fishermen who think it a small catch to bring home only from 10 to 20 bass."
22 REPORT OF THE Off. Doc.
The AlU'utown Call on October 21 sa.vs:
"A school of 200 black bass is seen almost dailv in the Jordan near Strauss Mill at the northern boundary of the city. * * * The tish have gone into the Joidan from the Lehigh where there is known to be thousands of the ganiey tish which have come up into the water since the practice of dumi^ing coal dirt into the river has been stopped."
The Connellsville Courier on October 20, says:
'^Another pastime that is engaging the attention of sports these frostv mornings is bass fishing (on the Youghiogheny river). All . the fishermen say that tlu^se game tish bite in fine style these cool mornings when the water is not too high.*'
The Oil City Derrick, on October 0 announced many large catches of bass and made the following comment:
''Local anglers are commencing to lealize that there are better opportunities for catching big fish and more of them in the river (Allegheny) inside or close to the city limits than at other more dis- tant points."
The Reading Eagle on Septemlx'r 21 reported the catch of 77 bass from the Schuylkill river and its tributary, the Tulpehocken, within the previous day or two.
The Scranton Kepublican on August 11, says:
"Fishing in the river (North branch of the Susquehanna), has been quite good and many fine black bass and wall-eyed pike or Susque- hanna salmon have been taken."
The Lock Haven ExiMess under date of August 3, published the following:
''Fish are reported to be plentier in the west branch than for a number of seasons ]>ast. This is thought to be due to the fact that tlu^ Columbia and Sunburv dams otTer no obstruction to their pas- sage up stream and the tish way to the Clark's Ferry dam farther down aids them to make their way up stream."
The Easton p:x]>ress on August 1 reports: "Excellent bass fishing in the Delaware."
The Milton Standard on .Tune 2. two weeks before the opening dav said:
•
"Fishermen along the Susquehanna river are authority for the statement that the bass season which will open on June 15 promises to be an unusually good one. For the last two seasons bass fishing on the Susijuehanna has been very bad and many fishermen believed it was due to the pollution of the water. This year the shad fisher- men below Lancaster re[»oi't the presence of a large number of bass in everv sc^ise which, of course, are returned to the water."
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
23
The above quotations it will be noted, cover nearly every section of Pennsylvania. The extreme southwest, the west, the extreme east, the central and northeast and show to what extent the bass have returned and the manner of sport which the fishermen for black bass enjoyed in 1905.
WALL-EYED PIKE OR SUSQUEHANNA SALMON SEASON.
There are men along the Susquehanna Valley and the Juniata Valley who seldom fish for anything save "Susquehanna salmon." These men together with others who are fond of wall-eyed pike fish- ing have, like those who fish for bass, enjoyed an unusually good season. It was. if anything, better than the bass fishing, the catches were larger both in nlimbers and size than for many years and there wer(^ no parts of the Susquehanna Valley which were ex^-mpt. The "salmon" fishing in the north, branch, west branch. Lower Susque- hanna and the Juniata were (Mpially good and the wall-eyed pike or -Jack salmon" fishing, as the fish is called in the western part of Pennsylvania was just as fine in the Allegheny, Venango and She- nango, relatively as it was in the Susquehanna and its branches. Many fish were also reported from the Delaware above Trenton
Falls.
Probably the most interesting event with the wall-eyed pike fish- ing in Pennsylvania was the visit of a Petersburg gentleman to the office of the Fisheries to inform the Commission that during the late summei' and early fall many "salmon" were being caught daily near that place from points where they had never before been seen or known to be. He stated that the fish were nearly all of an even size. From his description they appeared to be two years old and on looking over the records it was shown that two years ago the De- ]>artment furnished applicants large quantifiers of wall-eyed pike fry in that locality. TVople interested in angling in Mercer county de- clared that ])lanting of wall-eyed ])ik(' in streams in that vicinity are showing abundantly.
Pl( KERELFISH1N(4 IN THE LAKES.
What to many was as satisfactory as the re-appearance of black bass was the good season's fishing for pickerel in a large number of the lakes in northeast Pennsylvania. Some declared that in'ckercl fishing was nearly as good as it was ten or twelvt^ years ago.
Fr>r nearly a decade, people have complained that pickerel fishing in the lakes of Wayn(\ Sus(piehanna, Pike and Monroe* counties has been decidedly on the wane. In 1901 it was declared before the Sen-
REPORT OF THB
Off. Doc.
24
Mto rommittee on Fish and Game that pickerel in a certain lake in
uSd .e t he .ick.rel fl.l.in!,' Mas very good 20 years aj^o. Resi- sts of Wavne county have informed me tl.at during the past sum nor catehes- f 15 and 20 pickerel ^vere a common daily occurrence • ;„v i of thit county Repr(>sentative Marsteller, of Lehigh couity repor U to m that pi'uerel that had ahnost disappeared from Twc'lye Mile Fond in Vike county, last year attorded exc<^ ent srZt and that more pickerel had been captured from that body of Xter during 1! ()5 than had been caught together m the previous five veais Nearly ey.-rvone unites in declaring that the good pick_ erel flswL in lal s of the northeast has been due to the rulings of X AttS (U^ieral, that only one tip-up might be legally used m fi hing f o. P ckm 1 through the ice. Prior to this ruling and the en- forcemen ther.-of bv the Department of Fisheries men were in hTbit of usin- from'twentv-five to fifty tip-ups each, a drain on the t^sh vh eh ;o"sniall body of water could stand for many years.
OTHER FISHP:S.
While (he fishing for trout, bass, wall-eyed i.ike and iiickerel, ad- milted V tie le dug fishes, has been extraordinarily good, the re- Uirnffrom the minor fish-s have been equally so with very f.-w «- c ptionL no ablv that of the yellow perch and sun fish >" ••<"S'ons on - sdeo?ihe mountain lak.'s. There has been an ah„„dant cath^s «tHned bass calico bass, rock bass and sucker hshing. The fiist an.l ifst nimed have been especially good, Lancaster, York and Adan.s .oui.rs P r icularlv r.-ported an abundance of these spec.es of fish. C y ar c P Ue, a fish clos.Oy allied to the Chatauqua Lak,. muscal- Sn e vePe caught during the year in western Pennsylvania lakes, l^otably Connea^itee and LeBoeuf Lakes, also from streams flowing tlierefrom.
FISU CTJLTUKAL WORK.
The good fishing I think may fairly be credited chiefly to continiied stockings from the State hatcheries and a strict ...iforcem.-nt of the fish laws In reviewing the fish .ultural work of the l)epartm.-nt to, m^'it may truly be said Ihat il has not been ex.eeded or ■qua e since the es.ablishmenl of .his kind of work by ihe Sla.e^ There was one year when the aggregate output excei-ded th« output
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHEBIES. "
nf 1005 bv nineteen millions; but a comparison of th« table, will how niai the enormous output in that year, wU.ch -as 18»T va.
almost exclusively to wal eyed V'»^^% ...V'^^l^'o'^^erf wall eyed ish was 165,118,807, of thi_s number I'^-^i^a- >"" ;",\^J„^.' t^f.
show due
"Vooo;mr;^^it^flsh. 7:325.000 shad or 159 J80000 leaving 5. !«8.807 of other kind of fishes, which embraces 2,978,. o0__trou^tjf
merent Pe es 139,107 A lantic salmon and the remainder of Paei- i t„«,t hl'u\- h-.4s vellow perch, rock bass, spotted catfish, sun S:,f"'r n!;':::HoS. ■ ^A :.>felence to the table which is here ap-
the year of VM)'r.
White tish
Lake Herrinj-
Tike perch
Hlue pike
Brook trout all sizes
Hock bass
Pickerel all sizes
Lock Leven trout
Trout cut throat
Frogs,
Catfish all sizes
(lold fish
Black bass all sizes
Yellow ]>erch all sizrs
Sunfish all sizes
Lake trout
Shad U. S. and Pa. at Torresdale,
Alewife
White perch
Miscellaneous,
34,489,000 22,840,000 il,324,000 9,450,000 7,421,835 9,000 10,200,600 68,000 70,000 90,900 2,550 2,470 7,030 655,150 1,475 977,500 8,810,000 2,754 2,125,000 2,844
143,550,108
It will be noted bv this table that in no instance is there an output reachini? 100,000,000. Such figures in the past would merely indicate an exceptional season for taking wild fish. The output of white fish lake herring and pike perch or wall-eyed pike represent what might be considered simplv as a natural increase over a normal output. There was an increase of nearlv 2,000,000 brook trout over the previ- ous vear, which was an increase of nearly 2,000,000 over the year before The pickerel is a new venture and all the other fishes noted were either new ventures which will be continued regularly hence- forth or which are obviously normal out]mt».
26
REPORT OP THE
Off Doc.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
27
TITK C()MMKH(UAL FISllKKIES.
In some respects liie roiiuneroial flsliei-ies were not in as satis- factory a condition as was the an^linp:. Tliis is true both as to Lake Erie Fisheries and the Delaware River Fisheries. There were no reliable data secured concerninj^ the shad fisheries of the Susque- hanna; but newspaper re])orts were to the effect that it was on the whole better than in ])revious years; but from other imperfect sources the indications are that it was not as j^^ood as I should like to have seen it.
Omittinf? the Susquehanna river and the small commercial fish- eries on the Allefi^heny, the aj^f^refijate commercial fish industry in Pennsylvania for the year 1905, was 1771.241.04. divided as follows:
Lake Erie, |201,085 94
Delaware shad, 424,556 00
Philadelphia carp market 123,100 00
Susquehanna eels 22,500 00
Brook trout 20,461 35
Total, $791,703 29
PHILADELPHIA C ARP INDUSTRY.
I
>
German carp,
2,462.000
$123.100 00
SHAD INDUSTRY.
Place.
.c
en
a
>
Philadelphia market
Trenton and New York
New York and other points,
412.500
10.000
507.270
929, 770
1268.375 00
4.00O 00
152.181 00
$424,556 00
SUSQUEHANNA EELS.
COMMEliCIAL BKOOK TKOUT INDUSTRY
n
9 o 04
2
>
34,037
688.433
1.600,0«O
5,900.000
$11,94.') 8.'.
7,095 50
830 00
$590 00
$20,461 35
•n>,. fi-.ncs "iv.n MS II..- .o.niu.'i-.i;.! fish iiulnstiv of Erie is prob-
and the IMiiladelphia carp industry are Vi'ol)al)ly fai belo^^
r ,.»1 ti<.ure^ Invi^stiiiators bcj-an their work too late in the >eai ;: m^l^'airnn. ^..ru.^. cn.a.ed in tl-;omnn..cial mdv. ry over, the returns from the license basket mer. N%eie ^e^^ meagre,
less than half reporting. ,, . .. ^ ^,
Tn i(M.Mrd to the latter, enough was returned to show that tie uusi nesVmT th Sus,u:.haniu river was litth' mon^ tlian a ai ure on
Z:^Z of frecpuU rains during th<. ^7''''''^^^^:^^^ be liwfullv used and which caused tli<' devices tt) be ttooma neauv
,„av 1><' <-..iisi(len-(l i.s .l.i.'rty U■»u^ li-.lmtiuu's of the Sus.q.ieh.imia
iiiwi tlicir tiil>ut.iii(S. , , „„„,„„
It ni.Tv 1»' iUMopos ;it Ibis iioiiil to <liaw iittci lio . to « i.at seoms
,o u (o !..■ so,,... i,..,...f.'.-.ions .Mul iujusti.e m tlu- .■x'stn.ft l''W
i l"t ,.•' to flsl. I.;.sl<.' ts. It is c-iuM-Mlly .ulmitte.l l.at tl... tisl
.,sl t ui.l.'ss ,„-..,...,lv .,,,...<. I. ■<! a.,.1 l.v ai. honest fish.'.-,..a,.. ma>
; a ;.r l.sl n,. iv,--.h.'i.-.. fo.- all kinds of fish. Tt is th.Mvfoye
.„,...„■.,..■.• Iha. if tl... law «..v,.n.infr Hsh hask.-ts h,- allowed to
sla.'.l o,. the statnle hooks .'Vm-.v safe >:"=«nl against impvo,.er nse
of (he basket should be piovid.-d.
^ is also ,.f..p.-.- that if a tisl. hask.-t is to b.. jHMni.tt.-d and if tl„. own...- pavs his li.-..us,. 1..- shonid in .-..(n.-n be proiK-ily ]>.•..• ..,,..y ru.h-.- the p.-..s..n( law th.' .'..the b..tto,.. of a basket must ,. ;,;uov..d. It s..,...s to ....- that this p.-..visi..n is an unn.>e<.ssa,-v a .date of the law. If tl..- law w.,nld allow .-.-rta n s.-et.ons of the torn of the basket to b.- .-e.noved 1 think th.s ""-^y" '^^ dniins tl..- .losed hou.s of the day wo.ild be jnst as «'ffr '^ ' «f^ (l,ou-h tl.,- <-nti.-.- bo, ion, of (h-- bask.-t w.'i-e .-.Mn..v.-d. V"*''',!''' n,.,.s.M,t law a ...a<. b..il.ls wi,.}.- walls and bask.-t. .n.d th.-.-.- .s noth. « l.at 1 know ..f at i.i-.-s.-nt wl.i.h will pi.-vent s..n..- ..th.-i; man the fo llowinK v.-a.-. if lu' be .,ui.-k en..ujjh. from takinf: ont a h.-.'ns.- fo.- the sam.rspot and s.. fjath.-r the fruit ..f the labor of the man who had tl..- li<-.-nse the previous year. This s.-ems to me to be very nnpis . Tn.l.-r th<- pi-esent Unv th.-r.- is nothing to prevent a man from seenriuK a li.ens.- f...' a l...ation i...n..-diat.-ly above a ...a., w''-' '""; ureviouslv 8ecui-.-.l a U.-.-ns.- and built win« walls and basket, or to prevent him fron. m bnildinfj his winj; walls an to eut the lower
28
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
man entirely out of fishing. In this respect, if in no other, the present law should be altered. On the other hand there is nothing which will prevent half a dozen men from fastening wing walls together and so completely damming the river from one shore to the other. Authority to do this is entirely wrong, and the law ought to be altered to correct this evil.
I have seen places where it is a practical impossibility for fish to pass up or down a stream Avithout first entering and passing through a basket. I believe, also, that if a man pays a license for a basket, any fish stolen therefrom should be made the subject of larceny, and that any man, other than the owner, who operates a basket, which is licensed, during the season, should be severely punished in addition to the fine which is imposed for operating an unlicensed device. Under the existing act a license is a personal privilege, so it IS declared by the Attorney General's Department. I think em- phatically it is the basket which should be licensed, just as a hotel is licensed, and the man who secures a license held responsible for the acts of those whom he permits to operate the device.
SHAD INDUSTRY.
Much comment has been made in regard to the fall off of the shad fisheries of the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers and many have been the reasons assigned therefor. There has been a steady decline in the Delaware river fisheries for three or four years, and a large number of people ascribe the following as the reasons:
1. The cessation on the part of Pennsylvania since 1897 of hatch- ing shad.
2. To a great increase in the number of nets, particularly gill nets, Tised.
3. To a pollution of the water by the cities of Philadelphia and Trenton.
T have no doubt in my mind that a failure to continue regularly the hatching of shad has had something to do with a diminished supply. Weight is given to this argument by the fact that by far the greater number of shad which were caught last season were fish which had been in the river in previous years, that is to say, fish which were more than three years old.
The average large size of the shad caught in 1005 from the Dela- ware river was a subject of universal comment. This would indicate a decrease in the total supply. There is no doubt also that an increased number of gill nets would have a tendency to decrease the catch. There were occasions when the gill nets were so close together in the Delaware river at the upper end of Philadelphia that they interfered with each other. Still, as the total catch was far below those of previous years, an incnsised number of nets can hardly be said to account for a less catch in the aggregate.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
29
No. 23.
ThP contention that the pollution of the river from Philadelphia H Trpnton and Chester is any factor in decreasing the catch is
ir^Tere^fouK^^^ -^^^^^t^ill J'kTa^ea
h ''[XfZ^^^^^^^ tht :"f the
extent to which it'rnow^p^^^^^^^^ wiU not prevent the shad from tllZd^a though it does at times render the fish which are caught hPlnw PMlaS eat, and therefore should be stopped.
Becausf I am ^^^^^ o polluting the streams and because cer-
tain "oUutionlsf'oys fish life, I do not think ^\^lfl^^^J^^^^ to the cause I advocate, namely, pure water that absurd state ments, such as have been made regarding the Pf ^^i^^.f.j^^^/, Delaware, should even be silently acquiesced in by me. While there may r less shad in the Delaware and Susquehanna "vers to-day Tan tLve were seven or eight years ago I am ^rmly convm^^^^^^^^ th^ fi«h are not as scarce as generally believed. I feel sure it win oe found and before very long, that it was the meteorological con- diSs which prevailed durfng the last four or five springs which have chiedy been lespousible for the poor catch of shad.
Mv conviction in this respect is founded, not merely on the enor- moZ suDDlv which I know existed less than ten years ago, but on The fact that the shad fishing last year was wretchedly poor along he Atlantic coast from Maini to Florida. There was not a river on which the shad\sheries formed an important industry from which The catch was normal or anything Hke it. This is Particular y true of the Connecticut, of the Potomac and of the rivers of North and South Carolina The United States Bureau of Fisheries advise me ^hat refath-ely more eggs were taken from tl»e Delaware river shad last spring than from any other river on which shad culture was
'"it "is*f well known fact to ichthyologists, fish culturists and to observing fishermen that shad will not freely enter a river from the sea to perform their annual function of spawning until the tempera ture of the water is 60 degrees or higher. If tbe temperature falls verv far below 60, few or no shad will enter. They will postpone the spawning rather or perform that function in «»me unknown place For the last six or seven years the temperature of the water in the Delaware river during the shad season has been below what it should be in order to allow the shad to enter freely.
As further confirmation of my conviction that it has been low water temperature rather than a natural lack of fish, I may state that both in the early part of 1905 and 1904 when there was a short period of warm weather during which the temperature of the water went up there was quite a good run of shad. Fishermen both years freely predicted a large catch and they were only disappointed when cold weather again set in and carried the temperature of the river water sometimes as low as 44 and 45 degrees Farenheit.
There is not the slightest doubt in the world that the shad fisheries of the Delaware have been maintained for the last twenty years almost entirely bv the fish cultural work carried on by Pennsylvania and the United States Government. In 1880 the value of the shad fisheries had sunk to |80,000 on the Delaware river and subsequently
30
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
31
under aitilicial piopapUion thr- vahif of \\w indnstiv vosv al tiiiu's (o as liigh as 1600,000 a .year. Shad hav(. aiinuallv biieii a drug on the market. While there has been a great annual increase in the demand for shad, and while to meet that demand there has been naturally a considerable increase in the number of nets it has not been sufficient to account for the rapid decrease^ in the number of fish caught in the last six or eight years.
HERHIXd IXDT^STRY.
It will be observed that no note is made in the Commercial Fisheries report of the herring industry, neither on the Delaware or Susriuehanna rivers. This was due to the fact that the investigators sent out by the Department, began their work too late. It is an important industry on the Delaware but far mor(^ so on the Susciue- hanna, although there is very little comparativelv speaking on the after Mream within the limits of rennsylvania.' The bulk of tlir business IS done in the river from the Maryland line souihwardlv and 111 the upper Chesapeake Bay. I never could (iuit<. understand wliy It IS that the Susquehanna herring seem io find a more readv market than those caught from the Delaware rivei'. The species are identical, and many dealers, who are without prejudice, and who handle the fish in large (piantities, declare the Delaware fish to be just as good. It is declared by some that the Baltimore market is better for the sale of herring than the Philadelphia market, and as Balmnore is more easily reached from the Susquehanna than from the Delaware, the industry in the former stream is naturallv larger One thing is certain, it is not a lack of supplv of herring in the Delaware for that stream is literally alive with that species of fish from the time the water begins to warm in the beginning of April to In- end of the season, the latter i>art of June. It is a fact tliat the haul s<Mne fislHM'men frequently allow thousands to escaiK^ because h(^y have taken more than they can use. 1 hope that this will be the last year in which I will be compellc^I to state that I have no data as to the herring industry.
It will bcMioticed in'the tables of distribution that the Dei>artment hatched and planted several millions herring and it mav cause some surprise o he readers of this ivport that under such conditions t e fish should be hatelK.l. B„t tHe D(^partment feeds that the eggs of no tish which comes int,) its possession should be destroved hence he hatch of a few million ah-wife or herring at the Tori-esdale Hatchery in the sjuing of I'Mir,. Muiesaau
CARP INDUSTKV.
There has been such a widespread condrMiination of the Herman f-arp that thousands upon thousands of our citizens have come to the
No. 23.
earn industrv in Pennsylvania is onl> next to t"'^\^\ !;"; .^ . ^^ caip iiiinif5i^^.y '^ o ,!<;•> nno ^^nllT1f^^ were sold in lyuo, in lue
will be seen more than 2,4..2.00 P;"""^ J l^^ ^^^ ,„ueh less than l-hHadelphia market a one. A"*\, , f % °|'" ^^^ of figh indigenous
the business in Pennsylvania m l'-'"*-^^^*',^^^'^^^"!' and generally „.. introduced has p^bab,^; ever bee^ ^^^ /^
valuable food and game fishes. destroving water plants
which valuable gan.e and Food fis';;'* J'^^- ^. .^^ the mud
muddy in taste and of very low l^f ^^ »"/ the German carp and as the figures show, -''"/^^"L'reatcr number of thos" who deal in pronounce it go^'^V.^^ll^^ndTewfTriatTer purchase live carp
and other substances and prepare a dish »1'>^'1' » ««^ ^'>»'*^ ^"""^
not cost them probably more t^"" ""^'''f ' ^^..^^^.a,,, if u did find
It nnv ii-itnrallv be sui)l>osed that the deiman caii> u 'i "■" a "al in he n^rlet. w.Iu'ld be rated at a very low pnc. Such ' .J. +1.,, ^ot.^» Tlw've nre verv few tisli sola wnicii uiiug
LTS'a^XV'a U Oe™ c'r; 'The average price for the ?weh-e month n the vear, including the warni summer months for the flshls five cents a pound, and they have been known to sell as Wl, aVtwentvtwo cents a pound or more than what would be asked at the sa^ne t"me of the'ye,u- for strii>ed ba^, black bass, pick-
"perso'alriT' ot believe that the German carp is a desirable flsff" pimnsylvania waters. There are ot|';>- «l--;-jS and prolific breeders, which are far more va uable .f»/ .^f^ ^l"'';^' ^"2 food i.nrooseo And I think it was a serious mistake when the nsn wnti iiZed It is destructive of better fish and however well it Tel s in the market, is undoubtedly inferior in f«"d qua^ies I am son V to sav I believe that it is not as easy to get rid of the German car,, as it won d be of almost any other kind of fish now known in Pennsvl ailiTnters. Tn fact. I am afraid it is here to stay. I do not beUeeanv legislation can rid us of the .\siat c pe«t, impor ed
Tnto Oernianyby The Crusaders and -^^'--rVt^T^ltcX.^t^^^ United States. The best that we ..an hop.- to «1';>^ Jo catch all that is possible bv legitimate means and persuade others to buy and eat tlieiu even tliouL'h we might not eat them ourselves. "The fact tlmt there is a'n over abundance of Gerinau carp in Penn^ svlvania waters is evinced by the fact that d"r;i<J;' 1«<'^ ««;l'"';f^J representatives of the Department removed ^o.OOoJ^-ennan carp from waters in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, and m one haul
32
REPORT OF THB
Off. Doc.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
33
of a night in Pr*sque Isle Bay, at Erie, more than a ton of carp were captured.
EEL INDUSTRY.
Until three years ago the eel industry in Pennsylvania was in a peculiar position. It is estimated that fully one-half of all the fish of this species placed on the market were illegally caught and a good portion of the remainder came from other states, notably Mary land. There was nothing to show either of the value of the eel as an industry. It was known that there were enormous numbers both in the Susquehanna and Delaware and their tributaries. The devices which could legally be used for their capture were fyke nets and dip nets for six months in the year, eel pots, and outlines at night. Of the foregoing, one, the dip net, was of very little value. The fishermen on the Susquehanna river for years demanded the right to use ftsh baskets, or, as they are sometimes called fish pots. Until 1903 they based their demands not upon the value of the eel as a food commodity but wholly on the ground that the fish was destruc- tive to other food and game fishes, and one, which as it was not desirable, should be removed therefrom. As nature had provided a balance in such cases a contention of this character could not be entertained, and as stated before, the fish basket being a very dangerous device the Legislatui-e logically and pioperly rejected the demand for legalized baskc^ts.
Finally, in 1908, the fishermen prestMited, as th(\v should have done before, the value of the fish as an industry and suggested that a license be provided and safe-guards against the catch of other fish be enacted. This was agreed to and the bask(*t became a legal de- vice. For the first time then the catch of eels in Pennsylvania became s well defined and legitimate industry. Although the baskets are licensed, it is almost an impossibility to secure r(»Iiabl(^ data of the catch or its value. The law permitting fish baskets does not make it obligatory for the owners to furnish the Department with the results of their catches, and even if it did this would only b*^ a ])ortion of the catch for there are the thousands of fvke nets and some eel pots which are constanUy used and from which no return whatever is received.
The value of the eel industry in Pennsylvania can scarcely even be estimated. A faint idea, however, may be obtained when it is stated Ihat in 1905 the returns made to the Dej)artmenr from the licenscMl l)askets wen^ ir)8,729 pounds with a value of |!lS,(iS7. There were over 14,000 worth of eels sold in the Philadelphia market, which by the way is one of the poorest markets for that syn^cies of fish iii Pennsylvania. The eels sold in the Philadelphia markc^t are taken from the Delaware river exclusively, and it is safe to sav that two- thirds of those are taken illegally. It is also safe to sav that the eels sold in the Philadelphia market do not represent a one-tenth part of the eels caught in the Delaware river. Most of this species of ftsh caught from that stream are either sold in the small towns
No. 23.
„, ,,tieB whioh lie along its bauks: Trenton, Burlington B«verly,
Bristol, Easton Portland ^t^oniM ^^^^y ,f tS -ptured aition to the fish ^■l'"*,a'^e sold a gieat quanuiy ^^^
l.utting them through the markets^ ^^ j,^
The 158''i29 pounds of ec^lsrcpoi ted ^ g^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^.^^
licensed flsh baskets do not repieseni o Delaware
were licensed and in operation A so ^^ m ^^^^^'^ ^^her devices to river, there are the catches f.'om ^^^ j^^^^^ts ana ^^^^^^ ^
be considered. The ^f "f^^^eu Harmburg^^ y^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^
WllkesBarre and ^^'afo" "^ ,';[„*f^'\\*' T believe I am safe in saying ,.els, and while I cannot «"l^«t "t^ate it J beUeve ^^^^^ ^^^
that the towns mentioned "'•^^^f^y/^^^;;^,!™' faithful reports of
158,729 pounds. am '^""^l"^;^,'^^* ^^f/^e ?,^^^^ the industry in
;,n the eels caught inm)i '* w«"'°J|'*j, I his tish would be worth at least 1100.(100.
KIHHKKIKS OF LAKK KBIE.
Although Pennsylvania has only a^-^f ^'^^LTofS S ,,ake Erie, ^>^ ^^:^t:^^^t^^^^m, issued by bordering on that lake. -^^^^"'""'^ . ^^^^.^ ^ere in 1903 caught the United States Bureau of !^'«,^"'^.':/^^\'88 556 pounds of fish, from Pennsylvama wa te.s m ^f^^^.f ^.S^l P^ PO^V'"' having a value of f<fe<M)ia. \" J;" ° , j „f «305,244. New
...■edited to I'e""^vlvania together with a vauc^,^ ^^^^^^
York 2.949.305 pounds, value |128,44.), unio lo,.* , pT7.027: Michigan 1.122,5558 pounds ;al"«f g^M" pe„nsvlvani«. On the above figures given by ,*'"• .^\\"f f^.^^n'^'tn the catch and
notwithstanding its small *;'"••*"•>: ^^''^^^XU''"'*'"'" ^'^^''^ ;hrtVr:l:^;ir2%\.27lf p^u:;'.ran%"'\lie ditference in value
*^S. can be no doubt that these f^^^^;^^^^! Srt for the statisti.s of the fisheries of he 1 enn^lva .^^ ^^^^ ^ gathered by the l)..partm..nt s T "til v-ilue of about POO.OOO. and Tatch of 7.280.500 i-ounds. with a ♦;,''< l'^""^,"i\"p,, the catch of two the catch noted by the 0..partment s 'ft^;;.' "'"V"^;' X, ^ the fish small tinns whos.. business ^as in another Jtate thou.^ .^^^^^^^
were caught.in •;.-->• van.a ^Xh f 4 5 0.57 b'el^ugs to Pennsyl- in the fisheries of Lake Mie <"■",'" J , Ponnsvlvania ranks vania, and in this Pa'-t"""''"' '«« '" ^♦^''t,,^^* t ' f Vl.205.002. second, Ohio only h-ading ^'th «" in^^*™^"^ ,\ Pennsylvania
Taking everything ''♦"^^"^'''"^s^-^sV^J^.'^ds x^^^^ their value of waters in l.ake Kvi.' in 1905 of 6380,7f < poun is w p„„,idered
.«201. 085.94. although a decrease over 190.. mav not
•{_23— 1905
34
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
alarming. In fact thero is reason to believe that the fall off may be attributed almost wholly to eauses over which the fishermen them- selves had no control. In the first place there were frequent storms which tore up the nets and prevented fishing, particularly in the early fall. This naturally would tend to reduce the catch of the herring. A comparison of the tables of 11)03 and 1905 of the prin- cipal fish will exhibit this point more clearly.
Blue pike, .. L«ake herring, White fish.
1,964,000 pounds 5,033,000 pounds 36,500 pounds
1905.
3,215,863 poXinds
3,060,250 pounds
31,969 pounds
The fall off, it will be noted at once, was in the lake herring and white fish, the heaviest run of which is in the Autumn.
Another cause for a slight fall off in the catch in 1905 was due to the operation of a new law enacted in the early part of 1905, which declared a close sen son for net fishing beginning with November 15. Immediately on the arrival of the close season the boats naturally stopped fishing. Some were sent to other waters and some were tied up. It is true that subsequently about twentv boats were em- ployed by the Department of Fisheries to gather herring eggs and so to some extent the fishing was resumed, but I think it is safe to say that the close season resulted in a decrease catch bv about 100,000 pounds. The fish caught bv the boats emploved' by the Department amounted to 648,807 pounds.
The smallness of the white fish catch will probablv cause some surprise especially in view of the general knowledge of the large number of eggs of this species of fish which have been hatched vear by year by Pennsylvania and planted in its waters of Lake Erie' but the explanation is quite simple, and in fact was given in Bulletin No 1 issued by the Department of Fisheries in 1904. The explanation given then is as follows:
"The few white fish is accounted for, because only a few boats were fishing for them with their big mesh nets. Tugs don't get up white fish (big mesh) nets any more; and what big mesh nets were allowed the last two years were mostlv used up in fishing for lar"-e hearing, which the fishermen think is more profitable than to go after white fish exclusively. There is strong evidence that the number of white fish IS increasing owing to the work of artificial hatching done by Pennsylvania and the United States. The fishermen all agree that in a few years the white fish will be sufficientlv plentiful to warrant the use of white fish nets."
There is good reason to believe that whitc^ fish of a catchable sizp could now be caught ]>rofitably in Pennsylvania waters and this feeling is the same by many of fhe fishermen; bul fhev hesitate to resume the industry on account of the great cost of tJie white fish nets and it is not merely the first cost which troubles them but another equally im]>ortant, namely, the risk which thev run of losing the nets. • ' • '"j^
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
35
The best whitr fish runs are in stormy weather and sometime the nets cannot be set sufficiently secure to hold them against some of the terrific blows and huge seas of Lake Erie. The evidence of the presence of large numbers of white fish is, however, growing so strong that it will be surprising if the fishermen do not soon turn their attention again to this valuable fish and give the herring a
chance to rest. ^ ^ . ,_. ^,
At om' time the white fish industry was the most important at Erie It was nearlv double that of the blue pike and lake l^errmg combined. The priVe the fishermen received being nearly double that of herring and blue pike, naturally the fishermen devoted them- selves almost exclusively to it with the result that the w^hite fisheries were almost entirely destroyed. Even with the heavy plant^ ing which is made annually by Pennsylvania, it will be a i;"i"l>7 «^ years before the white fish industry will once more equal that of the blue pike or lake herring.
It has not been in Peunsvlvania alone where there has been a fall
of^ in the white fish industry. The same state of affairs exists in all parts of the lake. The total catch of white fish in ^|^f J^om
\merican waters was onlv 302.805 pounds, with a value of f22,988.00.
LAKE HERRING.
It mav be that the ]>ai'tial abandonment of the white fish industry mav be^-esponsible to a slight degree for a fall off of the lake iK^rring industrv. It is not to be supposed that if the fishermen devote practicailv all their attention in the Fall of the year to this fish rather than' the white fish that there could be other than a slight annual decrease in the lake herring. Lake herring were so abandoned for manv vears and little attention was given to then- artificial propaL^afion bv <'ither the Ignited States or Pennsylvania. It has only b«'"n sin<e the fish, has bcMome the principal industry that extensive' ]>i<)|)agation has been engaged in. Although the lake herrin<»^ industrv ranks second in Pennsylvania waters, for the other lakes Tt ranks first. The catch in lt)0.*^ from American waters was 8J88,625 pounds, with a value of ^33.844, of this catch Pennsylvania is to be credited with 5,0.^^,,000 ])ounds.
\s a food fish the h.ke herring is ])ractically as good as th<' white fish Uen((\ whih' iho great decrease of white fish caught was a oreat misfortnni', it enlailed no serious inconvenience to the fish eating public, for ther*' are thousands of pounds of large lake herring eaten every year by ])eo]>l(^ who imagine they are eating white fish under which name they were purchased.
It has been known for a long time among spawn takers, when ^rjithering eggs of white fish, that if there were no white fish males handv to fertilize the eggs it could be done with the milt of herring. This has result«'d. so it is said, in a variety of herring su]»erior to tlu' ordinary sp<'ci(.s and nearly equal in siz«' to ordinary while fish of marketable size.
REPORT OP THE
YELLOW PERCH.
Off. Doc.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
S7
There has been a strong advance in the yellow perch industry. This is not due to any apparent increase in the number of fish but to the fact that it is coming to be recognized as a very valuable food fish. While not among the very largest fishes, it is a delicious table fish. The flesh is firm, white and flakey. It can be transported longer distances and will keep longer than many other species. Last year the industry advanced to third place, there having been caught 53,798 pounds. The one drawback to its stability is the unreliability of the perch to remain in any particular spot. It is a school fish and seems to move at random. In one place to-day and another the next. For three years for example the perch around Erie were so scarce that scarcely any eggs could be secured. Early in 1905, they sud- denly returned to their old grounds in the neighborhood of the light house. Their absence during the period named was so marked that many fishermen came to the conclusion that in some manner they had been destroyed. Their reappearance is not onlv a proof of the vagaries of this, but an illustration of the wandering character of the many other species which come and go.
LAKE ERIE CARP.
As an industry in Lake Erie within the jurisdiction of Pennsyl- vania the carp is of very little account. Only 2,970 pounds were caught and sold in 1895. These figures, however, do not indicate a scarcity of the carp, on the contrary, Presque Isle Bay is overrun with them, and in Lake Erie as a whole the German carp ranks third as a fish industry, the annual catch being between 3,500,000 and 4,500,000 pounds a year, having an aggregate value of more than $60,000.
If Pennsylvania law allowed the use of nets in Presque Isle Bay, There is no doubt that the carp industry in the city of Erie would take a leap in the next few years from eighth place at least to third place. As an exi>eriment the Department last September on one occasion had a gill net set in Presque Isle Bav and several hundred pounds of carp were caught. It is the intention of the Department to investigate the matter further during the vear 1906.
little more than one-half the catch of lake herring. It has been contended by some ichthyologists that there is no specific difference between the blue pike and tlie wall-eyed pike; that the former is merely the young of the latter. In this belief some fish culturists concurred and stated that there was no known instance of the eggs ever having been gathered from the so-called blue pike. It is, I suppose, unnecessary to state that the contention that eggs have never been taken from blue pike has no foundation in fact. The Department of Fisheries has been taking blue pike eggs for several years to the number of many millions annually.
The one significant point which would indicate that those who claim the two fish to be the same is a fact, that notwithstanding the Department has been hatching and planting many millions of wall- eyed pike every year for many years, the recorded catch of this fish amounts to almost nothing in Pennsylvania waters. There is no reason that I can imagine why there should not be large quantities of wall-eyed pike in Lake Erie within the jurisdiction of Pennsyl- vania, because of all the fishes which are artificially bred, the wall- eyed pike, although planted immediately on the sac being absorbed, is the best able to take care of itself. Moreover, the history of the fish in the interior waters of Pennsylvania, conclusively show that there is a greater percentage of survivors than of any other fish which the State propagates. It is alleged by some that the waters in Pennsylvania territory are not the best adapted for wall-eyed pike; but a reference to the reports of the United States Bureau of Fisheries for 1903 shows that the total catch of wall-eyed pike in Lake Erie for that year was only 908,484 pounds. It is stated as a reason whv there is no report of any catch of wall-eyed pike from the fishermen "^at the city of Erie that the few fish which were caught were put among the\>lue pike. Personally, I am inclined to believe that the blue pike is at the best only a variety of the wall-eyed pike, and there is a possibility that it may be identical with that fish, only changed in color and brt'dy outline by different environments.
It is partly the catch of blue pike in 1905, and the circumstances connected therewith, which lead me to believe that with very few exceptions there is not a very great decrease in the number of fish in Lake Erie. The catch for 1905 was 3,215,863 pounds, while the catch for 1903 was only 1,964,000 pounds, an increase of 1,251,863 pounds, and what is very significant is the fact that this fish has been persistently sought for by fishermen for several years, as per- sistentlv in fact as the lake herring.
BLUE PIKE AND WALL EYED PIKE INDUSTRY.
The Blue pike industry in Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie is the most impoiiant, and for the entire lake it is second, being a
BROOK TROUT INDUSTRY.
As in the case of other commercial fisheries in Pennsylvania the figures given above are under what tlu'V should be. They represent only the output of the hugest establishments and one or two other small ones. There are several very small plants in the State which
38
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
would add a tow thousands to thc^ al)ove total. Of rourse, i*i'fereiJ<M' is here made only to establishments which are conducted accordinj^ to law and not to the sale of wild brook trout which is in violation of the Act of May 29, 1901.
Owing to the restricted character of Section 19 of the Act of May 29, 1901, the development of the commenial brook trout industry iu I'ennsvlvania is verv dillHcult. 1 bclitnc such severe restrictions are wrong. I believe encouragement and not discouragement should be given to men who desire to develo]> what may become, if ]Moperly encouraged, a valuable addition (<) State industries. At the last session of the lA'gislature a bill a|»pi*oved by the owners of leading commercial i)lants was introducj'd and jiassed i\ut Senate unani- mously, and apparently had no ojiposition in the House, but fell because of tinal adjournment before it could be reached on third reading. I believe the bill should be re-introduced into the Legis lature at its next session.
It is admitted bv owners of comnnM-cial trout hatcheries that everv safe guard should be thrown around the wild brook trout, and that the sale of such tish should be prohibited in the market or to any one, and to do this it was felt that a bill to permit the unrestricted sale of artificially hatched tish should be carefully pre]»aied. The bill, which was introduced in the early j>art of lOO."). a|>peaiM'd to meet the requirements of the conditions. It provided:
1st. That persons d(*sirous of operating commercial hatcheries should apply to the DepartnuMil of Fisheries for a [wrmit and o\>vr- ate such an establishment, giving at the same time its a<ieage aiwl scope and plan.
2d. That the Deparjuient of Fisheries should then grant the ])er- mit and issue a lic(Mis<' foi* w!n<h tlw a]»iMicant should pay the sum of |40 a year.
3d. That the books of the establishment and the plant should be open at all times to the inspection of the T'ommissioner of Fisheries. The contents of the books, however, and the operation of the plant be kept confidential unless violations of the law were detected therein.
4tli. That annually an account of the total business should be turned in to the Department to be used for aggregate statistical purposes.
5th. That the commercial establishments should be ]>osted with signs giving the number of its license and stating that it was a licensed fish hatchery.
Gth. That the establishments might on obs(M"ving all conditions, sell dead trout for food consumption at any time of the year, but that each sale should be accom])anied by an invoice on which should be submitted the number of the license and setting fortli th<' number of fish and the number of pounds sold and the statcMueut that such invoice only held the purchaser free from ]u*osecution foi- a period of six days. Tn other words that the pers(»n ])urchasiug trout on a certain dav must consume or dispose of them within six da vs.
The enactment of a measure like this would prevent ihe continn ance of th<' operations of any persim who might construct a few jionds, jMirchase a few thousand trout from one of ih«' larger estab lishments and then sell many thousand trout, the b»ilk of which W(Mild be caught fiom the str<'ams by nets and other illegal devices.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
3»
WORK OF HATCHERIES.
The Departnu'ut deems itself fortunate in the possession of Superintendents of the hatcheries, who are not only among the most skillful fish culturists in the country, but who also evince both interest and enthusiasm in their weak. Every man in charge of a hatchery has cordially co-operated with me in my desire to bring the hatchery under his charge to the very highest state of efficiency. Each has endeavored to do this despite the fact of insulficient help. What is here said of the superintendents applies with equal force to all the assistants. Two of them, namely, William Haas and Jerre Burkhouse, assistants at the Corry Hatchery have exhibited such proficiency in fish culture that I have felt warranted in appointing them to tiie supcM-inteudencies of the two new hatcheries established Mr. Haas becoming superintendent of the Spruce Creek Hatchery in Huntingdon county and Mr. Kurkhouse of the Torresdale Hatchery, in Philadelphia, at which Mr. \\\ H. Satford is at present acting superintendent until the close of thi^ shad season, when he will take charge of the new hatchery at Conneaut, in Crawford county.
CORRY HATCHERY No. 1.
The oldest hatchery in o|>eration is Corry Hatchery, two miles outside of the city of Corry, in Erie county. It w^as first established in 1875, and with the exception of about a year, it has been under the superintendency of Mr. Wm. Buller. The first purchase was nine acres, and from time to time since then there have been additions until now the property contains about twcmty acres. Nothing can better illustrate the growth of fish culture in Pennsylvania than by the statement that the first year's output from Corry Hatchery was 154,000 brook trout.
The output of 1904 of trout and other fishes was 5,214,015, an in- crease of nearly 5,100,000. Of this number, over 4,000,000 were brook trout. In the thirty years the Corry Hatchery has been transformed into a beautiful park with the exception of that portion last pur- chased.
The grounds are shaded by evergreen and deciduous trees, and there is besides a tract of heavy woodland from which for the last two or three years the Department has been able to cut nearly enough timber for its use on the property. The work of the hatchery for the year 1905 was very gratifying, the total output of fish from this hatchery for the calendar year was 5,217,020. Of these, 8,295,500 were brook trout fingerlings Number 2; 1,077,500 lake trout finger- lings Number 2; 0S,000 Loch Leven fingerlings Number 2; .^^5 large males brook trout, l.'^.OOO rock bass fingerlings Number 1, 2,150 black bass, and the following miscellaneous fish, incbiding gold fish, sun
40
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc,
fish and jellon perch. Tho total output exceeds the previous eighteen months by 22,512 fish, and about 1,000,000 in excess of the previous year.
With the exception of a slij»ht h)ss among advanced fry of lake trout, through necessary over crowding for a short period, there was no loss from disease during the yviw at the Corry Hatchery; indeed, the fish at this station have also been singularly fr(H- from epidemic of this kind.
There are three hatching houses at this station, two 100 feet long each, and one 50 feet, and in them it is possible to hatch and care for over 4,000,000 trout annually. At the close of the calendar year there were more than 6,000,(]00 eggs of brook and lake trout in th(? troughs, and at one time, for a little more than two weeks, there were over 11,000,000 eggs of these two species. Three million eggs were subsequently sent to the new Union fity Hatchery for incuba. tion.
Although the Corry Hatchery is primarily for tln^ rearing of trout, it has always been considered as an experimental station. It was here, that under the direction of the superintendent and myself, that black bass and rock bass and yellow perch wi^re first successfully reared after many experimenls. The water conditions are, however, not favorable for black bass rearing, because as a rule the water is too cold, and besides there is not sufficient aiea to produce the fish in very large quantities. Black bass rearing has therefore beeji abandoned at Corry.
It is doubtful whether success can be looked for annually at thi« station for yellow ])erch nnd rock bass for the same reasons, and also because of the difficulty in preventing surface water from flowing into the ponds devoted to these fish whenever heavy rains occur. On account of the storms and cold weather nearly all the yellow perch hatched at this station last year were lost through algae, th(* (error of the fish culturists, which freely forms in these jmnds to the detriment of the fish.
Sup(M-intendent William Buller has always been an ardent exp<M'i- menter of hybridization, and the past years has produced many curious if not ]>ractical results. In 1905, however, an experiment in hybridization between brook trout and Loch Leven trout promises to add a valuable fish to certain waters in th<' State. By using female Loch Leven trout and male brook trout he has ])roduced a hybrid of exceeding beauty both in marking and outline. The sides of a fish are marbled the sanu* as the back of a brook trout, but what the spot colors will be is at the present unknown on account of the fish being fed on liver, but this s]>ring this feature will be determined by ])lacing a few specimens in a s])ring, allowing them to hunt for their own food. The fish are now a little over one year old and are about seven inches in length with every Indication of ])roducing adult fish about tin' size of the brook trout.
There ar(^ many streams in streams which were once good brook trout streams, but no longer maintain that s]>eci(^s through the water becoming warmer on a<'rount of the brush wliich lined the sti'eams having been cut away. It is well known that the Loch Leven troui will live in warmer waters than are recjuired by brook trout, but it is too dangeious a fish for general introduction. Tt Is hoped that the hybrid which Mr. Buller has produced will have all the character-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
41
istics of the broek trout so far as game, food and other desiralde qualities are considered without the over destructiveness of the Loch Leven, and thorough experiments in this direction will be made, of course before the new fish is hatched for general distributiom In anticipation of its possible usefulness, I have tentatively named it the Buller trout, Salvenius fontinalis var. Bullerii.
A number of necessary improvements were made at the Corry Hatchery during the vear.' The most important were to the hatching houses Numbers 1 and 2. Sixty feet of Number 1 was built thirty- one years ago. Continuous dampness gradually rotted the I'afters supporting the roof, and last spring a large section of the roof fell in, fortunately without any damage to the fish in the troughs. It became necessary therefore^ to put a new roof on the building. Hatching house Number 2 was built over a portion of the trout pond and the floor rafters consequently were rotten and a new floor was necessarv. In order that there may be no trouble any time hereafter from rotting of the floor joists, I used railroad iron instead of wood. The dwelling house, which has been occupied for thirty years by the superintendent, is a structure which was purchased with tin- propertv in 1875. and it is probably nearly fifty years old. Built of frame, it has rapidlv become unsuited as a residence for the superin- tendent. It became necessary therefore to build another house for his accommodation. In desiring to build this structure, I was also impelled bv the fact that there is no house anywhere near the hatcheries which could be occupied by the first assistant, whose con- tinual presence on the hatchery ground is almost as important as that of the superintendent. With some slight repairs made this coming year the old house vacated by the su])(4intendent can be made available for some time to come for the first assistant. All the buildings on the ground were greatly in need of paint, and during the summer months the employees gave all their spare time to the work of putting on three good coats of white and moss green. These colors, by the way, I have adopted for all the hatclieries as being the
neatest and best. .
In order that the output of the Corry Hatchery may be increased,
I had seven new ponds constructed for trout, which will give room
for nearly 2t),00t) more brood fish. I also held back for breeding
purposes at this hatcherv, 100,000 fingerling brook trout, and 75,t)(M)
lake trout fingerlings for Corry, Union City and Spruce Creek
Hatcheries. The puri)Ose in saving such a large number of lake
trout is in order that in four vears from now the Department may
be independent of the wild fish in Lake Erie. TwcMity thousand
California trout fingerlings hatched from eggs received from the
United States were also held for breeding ])urposes, it being deemed
advisable to begin again the work of hatching California trout.
The tish is an excellent one and while it is doubtful if it reproduces
Freeh in the streams, the spawning pei'iod is at a s<*ason of the yeai-
when the troughs in the hatching houses are empty, hence, their
propagation entails only tin* cost of feeding Ihe advanced fry and
distributing them. Arrangements were alsn made dnrinu the year
for raising gold fish at this station on a large scale lor distribution
among the public schools of the State. Tlie l)ei>artmenl believes
that this work is very important inasmuch as il is elinational. As
the primipal work at (Nu-ry is the rearing of (he Iroul il naturally
42 REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
follows that the aggrej^ate output of tisli is not as great as iu the hatcheries where certain other varieties which yield vast quantities of eggs are hatched. Hs rank in output last year was Number 4.
ERIE HATCHERY No. 2.
In point of output the Erie hatchery ranks first among the fish hatching stations of the State, it having turned out in 1905, 118,594,- «74 fish. It has been the most important station in this respect ever since its building in 1885. It is on a piece of ground 82J feet square at the corner of Second and Sassafras streets, in Erie city, and the first season's output was 14,025,()0() white fish. The average annual work done at the Erie hatchery until three years ago was about 60,000,000, all lake fish. One year there was turned out from that hatchery 104,000,000 but such an output was abnormal and due entirely to the fact that there was no storms on the lake during the fall or spiing. The output of 1905 may be considered as nearly a normal output with the present mi^hods and the energy of the superintendent and the employes.
The station is nearly self supporting through the moneys realized from Lake Erie from license fees from commercial fishermen. The white fish eggs and wall-eyed pike eggs ai-i* gathered from that part of Lake Erie which is under the jurisdiction of Ohio. The herring eggs and blue pike eggs are gathered from waters under the jurisdic- tion of Pennsylvania.
Like the Corry hatchery, the Erie station is liberally used as an experimental station. It was here in 1904. the first large number of frogs were successfully raised by the superintendent, A. (i. Duller. There was a partial failure last year in the frog output, on account of the ]K)nds in which the tad-poles were kept becoming overcrowded. The overcrowd being the result of inexperience in handling this im- portant addition to the Department's work. Out of 120,000 tad- poles they managed to save 80,000. This is the only mishai) which occurnnl at the Erie hatchery during 1905. A full c()m])lement of jars was set in the two batteries and a thorough and successful test was made of the nc^w Meehan jar.
Several changes were made in the building which increased its in- terior space and atTord(Ml so much needed additional light. New fry tanks replaced some old and rotten ones and all the wood work, ex- terior and interior ]>ainted.
The Department met with gi-atifying success in the take of white fish and lake herring last autumn. On the first of December the batteries for the first time in many years were filled with the eggs of these fishes, and a large sur]>lus had to be sent to the Torresdale hatchery. The out])ut in the s])iing from eggs' gathered in the autumn of 1904 was ecpially gratifying. Of white fish 34,489,000 were planted and of lake herring, 22.840,000. Of the two species of fish the total planting during the year was 57,329,000, last vear
No. 23.
DEPARTMKNT OF FISHERIES.
43
44,000,000, the combined planting in 19(15 of white fish and lake her ring was 12,729,000 more than the combined planting of 1904.
As, under present conditions the white fish and lake herring have to be planted as soon as they have lost their sacs, it frequently hap- pens in the earlv part of the season, that holes must be cut in the ice and a little later the planting is rendered expensive on account of its being necessary to hire tugs to carry the fish to the planting grounds. These two circumstances emi)hasized the desirability hap l)ily a fact accomplished of having an auxiliary hatchery within a reasonable distance of tin- present hatchery in order that the white fish and lake herring may be imjionnded until the fall of the year and also that the Department should owii a tug. A boat would be useful also for gathering eggs and for palroling purposes. A tug large enough for this work and for work in any part of Lak*- Erie would onlv co5t about f!l,500.
HELLEFONTE HATfHEHV.
Staticni No. 3.
It is not an evidence of an nnsuiiable site that Bellefonte hatchery No. 3 is at the bottom of the list in the matter of an output of fish. On the contrary the DeiKirtmcnt has no location which more nearly fulfills all the rciiuirements (»f its \york than this. It is admirably situated with excellent jnoil for pond building and an abundance of water for its tem})erature and quantity and conveniently located for the transportation of fish.
The hatcheiy was designed pi imarily for the propagation of brook (rout and to the ]>resent time no other kind of work has been under- taken. The IJellefoute hatchery took the place (»f what was known as the Allentown hatchery, an establishment located for many years on a rented property in Lehigh county, near Allentown. The fish which were in the Allentown station were not in a desirable state, they had been inbred for many years and had become consequently low in vitality and other good (pialities. As a consequence only the younger of the fish in the Allentown ponds, and there were very few of them, were transfiM-red to the ponds (»f the Bellefonte hatch- ery, hence, the stock at that station has had to be built up from fry obtained from other sources. This would of necessity make the output almost nothing, unh ss eggs could be obtained elsewhere.
It happens that eggs were obtained elsewhere, and under these circumstances 1 must confess that while the Bellefonte hatchery could be in no other }K)sition tlutn at the bottom of the lists in out- puts the number of trout hatched and sent out was not altogether what it should have been, hi other woi-ds. conditiotij* in (he hatch erv during 1905, woe not altog<'t In-r sjit isfiictory to mr. For this state cd' atTairs the superiniendeni cjin scnrcdy Im* blamed, .\bout
44
REPORT OF THE
Ofe. Doc.
the time the iucubatiug eggs were iu a critical couditiou he was seized with a severe illness which illness incapacitated him for the greater portion of the winter months. The scarcity of fish culturists made it impossible to put any one in charge pending the superintendent's recovery until after the spring distribution of fish. The loss of eggs and fry was therefore very heavy, it being nearly 50 per cent. Under normal conditions with the eggs which were in the hatchery we have produced about 3,000,000 fingerlings. Indeed the output was only 1,704,000.
It was net until June first that I was able to secure a capable fish culturist and even then was forced to go beyond the limits of Penn- sylvania to secure him, there being none in Pennsylvania out of a position. On July first, I placed him in charge of the Bellefonte hatchery in which position he remained until the latter part of September, when Mr. Howard Buller was sufficiently recovered to fully resume his duties.
The Bellefonte hatchery was located in August, 1903, and in Octo- ber of the same year a hatching house had been built, some ponds constructed and hatching work begun. The output of 1904 was therefore the first from this hatchery. This would also be a rea- son for the Station being at the foot of the list in the matter of output since all the energies of the Department were devoted to putting the station into shape for trout, that being the purpose for which it was primarily designed.
Apart from the output an extraordinary amount of work was ac- complished at the Bellefonte hatchery. In fact at no other hatchery was the work so extensive or in which as good a showing was made. All the buildings were painted white and green. A meat house, with water-wheel and dam to work it was constructed. Sixty-eight outside nursery troughs were built on the east side of the hatching house. A dam was built across Logan bVanch on the upper part of the property to force the stream through a raceway to the hatch- ery grounds, thus giving the property if necessary, almost the entire flow of the creek, several thousands gallons of water a minute. Thirteen concrete ponds, each 30 by 15 feet and supplied with water by a 20 inch pipe. Two ponds 70 feet by 20 each and 40 by 30, one 25 by 20 and five others about the same size or 21 new ponds, mak- ing in all about 37 ponds not including the 11 concrete nursery ponds on the west side of the house. All of the ponds with the ex- ception of two are for trout. One is for gold fish and one is tem- porarily being used to care for frogs. Owing to the favorable con- formation of the ground it is possible at the Bellefonte hatchery to so place the ponds that the water can be used to the best advant- age and the ponds themselves grouped together. There is only one drawback, namely, that it is not possible to give them as great a depth as I would like them to have. Two additional troughs were placed in the hatching house giving additional capacity of 80 trout fry. With improvements which were made, there is pond room for fish sufficienf to yield in the near future, at least 5,000,000 trout eggs, and the hatching capacity is now over 3,000,000 of fingerlings. During the year 12 and 14 acres of land were added to the hatchery grounds carry the pro]>erty to within 200 or 300 feet of the Tireat Blue Spring, from which Logan Branch creek has its source. It also added another large spring to the hatchery and gives the
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
46
State ownership of the Logan Branch creek from the upper end of the hatchery ground to opposite the hatching house with the excep- tion of about 150 feet, practically giving the State entire control of the water.
WAYNE HATCHERY No. 4.
Those who have followed the work of the Department must be astonished at the great output of the Wayne Fish Hatchery No. 4. Located early in the autumn of 1903 and ground broken on July 15, 1904, it seems incredible that in the year 1905, the station should rank No. 2 in its output of fish, Erie Hatchery No. 2 being the only one to exceed it. This extraordinary result is due to the enthusiasm untiring energy and skill of the superintendent, Nathan R. Buller, working loyally under my direction. With only a small hatching house fiO feet long by 20 feet wide, containing 26 hatching troughs and with an equal number of out side hatching troughs, he succeeded in propagating and distributing 1,655,000 brook trout, and with tem- porary ponds and by drawing on the natural lakes, he succeeded in securing enough eggs of different fishes to make an output in 1905 of 12,093,300 fish. Of these 10,200,600 were pickerel, a fish propa- gated for the first time by any fish culturist in the United States. In consequence miscarriages due to inexperience in the work at other hatcheries, the Wayne hatchery had to carry the bulk of the distribution of frogs, a work which was started there suddenly and unexpectedly. For the same reason it has had to carry the bulk of the distribution of yellow perch, although there w^as at Wayne as at Erie and Corry a tremendous number in the young of this species of fish, owing to sudden and great fall in the temperature of the water and to the leaking temporary ponds in which the fish were being hatched and which compelled a large flow of water in- stead of scarcely any.
The topography of the Wayne hatchery is unusually well suited for hatchery purposes from the upper to the lower end. There is a fall of more than 25 feet, hence it is possible to so locate a building that water cannot be flowed into any part thereof without the aid of force pumps or other pumping apparatus. A fine large stream of spring water, the head waters of the Lackawaxen creek flowed through the grounds in such a manner as to enable the property to be flooded at any point desired. There is not a spot where a pond cannot be built without first taking measurements to ascertain if the water can be flowed therein from the creek. There are also numerous springs on the west side having a temperature of about 46 and several good springs of equally low temperature just out- side the grounds on the east side. The only drawback to the prop- erty is that immediately under the surface the ground is very stoney to build ponds perfectly water tight. Hence, all ponds that are now on the hatchery with the exceptions of a few^ trout ponds on the west side, and the small mouth bass ponds may be considered un finished since they have not been made water tight.
46
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The lack of boiuitiful funds is seviTcly fell at the Wayne ^/a^/'li^/T- What work has been accomplished has been almost entirely by the regular force, consisting of the sni>erintendent. two assistants and one laborer, with now and then a few additional laborers for short
periods. , . , . • -^^
The Wavne hatcherv was authorized by the Legislature in session in 1903, and while its purpose was not fully set forth, T decided that the chief work to be accomplished there was to be fish other than trout. Black bass, pick(>rel, yi^llow perch and some of the minor food and game fishes were to be given the preference with trout as an incident onlv. This object has been st(v^dily kept in view. Under the circumstances the ponds apart from the few trout pounds are very much larger than those seen in most hatciieries. The small mouth bass pond covers an acre and one-third.
Hence some of the difficulties which were encountered in the hatchery this vear. the great output and the great amount of work accompiished gives added ground for astonishment. The super- intendent's dwelling was thoroughly repaired, the hatching house painted white and green, 25 outside additional nursery troughs built, 4 small trout ponds constructed, a fine new spring opened and de- veloped the pickerel pond doubled in size, a large mouth bass pond built three pickerel frv ponds, three yellow perch- fry ponds con- structed, a batterv capable of holding 300 jars put up in the hatclv ing house, a dam" built across the Lackawaxen at the upper end of the property in order to better control the water supply in the hatch- erv a wooden sluicewav, 500 feet long, 24 inches wide, and 12 inches deep was built for the purpose of supplying all the ponds in the hatcherv and the batterv in th(^ hatching house, a stone wall, JnO feet long 4 feet his;h and 2 feet thick was built on the west side of the creek near the hatching house to protect that building and the outside nurserv troughs from floods, all this was done in addi tion to hatching and distributing the more than 12,000,000 fish at
Wavne hatchery. j_ . • , t
Experimental work of grc^nf value was also conducted, including experiments with pickerel, vellow perch, frogs and Atlantic salmon. With such a vast amount of work accomidished it is not suprising that there was some failures and discouragements; but in no case were the failures or discourageuKMits the fault of the superintendent or his men, all of whom did evtM-ything possible to achieve success.
Failures or discouragcMueuts were due entirely to lh<' weather, un exi)ected adverse water conditions or other circumstances. This is notably the case with black bass work. About the time that the small mouth bass were about to si^awn. the water in the ponds fell to 44 and not having control at the timc^ of the supply, it was im possible to chcMk the inflow and so raise the temperature. Even had this been the case it is doubtful whether there would have been more greater success since at the same time the temperature of the air was abnormallv low which would probablv hav(» kept the tem- perature of the pond below 50. Tt is a well known fact that bass will not spawn with the tem]>erature of the water below 50. At 45 anv bass eggs that mav have been deposited will die. hence the tem- perature being at 44 it is not surprisinu that the small mouth bass at this station was an uttcM- failure. There was no success in rais-
V
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
47
ing large mouth bass the fish had spawned before they were placed in the pond. There was also an entire failure of yellow perch work.
Under normal conditions from the eggs which were obtained there should have been very nearly 30,000,000 of advanced fry for distri- bution, but at the spawning time, water and weather conditions sud- denly changed and just at the moment the little fish were hatching, hundreds of thousand died as they emerged from the eggs. Not having control of the water supply of the leaking conditions of the ponds thousands of other fry which did not die were drawn through' the minute openings and perished, hence instead of 30,000,000 of yellow perch there were only 100,800. Owing to the fact that there had not been time to build the regular trout ponds, the energies of the superintendent being devoted to ponds for other fish where brooding fish and the fingerlings reserved for that purpose were placed temporarily in the perch and fry ponds then unoccupied.
The warm summer w^eather raised the temperature of the water and about 500 died and about 10,000 yearlings were only saved by transferring them hurriedly and temporarily to the hatching troughs and from thence to the new trout ponds built early in the fall in the woods and which are supplied by water from the springs.
There is not the slightest doubt in the world in my mind that be- fore very long the Wayne hatchery will rank No. 1 instead of No. 2, as it now exceeds the work of the Erie hatchery bv manv millions.
TORRESDALE HATCHERY No. 5.
I have much reason to be satisfied with the work accomplished at Torresdale Hatchery No. 5, especially under the peculiar conditions which existed. There had been a hatchery at Bristol for the propa- gation of shad. The building was on a rented property. From the year 1898 it had practically been abandoned by the Fish Commission, no work whatever having been done there. ' It was established in the first instance, (entirely for the hatching of shad, and for a period of years many millions of this fish were annually hatched at Bristol.
The hatchery was not very well located, it being a long distance from the best fishing grounds. The Honorable Henry F. Walton, S[x^aker of the House of Representatives, who is intensely interested in the work of the Department of Fisheries, suggested that the practically abandoned Bristol hatchery might be utilized to better advantage and be operated throughout the year if it were moved to another location. There being no doubt as to the wisdom of this, Speaker Walton entered into the task of assisting me to find a suita- ble locatton with enthusiasm.
Aft<'r visiting several j>laces we found one on the banks of the Delaware at Torrresdale. The pro]»erty was owned by the city of l*hihidel])hia, the greater portion being occupied by a filter plant. The portion which met with mv ai)])roval for hatchery purposes was a portion which certainly would not be needed for manv years and ])robably would never be suitable for filtration purposes.' 8i>eaker
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
49
Walton then negotiated with Philadelphia for the acquisition of this property for hateherv purposes and secured ten acres of the most desirable ground. He did more, he induced the city councils to mal<e an appropriation of $5,000 for the erection of a dwelling house and other buildings for the accommodation of the superinten- dents and the needs of the hatchery. /
The grounds could not be given or sold by the city under the law, and it was therefore leased at the nominal sum of |1.00 a year. Owing to the fact that it was impossible to secure a fish culturist for about one year, I was compelled to place in charge an assistant who had no knowledge of fish culture but who was able to oversee the work of laving out the place.
The hatching house at Bristol was moved under contract to the new site, and earlv in 1005 put in condition for hatching fish. A gold fish pond was* built and another constructed for gold fish. An old pond eventually to be used for large mouth bass was cleaned, and sunfish planted temporarily therein. Another old pond was partly cleaned and utilized for yellow perch and white perch. Nec- essarily the water for the hatching house had to be drawn from the river by pumpage. There was only one pump in the hatching house and this was yery old and showed signs of breaking down. The building was therefore slightly changed and an additional pump
installed.
The interior of the hatching house was lined to keep out the severe cold of the winter and render a stove unnecessary. A dwelling house and a barn was built with the |5,000 appropriated by the city of Philadelphia, a naptha launch was purchased for river work, and by the authority of the city of Philadelphia, House of Correction men began the construction of a channel from the river shore to deep water and half finished to enable the launch to be brought close into shore at both high and low tides.
A wall was built from a point east of the hatching house on th«' banks of the river to the edge of the grounds and also from a point west of th<^ hatching house almost to the dwelling house to prevent high tides from tlowing on the pro])erty. The buildings were all painted white and green, the grounds on the river front w^ere par- tially graded to above high water mark, a fry pond built and six out side nursery troughs.
In October, 1905, T was able to transfer from the Belief onte hatch ery a capable fish culturist and install him as superintendent, and tho bulk of the work accomplisluMl was after his taking his position. Although only in the employ of the State since last June, Mr. W. H. Safford, the sui>erintendent in question, has showed himself to be an enthusiastic (Muploye of the Pennsylvania De]mrtment of Fish- eries and a very capable fish culturist. When I say that he is show- ing the same devotion and enthusiasm to the interc^sts of the Depart ment as the sui)erintendents of the other hatcheries who learned their business in the Slate hatching establishments. T can give him no higher praise.
Under a joint resolution adopted by the Legislature in the spring of 1005, I was authorized to acce]>t the offer of the TTnited States Bureau of Fisheries to do the shad work of the Delaware river jointly with it. The New Jersey Fish Commission t'Xpressed a de- sire to co-operate. Under the agreement made between us, Penn-
nylvania furnished the hatching building and its equipment and car- ried the hat<'hed fish as far as Trenton. New Jersey took charge of the fish at Trenton and planted them in the head waters of the Delaware near Calicoon. The United States gathered the eggs and hatched them.
Owing to a very poor run of fish there were only 3,810,000 shad hatched and distributed during the season of 1905 and of these 500,- 000 about were hatched and distributed by Pennsylvania's assistant in charge after the United States Bureau of Fisheries had withdrawn for the season. Two million one hundred and twenty-five thousand white i>erch were also hatched by the same assistant and the total output of the hatchery for the year 1905 was 5,943,319 fish, giving the station the fourth place in output. Under the circumstances, this was very creditable and was probably as much as could be done.
One of the important features of the Torresdale hatchery was the propagation of gold fish for distribution in the public schools. Un- fortunately, owing to poor facilities, although we had a large num- ber of breeders, the number of fish hatched was not sufficient to supply all the schools in Philadelphia or indeed all the schools who made application. It is hoped, however, that the next year there will be a supply for every school in the State.
UNION CITY AUXILIARY HATCHERY No. 6.
At the last session of the Legislature a bill was introduced and passed and signed authorizing the establishment of a hatchery aux iliary to the Erie hatchery to be built in Erie county. An appro- priation of |15,000 was made conditional upon citizens of Erie county giving at least 15 acres of land to be approved by the Commissioner of Fisheries. After examining a number of sites otfered, I selected one at Union City, 26 miles from the city of Erie. The citizens of I'nion City, instead of 15 acres, gave about 30 acres and the deeds for about 24 are now in the possession of the Department.
The property came into the possession of the Department on Sep- tember 27. On September 28, ground ^vas broken for a hatching house and a building 100 feet long and 40 feet wide was immediately began. By pushing the work it was completed on the night of No- vember 27, and on tln^ morning of NovembeT* 28, there were nearly 2,000,000 lake trout eggs in the troughs.
One of the most important innovations of fish cultural work in Pennsylvania is to be found in the interior arrangements of this hatching house. At the Corry hatchery, one house has two sets of troughs with an aisle down the middle of the building. The other two have each one set of troughs with the aisle along one side of the building. The Bellefonte hatrhery has two sets same as hatching house No. 1 at Corry, and the hatching house at Wayne has one set of troughs, the same as hatching house 2 and 3 at Corry. But in
4_23— 1905
50
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
the hatching house at Union City there are three tiers of tr(nij;lis, each tier below the other, with the walk along the side. By this ar- rangement only one-third the water originally required is needed, for the same water is used three times over.
The hatching house at Union City contains 120 troughs. The same size house at Bellefonte, less eight feet in width, contains only about 80 troughs. By adding eight feet to the width of the house at Union City and by placing the troughs in tiers as described, 120 troughs can be used and with only the same amount of water as would be required to run 40 troughs at the Bellefonte hatchery. As using the water over so many times would be likely to exhaust the oxygen, an aerating appartus has been placed at the head of each of the last tier of troughs and the water passes through it first. The aerating apparatus consists of two ordinary pudding pans, one a little smaller than the other, the smaller placed about six inches above the larger. The bottoms are drilled with holes similar to those in a colander, hence the water flows into the last trough in a multitude of fine sprays.
A dwelling house and a piece of ground was purchased for the use of the superintendent for a very low sum of money and before winter set in a large pond designed for brood lake trout was more than half finished. There is a stream of water flowing through the property, but I do not believe the Department can always depend on all of it, for the reason that it flows from a spring from which Union City obtains its drinking water. But this fact w^as taken into con- sideration when the hatchery was located, and there is undoubtedly ample developed water from hundreds of small springs on the prop- erty and in addition it has the right of water from what is known as the Shepherd pond, a small natural lake of spring water less than 200 feet from the hatchery grounds.
FURTHER EXPERIMENTS IN WORK RECENTLY BEGUN.
About five years ago the attention of the Fish Commission was drawn particularly to yellow ix'reh. Some experiments made by the United States Fish Commission showed that the eggs of the fish could be readily hatched; but no practical work had been done either by the United States Fish Commission or by any State with this species of fish. The Fish Commission then decided to do some ex- perimenting on their own account of the hatching of yellow perch on a larger scale. It was found that the eggs and milt could easily be expressed from the fish and also that it was not a difficult matter to hatch the eggs. Little, however, was done beyond experimenting until 1003, after the Department of Fisheries was created. Very close attention was given in that year at both the Erie and Corry hatcheries and about 30,000 fish were j)ropagated and distributed in 1904. The superintendents of the tw^o hatcheries found as a re- sult of their experiments that pond hatching w^as the most econo-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
51
miral method. This was donr by placing brush about the edges of the ponds, or allowing the mature fish in the ponds to place their spaw^n thereon. The one unsatisfactoi*y feature of this method was that owing to the very small fish when newly hatched, it was im- possible to tell the number for distribution until distribution time arrived.
In 1905 more elaborate experiments were conducted at the Wayne hatchery with the result that a method was discovered which over- came this one objectionable feature and by which within ten days the number of fish for distribution could be told as accurately as trout. The hatching itself is done by either of two methods, one by the ordinary hatching jars and the other by means of fine meshed trays. In either case the little fry as soon as hatched are placed in ordinary hatching troughs such as are used in our State hatch- eries for the jaopagation of trout. Here they remain until the sac is absorbed and then with some estinmte of the number hatching the little creatures are transferred to fry ponds where they remain until distribution time. If jars are used the eggs should be hung in the jars in order to present sniotlieiing and only should enough water flow through to produce a slight current. And in no case should spring water be used but creek water of as high a temjHa*ature as possibh'. If the trays are used then the trays should be allowed to float free in the troughs so tliat a slight motion is constantly given the eggs.
Th(* most im]>ortance can be accorded to the propagation of yellow perch. In Lake Erie it is becoming an industry of great value, ranking third in P(^nnsylvania. A fine table fish it is one (*asily extrnninatcMl, it is ex<-ee(lingly vin-acious and travels in schools.
A boy with a hook and line and a box of worms can sit in one spot and catch one yellow ])er(h after another in a school until the last one is in his possession. The catching of one ixnch does not seem to scare the others and as the line is dropped back the remaiu- 'ng fish rush to seize the hook.
In the mountain lakes of north eastern Pennsylvania, the yel- low perch is in vast abundance and the people of that section do not yet realize the importance of the fish. It is, however, realized in other parts of rcnnsylvania.
FR()(J CULTURE.
When in VUiU I announced complete success in the preliminary experiments in frog culture, 1 was fully aware of the importance of the undertaking, bul I was astonisluHl at the swift and wide spread public interest which was aroused. The interest was confined not to Pennsylvania ahnie, but extended to nearly all parts of the United States. Newspapers, trade papers and magazines com- mented on our work in this direction at considerable lengths, and
52
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
all approvingly. Letters from private citizens were received from nearly every State in the country asking for further information. These were followed by communications from Fish Commissions and fish culturists in the same vein.
The Massachusetts Fish Commission made extended comment on Pennsylvania's work in frog culture in its annual report. Pennsyl- vania's fish cultural authorities have on several occasions been the pioneer in fish cultural work, but nothing seems to have aroused the same general interest as its efforts to propagate the frog and to discover an economical method of handling them.
In 1904 the Department's superintendents discovered that the hatching of frog eggs was in the A B C of fish cultural work. That the caring for and rearing of tad-poles to the period of their com- plete change to frogs was not as simple a matter as had been sup- posed. The mere feeding question was child's play. The tad-poles would eat almost anything given them in the way of flesh. Dead fish they were especially fond of and would devour large quantities of dead fish in an increditable short space of time.
It was also found that there were certain species of fish which they seemed to prefer to others. It was discovered, however, that tad-poles required as close and as constant care and attention as an advanced fry of fish. Overcrowding had to be looked out for carefully. It was also found that large tad-poles would eat smaller tad-poles. It was also found that mature frogs would devour the tad-poles and in large quantities. In one pond 200 mature frogs and four snakes succeeded in devouring nearly 60,000 tad-poles in about four weeks. Birds, especially herons, cranes and crows are particularly fond of tad-poles.
It was also found by the Department that it was possible to rear and care for a large number of young frogs in a limited space by providing attractions for insect life. Two methods of doing this were adopted by superintendents. One to scattering boards around the banks of the pond and even on the water, the boards being plentifully smeared with honey, molasses or other substances which insects are fond of. Another superintendent placed around the banks little mounds of horse manure. A tendency on the part of small frogs to crowd in the corners of the inclosure was also noted, and in order to break these congregations into small groups, pieces of scantling were placed on the banks with right angles with the fence and water to good effect.
While it was not definitely settled, the Department has reason to believe from the experiments of these superintendents that the frogs in Pennsylvania spawn twice. Once early in the spring and once early in the summer. While not definitely settled, it is also believed from investigations made during 1905 that the first spawn- ing of all species of frogs in Pennsylvania are transformed into frogs within three or four months. That the second spawning of all species of frogs remain in the tad-pole stage until the following spring. Further investigation, however, may show this not to be the case and that investigations of some years ago to the tad-pole or the common frog, does not make a complete change until the fol- lowing spring, may be found to be true. At present, however, all indications point in the other direction.
Experiments were begun also during 1905 to ascertain the lengHi
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
of time required to bring frogs to maturity. Also to the period when they might be of a marketable size. This will naturally take some time, but as far as we have gone, I am inclined to believe that both the market period and the mature period will be much less than originally supposed.
During December both frogs and tad-poles were excavated from the mud in the frog ponds at Bellefonte and Wayne and both were found to be as plump and in as good condition as w^hen they entered the mud at the beginning of the cold weather. There was not the slightest indication of a falling away in plumpness. In one instance both the tad-poles and frogs were carried into the hatching house and placed in warmish water and in a few minutes they w^ere as lively as in the middle of summer.
The output of frogs from the different hatcheries in 1905 was not as great as anticipated by the Department because of troubles and disasters due to inexperience and experiment. The superintendents were directed not to nurse the tad-poles and young frogs as they would young fish but to take all sorts of chances for experimental reasons. In carrying out these instructions, Mr. A. G. Buller, super- intendent of the Erie hatchery, doubled the number of tad-poles in each pond over the number of the previous year. For instance, in 1904 he had 30,000 in one pond. In 1905 he placed a little over 60,- 000, giving them, of course, extra attention. This doubling was done for the sole purpose of ascertaining, if possible, how many tad-poles could be carried safely in a pond of that size which was by the way 15 feet by 15 feet. Events showed that in both cases the number was too great since they were seized with disease and died off at a marvelously rapid rate and, curiously enough, the epi- demic started in both ponds within 24 hours of each other, showing first in the pond containing the greater number.
Within 48 hours the loss in the two ponds was very nearly 100,- 000. Both ponds were then cleared and about .30,000 which were apparently unaffected were planted in certain water spots on the peninsula and watched and those which were not devoured by ene- mies in time were transformed into frogs. Hence, although at a cost of 90,000 tad-poles valuable 'knowledge was obtained. It is learned for instance that in a pond 15 feet by 15 feet, 80,000 tad- poles may be safely reared to frogs, and that that many young frogs may be carried for a short period of time in the same space. That 60,000 tad-poles cannot be carried in that space. T am inclined to believe that any number beyond .30,000 is unsafe.
At the Corry hatchery both mature frogs and tad-poles were car- ried in the same pond and the results watched. When tad-poles first began to disappear a very close examination was made and four very large water snakes w^ere discovered to have managed to get within the inclosure. These were removed and killed, not merely because it was certain they were eating tad-poles but because they were interfering with the experiment which we were making to ascertain the extent to which frogs were eating tad-poles, if they were doing it at all.
There were 200 mature frogs. After the removal of the snakes the tad poles continued to disappear, but it was not until just be fore they had nearly all disappeared that it was discovered bevond doubt that the large frogs were freely devouring them, and this dis-
54
REPORT OK THE
Off. Doc.
eoverv was uot made uiilil aflei- a similar iliscovtMv was made at the Wayue liatehery. At both Wayne jind i'ovvy the frogs were de- tected in the act of cannibalism.
At the Belh'fonte hatchery, while fro«;s wei-e not so detected, a j.'radiially k^ssened niimlKM- of tad ]>ok^s indi<ated that th*^y were be- iiij,' used by the old fro.i»s for food ])iir])0ses. The experiments in tliis direction are beinji condncted during lh«' winter months and in this wise. Tad-])(dt s, youn^ froj^s and larj-c fro^s are being retained in the same pond, both at Hellefonte and Wayne, and the number of each is approximately known. As soon as it is possibh' after tin' spring ojM'ns, the yoiing frogs and the young tad-])oles will be counted to ascertain the nnnd>er, if any, which are missing. If non«' are missing, it will imlicate that the large frogs during the hyber- natinir season at least, either do not feed or that the young crea- tures have been able to keep out of the wiiy.
BLATK HASS CUT/niRE.
I regret to say that the Department during IDOr) mad<' no progress in black bass culture, although it added to its inforumtion concern ing this valuable fish. Of all the fishes for which there is a great demand the most ditticnlt to ]>roj)agate is the small mouth black bass. Complete success may be achieved one year and the next year may result under api>arentiy the same conditions in almost, if not tjuite, comi>lete failure. Small mouth black bass culture is as vi^t in its infancy and this may be stated with ]>ositiveness even though it may be pointed out that one or two men in the Ignited Stat<'s have been able to sucessfully hatch a considerable nnmber in suc- ceeeding years without any disaster. T have known of success in one instance and a complete failure in another wh(Me apparently exactly the same nn^hods were em]»loyed.
For general information it may be stated thai the eggs of black bass either small mouth or large mouth cannot be taken from the fish in the same manner that eggs may be taken from trout, white f^sh, shad or walheyed ])ike. The fish mnst de])osit the spawn naturally. Even a fish in the act of spawning be taken from th" Avater, it is as far as known, impossible to reliev<' the fish of the eggs artificially. Tt is also known that if the water temperature when spawning period arrives is as low as 50. the bass will not spawn. Tt is also known that if after eggs have been deposited the water temperature falls to 4.*) the eggs will die. This last is an unusual condition, generally a low tem|>erature only means a pro longed period of incubation, and in the greater number of instances increased vigor of the fish Avhen hatched. The failure of the De- partment in 1005 to rear small mouth black bass in its one jvond which is a I Wayne hatchery was in my estimation! <lne almost en- tirely to the low t<'mperatnr(» of th<^ water. On the 15lh (►f June, the water recorded 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
55
It is possible that if the Superintendent of the hatchery had been able to control the quantity of water that flowed into the hatchery at this period, the temperature of the water might have been raised 5 or 6 degrees; but unfortunately it was not possible for him to do so, for the reason that the supply of water came through a tem- I>orary open ditch instead of a sluiceway or pipe with a controlling valve or lock at the intake end. Hence too large a volume of water flowed through the pond when the i>eriod arrived for spawning and as the weather was very cold and the spring late the water temperature w^ere both bad for eggs depositing and incubation.
In addition to the cause which I have given above, the superinten- dent of the station gives another cause, to-wit: An absence of any aquatic grow^th in the pool.
There is undoubtedly some reason for his holding such a belief that the pond was entirely barren of water life. It had been built the autumn before and there w^as naturally therefore no water plants in it and consequently no low^ form of animal water life. Their future has been corrected by planting a large planting of chara plants, one of the best forms of vegetable life for attracting water animal life, especially for bass.
The superintendent of the Wayne hatchery did not rear any large mouth bass. For this, he was in no wise responsible because he received his stocking fish after the spawning period.
ATLANTIC SALMON.
Several years ago the late Henry 0. Ford, the President of the Fish Commission, using me as a helper, undertook to establish At- lantic salmon in the Delaware river. Attempts had been made to do the same a number of years before by the late Thaddeus C. Nor- ris and the late Judge Keeder; but the attempts while not absolute failures yielded such unsatisfactory results, that further attempts were abandoned by the gentlemen named.
Mr. Ford and T, however, felt that the River Dela^vare ought to make a good salmon stream, both on account of the character of the water conditions of the stream and a belief that its outlet in the ocean was not too far south for success. Indeed, the experiments of Messrs Norris and Reeder demonstrated the latter as a conclu- sive fact. Wo felt that the cause of the poor results of the plant- ings was that the fry handled by Messrs. Norris and Reeder were planted in the stream tributary to the Delaware, near Easton in- stead of the tributaries near the head waters.
The plantings which were made by us in conformity with this idea, resulted in a success far exceeding our anticipations, although Mr. Ford did not live long enough for him to learn the full extent thereof. The <'ggs from which we obtained our fish came from Maine, but it soon became evident that a continuous supply for a number of years could not be depiMident on. hence further stocking /lad to be abandoned temporarily.
&6
REPORT OF THE
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J>aKt year 1 look up the eiuestiou again, this time in consultation with the Conimissiouers of Fisheries of New York and New Jersej. Both were enthusiastic in support of a plan which I formulated to secure eggs if possible from foreign waters and in largt quantities, at least 1,000,000 annually.
It was agreed between us that each State should pay for eggs, and for as many as we could secure, that Pennsylvania should hatch at its Wayne station as many as its building could accommodate and that New York would do likewise in one of its hatcheries, and that the fish from the. two stations should be planted in suitable streams in Pennsylvania and New York emptying into the Delaware.
Correspondence ensued between me and Canadian authorities, from which it appeared that our hopt^s of securing eggs from the waters of the Dominion of Canada could not be realized, for the rea- son that there was a law which forbade the exporting of Atlantic salmon eggs, hence for the present at least, work in propagating salmon must regt in abeyance.
Experiments, however, made in 1904, in attempting to domesticate Atlantic salmon in ponds, were continued both at the Bellefonte and Wayne stations in 100.5. At the first named station there are onlv a few fish; but these are doing well, being from twelve to fifteen inches long each, and two years old. They feed seemingly as freelv as the brook trout but they are wild and keep themselves almost continuously in the most secluded part of the pond in which they are confined.
The great difficulty encountered by the superintendents with the young of the Atlantic salmon was to make them feed freely. Food thrown them in the ordinary way would remain untouched and at Wayne it was only i)ossible to induce fingerlings to eat, was for the superintendents to enter the rc^servoir above the pond and to slowly feed the ground liver through the supply pipe. In this manner, if the superintendent kei)t himself out of sight, some of the food would be devoured. This method naturally was slow and unsatis- factorv and Mr. Nathan K. Buller, the superintendent, set himself to work to discover something better. Unexpectedly he apparently succeeded. Advanced fry were placed in an outside nursery trough having an automatic feeder attached. At first the little fishes ate very little, then it occurred to Mr. Bnller that the salmon being a salt water fish, which conies into fresh water to spawn might possi- bly feed better if the food were a little salty. At first thought, on the face of it, the idea seemed absurd. It seemed so to Mr. Duller; but he thought to try and did. He mixed a goodly portion of the salt with liver and put it in the automatic feeding jar. To his sur- prise and satisfaction the young fish devoured the food eagerly. They took it as freely as the brook trout. The little fish grew so rapidly that in May they had to be transferred to ponds. As there were no regular trout ]>onds ready it was necessary to put them in one of the pools intended for pickei-el fry and as a consequence the little fish met the same fate which befell the brood trout in August, namely, death through a sudden rise of the temix^rature of the water. Temporarily therefore further experiments were halted.
As far as we have gone I feel encouraged. That there are great difficulties in the way of domesticating Atlantic salmon. I fully recognize, but one of the greatest, namely, that of inducing the
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youngsters to feed freely appears to have been overcome by putting salt in the food. Experience at Bellefonte indicate that when they have once been induced to take artificial food such as is given in hatcheries there is no further trouble on that score to be appre- hended.
Of course other difficulties may present themselves but I believe the superintendents in charge of the Pennsylvania Fish Hatcheries are skillful enough to overcome any which may arise. In view of the desirability of securing large quantities of eggs for the purpose of stocking the Delaware river, I deem it essential that every ob- stacle shall be overcome and Atlantic salmon be domesticated. This is a matter which I intend to keep steadily in mind and am confident of the ultimate success.
NEW WORK UNDERTAKEN.
In addition to expanding the fish cultural work which has been conducted for years and continuing experimental work begun since the creation of the Department of Fisheries, I started some new work. One was the propagation of chain pickerel and a second to experiment with cut throat trout to ascertain if the fish would be suitable to Pennsylvania waters. In the first there was greater success than was expected. At the most I thought only to be able to rear the first year, a few hundred thousand, indeed there was hatched at the Wayne station over 10,000,000. It may therefore be classed, I think among the future annual certainties.
What will follow the introduction of the cut throat trout of course cannot yet be determined. I feel, however, in view of certain under- sirable results which foil lowed the introduction of some other fishes from distant waters that the Department should proceed with cau- tion. The cut throat trout in its natural environments is un- doubtedly a fine fish. It is gc^nerally conceded, however, that in the streams it is not as good as our eastern brook trout, or char. I therefore am inclined to believe it to be not a desirable fish to plant in the same waters with our brook trout. The fish is said to attain a very large size in mountain lakes, and it is also said to be a fish which, in such waters will rise to an artificial flv. If this be the case then it is likely to be far superior to our lake trout which can only be caught by sportsmen by what is known as bottom fish- ing. Feeling as I do I judge it best to begin my experiments with cut tltroat trout by planting them only in lakes. I selected three, one in Wayne, one in Susquehanna and one in Luzerne county. It will be a year or two before the results of the planting are known.
PROPAGATION OF PICKEREL.
Between forty and fifty years ago nearly all the sluggish waters in eastern Pennsylvania teemed with pickerel, especiallv the streams 5
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near the border line of New Jersey. Three-fourths of the natural mountain lakes also contain large numbers of this fierce but ex- cellent food fish. The pickerel in the streams were soon wiped out so that twenty-five years ago it was rare to find pickerel in any of this type of water, except an occasional ^'stray." With very few ex- ceptions there has been a rapidly diminishing supply in the moun- tain lakes.
Destructive methods of fishing undoubtedly has been the one potent cause for this marked reduction, another was that no efforts were made to restock. No fish culturist in the United States had undertaken to hatch pickerel, even the United States had not un- dertaken the work. Many State Fish Commissioners and many fish culturists said they did not expect to, for while the pickerel is classed as a game fish many anglers looked upon it either as inferior or otherwise not worthy of propagation. As one Commissioner said to me somewhat contemptuously, "No we never have attempted the propagation of pickerel and I do not think we ever will."
Many people interested in fish culture, while bearing in mind the great public demand for brook trout, black bass and certain other high class game and food fishes, over-looked the fact that there are thousands of people who enjoy fishing for pickerel and who esteem the fish very highly as a game fish and as a fish for the table. I have heard large number of people declare that they were as fond of the flesh of pickerel as they were of trout.
In the last five or six years there have been strong api>eals first to the Fish Commission and then to the Department of Fisheries for the propagation of pickerel. I felt that the appeals were just. As soon as the Wayne hatchery was established I decided that ponds should be set aside for hatching pickerel and that an effort should be made to propagate on a large scale.
In Wayne county not many miles from Honesdale there is a large artificial pond owned by an organization of gentlemen, known as the Wildwood Club. The pond is literally alive with pickerel and thev are carefully preserved. The Wildwood Club taking an interest in the w^ork which I was about to undertake, gave their consent to the catching of as many breeding pickerel as was desired. One hundred and thirty-five were taken out in one day and transferred to the Wayne hatchery. In the spring w^hen spawning time arrived it was found as stated elsewhere in this report that all but nine of the 135 fish were females, hence it became possible to fertilize only about a million eggs.
Mr. Nathan R. Buller, the superintendent, placed the eggs in Downing jars supplied by water drawn from the bass ponds/ He found it very easy to take the eggs but they were glutinous and difficult to separate, nevertheless they appeared to be doing very well, when the water supply was suddenly cut off one night through the heedlessness of an employee of a concern who owned a dam some distance from the hatchery, before the water could be turned on again. the eggs all died.
Mr. Buller then gathered 68 quarts of eggs from naturally spawned fish in the water of the Wildwood Club and subsequently about the same quantity from one or two natural ponds in the vicinity of the Wayne hatchery. These eggs, instead of attempting to hatch them in jars, he placed on trout hatching trays having first
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discovered a means of thoroughly separating them and cleaning tbem as effectively of the glutinous substance as is possible with wall- eyed pike eggs. When the eggs were gathered they were in an ad- vanced stage of incubation, hence, nearly all the eggs hatched. The creatures were exceedingly small and nearly translucent. A large number placed in a can of water could scarcely be seen, in fact some applicants on receiving a supply were inclined to doubt that any fish had been sent at all and that they simply received the cans of water. Each can containc^d from 10,000 to 15,000.
As the securing of such a large quantity of pickerel eggs was un- expected, no preparation had been made for holding the fry and it became necessary to ]>lant them without even Avaiting for the ab- sorption of the sac. Different people in Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Sus- quehanna. Lackawanna and Luzerne counties known to be interested in the planting of fish were telegraphed to and all of them came very promptly and gladly took charge of ])lanting the little creatures. Large quantities were also planted by the Department itself in the ponds from which the eggs were originally taken. In all. probably about ten times the number that would have hatched naturally. The total plantinff was 8.800.500. a jrratifving number for a first at- tempt at hatching.
Judging by the results of the superintendent's work it will not be necessary to hold a large number of mature pickerel in the hatchery as it appears that the chief reliance may be placed on wild eggs gathered from the spawning grounds in the mountain lakes. But in case of failure I think it wise that some breeding fish should always be retained so that an annual supply may be certain. The pickerel work now thus inaugurated auspicously by the Department \v\]] undoubtedly be regarded with great satisfaction throughout the State and may be followed with interest by fish culturists, since as far as known no previous attempts have been made by anyone to hatch the fish. The New York Forestry Fish and Oame Com- mission it is true, have been hatching muscallonge in Chatauqua Lake for many years, using floating boxes; but the cousin of the muscallonge. the pickerel, has apparently been entirely overlooked.
Co-incident with the work of propagating pickerel at Wayne county, Mr. William Buller, Superintendent of the Corry Hatchery, undertook to hatch the eggs of the grass pike. Like Mr. Buller, he found no difficulty whatever in taking the eggs from the fish, like Mr. Buller also he experienced great difficulty in keeping the eggs from sticking, owing to their glutinous. He placed the eggs in jars and succeeded in hatching a large percentage of the eggs, unfortun- ately the water was so very cold that all the little fish died within twenty-four hours after hatching. The grass pike is a valuable fish, and I believe should be propagated on a large scale, nnd I am there fore making preparations in that direction for next year. I do not believe it will be feasible to gather any large quantities of wild eggs of the grass pike as is the case with the pickerel, and therefore if they are to be hatched by the million, it will be necessary to retain fish in breeding ponds. Large fish hnve been sent to the Wavne Hatchery for this purpose.
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CALIFORNIA TROUT.
A number of years ago, among the fishes propagated to the num- ber of several hundred thousand a year was the California trout. They were bred both at the Corry and the Allentown hatcheries. Many letters were received, all praising the fish, but declaring that there seemed to be very little result from planting. Investigations made by the Commission apparently sustained the reports. Very few streams could be found, which had been stocked with California trout, in which it appeared that the fish spawned naturally. There were many streams in which the fish were planted where they grew.
At the same time a careful study of the fish in the ponds at the two hatcheries was made by myself, then statistician for the Fish Commission. The findings from my study were very curious. In one of the ponds at Allentown there were about 1500 fine, apparently very healthy, California trout in the prime of breeding age.
Fully 50 per cent, of the females in this pond were barren every year. It did not necessarily follow that the same fish were barren. Second, fully 50 per cent, of the fish, which were not barren, yielded opaque eggs or eggs of no value. Fully 50 per cent of the mafes were barren, and fully 50 per cent of the remainder yielded "cheesy'' milt.
In their natural environments, the California trout spawns late in the spring, but in the Allentown ponds they spawned simultane- ously with the brook trout, namely, from October to the latter part of December.
At the Corry hatchery the fish were in apparently the same fine healthy condition. There was a percentage of barren females and a percentage with opaque eggs, but in both cases the percentage was far below that in the Allentown pond. The same may be said of the males. The spawning period at the Corry hatchery was March and April or about the same as in their native waters.
Taking into consideration the extraordinary large number of sterile fish in the Allentown ponds and the percentage at the Corry ponds, there was still further color given to the belief that fish planted in the streams were not to any extent reproducing their kind. It is a well known fact in biology that where animal and vegetable life is taken from its natural surroundings and trans- planted to other environments, in many cases there is a more or less rapid tendency to infertility.
There are many notable instances of this in almost every branch of the animal or vegetable kingdom. In the human race for ex- ample, it was shown conclusively that when the Mamelukes were taken from the Caucasus to Egypt, even under the most favorable conditions and where there was a marriage with females of their own race, there were very few children, and the children when mated were generally without progeny.
Monkeys brought from their native land to Europe and America notably become barren and almost immediately. Transplanted plants often show a tendency to infertility, hence, the California trout transplanted from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast might be expected to have a tendency the same way. After mature
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deliberation, I felt that as there was a very great demand for brook trout, and as there was limited pond room in both hatcheries, and as the results in the streams did not come up to expectation and as there was very many infertile fish in the ponds, it would be better to stop propagation of California trout especially as they spawned at the same time at Allentown as the brook trout, and use the ponds for the latter. I so recommended and the Fish Commission endorsed it.
After the creation of the Department of Fisheries, with greatly extended opportunities for wider and more careful observation, I found throughout the State a woeful lack of knowledge of the proper methods of planting trout, and I started a campaign of education with very gratifying results. On learning that there was not a widespread knowledge of planting trout, I recalled the experi- ence with the California trout, and I came to the conclusion that possibly this might be a cause for non-success rather than that of changed environment and consequently possible infertility.
Weight was given to this by further knowledge that while the Commission was planting from two and a half to three million brook trout a year, the plantings of California trout really never went over three hundred or four^hundred thousand. I also recalled again that while the percentage of infertilitv at Allentown was very heavy, the percentage at Corry was not 'so great. Also that while the spawning season at Allentown was in October, the spawn- mg season at Corry was in the spring. I also remembered other curious circumstances connected with the Allentown property which together with the experience at Corry gave me a right to feel that the Allentown experience might be isolated.
I further took into consideration the fact that in other hatcheries California trout spawned in the spring or after the eggs of the brook trout were well advanced in incubation. If I had the pond room there would be practically no expense in resuming California trout work excepting for the food required and the cost of distribution. I had the pond room at Bellefonte and there was prospect of pond room m the near future at Corry.
Taking all these things into consideration I decided to give the California trout another trial. In 1903, I obtained several thousand hngerhngs from the United States and assigned them to Bellefonte. i^ rom the moment they were put in the pond thev did well. They grew rapidly and in December they spawned for the first time. The spawning was a little earlier than I hoped, but was' two months later than at Allentown. The eggs at Bellefonte of the brook trout were all hatched or nearly all hatched and so did not take up much valuable room. ^
At that hatchery therefore the resumption of California trout work seems to have been justified. In the spring of 1905, I obtained eggs of the California trout from the United States Bureau of Fisheries hatchery at Leadville, Colorado, and thev are doing remarkably well in the ponds at Corry. Whether thev will spawn ^^ „\®P"°^ ^^ ^^ the winter cannot be determined until 1908. We snail have from the Bellefonte hatchery very nearlv 300,000 finger- img California trout to distribute this spring, and in order to give ^lonf r- ^^ than in former years, these fish will nearly all be planted in Centre, Clearfield and Union counties.
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GOLDFISH FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I liave long been a believer in developing among children an interest in fish and tlunv protection. A child who has had instilled firmly in its mind the truth that no fish should be killed, excepting for some useful purpose, and has been made to understand that fish should be protected, will likely, when he becomes a man, be a faith- ful supporter of the fish laws and an advocate of fish protection. In addition the ways and habits of fish are interesting and especially attractive to children. Therefore, I have believed that school children should receive instructions in matters relating to fish through what is known as "Nature Study" lessons, and that the lessons be illustrated by living specimens.
There are very few fish which can be retained for any great length of time in ordinary aquaria, but the goldfish is one. Hence, two or three years ago I advocated the propagation of goldfish for distribution among inibli^* sohnols and for public fountains. The movement met with great favor among the educators. The greatest difficulty I had to contend with was the cold water of the hatcheries, where we were compelled to first attempt the propagation of goldfish and from fish-eating birds. Further, goldfish make a particular shining mark for cranes, herons and king-fishers. Consequently the number of goldfish which were hatched in the beginning was very small and did not begin to meet the public demands. With the establishment of the new hatcheries, however, for miscellaneous fish, the first of the difficulties has been overcome. Most of the work will be concentrated at the Torrc^sdale hatchery, where there is now a large stock.
The manner in which the Department came into possession of the goldfish now in the ponds at Torresdale is unusual, and revives an old and interesting story of the introduction of this species in the waters of the Schuylkill and contiguous ponds. One of the wardens attached to the Department, Warden George D. Shannon, of Phila- delphia, last Spring came ui)on some men using a net in an old clay pit which had become filled with water. The men in using the net were guilty of a technical otf(^nse and Mr. Shannon, as in duty bound, put a stop to their work. On examining their catch he was sur- prised to find a large number of plain American goldfish from six to eight inches long, and further investigation showed that the old pit was literally alive with them. He immediately communicated with th(» Department, and acting under instructions the goldfish were netted from the hole and taken to the Torresdale hatchery. They numbered over 1500. Other pond holes in the neighborhood were also found to contain this pretty fish in greater or less quantities. Investigation showed that the original stock in these ponds came about in the following manner. Many years ago an American naval officer brought a number of goldfish from Japan and gave them to his wife, who had a place on the Schuylkill near Conshohocken. They increased rapidly, and for several years the pond was the resort of many admiring visitors. Then a storm came, the dam breast broke away and the fish escaped and in a few years became abundant.
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Children would catch the brilliant creatures and place them in the water filled clay pits near the river. Some time (and this is well authenticated) children and grown people would find goldfish frozen in floating cakes of ice in the Sshuylkill river during the early spring freshets. They would carry the ice containing the fish to some of the ponds and place them there, and when the ice melted gradually the liberated fish would thrive and in course of time have progeny.
OTHER WORK IN FISH CULTURE.
In addition to the work which was done at the hatcheries in the direction of proi)agating fishes which have long been a care of the Department and the experiments and work with California trout, cut-throat trout, pickerel, yellow perch, black bass, frogs and gold- fish, a beginning has been made with several other minor game and food fishes. This was especially the case with rock bass, sun fish and cat fish.
I have long felt that there was a number of so-called minor fishes which should be propagated on a larger scale. For j'ears, almost the whole attention of the fish culturists were given to raising brook trout and then the shad, white fish, lake herring and wall-eyed pike. I believe it was right to give attention to these fishes. They are high grade and deserve to be propagated to the fullest extent; but I hav(^ long felt that there is a class of streams whose needs have been overlooked and in which suitable fish should be planted.
For several years a large class of our citizens have very properly demanded rock bass, sun fish, cat fish, pickerel and yellow perch. The last two as heretofore stated are now being propagated on a large scale, and I am now taking measures for the propagation of the others.
The propagation of rock bass, sun fish and cat fish has been carried on perfunctorily at the hatcheries for the last two or three years, but I ordered that ponds in certain of the hatcheries should h? set aside or constructed exclusivelv for these fishes. There is now one at Corry for sun fish and rock bass, and three ponds at Torres- dale for all three. They were started too late last season to accom- plish very much, but several thousand fish were hatched and dis- tributed of each species.
I have made plans for the building in 1006 of a huge pond at Torresdale covering about three-quarters of an acre for the sole purpose of rearing sun fish and rock bass. Of the first named, there will be two species cared for, namely, the large river sun fish and the blue gill. The first reaches the weight of about one quarter of a pound and the latter from three quarters to a pound in weight. The blue gill sun fish has a distinct value in the markets, and should be generally introduced throughout the State. At present it is confined chiefly to Lake Erie and waters east of the Alleghenies.
A pond at Torresdale and one at Wayne are now devoted to catfish
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and bull heads. During 1906 other ponds will be built on the new hatcheries for these fishes, and I hope to be able within two years to supply all demands for these fishes.
STURGEON CULTURE.
One of the very difficult problems for fish culturists to solve is the propagation of sturgeon. ' Several years ago, the late Dr. Ryder and Mr. Livingstone Stone experimented on the artificial propaga- tion of river and lake sturgeon and proved it possible to hatch the eggs. Some action is of first importance for the reason that this exceedingly valuable food fish is threatened with extinction. The number of fish caught in Lake Erie annually is scarcely worth re- cording. The price of caviar has risen from |10 a keg to as high as ^130 a keg.
The catch of sturgeon in the Delaware river has been cut down to one-half annually for the last ten years, until now it was rare for the fishermen to operate their nets to a profit. Several attempts on the part of the United States, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, each on their own account, and New Jersey, Delaware, Penn- sylvania and United States in Co-operation, to secure eggs of the sturgeon for propagation purposes have failed. The co operative attempt which was made about five years ago was begun too late. Indeed, the chief obstacle in all attempts had been to secure ripe males and females at the same time. If by chance a ripe female was found there would be no ripe male caught within a reasonable time with which to fertilize the eggs. It also has been a curious fact that more ripe females have b'een found than ripe males. Most of the latter were either green or they had got rid of their supply of milt and W'Cre what is known as spent-fish.
Early this winter I had a series of conferences with Commissioner Bowers, of the United States, Commissioner Morris, of New Jersey and Commissioner Luff, of Delaware, in regard to another united attempt to hatch sturgeon in the Delaware river. The conferences were very satisfactory. Each Commissioner expressed a strong desire to make a determined joint attempt, and the following pro- position was being seriously and favorably considered at the close of the calendar year: That the work of hatching any sturgeon eggs that might be gathered should be done by Pennsylvania and by its superintendents at the Torresdale hatchery and the fish hatched to be planted by Pennsylvania.
The United States Bureau of Fisheries to send its steamer, Fish Hawk, into the lower bay and assign Captain Herron, an expert in sturgeon w^ork, to take general charge of the spawn takers.
Delaware to furnish a large launch and spawn takers and station in the lower bay, following the gillers in that locality for the purpose of watching for ripe fish and securing the eggs and milt.
New Jersey to furnish spawn takers and a launch to be located in the neighborhood of Bay Side for the same purpose.
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The moment any fertilized eggs are secured, a telegraphic dis- patch to be sent to the Superintendent at Torresdale hatchery, who would immediately dispatch the Department's launch down the river to meet the up coming launch containing the eggs.
I have no doubt that this plan will be adopted and carried out the spring of 1906. #
SHAD WORK FOR 1906.
I am also pleased to announce the practical decision on the part of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the United States to unite in shad work on the Delaware river in 1906. Somewhat different arrangements than those of 1905 have been agreed to. The whole shad work on the Delaware river is to be under the control and direction of Pennsylvania through its superintendent at Torresdale.
The United States is to furnish five or six spawn takers. New York four spawn takers, New Jersey two spawn takers, and Pennsylvania from four to six spawn takers, who are stationed from Bay Side to Trenton, and all the eggs taken are to be sent to the Torresdale hatchery. Although those taken in the lower river and bay may be eved on the steamer Fish Hawk.
Pennsylvania is to bear the cost of and hatching the eggs, and New Jersey is to plant the fish. United States and States to pay their respective spawn takers' salaries.
Pennsylvania is to use its Department launch for collecting spawn from the spawn takers, and New Jersey to use its patrol launch for the same purpose whenever possible.
MUSCALLONGE CULTURE.
There are many anglers in Pennsylvania who have been urging the Department to take up the culture of muscallonge. Similar re- quests were frequently made of the old Fish Commission. Both the old Fish Commission and the Department have been anxious to obey their wishes, but there has hitherto been an insuperable diflSculty in the way, namely, to secure eggs and a stock from which to propa- gate. Besides there was some apprehension on the part of the De- j^artment as to the wisdom of a general introduction of the muscal- longe, because of its well known voracious habits. It is a huge fish, sometimes reaching a weight of 100 pounds, and its ordinary weight is from 15 to 30 pounds.
There are comparativc^ly few waters in the eastern part of Penn- sylvania in which it would be proper to introduce the fish. The 5—23—1905
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muscallonge requires a large body of water and an immense amount of food. In the western part of the State, especially in Conneaut Lake, Conneauttee, Lake Le Bouef and other lakes in Western Penn- sylvania, a species of the muscallonge known as the Chatauqua muscallonge is found in some quantities, but not sufficiently so to gather eggs from..
I finally decided to undertake muscallonge work if it were possi- ble to secure eggs. The Hon. J. S. Whipple, Forestry, Fish and Game Commissioner of New York, has generously agreed to furnish me with several thousand Chatauqua muscallonge eggs in the spring of 1906, and the Minnesota Fish Commissioner has also generoiasly offered to allow my superintendents to get as many eggs as we desire of the true muscallonge, from the lakes of that State, and further have offered their assistance. The favorable response \o my request of these two States was so prompt and warm hearted that I scarcely know how to express the thanks of the Department ade- quately. It is my purpose when the eggs are received to hatch them this spring at the Corry and Union City hatcheries, and to reserve a certain number of fry to raise to breeding age in the ponds at the hatcheries, and to plant the remainder in Conneaut Lake for the purpose of making that a great breeding ground in the near future. I have selected Conneaut Lake on account of its proximity to the new Crawford county hatchery, which is only half a mile from the foot of the lake.
SMELT WORK.
Among the estuary fishes, the smelt occupies a very prominent position. Its flesh is very delicate and it ranks high in the market as a food fish. New York has been entirely successful both in hatch- ing this fish and in introducing it into Lake Champlain and other fresh water lakes of New York State. In fact in fresh water the smelt not only api>ears to make himself perfectly at home but to reach a larger size than in brackish water, its natural habitat.
The smelt is wonderfully prolific; a fish weighing only two ounces will yield from 46,000 to 50,000 eggs, and it is said that in natural spawning fully ninety per cent of the eggs are fertilized.
On account of this w^onderful fecundity, the high esteem in which its flesh is held, the apparent ease with which it can be propagated, its proved ability to accommodate itself and increase naturally in fresh water, and the need for abundant fish food, I felt it my duty to undertake the propagation of this work as quicklv as possible. I, therefore, approached the New York C^ommission on the subject and as in the case of the muscallonge, we met with a cordial rece])- tion. I have been ])romised at least 1,000.000 eggs of the smelt for 1906. The only conditions are that I shall send a spawn taker to gather the eggs at the Long Island hatchery, and to give New York a few thousand fingerling brook tiout from one of our hatcheries. To these wry liberal terms I instantly agreed. Subse<|uentlv, the
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New York Commission added to its generosity by giving permission to my superintendents to take 1,200 or 1,500 or more gmelts of spawning size to our hatcheries for the purpose of retaining them there as breeders. This generous offer has also been accepted.
FISH AND EGGS FKOM THE UNITED STATES.
Arrangements made several years ago between the United States Bureau of Fisheries and Pennsylvania, concerning the gathering of eggs of the Lake Erie fishes and were continued in 1905, and are to be continued in 1906. Under the arrangements, the United States gathers all the eggs of the white fish, lake herring and wall-eyed pike in Ohio and other waters of Lake Erie outside of the jurisdic- tion of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was to receive a pro rata share of the eggs collected with the United States and Ohio, the basis being the capacity of the various hatcheries. Pennsylvania pays its pro rata share of the expenses, which amounts to about |1,800 a year.
This arrangement is far more satisfactory in every wa}' than the old method of each going into the field and competiting for the eggs. It assures further a more regular and a larger supply, because as far as the white fish are concerned, at least, the LTnited States has means to impound the fish which is not possible for Pennsylvania, at least under existing conditions. I am happy to say that further arrangements were also made with the United States this year by which there was an extension of the agreement to other species of eggs. The United States facilities for gathering lake trout eggs are much superior to those of Pennsylvania and the field wider, and last year by the new arrangements the Department of Fisheries obtained six million and a half of lake trout eggs from the United States by merely sending messengers after them to the United States Hatch- ing Station at Northville, Michigan.
SALMON FOR THE DELAWARE.
Arrangements have also been concluded with the United States for a liberal supply of salmon eggs for hatching and planting in the Delaware river for a period extending over several years.
In former years I have pointed out the possibility of making a great salmon river out of the Delaware, and in other portions of this report I have gone into the matter extensively. Since writing that portion of this report, the Ignited States Bureau of Fisheries has suggested that on account of the great ditliculty in stn-uring eggs of Hie Atlantic Salmon, an attempt be made to introduce the silver
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
ialmon into the Delaware. Attempts were made several years ago to introduce the Quinn^t salmon of the Pacific coast into the Dela- ware but with no success. At the time there was little hope of success, hence there was no disappointment when failure followed. It was felt that the character of the waters of the Delaware was not the same as those in which the Quinnat salmon naturally thrived.
The United States Bureau of Fisheries, however, pointed out that the silver salmon, while smaller in size than the Atlantic or Quinnat, spawns nearer the sea and in warmer waters, consequently, there is reasonable hopes that the silver salmon might be introduced into the Delaware. In order that the experiment may be thorough, the United States Bureau of Fisheries has agreed to furnish from 500,000 to 1,000,000 eggs every year for the next five years. If there is success, the supply of eggs is to be continued indefinitely and possibly increased in number.
and impounded males and wild males and impounded females. The gathering of a limited number of wild fish is not very difficult at the Wayne and Bellefonte hatcheries for the reason that there are natural streams all around them. We will also be able to pursue the same method at the new hatchery at Spruce Creek, Huntington county. By this means the Department was able to add 100,000 fish to the breeding stock last autumn at the Corry, Wayne and Belle- fonte hatcheries and this year it will be possible to add about as many more. As a result in three years from now the stock in all the hatcheries should contain nearly all breeders with wild blood in their veins.
GATHERING EGGS AT LAKE ERIE.
TROUT EGGS FROM PRIVATE HATCHERIES.
I have already made mention of the fact that certain commercial and private hatching establishments had given their surplus trout eggs to the State. Referring to them particularly they were, with the number of eggs, as follows: Penn Forest Brook Trout Company, 2,000,000; Charles Wolters, Jr., 2,000,000; Col. Henry Trexler, 1,500,000; Blooming Grove Hunting and Fishing Club, 300,000, making a total of 5,800,000 eggs. This means that the gentlemen who gave these noble gifts made it possible for the State to add at least 4,730,000 young trout to the output of the State. Some of those named gave of their surplus eggs in 1904, and they have all indicated their intention of giving their surplus eggs to the Depart- ment in 1906.
For this generosity I wish to express the warmest thanks of the Department. It is a bright example of several instances which clearly prove the deep interest which the people of th(^ State are taking in the work of fish culture.
GATHERING WILD TROUT EGGS.
It is of the utmost importance that the blood of breeding fish in the hatcheries be changed frequently. Imbreeding if continued very long is apt to produce many evils, among the worst of which is a lower vitality. The Fish Commission had a startling evidence of this in its hatchery at Allentown. Unquestionably, the best method of frequently changing blood is to secure annually some wild trout, both males and females and cross the blood, taking wild females
Before 1905 there was never any perplexing questions to be con- sidered in regard to gathering eggs of lake herring from Lake Erie within the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania; but a different condition of affairs existing in the last year has required different arrangements. Under an act of the Legislature passed at its last session, a close season on all net fishing in Lake Erie was declared between Novem- ber 15 and March 15.
From November 15 to the closing up of the lake by ice is the height of the egg taking season for lake herring, and the Depart- ment was threatened with the loss of many millions of eggs. Finally, the Department decided to pursue the same course as the United States Bureau of Fisheries in such cases, and fortunately the De- partment was warranted at law under Section 3 of the Act of April 22, 1905. This section gives the Department of Fisheries authority to catch fish in Lake Erie at any time of the year with nets for the purpose of stocking other waters or taking spawn.
The Department then notified the fishermen that it would employ any boat and crew if they made application, and providing they had not violated the law relating to close season. It appeared that all the boats had quit fishing on November 15 with the possible excep- tion of one. The owners or captains of the twenty-two boats made applications for employment. Among the twenty-two was a captain who had been arrested and charged by one of the State Fish Wardens with having fished during the close season. This applica- tion for employment was refused, the others were accepted or twenty-one. Of the twenty-one tugs all brougnt in eggs, excepting one, this boat having been put out of service on account of a break down on the first day.
The conditions of the employment were briefly:— that the men were to seek the best grounds for lake herring, and they were to take and fertilize all the eggs of the ripe fish which were caught. The eggs were to be taken very carefully and brought to the hatcheries at the end of each day. As compensation, the men were allowed to keep the fish which were caught and dispose of them. This being the method followed by the United States Bureau of l^isheries, according to my information. Twenty boats brought in
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
71
809 quarts of spawn, or 60,720,000 €*ggs. Uufortimately, whether through carelessness or inexperience some of the eggs were no good. Of the twenty boats bringing in eggs only seven brought in first- class eggs to the number of 306 quarts or about one-half of the whole. Five boats brought in 277 quarts of fair eggs, or both first class and fair 643 quarts. Eight boats brought in 166 (juarts of bad eggs. There were none good furnished by tlu'se eight boats. Every one was as bad as they could be. It may have been only a coin- cidence but it seems to the Department suspicious that tlie boats which brought in the worst eggs got the greatest number of fish relatively. It is needless to say that these boats and their crews will not be employed next winter. Only thosc^ will be taken on which furnished good eggs in 1905.
For this action there is no one to blame but the crews themselves. They were warned in the beginning that th<M'e never would be again a general employment of boats, that on\v those would be employed next year which brought in the best eggs in 1905
stem which connected the other types of the jar with the foot and had the foot set against the bottom. This it is hoped will overcome the objectionable breaking feature.
liefore ordering any quantity, sample jars were placed in each hatchery having batteries and subjected to very severe tests. The superintendents reported that they stood them all completely, and further that the jar would hold a pint more eggs than any other jar in use. 1 verified reports of the superintendents by personal obser- vation at each one of the hatcheries and then, satisfied that it met the requirements, 1 installed the new type in the battery at the Wayne hatchery, to the number of 200. Hence, the jars will be again subjected to a very severe test with pickerel and yellow perch, and if they successfully stand it, they will be installed in the other hatcheries as occasion arises. If they do not, they will be discarded.
I should say that I have not applied for and do not intend to apply for a patent. The design I consider belongs to the 8tate since it was designed while in the performance of my duties as Commissioner of Fisheries. The superintendents requested permission to name the jar and they have named it after the designer.
NEW HATCHING JAK.
FISH CULTURISTS SCARCE.
I have not been iM'rfcM-tly satisfied with the hatching jars used in our various batteri(^s. While each tyix^ uniiucstionably had good points, there seemed to me to be defects in each. One for example, while in my estimation and the estimation of the su])erintendents of hatcheries, had a perfect bottom which caused the eggs to work easily and uniformly had two undesirable feahiics. One was that it was difficult to clean and the other that it was verv easilv broken. It also did not carry as nuiny eggs as it should, wIkmi the total height of the jar was taken into consideration. The second type held a pint to a (piart more eggs and could easily be cleaned. But the eggs did not work as uniformly owing to a ditterent style of bottom from the first tyi)e. In order to work all th(» eggs, a stronger force of water was necessary, which was very a])t to ''pound" the eggs at the bottom of the jar. Furtli(u\ owing to the shape, the jar could not be set close to the peculiar type of battery in use in the hactcheries, hence, it became necessary to lengthen the lip by tieing tin troughs thereto, this was of course unsatisfactory. Wliile the jar did not break as easily as the first mentioned type, it nevertheless broke too easily for i>erfect satisfaction. A third tyjie, of which there were a few, gave such poor general satisfaction that its discarding was determined on long ago, as soon as the last one should have been broken. It had very few good points.
At the urgent request of the supi'rintendents T undertook to devise a hatching jar which would meet the undesirable features of those which we had in use and apparently I have succeeded. T have designed a jar having the bottom, like the first mentioned type with a top like the second and with generally a uniform width from bottom to top. Also with a longer lip. T have also got rid of the
The Legislature having authorized new hatcheries, it has become incumbent on me to seek capable fish culturists to take charge of them. Among the assistants, in the ditferent hatcheries, there were only two who by years of service and attention to work had become capable of filling the position of superintendent. I found then that there were no other fish culturists in Pennsylvania, excepting those who were already employed in commercial or private hatcheries. I was forced therefore to seek elsewhere. I found that there were very few out of a position anywhere in the country, but it did not take me long to find that a number of very bright young men thoroughly equipped and emplojed in hatcheries elsewhere were eager for positions in Pennsylvania. I had no difficulty whatever in securing three men who I believe meet all the requirements of our work. More can be secured if necessary, but as I have above stated for the present at least, they must come from beyond the border lines of Pennsylvania. By the time we require more, I hoi>e that some of the young men of Pennsylvania who have taken up the work of fish culture in the State Fisheries will have equipped themselves for the position of superintendents. I believe they will, for of the six or eight which entered the employ of the State within the last three years all exhibited enthusiasm and intelligent application.
FREEZING TROUT.
Every year nearly there goes up a cry all over the State that owing to the very severe preceding winters most of the trout in the streams have been destroyed by ice or low water. I have seldom
72
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paid any attention to this, because I have always believed that trout is a more sensible fish than it was given credit for being. That in case of low water it knew enough to get into deep pools before its escape was cut off. I also believed that freezing was not as destruc- tive as generally imagined, however, the wail in the beginning of 1905 was so general and so emphatic and accompanied by such circumstantial description of the streams being frozen to the bottom everywhere in the State, that I decided to make tests as to the ability of a trout to withstand being frozen in the ice.
The tests were conducted by the superintendents of the Corry, Belief onte and Wayne hatchery ; at Corry, old weak fish were taken ; at Belief onte, two-year olds; at Wayne, tingerlings and yearlings. The tests were of the utmost severity. Those at Corry and Belle- fonte were placed in a tub of water which was then allowed to freeze solid. Those at W^ayne were similarly treated in buckets. They remained frozen solidly for two weeks and the ice was then gradu- ally thawed by steadily pouring spring water on them, the thawing required a day or two or more. The Corry fish were all dead and had evidently died within a few days. The Bellefonte fish were all dead but one, but they had evidently lived longer than those at Corry. Of the six fish at Wayne, four weii^ alive and within a few hours appeared as lively as though they had not undergone any unusual experience. One had evidently died within a day or two and the other had been dead for a longer period.
Under no circumstances could the fish in the streams have been subjected to such severe tests, and it may therefore be considered as proving conclusively that very little damage could be done the fish by freezing in an open stream, however, shortly after, the matter was definitely settled in another and even more conclusive manner.
At the Wayne hatchery, there was a small pond in which there were several thousand young trout, in some manner on a very cold night, the water supply was checked and the water in the pond was frozen to the bottom. There wasn't a single fish which escaped being surrounded by and confined in ice. They remained in this condition for several days, when on the coming of a thaw, the water supply was reintroduced and the ice gradually melted. The superintendent reports that every fish recovered, not one died. AVith the test made artificially and the one just mentioned, it may be accepted by anglers hereafter that no concern need be felt regarding the safety of fishes in the streams, no matter how severe the winter may be. The ques- tion might be asked why the large fish at Corry and the medium fish at Bellefonte should have died, while the yo\ing fish at Wayne survived. Of course it is impossible to answer the question definite- ly and without its accuracy being challenged. It is possible, that when the fish were frozen, the air sacs in the fish did not contain a lull supply of air. When that was exhausted, the fish frozen in the ice would probably die, they could scarcely secure a fresh supply while frozen solidly in the ice, although under the circumstances the amount of air required to sustain fish life would be infinitesimally small. It does not necessarilly follow that fish frozen in the ice would themselves be frozen.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
78
LOCATING NEW HATCHERIES.
By an item in the general appropriation bill of 1905, three new hatcheries were authorized, for the hatching of bass and other fishes. And by an act of the Legislature, approved May the 11, 1905, a fourth was authorized, this to be an auxiliary to the hatchery in Erie city. The last was speedily located and as already stated in the report, is now in active operation, with nearly 5,000,000 lake trout eggs hatching therein.
As soon as spring opened I began to search for suitable sites. I felt that one of these hatcheries should be somewhere in the west- ern part of the State, a second in the southern part and a third somewhere in the east. After inspecting many sites, I finally set- tled on one in Crawford county at the foot of Conneaut Lake. The land is nearly level in fact I should have preferred a greater pitch as it would have made pond building easier. The greater part of the water supply comes from Conneaut Lake and it is regular in volume and suitable in temperature for the propagation of brook trout and warm lake fishes.
Citizens of Crawford county, especially of Meadville, interested themselves in the location of the hatchery and purchased necessary land to the amount of 25 acres, which they presented to the State. The deeds are now in the possession of the Commonwealth. The property was secured too late in the season to begin work, and as the man who I have appointed superintendent is required to overlook the shad work in the Delaware, ground will not be broken until the first of June, 1906.
Many sites in Southern Pennsylvania were offered, most of which would have made good hatchery sites as far as water and land was concerned. Finally through the efforts and assistance of Judge B. Orlady, of the Superior Court, the Department secured a splen- did site in Spruce creek, Huntingdon county. There are nearly 30 acres having a good pitch and the lower end is only three minutes walk from Spruce creek station on the Pennsylvania Riiilroad. The lower end of the property is also not more than 500 feet from the Juniata river. A good road runs along one side of the new hatchery grounds. Another road, not in good condition, extends nearly the whole length of the other side. In the upper end of the grounds there is a fine spring of water flowing about 1,000 gallons a minute and a temperature of 50 degrees. The stream therefrom tiows down one side of the hatchery grounds at the foot of the mountain. Spruce creek a very large stream, fully 50 feet wide in places flows through the grounds at the other side The spring run and the creek meeting in the center of the property about two-thirds the way down, as a barrier against washing, there is 200 feet of wood- land on the mountain side of the hatchery which is included in the property. As in the case of the hatchery at Crawford county, it will not be possible to begin work there before June 1st.
I am very sorry to say that I have not yet been able to locate tbe third hatchery. I found one very fine locality, but unfortunately before it was ])ossible to secure the portion desired, a citizen stepped 6
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
75
in aud purchased the entire property and so prevented the establish- ment of a hatchery. If the Department of Fisheries possessed, as it should the right of eminent domain, this cutting the Department out of a hatchery site which would have been of great interest to the State, could not have happened, and 1 hope that included in the next message to the Legislature will be a recommendation that the right of eminent domain could be given the Department of Fisheries. 1 hope that we will be able to the coming year, select a third site. 1 believe it will be possible to do so, for 1 already have three or four locations in view.
riiOPOSED TKl {STATE HATCHERY.
At the last session of the Legislature a Commission was appointed under a joint resolution consisting of two members of the Senate, three members of the House and the Commissioner of Fisheries to meet with a similar Commission appointed by the State of New Jer- sey to secure uniform laws relating to lish on the Delaware river, subsequently, a joint meeting was held at Easton with a Commission of New York State, at that meeting, the Hon. Henry F. Walton, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania, during an address proposed the establishment of a great hatchery on the upper Delaware river, to be conducted and operated jointly by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The proposition met with instant and unanimous approval. This was followed by the adoption of a resolution without dissent, directing the Commissioner of Fish- eries of Pennsylvania to confer with the Forestry, Fish and Game Commissioner of New York and the President of the New Jersey Fish and Game Commissioner, with a view of formulating a plan by which the idea of Speaker Walton might be carried out.
Acting under the instructions thus given, I subsequently met the Commissioners named and a rough plan was agreed upon^ subject to approval of the Attorney Generals of the three States. It is hoped to have the plan perfected and the bills for introduction into the Legislature of New York, New Jersey and Pennsvlvania, in the winter of 1907.
INTEREST EXHIBITED BY RAILROADS.
The railroad comi>anies exhibited a lively interest in the work of stocking the strc^ams within the Commonwealth. This is particu- larly true in regard to the planting of trout. They were among the heaviest of the ajKplicants and in all, called for very nearly one mil- lion and a half of fish of different species to be planted in the pub- lic streams in the State.
The lively interests which the railroads are showing in restocking our streams is very gratifying to me, for I recognize the fact that their example cannot but have a wholesome and far reaching effect for good and incite individuals to take even a more enthusiastic at- tention to planting suitable species of fish in public waters.
In addition the railroads have, as in former years, offered every facility for the quick transportation of the fish, often issuing special orders to the baggage men, directing them to render every assist- ance to the messenger. In addition as in former years, they trans- ported the fry and mature fish free in the baggage cars.
In addition to the assistance which the railroads rendered in planting fish and by transporting them to the stations nearest their point of destination, many have rendered efficient service in pro- tecting the waters from illegal fishing, several of the companies have notified their detectives and police to keep a watch for illegal fisher- men and report them at once to this Department. One company now has under consideration the propriety of asking the Department to commission its detectives and police as special fish wardens, a re- quest which naturally I would gladly grant.
I wish to express here my hearty appreciation for their practical exhibition of public spirit.
FISH PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
Since the formation of the Department of Fisheries there has been a rapid increase in the number of Fish Protective Associations in all parts of the Commonwealth and a livelier interest exhibited by those previously organized. Membership in these associations have, so I am creditably informed, increased materially in a num- ber of them. Some new organizations formed this year and I had the pleasure of being present at the organization of two and I was much impressed with the earnestness evinced by those forming them as well as with the enthusiasm they displayed in their determina- tion to enforce the right of the fish laws and to do their utmost to increase fish life in I'enn sylvan ia waters.
A large majority of the organizations in the different counties have warmly supported the interest of a State Fishery Association and the good effects thereof are already apparent.
Several of the organizations, both new and old have requested the Department to appoint several of their members Special War- dens, and the same organizations pledged their members to report to these wardens every case of illegal fishing which might come under their notice. If the associations in the State follow this plan, iile gal fishing in Pennsylvania will soon be reduced to a minimum.
I cannot siK^ak too strongly in favor and praise of organizations for the protection and ])lanting of fish or of th(» formation of a State association of clubs. With County Associations and thie State- Association working in harmony with the Department, the cause of
76
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fish protection must advance with giant strides. I feel under the deepest obligation to tlie county organizations for thThep which they have rendered the Department; for the cordial back W wh ch
i^fa. o^o'fTlirbr.d ''I the unselfish putting aside of locaWeet in ra\or ot the broad interests of the whole State
1 would like to emphasize the necessity of havino' some sort of an orpnizat.on in every eounty in the State. It .s not necessary that It be large, although the larger it is the better If there k no
ing get UP at shfe^ltT V""^' "^^ '? « *''""*^' interested in fish- angli^ng Zere't of, f ""'!' '" %«^miorganization to discuss the the. Thiff. tl'e eounty and for the purpose of furthering them. These three or four men could ally themselves with Stat? Fisheries Associations and keep in close touch wUh he Dimrtment
?, e htT""'?- '^ ^'f"."^""^ °^ *^"« '^'"•l- «•"«" though it m'ghtte ?n the beginning, would so attract public notice and cause a swelling m^the ranks and a regularly constituted Fish Protmlye'Yssodallon^
STATE FISHERIES ASSOCIATION.
hv^!'i,"h '»«t report I gave extended attention to the orcanization
e.Vni! • ^ . . *"^ Governor made an address of welcome of
Z VsTCorr TheM'""';'*"' '\' proceedings asln'ethibit in'
thl BotSrha utrr :'^enre"c u^tT^TtsToce^'d' '" """'^ "^ anything, more_^ important tfan thZ ' " of" h'e"; elSg'rea'r'
ciation which w.>ie furnished tb.n!; . Procfe<1ings of the Asso- be found attaXd to this report. ""P"'*"^™* ^^ the secretary will
FISH C.\R.
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7C
REPORT or THE
Off. Doc.
fish ino(,.,(i„„ ,Mus( Mdvanc,. with Riant strides. T tV..| ..iuI.t th.. doo,.ost o.,I,.MlH,>Mo (1„. ,o„Mty o,-anizMtio>.s for tho holp wh ' 1
in la\or ol (he broad micicsls of (lie wliolo State
I would like lo ("inidiasizc ijic nofcssitv of liavin- .xoine sort of jM o,-,a„,.a(,on in ,.,.r,v eonal.v in tho State. I, i.s"not neee sarv
in. ?. n 0 J 1 r' '"■/"•"■ ""'" '" " '•*"'"*>■ int'''-est,.d in fish- !,.};. t up at s aled intervals. ,u a semi-oi-anization to discuss the
fl em. Ihese (hree or iour men eould ally themselves with State I-i.her es Assoeianons and k,.,.p in close fou<-h with the Department of I- shenes. A valluMinR of this kind, small thonyh it mi^ht l" h the ,e,,nn,n,. woul.l so atlraet publie notiee and ^ans. a el ii " n he ranks ami a reoninrly eonstituted Fish Proteelive Assoeiat o,';
STATK FISITKIUES ASSOf'I ATION
rn my last report T {lavo exiended attention to tli<. oiM^ani/ation
of s" •.■''•7^'!';"* "f." ''^^"' T^'^''"-i'^« As.soeiatio„ hav i'^r for e
ol o llinrn r' 'T*r"" "V"' "'■I'«'""""t of Fisherh.s in is
^ai K nil.!. ,it «lii,li ili,> (-.ov.ri'or made an address of weleome of
iv las;'';::',;'";'' ti;;' ' '"'';""" '";■ -"•"•■'-"-f-- as ai^'x;;;; •
li- T? ,, '/'"""• ^''<' seeond aiiunal meeting' was held in Tnnn ..i the Hellefonle ha(,hery in Tentre eountv. fis ,'Lee „ s w ' i anjllmi^^ moie important than those' of the p'eeXr.;-, Earm.stn..ss an.I a determination lo ,.,•,.,. tho fullest issst;n^o fn lie Departmenl and to advame the work of flsh , , ,„.e nd M nr ? teetmnjo the furthermost limits were evident in ";;." 'day's ju'.o:
A number of imjiortant resolutions effeetin" the work w,-,. adoided and on,, or two ref,.rred to future h-isHtiou On, . .nost important in this respeet is th,/ ;;;,osar to '" fVo.h e a b ','; 1 t,.. n,.x legislature to authorize the Tommissioner o Pis ,■' '
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INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
77
tions. Thus, to take a load of fish to a point one hundred miles from the hatchery would cost |40.00 or for two hundred miles, one'hun- dred miles for carrying the fish and one hundred miles for bringing back the empty car.
The appropriation of the Department would not permit such an expenditure at least, to the extent of using it regularly for the de- livery of fish. For the greater part of the year therefore it remains in the car barn on the hatchery at Bellefonte. It is only employed when it is necessary to run fish from one hatchery to another.
REMOVAL OF CARP.
There was a great and incessant demand some years ago for Ger- man carp for the Pennsylvania waters. The demand was from fishermen, farmers and others. To-day there is as strong, if not stronger demand to devise some means to f^et rid of the fish, proba- bly no species whether indigituous or introduced is so greatly anatha- matized as the German carp. It is unquestionably inferior as far as food qualities are concerned, and it is decidedlV an undesirable fish because of its spawn eating habits, of its rooting up water plants, thus destroying shelter for young fish and food for fry, and also because of its keeping waters in which it may be continually muddy.
Unfortunately there is every reason to believe that the extermina- tion of the carp is impossible, that it is with us to stay. Un- doubtedly the number can be reduced and during the year* I made some effort in that direction.
Acting under section 29, of the act of May 29, 1901, I appointed a number of authorized representatives to capture carp by means of nets, a fairly accurate report of catches were made to the De- partment, and it appears during the year there were 29.905 carp caught in this manner. If it were possible to carry this method on generally throughout the State, I have no doubt that the number of carp would be speedily reduced. Most of the 25,000 fish reported were taken from the Delaware river and its tributaries near its mouth. -^ T'!
FISHWAYS ERECTED.
Several fishways were added during the veai, all at the expense of owners of dams, with the exception of one. I had intended to biiild a nest of fishways in the dam on the Susquehanna river at Muncy and in the dam on the Susquehanna river at Williamsport hut other duties intervened and prevented. T succeeded however' in having one built in a dam on Pine creek in Potter county.
78
REPORT OF THB
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Niimeroui petitions had been sent to me to erect a fishway it be- ing gtated that the dam was so high that no fish could possibly as- cend. A large pool below the dam was, so it was claimed, frequently alive with fish endeavoring to pass up to spawning grounds. An investigation proved the truth of the declarations of the petitions. I therefore ordered the construction of a Cail fishwav in the dam, the moneys therefrom to come out of unexpended balances as pro- vided bv section 13 of the act of Mav 29, 1901.
I advertised for bids and awarded the contract for |1,7.50. It re- quired four ^ weeks to build the structure. It consumed 127 perch of stone, 27,000 feet of lumber, $95 worth of iron spikes and a quantity of other material. The total length of the fishway is 39 feet, with a width of five feet inside measurement, a depth of five feet and a pitch of one foot in four and one-half. It contains five compartments so arranged that fish can either leap over or pass through. The total width of the fishway including side wings is 20 feet and it required a cut in the top of the dam from two to three feet and in the bottom from four to four and a half feet. Under the specifications, the contractor was required to so construct the fishway that the original strength of the dam would be maintained. An inspector recommended by the owners of the dam reported this part of the work to have been thoroughly done.
The success of this fishway is unquestioned. Trout have as- cended it freely since its completion.
PHILADELPHIA AND PITTSBURGH AS AIDS TO THE DE
PARTMENT.
Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have given tangible evidence of its interest in the fish cultural work of the State. In 1904, Phila- delphia turned over a quantity of land on the Delaware river at Torresdale for the use of a fish hatchery. During the year when it was difficult to secure labor it furnished a large number of in- mates of the House of Correction to make some important improve- ments to the hatchery. The inmates began work early sometime in September and they remained until the ground froze to such an ex- tent as to force a temporary discontinuance. Work will be re- sumed by the inmates in the spring according to assurances from the Director of Public Safety.
Pittsburgh also has taken a juirt in the fish cultural work of the State by some of its officials, including the recorder, inviting the Department to take what fish it might desire for hatchery pur]>ose8 from some of the original poinds in the public parks of the city. The invitation was accepted and nearly a car load of useful fislu-s wen- take^n to the Toriw hatcherv.
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REPORT OF THE
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Numeroui petitions liad been sent to me to erect a flslnvay it be- ing stated that the dam was so high that no fish could possibly as- cend. A larfi^e pool below the dam was. so it was claimed, frequently alive with fish endeavorin.j> to pass up to spawning grounds. An investigation proved th<^ truth of the declarations of the petitions. T therefore ordered tlu^ constiuction of a Tail fishway in the dam, the moneys ther(^from to come out of unexpended balances as pro- vided bv section 13 of the act of Mav 21), 1001.
I advertised for bids and awarded the contract for .11.750. It re- quired four weeks to build ihe structure. It consumed 127 perch of stone, 27.000 feet of lumber, 105 worth of iron s]>ilves and a quantity of other material. The total length of the fishway is 30 feet, with a width of five fe«'t insid(^ measui'ement. a de])th of five feet and a ]>itch of one foot in four and one-half. It contains five compartments so arranged that fisli can either leap over or pass through. The total width of the fishway including side wings is 20 feet and it required a cut in the top of the dam from two to three feet and in the bottom from four to foui' and a half feet. Tender the specifications, the contractor was re(piired to so constiuct the fishway that the original strength of the dam would be maintained. An inspector recommended by the owners of the dam reportr'd this ]>art of the work to have been thoroughly done.
The success of this fishway is unquestioned. Trout have as- cended it freely since its completion.
IMIIi.ADKLPIIlA AND IMTTSHURCJH AS AIDS TO TlIK DIv
rARTMKNT.
Both Philad(^l])hia and IMltsburgh have given tangible evidenr(» of its inlerest in th(» fish cultural work of the State. Tn 1{)04, Phila- del]^hia tuined over a quantity of land on the D("laware riv<»r at Torresdale for the use of a fish hatchery. During the year when it was difficult to secure labor it furnished a large nuujber of in- mates of tlu' TTouse of Pori'ection to make some import:) nt im])rove- ments to the hatchery. The inmates began work early sometinn^ in Sept<»mber and (hey renmined until the ground froze to such an ex- tent as lo foi'ce a temporary discontinuance. Work will be r<' sumed by Uie inmates in the spring according to assurances fi'om Ihe Director of IMiblic Safetv.
IMttsburgh also has taken a i»ai't in the fisli cullural woik of (lie State by some of its officials, including (he recorder, inviting (he Dei)artmen< to take what fish it might desire for hatchery jun poses from s(Mue of the original ]K)inds in the public parks of the city. The invitation was acce]>ted and neaily a cai* load of uscfni tislics wcic taken to the Toii-v liatcherv.
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■'If
..f
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
79
A CAUSE FOR DEPLETING WATERS OF FISH.
It is not alway illegal fishing which depletes waters of fish life. Occassionally the law is responsible. A law which extends the open season for catching game fish to within a few weeks, say two months of the spawning season of such fish is wrong, because for at least that length of time before the eggs are deposited, the fish become ravenously hungry, especially the females, hence, by the counte- nance of the law, millions of unhatched fish are destroyed.
The rapidly diminishing supply of pickerel in many of our moun- tain lakes has been a matter of concern to me for several years, and knowing the facts stated above, I have endeavored from time to time to secure the enactment of some measure which would close the season for pickerel about November 1st, but I regret to say without success. It is quite natural that people who live in the vicinity of the mountain lakes, especially farmers who give atten- tion to their crops during the spring, summer and early autumn are opposed to being deprived of the right to catch pickerel,' their leisure period in late fall and winter, and not knowing the life history of pickerel thoroughly, would misunderstand the purpose of a shorter close season, and resist any enactment of the kind most strenuously. Pickerel begin to spawn shortly after the ice breaks. I have known them to deposit their eggs as early as the latter part of January, quite frequently in the early part of February, still more often in March, and the function usually completed before the middle of April. As above stated a few weeks before spawning season or as soon as the eggs in the ovaries begin to develop, the females are ravenous and will seize almost anything that looks like food and their hunger appears to increase as the period for depositing the eggs approaches. It is safe to say that 75 per cent, of the pickerel caught through the ice in January, are ripe females, which would within a very brief period have spawned.
In the latter part of O^ctober, 1905, I had a curious and interesting illustration of the soundness of the peculiar ravenous character of pickerel in the close approach of the gravid period and the prepon- derence of the number of this sex captured by hook and line. Hav- ing decided to undertake the propagation of pickerel at the Wayne hatchery, I securred permission from the Wildwood Club, to catch the necessary breeders from its pond near Maplewood in Wayne county, 185 fish were caught in one day and transferred to the hatchery ponds. When spawning time arrived it was found that :)ut of the entire 135 fish, only nine were males, consequently, the eggs of over 100 pickerel in the ponds in the spring of 1005,' were useless. Fishinjr for pickerel after the first of November therefore should be prohibited or at least ice fishing should be restricted to not more than three tip-ups to a man.
It did not take long after the organization of the Department to discover that if the waters of the State were to be restocked with fish, and kept stocked, the policy of protection must be rigidly carried out. To plant fish in streams where they will be fished out before Ihey have attaiiHMJ the spawning age is simply ]>aternalism of the
80
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc
most glaring character. Yet it was very much in evidence that in many sections of the Commonwealth the trout planted in the spring were all fished out before they attained the spawning age, owing to the depredations of the violators of the law who spared no fish, no matter what its size. Many of the contrivances for taking fish were of the most ingenious description and most complicated workman- ship. They were so constructed that nothing but the smallest min- now could escape them and streams were left almost utterly barren.
Knowing these facts the Department set to work energetically to organize a corps of wardens to put an end to these destructive practices and, at the same time, act as an auxiliary force of workers in the campaign of education, which the Department also inaugu- rated, to show unthinking people that the laws for the protection of fish are intended to benefit the public and not to deprive them of the right of fishing. It is this unwarranted popular prejudice that the fish laws interefere with the private rights of the public to fish that the Department has found the most difficult to combat. Many persons were found everywhere who insisted that their fath- ers and grandfathers had used certain destructive appliances to catch fish and yet there were always abundant fish in the streams, forgetting that years ago the population of Pennsylvania was num- bered by thousands, while to-day it is numbered by millions, and the fishermen have increased in the same proportion. The Department soon discovered that a special fitness is required to make a good fish warden. He must be a man of good common sense combined with tact and education enough to enable him to grapple the intri- cacies of the law. Endowed with these qualities a little training makes him a valuable assistant in the work of the Department, not only in preventing illegal fishing but in demonstrating to the public that the protection of fish is to the interest of that same public. A large number of si>ecial wardens were appointed under the terms of the law, but after mouths of experience it has been found that the number of men who make good wardens is very limited, al- though it must be admitted that considerable preventive work was done by wardens who had no record of arrests but the knowledge of their holding the appointments scared would-be violators from doing illegal acts.
The result of the work of protection is at last beginning to show very gratifying results upon which the Department congratulates not only the fishermen but the public. In some sections, as a re- sult of the efforts of the wardens, ,the pirates who have depleted the nursery stream of the diminutive trout have been scared from their nefarious Work, and the public have been taught that the little trout in the nursery streams will, if protected, grow in size, become mature trout, and on reaching breeding age, help keep the streams stocked with fish and afford true sport to the angler. In the larger streams where the wardens have succeeded in doing much to put an end to illegal methods of fishing, especially gigging, the bass and other river fishes show in greater numbers than for years. There is really nothing which shows the importance of the i)rot(M»- tion of fish during the close season than the increase of bass, in for instance, the North branch of the Susquehanna. When a bass is nesting it stands guard over its nest and when it is suddenly ap- proached by the man with the torch and spear, to whom all fish
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
81
are game, and the better the fish the better the game, the bass is a ready victim although the gigger proclaims loudly that he is only gigging for carp. The disproof of this statement is not more plainly shown than by the fact that his torch is rarely seen over the muddy water affected by the carp but rather over the clear water where the bass builds its nest or the swift current where wall-eyed pike, or the so-called Susquehanna salmon, abides. As well might the farmer kill the setting hens from their nests and ex- pect to have broods of ^'peeps" as for people to catch fish during the spawning season and expect that the supply of fish will be kept up in the streams.
It is with much pleasure that the Department finds so many peo- ple awakened to the fact that close seasons should be observed if the supply of fish is to be kept up. Some time ago an energetic warden wrote to the Department that he was in trouble. A promi- nent citizen of his territory, an ex-member of the Legislature and an ex-justice of the peace, was the owner of a private pond that had belonged to his grandfather who had built the pond. The same grandfather had purchased some pickerel and stocked the pond with them. From these pickerel grew swarms of pickerel that not only stocked the pond but as the years roiled round the escaped fish had stocked the stream below. Because the waters were pri- vate and because the pond had been stocked by his grandfather, the owner insisted that he had a right to fish when and how he pleased. In pursuance with this claim he openly defied the law and fished for pickerel in the close season. The warden was a man of tact and, in- stead of precipitating a legal fight, tried to show the man the error of his ways. A si>ecial deputy was sent from the Department to see the man. Stubbornly the owner of the pond insisted on his rights to take fish as he pleased. His attention was called to the fact, which he readily admitted, that nine out of ten fish he was taking, for it was then the close season, were females. This fact had been noticed, he admitted, but no particular attention had been paid to it, yet when the matter was pointed out to him so plainly, he saw a new light and he learned for the first time that the egg bearing females, as spawning time draws near, become voraciously hungry and will take any bait, and that by persistent fishing he would soon take so many females from his pond that there would be nothing but males left which meant in time, a barren pond. No sooner was this fact impressed upon his mind than he became one of the strongest advocates of fish protection, his only complaint be- ing that the Department was not disseminating more rapidly the valuable information which it had given him.
In some sections of the Commonwealth, the Department regrets to say, that the work of protection is not sufficiently backed up by public support and hence illegal fishing flourishes in spite of arrests and examples which the fish wardens are able to make. At Dun- cannon, on the Susquehanna river, for instance, there is a very largo amount of illegal fishing during the close season and much de- struction is done. Wall-eyed pike or Susquehanna salmon were taken last season by the hundreds of pounds and in spite of the ut- most vigilance on the part of the wardens, it was almost impossible
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REPORT OF THE
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to detect the law breakers, in some cases, where the wardens at- tempted to make arrests, mobs gathered and made all sorts of threats of violence to the ofiQcers of the law. Citizens, who would be offended if thej were called law breakers, openly encouraged the violators of the law by purchasing the fish from the illegal fisher- men, thus making the violation of the law very profitable business to the violators. If public sentiment would frown upon the law breakers and law abiding citizens refuse to encourage them by buy- ing the fish, the business would become unprofitable and the fisher- men would not take more than they could use themselves. One fe- male wall-eyed pike was taken last spring which measured thirty- nine inches in length and contained thousands of spawn which, if she had been allowed to live, would have added thousands of fish to the river to give enjoyment to many an angler. It is true that com- plaints were received of illegal fishing at various points, like Dun- cannon from residents of the vicinity, but such is the reign of ter- ror inaugurated by the law breakers that the informers were afraid to show themselves in the light of witnesses for fear of damage to their properties. This left the problem of detecting the law break- ers in the act fully as difficult as if the information had not been re- ceived, for so flagrant wc^re the violations that they were matters of common notoriety and the Department was well aware of them without the information of the home people.
The experience of the wardens in many cases has been exceedingly exciting but here and there ludicrous phases have developed. The hardened fish pirate is generally of the desperado class, one who regards the hand of the community as against him and therefore his hand is against the community. He is most frecjuently, in a certain sense, squatter, and like the squatter is jealous of what he claims or supposes to be his rights. Pie locates his various devices for taking fish in some part of a stream where his nature lore has taught him that fish are abundant, and he is prepared to defend that spot against the intrusion of all comers, even to the extent of using a gun. One man with an eel basket claimed all the river for at least a quarter of a mile, and several innocent fishermen, who had cast their lines into his so-called private water, were suddenly awakened from their dreams by the report of a shot and the whizzing of a rifle ball which told them plainca- than words that they had better move to some less dangerous spot. AYhen arrested one night in the act of illegal fishing this man set up a vigorous fight and badly dis- abled one of the two wardens who were trying to get him. He fully believed, as he insistc'd, that he was within his rights, for had he not so fished for many a year, while it was due to his prowess as a fisherman that many a family got their supply of fish, the purchas- ing of the fish thus encouraging the man in his illegal work the same as the receiver of stolen goods encourages the burglar and the thief.
On another occasion when the wardens were cruising down the Susquehanna they camped upon an island. During the night some owners of illegal devices they were ferreting out, sneaked up to the island and destroyed the boat of the wardens. Then with hilarious glee the destroyers of the boat related to the gathered newspaper men on the shore how they had marooned the fish wardens in the middle of the river, little thinking that in the crowd listening to their story were the «ame wardens who were gathering evidence to
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
8S
convict the guilty parties, for the fish wardens had speedily taken measures to get ashore. At another time, in the darkness of the night, two other men eluded the grasp of a warden and got away. A few nights afterwards at a meeting called in Reading to protest against the work of the wardens, the two men detailed their es- cape and described tlu» warden for the benefit of any others who, while breaking the law, might se(* him aproach and thus escape from his clutches. Little did they dream that the warden in question was a quiet listener to their stories and was able to identify the tellers as the men who had esca]>ed him and for whom he then swore out warrants. It was a case of telling a fish story and paying |25 for the privilege instead of selling it to a sporting journal at so much a column.
The foreign element in the Commonwealth are among the most persistent violators of the laws. They use the most destructive methods and pay not the slightest regard to close seasons or the size of fish. Dynamite is their favorite method and a stream after thev have dynamited it is almost as barren of life as the Dead Sea. No fish is TOO small to be taken by them; in one instance a warden caught three Italians with 200 sunfish out of season, the longest of which was an inch and a half. Accustomed as these foreigners aie to the despotic rule of their own countries they regard the liberty of this country as license, permitting a man to do anything without regard to the private rights of others. Armed with fire arms they are not slow to use them when detected in law breaking. In cases where escap<' is easy the recognition of a criminal afterwards is almost impossible, owning to the similarity of the appinirance of the members of a gang; Last spring an innocent man was fatally wounded by one of an Italian gang who thought he was a fish war- den, because he was walking along a stream in the woods on his own property, while later on the real fish warden, of whose coming they had been warned, was shot through the shoulder by an assassin con- cealed in the bushes only a few yards away, the warden' life being saved by the poorness of the marksmanship of the foreigner.^ On several occasions when a warden has tackled violators of the fish laws when all of them were in boats on the river there have been strenuous fights, and the warden has escaped from drowning only by his skill in swimming and his superior adroitness in the art of self defense.
It is pleasant to say, however, that with the exception of some portions of the Commonwealth the dutie^s of the wardens are be- coming less strenuous. Violations of the fish laws still continue, but the violators are more careful and pursue their trade largely in the darkness of the night, whose sombre robes they think will shield them from the argus eyes of the protectors of the law. This shortens the working hours of the law breakers and with less hours, of course, h ss fish can be taken, and this is in the line of protection. The growing j)ul)lic sentiment in favor of protection also deprives the violators of their market for illegally taken fish, because the decent citizen does not wish to encourage the law breaker, and the fear of detection on the part of others prevents the buying, for pos- session of fish is proof of violation of the law and subjects the possessor to a fine.
Too much credit cannot be given to some of the wardens for the
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No. 23.
active and energetic way thoy have carried on their work. No hours were too long for them, no weather too severe and no dangers dis- couraged them. For a time they had to meet the discouragement of unfriendly magistrates and in some cases the frowns of judges of the appellate courts who dismissed their cases with scant measure of justice, but the Department has gone steadily forward and in every case almost has won a victory.
When lower courts decided against what the Department claims to be the plain meaning of the law appeals were taken, and the De- partment is glad to say that the upper court sustained the rulings of the Department. The most important ruling was that of the Superior Court in the case of the Commonwealth vs. Sechrist from Lancaster county. Sechrist operated a fish basket which did not comply with the pro-isions of the act of April 27, 1903, claiming that the act did not impose a penalty. This was the view taken by the courts of Lycoming county and Cumberland county, but this was entirely swept away by the opinion of the Superior Court, which stated plainly and clearly that the fish laws of the Commonwealth distinctly provide all the methods by which all the fish in the waters of the Commonwealth could be taken and any method that is not specifically pprniitted is illegal.
This opinion has greatly strengthened the hands of the Depart- ment, made the work of the Department more easy and the law plainer to the law abiding citizen, who now knows, when he wishes to fish, he must fish by a method and at a time distinctly specified by the law, and that of certain kinds of fish, no fish under a speci- fied length can be retained. In this respect the act of May 29, 1901, is almost a model one, because it provides the methods* by which fish can be taken and therefore leaves no doubt as to methods by which they cannot be taken. A law that prohibits certain methods by which they cannot be taken is confusing, and at the same time new methods may spring up which are equally destructive with those which are prohibited and which would require new statutes to prohibit. In such cases the new methods could continue to be used"'until the new Legislature met to enact new prohibitory laws.
Under the act of March 22, 1899, the constables of the Common- wealth are made ex-officio fish wardens and under that act they are as much required to report the cases of any violations of the fish laws as they are violations of any other laws. In very few counties have the constables been required to make such reports. In prac- tice the Department has found that the constables with few con- spicuous exceptions are utterly useless so far as the fish laws are concerned. Not a dozen constables in the Commonwealth have made arrests for illegal fishing or reported violators of the fish laws to the courts. This in face of the fact that it is their sworn duty to enforce all laws. In case of violations of the fish laws they re- ceive |10 for each conviction in addition to half the fine, which should be ample compensation for their time. If all the constables in the Commonwealth would exercise due vigilance, illegal fishing would become almost a thing of the past, although it is probable that the practice could n( ver be entirely broken up. If, however, it could be made as dangerous as thieving the amount of illegal fish- ing would be so reduced that it would no longer be much of a factor in depleting the streams. To be sure most of illegal fishing takes
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
place at night, but the torch of the gigger or the lantern of a man who sets or raises his net or outline shows his whereabouts and if the pliers of nefarious schemes felt that the eyes (jf the con- stable of his district would likely fall upon him he would be less apt to ply his trade.
The Delaware river has been a favorite spot for illegal fishing of all kinds, but since the organization of the Department of Fisheries much has been done to break it up. The favorite plan of the break- ers of the fish laws on that river, when detected, has been to flee to the shore of the opposite State, but thanks to the co-operation of the authorities of New Jersey and New York, this practice bids fair to be broken up. Some time ago an illegal sturgeon fisher flying from a Pennsylvania warden took refuge in New Jersey. A telegram notified a New Jersey warden who promptly arrested the violator ''with the goods on him.'' He was shut up in a country lockup from which he made his escape the same night in his own boat. He re- turned to Pennsylvania, but found a Pennsylvania warden on his trail, so fled to Delaware, where he heard that a requisition had been asked for him. The out-look was like that of Noah's dove; no place to put his foot, so he surrendered to the Pennsvlvania warden and paid his fine. This example had a very deterrent effect on would be violators.
On the Delaware river betw^een New York and Pennsylvania vio- lators flourished. This fall Pennsylvania wardens were sent to Pike county and saw some violators of the fish laws in the act. Be- fore they could capture them the violators fled to New York where they thought they were safe. On the information sworn out bv the Pennsylvania warden the Governor of Pennsylvania granted a requi- sition on the Governor of New York, for the violators. This requi- sition was duly granted by the Governor of New York and the men were brought to Pennsylvania for trial. At the beginning, the men under the advice of their New York attornevs, were disposed to show fight but when they realized that the officials of the two great- est States in the Union were bent on enforcing the laws they did the wisest thing, plead guilty before the justice of the peace and paid their fines. This example will serve to show that illegal fish- ing is dangerous in the upper Delaware river, and do much to brinir it to an end. ^
During the year ending November 30, 1905, the wardens made i>:{0 arrests of violations of the fish laws. Four hundred and thirtv were convicted and 100 discharged. In five cases of discharges the Department took appeals to the county court, in three cases took appeals from the county courts to Uie Superior Court. There were 89 appeals taken by the defendants from the decisions of the jus- tices of the peace. The amount of fines imposed was |ll,992.o0
The last legislature passed an act amending the act of April 17 1876, in regard to summary convictions. The act of 1876 recited the words of the Constitution in regard to the summarv convictions that either party might appeal upon consent of the api>ellate court upon cause shown. The act of April 22, 190.1, repealed the constitutional provisions and allowed only the defendant to make an appeal upon giving bail as in case of a common misdemeanor. Under this act of 1905 the appeals have been largely multiplied and the cases sent to court where the grand juries complain of multiplication of petty
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
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cases, which should have been settled before the justice of the peace. In all cases appealed under the act of 1905, the Department has moved that the appeals be dismissed on the ground of the unconsti- tutionality of the act of 11)05 and the court of i.ehigh count v has already rendered an opinion that the act of 1905, ''is too plainly un- constitutional to admit of argument.-' The court of Lebanon county has also declared the act unconstitutional. The Department be- lieves that these opinions will be sustained by the other county courts and if it is not will take the matter to a higher court for a final adjudication. The repeal of the right of t4u^ Commonwealth to take appeals would leave the Department helpless in the face of adverse decisions by ignorant or prejudiced justices of the peace, while the ease with which the appeals can be taken has been the cause of the multiplication of appeals involving the Departnient and the tax payers of the Commonwealth in heavy expense. The plainest cases are taken to court where the witnesses must be sum- moned at the expense of per diem and mileage. The time of twenty three grand jurors is occupied in hearing the cases, nearly the whole panel of petit jurors is idle while one jury sits on the tish cases and all the witnesses summoned to be heard in other cases before the court must sit and wait while their pay goes on. These appealed cases, it will be readily seen, if the act of 1905 remains in force, will cost thousands of dollars which must be paid by the tax payers. This is a matter which appeals to the tax payers and the sending of such cases to court is against the policy of all the courts which de- sire that minor cases would be settled in offices of the justices.
It is not surprising that many defendants, even when caught in the act of fishing illegally, should appeal under the act of 1905. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose by taking such action. They had been convicted, and fine or imprisonment stared them in the' face for their wrong doing. Without a dollar of ex- pense to themselves, they could carry their case to the court of quar- ter sessions, on the chance that the grand jury would ignor«' it on the ground of its being trivial or possibly secure an acquittal from a sympathizing jury, or at uu)st, a disagreement even in the face of overwhelming ( vidence of guilt. As evidence that some such sentiment sways defendants, it may be ])ointed out that of the 89 cases which were appealed, in nearly seventy-five ])ei cent, there was no question of fact, the laws had been ]>lainly violated.
In the snuiller streams of the Commonwealth where the native fish, such as suckers, fall fish, red fins, the various minnows and cat fish abound, the need of protection is sometimes the greatest be- caus<' it is in those streams that the illegal fisher gets in his most damaging work. Stir nets, set nets and devices whose ingenuity and workmanshi]> have excited the wonder of \hv wardens are used in large numbers. The users of these devices claim an inherited right to use anything, no matter how destructive, and in too many cases they have the sympathy of their neighbors who do not see that in the depletion of the streams by the use of destructive devices, they are deprived of their sport of fishing and their chances for a fish dinner.
Many of these devices are so destructive that nothing is left and the streams in which they are used are becoming barren of all kinds of fish life. Here the advantages of education are strongly shown.
The illegal fisher claims that the fish laws are for the benefit of the rich when the fact is that the rich angler would scorn to take any of the fish which are the native inhabitants of these streams. There is no enjoyment for such an angler to catch a cat fish, while he would utterly scorn to take a sucker, however, high the flesh of the fishes named may be. They are not classed as gam^ fish, an there- fore unworthy his attention or his money spending.
If public sentiment could be properly directed, it would not be long until nearly all the dwellers along these streams w^ould see the advantage of allowing fish to be taken only by legal methods, for the streams w^ould become repopulated and everyone would have a chance to get an old fashioned string of fish. In the illegal de- vice, the law breaker captures possibly a respectable string of fair sized fish, while at the same time he destroys hundreds or thousands of small fish which, if they had been left in the water would have grown and would have become fair game for the persons desiring a change to a fish diet.
It is idle to talk of the abundance of fish in these streams in former days when there were no protective fish laws and then claim that the lack of fish is due to protective laws, because everv person with sense knows that that is absurd. When the population of Pennsylvania was numbered by hundreds of thousands there were not nearly so many fishermen as there are to-day, when the popula- tion is numbered by millions, and the fish had a better chance of in- creasing and multiplying.
What protection will do in restocking small streaius is shown in numerous instances where the dwellers along these streams have united to put an end to illegal methods and give the fish a chance. Xo fish are more prolific than our native fish and they have no more enemies in their habitat than they did in years gone bv except the devices of the illegal fisher. As before mentioned in this report, if public sentiment will only assist the Department and the constables will do their full duty, there is no reason why the streams should not teem with fish as they did in years gone by.
The vast area of the Commonwealth, the almost countless streams and lakes and the lack until within the last two or three years of a decided public sentiment in favor of fish protective laws has made the work of protection much more difficult than most people would imagine. Owing to the small appropriation made for the payment of wardens, the greatest economy had to be practiced, and while this hampered the Department in its work it also sometimes had a re- flex action which had a tendency to work for evil.
Irate fishermen would write to the Department complaining of illegal fishing and demanding at once that officers be sent to break it up. At the time the complaints were received it was probable that no wardens were available or else they were so far off that tho expense was too heavy to warrant their being sent on the special errand. This would anger the complainants who would proceed to revile the Department and perhaps decline to take anv interest in the matter or furnish any information when the belated warden, who was sent at the first opportunitv to the spot, got there to investi- gate.
All sorts of appeals to the constables to enforce the law, in the majority of cases, not only failed utterly to induce the constables
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
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to do anything but did what was more undersirable, enabled the constables to put the fish pirates on their guard. On various occa- sions the wardens from the Department found that the violators of the law^ had been tipped off by the constables and had gone to cover, but in such cases it was almost impossible to get strong enough evidence to convict the constable. In some cases, however, where the constables declined to assist the wardens or to take notice of flagrant violations of the law which were called to their atten- tion, the Department swore out warrants for dereliction of duty and the fact that in those cases the constables were fined one hun- dred dollars has been a strong incentive to other constables to do their duty when called upon, as evasion of that duty would bring the penalties of the law upon themselves.
One of the best factors in aiding the work of the Department has been the local fish protective associations and the Department has used every effort to encourage the formation of such associations in every county in the State. Where such organizations exist they have proved great disseminators of education and by the interest of their members they have forced the constables to at least a per- functory performance of their duties and this perfunctory perfor- mance has done much to scare oft' the law breakers.
Even if a man is not an angler himself, it is very likely that he is fond of fish or that some of his family are. Here, then, is an ele- ment that desires an abundant and cheap supply of a food which nature would offer freely if she only gets hklf a cliance, and this ele- ment properly educated becomes the strongest advocate of protec tion.
Under the act of April 27, 1008, the use of fish baskets for tak- ing eels Avas permitted in the waters of the Commonwealth. The act prescribed that the user of a basket must take out a license from the county tr(\isurer and then construct his basket according to cer- tain well defined methods. The act was drawn by the eel basket people themselves, and naturally the Department supposed that it embodied all their ideas. The work of the wardens soon showed that comparatively a small number of the users of the eel baskets were complying with the law in the third season after the enact- ment of the measure, although for the first two season all the re- quirements were reasonably observed.
While many insisted on using a basket without taking out a license a still larger number failed utterly to comply with the provisions of the law which re(]uires the removal of the bottoms of the basket between sunrise and sunset. Upon these violators of the law, down swooped the wardens and the penalty of twenty-five dollars for using a device not specifically permitted by law was promptly imposed. Here the Department received its first check. vSome of the convicted parties ap])ealed to the courts on the ground that the act of 190:{ imposed no penalty.
The court of Cumberland county in a mere dictum upheld this view of the case and decided with a curious idea of the meaning of words that an eel basket and an eel pot, according to some dic- tionaries, are synonymous terms, and the act of 1901 ]>ermits an eel pot. Such a decision brought a smile to every fisherman who knows there is no more similarity between an eel basket and an eel pot than there is between a fishing rod and a creel.
The court of Lycoming county and the court of Lancaster county promptly followed the opinion of the Cumberland county judge, and the Department was compelled to go to the Superior Court to have the tangle unraveled. The Superior Court, with great clearness, said that the act of 1903 does not provide a penalty, but none is needed as the act is a permissive one and any pierson who does not comply entirely with the permissive terms of the act is guilty of using a device not specifically permitted by the acts of Assembly. Hence under the act of May 29, 1901, a person not complying with the terms of the act of 1903 is liable to a penalty of twenty-five dol- lars.
This decision of the Superior Court has entirely cleared up the question of legal eel baskets, but it showed to the users of the bas- ket that the act was not quite so liberal as they desired. An effort was made in the last legislature to somewhat modify the law but it failed of passage.
While the law abiding citizens use the eel basket for its legiti- mate purpose of taking eels, the law breaker uses it to take every fish that comes into it. These violations of the law are difficult to detect for a warden may watch for nights and no fishing will be done, yet let him omit for a night his watchfulness and the pirate gets in his work.
To punish the parties, the violator must be detected in the act else he pleads to the court that he took his game fish with rod, hook and line while he was watching his eel basket. In one case a man was caught coming from his basket with a bag full of game fish, not one fish in the lot showing marks of a hook, yet the court of Perry county failed to hold him and the fact that he show^ed fight and resisted the officer and was convicted thereof by a jury, only brought forth a mild reprimand from the court.
In some few cases the Department has strong reason to believe ihat users of eel baskets are every morning furnishing hotels and private families with game fish amounting in the aggregate to many pounds, yet it has been unable to catch the parties in the actual act of taking the fish. There is no one in the neighborhood who does not believe the fish are taken illegally, yet the fish find a ready sale among people who would scorn to buy stolen property and if a man was to offer them a horse and buggy at a suspiciously low price, but would at once turn him over to the police as a suspected horse thief. Yet the person who so purchases illegally caught fish is just as culpable as the person who receives stolen goods. He is no more nor less honest than the despised "fence" or receiver of stolen goods.
The user of the outline is always a great destroyer of the game fish for he baits his line with live bait whereby his catch is largely of the best varieties of game fish. There are so many ways of con- cealing a line that it is difficult of detection, and working as the wary pirate does, in the darkness of the night, it is difficult to locate him.
Especially destructive are the outline fishermen who use live bait during the spawning season of the game fish for at that time the females are extremely voracious, especially the pike perch or Sus- <iuehanna salmon. At some points these fish were taken last spring by the hundred pounds. Although the wardens were extremely active and were close upon the heels of the violators, they were unable to obtain the evidence that would convict without resorting
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to means which the Department will not consent to. In such places the only thinj? for the Department to do is to abide its time and trust to the creation of a better sentimc^nt amon^- the law abiding citizens so that they will decline to ])urchase the illegally taken fish.
So long as the pirates find the business profitable so long will they keep up the trade in spite of the fact that in some of these bad spots the Department has succeeded in arresting an occasional law breaker who has been fined to the extent of the law.
It is on the trout streams that the Department has found the work of protection most difficult. These streams generally take their rise at some mountaiii spring and flow down through the for- ests, through jungles of laurel and rhododendron under fallen trees and among huge boulders which make them almost impassible re- cesses. Here in these little streams dwell what is called the hem- lock trout, because the little trout take on the dark color which nature gives them as a jirotection in the dark and gloomy shaded waters. The dwellers along these streams insist that these hem- lock trout are a species of their own and never grow to the leo-al size, citing their general appearance and color. Science savs that there is but one species of trout, native to the Oommonwealth of Pennsylvania, and that the hemlock trout are biil yearling fish and If left to themselves, will, as they grow in size, go down to the larger streams where they take on the bright colors that thev absorb from the spectrum of the sun, and it is as much a disguise from their enemies in the sunlit waters as the darker color was in the darker waters.
The violators of the law catch these little trout bv the hundreds and from the nature of the country and the closeness of the under- growth, it IS almost impossible for a warden to get such an illegal fisher in the act. Catching sight of a wardcm, he has onlv to throw his pole into a clump of bushes to be followed bv his creel and he stands forth as an innocent person who is simplv studving the beau- ties of nature. . jn
Much of the nefarious work is done before the open season be<rins and a number' of thesc^ little fish taken in times past runs into thou- sands The violator of the law is thoroughly acquainted Tvith all the paths and ways across the woods and along the streams while the warden is apt to be a stranger whom the violator must not sus- rr . !'r ^/^^^^^^" ^« ^^^"« handicapped by his lack of knowledge of the neighborhood, but the Department is ha]>])v to sav that from the vigilance of its wardens, it has been able to badlv scare off at h^ast two of the most notorious violators of the law in the Stat<', one of wliom It IS estimated, took several thousand trout the vear before
One of the most destructive mefhods of taking fish has been the practice in various neighborhoods of drawing off the dams and mak- ing up parties to come and takc^ the fish. While, of course, a -reat
Zn"n fi" TT, ^f' ^T^^*'^^^" ^^^^'^'^ ^vas in most cases thousands of small fish left stranded to die by the receding waters. At one dam where the water was let out for the amusement of a fishing party It was estimated that over 200,000 small fish werc^ sfranded on the banks, and the odor from fhe dead fish being ,»lainlv percepfible for naif a mile. *
In several instance s fhe wardens wen^ able to make examples of the parties who practiced fishing in this wav and it is now pretty well undiU'sfood throughout the Commonwcsnlfh Ihaf this is a va^^te-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHBBIES.
fl
ful method of taking fish will not be permitte<l. The drawing off of the dam had been an annual event in some flections which at- tracted a crowd; the venders of lunches and the fakirg with badges turning out as if it were some fair or jollification.
On at least one event the illegal beer seller was much in evidence with his frothing fluid and hilarious fishers who gave away the story of the day's doings to the wardens were strong witnesses to the potency of the beer. Within a short time the number of applica- tions for authorizations to draw off dams so that the fish may be protected made to the Department shows that the people ai^ appre- ciating that the old lawless method will no longer be tolewated.
POLLUTION OF STREAMS.
The first settlers of Pennsylvania found the Commonwealth abounding in streams of pure water which teemed with fish. As the population grew and coal was discovered, Pennsylvania took rapid strides towards being the leading manufacturing State of the Union. The forests that covered the hillsides were transformed into lumber and the refuse sawdust was turned in to defile the streams. To the sawdust was finally added the refuse from the manufacturies, the tanneries, the acid works, the paper mills and the other manufactur- ing establishments, that brought wealth and power to the State. With that disregard of the future which has ever characterized the American, no effort was made to stop the pollution of the streams which threatened not only the health of the people but carried death to human and animal life and extinction to the fish.
In the minds of many people there grew up the impression that the streams are the proixn* sewers into which every waste material, no matter how deleterious, must be emptied. It is against this feeling that a fight must now be made. As science recognizes that water must be kept uni)olluted, if public health is to be considered, so strong has this contention become that the last Legislature passed a bill creating a Board of Health, whose aid has been invoked by the Department of Fisheries. The Department of Fisheries recognizes that the manufacturing interests of the State are immense and everything which would tend to weaken them will meet with violent opposition. It also recognizes the fact that the fish industry is a valuable one, the annual sale of food fish amounting to millions of dollars, to which must be added the catch of the anglers and the moneys that those anglers spend in pursuit of their pleasure.
The problem of pollution is a knotty one, but the Department hopes that by tact and dissemination of information, much may bo accomplished in preventing pollution in the future and finally pub- lic sentiment will be so educated that ample legislation will be se- cured to render the strcnims of the Commonwealth once more pure and undeflled.
Ever since the formation of the Department there hag been a (con- stant stream of letters complaining off the pollution of the streams.
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
93
Men write that streams which were once a jov and delight to the angler, and a source of cheap food to the dwellers on the banks, no longer contain a fish because of dumping poisonous matter into the waters by manufacturers of one kind or other. What use is it, write many to spend money to stock the streams with fish when the State permits the poisoning of waters so that no fish life can exist therein, irom the trout stream regions comes a constant wail of damage done by sawdust, for since the denudation of the original forests the methods for lumbering have changed and instead of the immense mills, the work is now largely done by small portable mills which are set up where a tract of timber is located and then to save trouble the sawdust is dumped into a stream so that it mav be carried away. This sawdust, it is claimed, so befouls the water that the trout will no longer stay in the streams. The Department IS constantly called on to invoke the law against the people who dumped this sawdust in the streams. But unfortunately the Depart- ment has been unable to find any law to meet the cases in question. A number of cases where the saw mill owners have been seen and the matter presented to them, they have abated the nuisance of their own accord. This is true also in the case of manv other manufac- turers and in some cases where the Department has threatened suit, under section 26 of the act of May 29, 1001, the manufacturers have agreed to discontinue the practice of lunning their refuse matter into the streams.
In the case of the tanneries the owners thereof have exhibited a most earnest desire to co-operate with the Department for stopping the pollution, and indeed many of them have offered to put in anv iW tnffnVfh f Department would suggest, provided the cost of instituting the plant would not be prohibitory. So far some'of them nrJvln^.^'' '"^ much interest that they themselves erected ponds to prevent the escape of the drainage from the tanneries and extracted from the refuse every deleterious substance which they propose to use again in tanning at a tannery erected especially for that purpose
which IS washed down immense quantities of culm that defile the river for miles, indeed so far down is it carried that fish ng coal from the river is a profitable industry for many miles alonTthe lusqu^
wiT^-'-r^ '^^'l^'^^ ^" ^"^"^^^-^ ^« t^^« ^^^1 fi^l^in^ that stranTrs who visit Harrisburg and are told of the annual output are apt to
thfbotJom'o? t?eYt'''" the Arabian Nights. This c'^^ilm settles o the bottom of the streams and covers over the spots where the bass sunfish and other fish make there nests. Bass and su^fish are es' pecially neat and tid^. house keepers and will build no Tests were the culm IS dropped This evil, it is possible will in time be checked from the fact that the land owners along the streams have been winning suits against the coal mining companies for damal^ donp to their lands by the culm, for of course at thrtime of floods ?he
Another course of pollution from the mines is thp «4nini,»,. ,„o^ and the Supreme Court has decided that ui^ilwater can fe^^^^^^^ run up hill there can be no way of stopping the running ^f mine water into the streams. The court savs that coil i^ nhJninfoi essary for human comfort and happi^^sMo^t c^nn^^^b'/'S
unless the mines are kept dry. It might be well to mention here that in one of the United States bulletins, it is gravely stated that this sulphur water is not really a pollution, as it unites with other deleterious substances and forms compounds which are harmless. However, that may be, the angler knows very well that he has very unsatisfactory luck in catching fish in that part of the river that is very strong with sulphur water.
At the last session of the Legislature, the Department of Fisher- ies made a strong effort to secure the passage of a bill which would gradually lead to the cutting off of the pollution of the streams. On one side it met the opposition of the manufacturers, who exclaimed that the cost they would be put to would be too much of a burden, and on the other hand, with the opposition of the people who were opposed to paying anything to help the manufacturers put in preven- tive plants. To these might be added a great many people who think or say they do, which is the same thing, that the streams are the natural sewers placed through the State to carry everything that might be thrown into them. The Department's bill proposed a middle course that seemed to be fair both to the manufacturers and the peo- ple. Unthinkingly, people exclaim that no one has the right to do that which imperils human or animal life, which is true but when those same people through their representatives in the Legislature have allowed a thing to go on a long time without interference they allowed the offender at least an easement for which, if it is of value, the courts have held the user is entitled to be paid.
The Department's bill provided in the first place that hereafter no new industry should be allowed to run any substance into the waters of the Commonwealth that is deleterious. This did not conflict with any vested rights and should commend itself to every person who desires to see the streams undefiled. A second section provided that when a complaint was made that the waters of a stream were being polluted it should be examined into by the Commissioner of Fisher- ies, the State Vetenarian and the Commissioner of the Department of Health, and if they all agreed that the pollution endangered human life and fish life and cattle, all three, then the nuisance should be abated at the joint expense of the owner and the Commonwealth.
Every dweller in the Commonwealth is interested in bringing about the purification of the waters of the Commonwealth. To the dwellers in the city the polluted water that comes to his house brings typhoid fever, while to the farmer and dairymen such pollu- tion means death or deteriation to his live stock. It is now well established that anthrax, that terrible disease, was introduced into Pennsylvania through imported hides, the washings from which run into a stream. It was also established that the same stream gave the disease to human beings who worked in the water or used it for any purpose. There are numerous cases where the liquors which run from manufacturies are so poisonous as to sicken, if not to kill, the cattle and thus render the animals worthless as milkers or else they become sick and in a bad condition when they will not take on flesh. There are many streams in the State ^vhere the pollution is so great that not only will not a fish survive but even all the vege- table life is wiped out. It is impossible to believe that such a stream is not a menace to the public health.
The action of the tanneries not only shows the desire to respond
■ii
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fo the public »entim<*nt that wishep to preveut tlif» pollutiou of streams, but is reallv in the line of proper economy which sti'ives to prevent the loss of anything that has the least commercial value.
The extravagance of Americans has long been a subject of com- ment, but the sharp competition which now prevails in all branches of business makes necessary the most rigid economv and the utiliza- tion of every product that has the slightest value aiid has heretofore been allowed to go to waste because it was not considered worth saving.
The utilization of waste products has been one of the reasons why
the large slaughtering establishments of the west have been able to
so largely control the sale of dressed meats, as has been said with
^ almost absolute truth, nothing is lost of a pig exceift its dvin«r
. squeal. x i . f.
The saving of the waste products in the cotton seed industry has made these waste products almost equal in value to the cotton lint itself. The same is true in the corn industry where nearly every by- product has been utilijied. Such being the' case there is no reascin why the manufacturers should allow any substance^ except pure water or water so neutralized as to be harmless, to escaIH^ In Ger- many, at a manufactury of acids, not even the smell is allowed to pollute the air, let alone any substance that would pollute the water. The rigid economy of the (lerman has taught him that there is money in every product that comes from his manufactory and he therefore saves everything and utilizes it in some way or other
The municipalities of the State are preparing to*^ put in filtering plants to purify the watcT and these plants will cost annually manv thousands of dollars to extract from the water the poisonous sub- stance that the manufacturies run into the streams above the places where the municipalities take their water. It would seem plain to the average mind that this money now being sp^^nt for filtration plants could be used to better advantage in devising methods to pre- vent pollution of the streams, beeause when this pollution is stopp^Ml there would be no more need of the hi^avy annual exix^iditures to filter the water. The fact that the Commonwealth has permitted the manufacturing interests to use the streams as sewers has probably given the manufacturers vested rights for which the courts will allow them compensation. It will, therefoiv, probably be necessary to have legislation which will meet this i>oint; but <'veii if the State does have to pay for stopping the pollution, it will be (U'onomv in the end as shown above. After the streams are no longer polluted the M^ater will not need filtration, it will not imperil public or animal health, and the streams can be again stocked with fish in such an abundauf.^ that they will be very important factors in supplying cheap and toothsome food for the people. In cases where the pollu tion has been so flagrant and so evident, the Dei)artment has evok-d the aid of the law as provided in section 26, of the act of May 20 urn At Honesdale the gas company permitted the overflow "of a tank which ran into a stream and poisoned fish by the thousand Complaints poured into the Department which promVitlv ordered the
riioo'.nd' ^^«^^-«,-M^- --P«ny who plead^nnlty,-paid X fine of flOO and promised that oxovy possible step should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such a pollntion. In Montgomery county, a manufa'cturer wai arrested for running
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
95
refuse in the stream which refuse was shown by chemical analysis to contain many poisonous substances which not only killed fish but also the live stock of the farmers who dwelt along the stream. Tiie manufacturer was found guilty and sentenced to pay a fine of |100. The Department has also brought other suits where the violations have been flagrant and these cases are now pending. The Depart- ment hopes to secure convictions. There can be no question that the securing of these convictions will have a deterreent effect upon other manufacturers and induce them to take measures to prevent any of their refuse from polluting the streams.
A prominent citizen of McKean county who has made a study of the subject of pollution, advised the Department that the pollution of so many streams in his county could be easily stopped by the ex- penditure of less than a thousand dollars. That is that amount would cover the necessary preventative plants for the manufactur- ers that are now polluting the streams. In view of this statement which he corroborates with figures obtained in Germany, it does seem as if the rights of the people who use water below a defiling source should have more consideration than tliev have. There can be no doubt that if proper methods are used that the substances now al- lowed to go to waste by many establishment can be made a source of profit, and in case where they cannot be made a source of profit, the little cost which would be necessary' to prevent their contaminat- ing the streams ought to be cheerfully borne by the owners of the manufactories. That this is so is shown by the number of people who have cheerfully ceased the polluting of streams when their at- tention is called to the matter.
It is very gratifying to the Department to find that many persons are willing to co-operate with it in this matter of pollution. This is essentially true of the railroad companies. Not long ago some one sent in the head of a large muscallonge which had been found floating dead on the Allegheny river and which, on examination, proved to have been killed by having its gills choked up with water slag. This slag, the informant said floated from some operations of the Erie railroad. A letter to the otticials of the Erie railroad brought a prom])t response thanking the Department for calling its attention to the matter and saying that the practice should be stopped at once, which it was. The officials in charge of the opera- tions promptly issued a stringent order forbidding the water slag to be allowed to run into the stream and giving notice that any em- ploye who ])ermitted it would be promptly discharged.
Since then, which was over a year ago. not a single complaint has been heard from there. In addition to that the Erie railroad officials have advised the Department that they personally visited other es- tablishments in the neighborhood and explained to them how the refuse was killing the fish and in every case the nuisance was en- tirely abated. This is given as an exam]>le of what can be done when the attention of public spirited peoph^ is called to an evil.
It is gratifying to say that in the case of portable saw mills not one oj)erator in ten has refused to sto]) running saw dust into the streams when his attention has Ixmmi called to the matter and the evil of it explained. Just how it might be added that in one case where a warden called on a saw mill operator at an old fashioned mill and told him that the neighbors complained of the saw dust killing the trout, he laughed at the warden and said:
96
REPORT OP THE
Off. Doc.
This mill has been here 90 years. My graiidfather ran it. my father ran it and I have run it, and I will bet you that you can catch as fine a string of trout right here among the saw dust as in any stream you ever fished in."
The warden took him at his word, proceeded to fish, and in an hour landed six trout, eight and ten inches in length. Perhaps 90 years livmg m a saw dust loaded stream the fish had become hard- ened and rather liked it after the manner of eels which are said to enjoy skinning.
From the complaints of trout fishermen about saw dust defiling streams no longer containing trout, it would seem that the old saw
^i '^Th'''" •''''' ''''^ ^^y^ ""^^^ P^^P^^ w^^ believe the same with mm. Ihere is no question that in many cases, even if the saw dust
fhe'^t?' '''^'i^/ ^'''' ^' ^^^ ^^^"^' '' ^^thers on thrbot?oms o Ih! ^JT'^ V^i ^.^^"^^^ting, gives off some substance upon which the fish do not thrive, to say the least.
nnff !to^^ ^^P^"* ""i^^. "^^^ ^""^^^^^ ^^ the Juniata river during the past year and complaints flowed in to the Department that the mill was discharging chemicals which threatened to destroy all the fish
for ^tnH%n"f • f ''l^^ ^^.^ ^^ ^^^ '^"^^ ^'"^^ ^^1^^ the water unfit Z\ K u ^.'''^^- ^^^ Department wrote a letter to Charles M fo l!I^ ^ ? 1 \\ '"'^'^^ interested in the mill, and stated the TacTs Mr ^^hvvi 1 .Tl^'^^'^P"^ received from a representative of
Mr. Schwab in which he stated that every posible appliance should be used to prevent the slightest pollution of the stream.
Ihis shows that legislation, such as the Department proposes which would prevent new industries from running refuse matter ?nto
o do so orh'"""'^ ""' \' ^ ^^^^^^^P b^^^"«^ m' Schwab s willing 111 thrn?m r'J ^^^^^\^^d he has to enter into competition with
ftw J? ''?''}] '^T ^"^^^ ^'^^^« ^g^ ^nd ^vhich arc^discharging their refuse into the streams without having any expense of erect ing or operating purifying plants. ^ pt use or erect
In Bedford county an iron manufacturer on several occasions al
irthp'?."'' ''%'''' I' ^^^"P^ ^^^'^ ^i« ^"^^^^e which desloTed fish by the thousands. A warden was sent to look up the matter and reported the case to be a flagrant one of pollution. The Srtment proposed to institute a suit, but the owner of the mill has s^nce evidently made arrangements that are effective in i^eventTnir he discharge of the poisonous matter into the stream ^''^^^"^^mg the It in hme the public sentiment can be educated up to the Doint
the"fisto'do^bt7h!."t'^;^^ '' ^'r^^' '' ^ ^^^^"^^ that^ho'uld iioT'e inc re is no doubt that this sentiment would have a reflex action on
the manufacturers. There is no man however inde Snt who can defy the universal public sentiment, and hence if'nrmanufa,^ turer knows hat a universal sentiment is in favor of tl rprSoi of the pollution of streams, that manufacturer will proceed Intake steps to stop the running of refuse from his plant in othf streams because he would much prefer to have the o-nnrl vviii m' t- • ^ bors to their iU will, even'though thariVwillTs'^^^^^^^^^^ d sg^^seT"'"
allow aivToulir To'"' ''"'1"^' ^^ '' ^^"^'^^^^ th'at nf one can a^o^^ an> foul or noisome substances to remafn in his yard wherp
It vyill annoy a neighbor. There is no reason that there should no?
of ttamrwrohTciil^^^^^ *'^ ""'''^ ^" regard to'Th^ponutron or stHdmswhioh would be strong enough to stop that pollution of
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
97
the atreamt the same ai the p^llvtiea •f the air is stopped in the cities.
INTERNATIONAL FISHING TROUBLES ON LAKE ERIE.
The fishing grounds on the Canadian side of Lake Erie have always been regarded as better than those on the American side. Moreover they are better maintained through the more stringent fish laws of the Dominion. The Dominion of Canada has invariably pro- hibited Americans from fishing in their waters and maintains a patrol boat to enforce its regulations.
Naturally many American fishermen have cast covetous eyes on the Canadian waters and, notwithstanding the danger, poached there whenever they had the opportunity. Thei'e are nearly 100 steam and sailing crafts registered in the city of Erie which are used for fishing purposes. It is safe to say that the owners or captains of the majority of the steam crafts, which number about 75, have taken chances against capture and resulting confiscation of boats on more than one occasion by venturing over the forbidden line for the purpose of catching fish.
Last fall the Silver Spray was chased by the Canadian patrol boat and was badly riddled with shot. Another boat was captured but was released afterwards on insufficient evidence, but the boat was in the forbidden zone when captured.
On September 12 the steam tug "Bertha E. Cockerel!," Captain Thomas Post, was captured by the Vigilant, the Canadian patrol boat, after two shots had been fired.
On the 14th, the Steam tug "W. J. McCarter," Captain Frank Handby, escaped after being chased, but the boat was struck twice by shots from the Vigilant.
On September 15, steam tug "E. S. Oggel," Captain Bert Morrison, was captured l)y the Vigilant.
On the 17th, the steam tug "Harry G. Barnhurst," Captain Nick Prasel, escaped after a long and exciting chase during which thirty shots were ffred by the Vigilant and the boat was struck repeatedly by bullets and several of the crew narrowly escaped with their lives.
There is scarcely a doubt that all the boats would have been cap- tured had the Vigilant pursued them far beyond the line, and it must candidly be said it is to be regretted that they were not captured and their boats confiscated. The captain of the boats were violating the fishing regulations of Canada, regulations which Canada had a perfect right to make.
Consequently, any sympathy which might be expressed for any damage that was done would be wasted. Indeed, if newspaper re- ports are correct, Captain Frasel of the "Barnhurst" was candid enough to admit that he got all he deserved.
According to the newspaper reports he gave the captain of the Vigilant credit for more consideration that he. Captain Frasel de-
7—23—1905
I
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REPORT OF THE
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h7k'*';,nH"T H .•'7«t''<i «« ««.yi"K ">'o man livinK ,.„ul,l be fairer than , i'' *:"•'=/ "'"''\ "'ft "" /I"' flesl.crn.,.n fron. this port realizes it It Captain Dunn had been willing to sacrifice our lives h^ wouM have „„„. ,,ad to say the word and^one shot fror.is hea v gun wonid have sent us to the bottom. We were in the wrong and I
been as Hn"d' to "f^ ■■'« ^r*" "' ^"'i' ^''^'''^ ^''"'^rosity. He has alwav hhn to be." fisl>erraen of this port as his duty would allow
.nt^'^nJ""'^"^'' *'"', P^n«<"«n Oovornment i.s much concerned over the acts of piracy which are being constantly committed and it is stated in the public prints that they propose to consult i le ^0,10 go en^ nent and ascertain if it were not within treatv rights o increase iounZ. ^"" "" "'•^ '"*''"' """' *° « >"<'<l-n -apid fire three
The Canadian Fisheries Department also iWaced the entire ques- tion ,n tlie hands of other Canadian authoriti.s ^ .f Ti ^ '"ft deplorable. I may say the most reprehensible feature of this whole wret.hed business, is that the Dominion of Canada I's
orno7onT;i';'i"f vVr: ■"''" /," f^^"-'' ^"-"'^ ""'f-- Satt
+^ Til .? l . '^'"' '"'t "''■'''■ a" the Cireat T.akes which would be to all the fisherm<.n of both nations as far as would be cons stent with the proper maintenance of the fish supplv onsistcnt
..^''}rr^^ ''^"''* "" the part of the Dominion of Canada has been resisted by arge numbers of the fishermen. I an, happv to sav tlTt the Pennsylvania fishermen on Lake Erie hav,. lat Hv shown a dis Knment "'' ''""''""•■ ""'* *'" l^-l>"-tio„s of the Canadtn
Two years ago I attended a conf<.rence composed of representa
ives of the Canadian Government and of the States boiXint on
the Great Lakes, and at that conference certain regulations fo," the
.rrrdrortrZrs't ';!;:' .manimousl, The Pen„s,1va;'ia fishe^en .if,reea not to contest the greater number of these but fishermen !n some of the other states succeeded in defeating beneficent l"',"l" tion and thus far concurrent laws and con.ur.H.nt re",dation; te not in existence, although there is a prospe.t of some ^oS le- is lation this winter bv Ohio and New York proi>er legis
Some of the American fishermen with an afTronterv whi.h is nston ishing appealed to the Fnited States governm..ut we Insed or rn&st"r mterfered with by the Ca^nadian au ho ies and Hu United States Government heard their crv and did interf.-^e b ,t n a manner which was neither expected nor desired. It a mors tint when American fishermen go over the line into Cn,,nl-i /
oatch fish there and bring th^rn ba4 into' o't'o? ttunUed St tel' they violate the tariff laws. As soon as he TTuite S a es Go^^rn'
No. 2«.
DBPARTM£NT OF FISHBRIBS.
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deiciibed are bouud to happen frequtntly. MoreoT#r the chawng of American boats, their capture or being riddled with ihot will moat likely continue until the national government can be induced to make a treatv with the Canadian government or the States border- ing on the great lakes or the national government the right to chase poachers over the line and secure their arrest and extradition as for other offenses against the laws. It will be only by such drastic treatment that fish piracy on the great lakes will be broken up.
CONCURRENT LEGISLATION FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER.
The Delaware river being a boundary stream between the states of Delaware and New Jersev, Pennsvlvania and New Jersev and Pennsylvania and New York, it was long ago recognized important that there should be concurrent jurisdiction over and laws effecting that stream. As a consequence laws in the nature of a treaty w^ere enacted in the earlv part of the last centurv. Under this treatv no rotate could enact anv law without the concurrence of the other or without the two states passing law^s, the effect of which were the same.
Occanionally one legislature or the other of the states would over- look this important requirement and consequently there would for a period be conviction. In 1889 New Jersey and Pennsylvania enacted laws relating to the fishing on the Delaware river, identical ii* character and New York adopted the same provisions in part. Del- aware also about that time enacted laws which were in part the same as those of New Jersev and Pennsvlvania. Later Delaware at- temi)ted to repeal one clause without reference to New Jersey and trouble immediately followed. The clause related to a close sea- son for sturgeon. Subsequently in 1904, the New Jersey legislature passed a repealing clause. Pennsylvania, however, did not do so. N^ew Jersey legislature at the time of repealing enacted a bill re- ferring to fisheries on the Delaware river which conflicted materially with the act of 1880. In this Pennsvlvania did not take anv action. It therefore became my duty to remind the New Jersey authorities of the fact of the existence of the treaty, also to point out that Pennsylvania not having past similar acts to those of New Jersey in 1004, the laws of 1880 were the only ones enforced and that any fishermen operating; in any part of Delaware above the southern line of Pennsylvania who fished under the laws of 1004 would be liable to arrests and punishment under the act of 1880. The newspapers at the time widely ])nblished the stand which I took, and most of the fishermen on the Delaware took care to fish onlv under the act of 1880. In fact the great majority of fishermen both on the New Jersey and Pennsylvania sides, north of the southern line of Penn- sylvania appeared to favor most of the provisions of the act of 1889 rather than the provisions of the New Jersey law of 1004 which had been passcnl sol<»ly in the interest of the fishermen in Salem county. New Jersev.
100
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A warden of the Department of Fisheries made one arrest of a
s^ur Jon fi T? ^''^ P^^'^io"^ «f t'>e act of 1889 in reference to sturgeon fishing. He was convicted by a Philadelphia ma-^istrate- but was subsequently discharged by the court for the ™ason that through an unexplained error, the magistrate in writing out his in- formation made the charge under the section of May 29, 1901 effect- ing inland waters only instead of the act of May 22, 1889
ihe man, who was arrested strenuously to the New Jersey au-
horities claimed to have bee. arrested oi the New Jersev h/lf of
the Delaware river. Considerable correspondence passed'between
of wHcHh^w""' •Vr.'"^" t^''"^ autllorities, at^he conclusio" tLTtll l^^l^u ^•*l"J''e"^ objections when it was clearly shown
that the man had been arrested on the Pennsylvania half of the Del- aware river. At no time did the New Jersev authorities Question the propriety of the arrest admitting that there was groundin Penn sylvania not accepting the validit/of the New Jerfev act of 1904 and insisting on the enforcement of the act of 1889. The only real
s^v"ha?f'nf th"' • """^ V""' ""T '^'"^ ^^*"" ""•'^«t<'<^ «» the New Jer sey half of the river, the warden should have taken the defendant
h?.t ^T r "" ?^ ^i''*'' °' ^•^^ J^'-^^y- This was admitted by me but as I have already stated, I succcceded in demonstrating to the
mo^t'of^1t,*n!3''- ^^V^'' ''"'* "^ *^^y 22, 1889 while excellent in most of Its provisions did not wholly meet the necessities of thp
SSeTbv V\l ''■IT' 'T^ ^ ^<'''"* resoluHon'waf IhVeupo^ r^3 ^ ^ }^ /legislature of Pennsylvania of 1905, authorizing the appointment of a commission to consist of two members of tte Sen
?o mpjra™— ^'^ "^ *^^ ^""'^ «"'' t'>« Commissioner of Fisheries IlTfi V""''^'- commission appointed by the State of New Jer river tui\^ ''""'^"'•rent bill covering the fisheries of the D^llware river; also to secure co-operative action with New Jersev in fish hatching on the same stream "cisev m nsn
annrthnr'c'''nJlH**T''''°" ^rP""'^"^ ^*'"«t'"-« ^- E- Sisson HarnTan Charie^ri^r- ^•^I^''^«^nt"''^iy''«- franklin March, John G. ^ +1^ n\ I « • ^''"® ""•' myself. Henry F. Walton, Speaker
The peSori "of ^hT'n ""'?"""'• ^'''"^'.''' '"'"'''• «'^offlcio' member ine personel of the New Jersey Commiss on was Senators John G
wnr\^"rr^. '^'r™*"''' ^- Mini<-h. Assemblymen Colonel John A
^aW ;7?r''iS'' ^- ^^}''- '^'^"™«« ^- Hunt and John Boyd Av^' Speaker of the House of Assembly, ex-offldo
Pennsylvan?"a''wa» Ti"' }'l^ 'I Ph"«<J«'PW«. Senator A. E. Sisson, of ^trvll <i **! ^^^"^"'^ chairman and Asserablvman Hunt of
TheTo nt'comm^'/J„^''\^?""^ ""''''"" "'' A«'"«t«°t Secretary ^•K-iV . """'^*'**" '"''* "> 3 very friendly spirit and each ex hibited a strong desire to put a stop to the threatened compUca
hv fi;. i '''"^^ ^'".^^^^ ** '"■"P"^*''' concurrent bill was submUted by the Pennsylvania Commission at the first meeting and at the second meeting, which took place at Trenton the nrovkions of Iril concurrent bill were finally settled. I am hapjy to^ saThat ntirW every important point presented by PennsVh^nia was adopted while every provision of the new concurrent act might not meef with full approval by all fishermen on the river was v^t a measurrfar in advance of anything presented before and as n^rly perfect as
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
101
could be expected when the varied interest of the different parties of the Delaware river were considered.
At the meeting at Trenton it developed that there was a joint Commission between the State of New Jersey and Delaware one object of which was the same as our own with New Jersey and the New Jersey Commission strongly urged that Pennsylvania take part with the joint Commission between New Jersey and Delaware This request was seconded by an ex-official of the State of Delaware who had been present at the first meeting. A few days later a letter was received from an officer connected with the Maryland Fish Commission asking for the co-operation of Pennsylvania in protect- ing certain game fish by passing one or two acts similar to those which were in force in Maryland. It was too late to take such action ^yj^^^i^^^^^jly^nia Legislature then in session, but I at once notified the officer in question of the existence of the joint Commis- sions and advised him to have the Assembly in Maryland also ap- point a Commission to meet with New Jersey, Delaware and Penn- sylvania.
After a conference, the Pennsylvania Commission in making its interlocutory report advised that the life, power and scope of the Commission be extended to the Legislative session of 1907 in order that the fishery question might be discussed with New York New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. A joint resolution to that 'effect was introduced during the closing days of the session and promptly passeQ.
One of the si>ecial features of the concurrent bill adopted by New Jersey and Pennsylvania was a uniformity of mesh and season for catching fish with shore or haul and other nets excepting gill nets The first to be two and a half inch stretched measure and all gill nets for all species of food fishes excepting herring to be five inches and sturgeon nets ten inches.
I was anxious that a small license fee, on nets should be imposed not particularly for revenue purposes, but in order that the fishermen who secured licenses be protected against larceny of the fish from their devices. Under existing conditions, as fish belong to the State and not to the individuals, there is no law which will permit the punishment of a man for stealing fish from any net owned by another person. If, however, a small license fee were imposed, the State could then make taking fish from such a device a punishable offence just as the State makes it a punishable offense to steal a licensed dog but Ignores the stealing of an unlicensed one.
Unfortunately the fishermen, excepting on Lake Erie, are not yet educated to the advantages of a license fee; but I believe as soon as the principle is thoroughly understood, the fishermen themselves will be the first to come forward and ask for such fees to be imposed rhe license system now in force on Lake Erie, when it was^ first inaugurated by the State, caused some dissatisfaction among the fishermen but they are now nearly unanimous in hearty support They have leftrned that it is to their pecuniary advantage
The bill drawn in accordance with the action of the Joint Commis- sion was introduced into Pennsylvania's legislature and passed both Houses. It was sent to your Excellencv and to my great regret vou felt impelled to withhold your approval on the ground that it was special legislation and therefore unconstitutional. The title of the
102
REPORT OK THE
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bill provided that it should affect rivers which formed a boundary line between this and another State. You very properly held that the Delaware river was the only stream which would be affected by the two, and could therefore only be considered as special legislation. You had other objections to the bill which impelled you to veto it. You strongly advised me before the next session of the Legislature convenes to place the billg in the hands of a constitutional lawyer, so that what is really necessary legislation mav be legallv accom- plished. It is a course which I will gladly follow.'
In November the Commission met again, this time in connection with a Commission appointed by the State of New York, and another bill drafted containing the same provisions but worded ditTerentlv to meet the objections which were raised by the Governor of Penn- sylvania. This bill to be introduced to the Legislatures of New Jersey and New York at the sessions of 19()(>, and will be i>resented at the session of the Pennsylvania Legislatun' in 1J)07, provided the bill passes the Assemblies of New Jersey and New York.
It is a matter of congratulation that in the bill agreed upon bv the three commissions, there was only one which met any serious op- position from any of the members, and it is one that relate*^ to a weekly close season for shad. All the members of the three com- missions, save one, were strongly of the oi>inion that it was im- portant that there be a close season for shad, beginning with Friday night and ending Sunday at midnight. Under the law of LSSO, a close season began on Saturday at sunset and closed on Sundav at midnight. The members of the New York Commission were particu- larly insisting on a close season beginning on a Fridav night, giving very strong arguments in support of their position. One member of the Commission of New Jersey, Assemblyman Hunt, of Salem county, argued strenously against a weekly close season of such length. lie advocated a close season not earlier than noon on Saturday, prefer- ably sunset Saturday, and in the event of the latter being\adopted, extend the close season to Monday sunrise. The remainder of his colleagues and all the Pennsylvania Commission's colleagues sup porting the New York contention. It was pointed out that shad caught on Saturday morning were of little value and could only be sold at a price which would work injury to the fishermen themselves and also probable failures in many instances to sell at any price. A close season from Friday night until Sundav at midnight was held as nearly important as the artificial propagation of shad eggs, and it has become more important every year on account of the increasing number of nets, especially in the lower river, which injures the chances of the fishermen in the upper river. The Fridav night pro- vision was adopted by the Commission.
UNIFORM LAWS FOR THE GREAT LAKES.
In my last report I gave in some detail the proceedings of a con- ference between rishery Offleials of the United States bordering on the Great Lakes and at Canada to propose some measures affecting the fisheries of the inland fresh water seas. While every proposition
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
103
approved by the; conferem^e met with my hearty endorsement, I felt there were two or three which were either not adapted to the con- ditions around Erie or which could not be approved by the Legisla- ture of INmnsylvania on account of strong opposition on the part of many of the fishermen.
The number of the propositions, however, was so small and of such insignificant character, excepting one, that with that one exception they are hardly worth considering. The one exception was a limit of size or ^^eight proposed of different species of fish which might be caught. I felt it would be necessary to have this provision enacted after 1 had had a consultation with the leading fishermen and dealers of Erie.
The main features of the agreement reached by the conference pleased the fishermen and dealers, the more especially since they themselves had proposed one measure which was adopted unani- mously by the conference, namely, a close season. Shortly after the convening of the Legislature 1 drafted a bill in accordance with the recommendations of the international Conference of Detroit and it passed the Senate without a single objection being raised.
Before going on the calendar of the House, however, some differ ences of opinion arose between the lake fishermen as to the size of mesh and the propriety of abolishing the trap net, consequently the bill was heTd in committee for a short period, and a hearing was given representative fishermen by Senator A. E. Sisson, Fishery Commissioner Hamberger and myself. The result was some amend- ments were agreed upon and inserted on the bill which then passed the House and was agreed to by the Senate, your Excellency subse- quently appending your signature.
The chief new features of the new act governing the fishing on Lake Erie are making a close season for all kinds of net fishing from December 1 until March l^). Making the mesh of gill nets*' three inches stretched measure, and in all parts of the crib of pound nets two and one half inch stretched measure.
To prohibit the use of trap nets for a distance of fourteen miles from tiie mouth of l»resque Isle Bay, and to make the amount of licenses on trap nets optional with the Department, not exceeding five dollars.
To prohibit the catching of more than I.j black bass each day. As the International Conference had been so thoroughlv adver- tised among the fishery ofiicials of the States bordering on the Great Lakes, I was therefore much surprised to receive earlv in March a request from the (/ommissioner of one of the States to join a con- ference to be held in Chicago the early part of April, the object being to endeavor to secure some uniform legislation for the Great Lakes. As to date, April 10th was given. As the time was during tlu^ closing days of the session of our Legislature, I was unable to be present. *" In October I received advice from Ohio stating that a bill similar to our own would be introduced into Mie Ohio Legislature during the winter, and in November at the Conference of the Joint Commis'- sion of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, the last named agreed to report a bill with the New York Legislature on similar lines. Mr. Bastedo, the Deputy Conmiissioner for the Dominion of Canada, informed me that as soon as New York and New Jersey adopted the provisions of Pennsylvania, the Dominion of Canada
104
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
would follow suit by a decree of the fishery authorities of Canada. If therefore all this comes about, we will have for the first time uniform laws relating to the fisheries of Lake Erie.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES
SOCIETY.
Among the very important organizations in the United States relating to fish culture and fisheries is the American Fisheries Society, a national organization. Organized thirty-four years ago, its membership is composed of the leading fish culturists in the country, the leading members of the United States Bureau of Fish- eries, and most of the State Fish Commissions. Its utterances therefore are entitled to be received with great weight and respect. At the last meeting of the association held at White Sulphur Springs in July, 1905, there were two resolutions adopted unanimously, and if, as is recommended, the various States concur therein, a mighty advance in fish protection will have been accomplished.
To Prevent Pollution.
The first resolution refers to the pollution of streams and reads as follows:
Whereas, The attention of the American Fisheries Society has repeatedly been called to the rapid increase in the wholesale destruc- tion of fish by means of illegal nets and other devices ; by dynamite and by the pollution of the streams from sugar beet factories, tanneries, chemical works, wood pulp factories and other manu- facturing establishments, and by sawdust; and
Whereas, The American Fisheries Society regards with grave apprehension this wholesale destruction of an industry, the first value of which is upwards of seventy-five millions of dollars, and to preserve which few legislatures have taken adequate measures; and
Whereas, It is patent to this Society, that under existing con- ditions it is difficult for artificial propagation of fish to keep pace with this destruction; therefore, be it
Resolved, By the American Fisheries Society, assembled at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, this 26th day of July, 1905, that the legislatures of the several States be requested to enact such measures, without delaj^, as will prevent further destruction of fish life, particularly by laws forbidding the taking of undersized fish and the destruction of spawn by improper use of nets, and by legisla- tion forbidding further pollution of the waters; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the American Fisheries Society be, and he is hereby, instructed to send a copy of this preamble and resolution to the Governor of each State with a request that he
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
105
transmit the same to the legislature of his particular State when assembled.
I cannot give the resolution just quoted too strong an endorse- ment. I have dealt with the question of water pollution at length elsewhere.
m
Federal Control of Waters.
The second resolution is rather startling in its proposition and it reads as follows:
Resolved, That the American Fisheries Society, assembled at White Sulphur Springs, at this thirty-fourth annual convention, wish to heartily commend the efforts that are being put forth to have the differ States cede to the National Government any jurisdiction they may have over the fisheries of the Great Lakes and interstate water forming the boundaries between said States. And be it further
Resolved, That this Society most heartily commends the efforts of Representative Shiras, of Pennsylvania, in his efforts to secure the passage of a federal law regulating the fishing on the Great Lakes forming a boundary between this country and Canada. And be it further
Resolved, That this Society pledges its membership individually and as a society, to get their respective Congressmen and Senators committed to the support of this measure.
I have been given to understand that Representative Shiras and others who are advocating the passage of the federal law regulating the fishing on the Great Lakes do not propose that State sovereignty shall in any wise be encroached upon excepting in so far as relates to the enactment of laws relating to the method and time of catching fish in the lakes. I asked a United States Government official inter- ested in this movement if the enactment of such a measure would interfere, for example, with the imposition and collection of license fees from boats and nets used in fishery operations on the lakes and the reply was that such was not the intention; that according to his understanding it was merely to the extent which I have mentioned. Neither did he think there was any intention to ask the State to yield the right of enforcement of the laws or to prevent various State Fish Commissions or Departments from freely gathering spawn.
Under these conditions it seems to me that the movement deserves serious consideration. I believe no action should be taken which would encroach upon the sovereign i)owers of Pennsylvania, but uniform legislation on the Great Lakes in regard to the fisheries is of vital importance. While the steps which have been taken by the States of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and which met the approval of Canada, and if enacted by the States, will 1k^ followed by Canada undoubtedly, there is no certainty that all three of the States will for all time in the future continue uniform legislation. The action of the States named has been a great step forward, bul Fed«'r:il fishery regulations would be a greater step still.
8
106
REPORT OP THE
Oft. Doc.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
101
riJOl'OSED IMM ON THE SUSQUEHANNA KIVER.
Early m the sumnu'i- of 1905 announcement was made that a coipoiatiou had been foi-.ned composed chiefly of New York people to erect a dam across the Susquehanna river at McCall's Penv for the purpose of the storage and transportation of water and water power for commercial and nmnufacturing purposes, and for the generation of electricity. » f i , u lui uic
As the construction' of such a dam would seriously ettect the hshery interests of the Sus.iuehanna and perhaps equally destroy them aboye McCairs Ferry, 1 at once institut^ inq^uiry\nd found he beX ^UV,U'\ ' ««-,rt"»'^'<l tl'at the title of the concern was to «^ St.fe of ' T^' ^"'T ^'°"'P»"y; that it is a corporation of he Htltid . w"f^ ""'f ' n"'""''' ^^' "'"^ '"'^^'•S*^'' <"• <^""«olidation of W^te?. n^ .. *T. '*"** ^ "''■'■•■ ^'«n»P«ny and the Susquehanna y ater and Power Company, one in the township of Lower Chance- ford, lork county, and the other in the township of Martit Lan- caster couny. That the two water power cou.panies were incoio". ated by letters patent issued September 2, 1902, and hat the consohdation and merger was effected by merger agreement filed n the the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth VpVnu, 1905
As far as I have been able to understand it is pi^posed by the company to build a concrete dam from the York cou^y sho Ve to Mmnriye "■ ^Ti\ I'T 1""' «'»"P'^'tely spanning the Su que" Wi fi V 1 ■ ""' ""' ''"'" """'<1 ''e between 32 and 40 feet high, thus backing the water for many miles and submerging land on each side of the riyer to a height of from eight to wfnty et I ascertained that had purchased the land which wou d be sub merged, and heard that tin- tracks of the Pennsylvania Railro"d ys-^uch would be submerged would be raised aboye high °^terb The consent of the railroad company. •
«hoH^fl!!""*"!.'*'' "^f"*'!' '' *'""' ''■""''i unquestionably destroy eyerv shad fishery from the breast of the dam for many miles up the rher It IS not .surprising therefore that the shad fishermen are up in-rnis against tlu- construction of the dam. The Susquehanmi r ?e. is one
n,.iJf frr^ ""*"''*' «1>«^^"'"K grounds for fish in the count, y Origin lly It was a far great..r riyer for shad than the De°awi,^e
T. :' -Vv '^•'"■V "^ *"^ l'"t""'"« «•• the Connecticut. '"'^'''"'"^
pri ct'c^l'ly r"^, " nTl ;■""•''■ •'■?'•' "^'" ^>- ^''" <•••'"•'" companies piafrnaiu mined the fisheries aboye Columbia. The destruction
or rn( (i.ims on the Juniata riyer caused the shad once more tn ascend the first named stream as far as Clark's Fern L„d tl e Junia a nyer eyu into the Raystown branch. Year by year he shad fisheries improyed until they had once more become rensonnhlv in-ofitab e and there was eyery prospect that beforrmany ~t, 'e shad hsheries withiu I'ennsylyania would be worth several hundred l'ela:-are.""""" " '""'' •"""' *"'' "■"""' "' t"" --le fi:,u.ri'es"in'[he If the dam at McCall's Ferry is constructed, it would mean if not the complete wiping out of the shad industry, itsroducdon to
narrow limits, for the natural migration of the fish up the stream beyond McCall's Ferry would only be possible by means of fishways. It is a well known fact that of all the fishes, the shad is the most timid and it hesitates about going through any type of fishway which has yet been designed. The more courageous, it is true, pass through, as has been evidenced by the fishway placed in (Mark's Ferry dam by the State, but the number which go through in com- parison and those which refuse, is comparatively small.
I feel the shad industry ought to be developed, not destroyed, or even interfered with, even for the sake of the i)urpo8e for which the McCall Power Comi)any proposes to build a dam. It is not merely a question of dollars and cents which has to be considered, but the right of the people to have within their reach a very valuable and important food commodity at little cost. In my estimation, no cor- poration, no individual, or set of individuals should be given the right to deprive thousands of food. The latter even though its money value be less than a given industry, is more ess<Mitial to the community than the industry.
Suppose, for example, that the oft raised cry that great industries should not be i>revented from operating because of tho fish wore universally carried out. There would then be no fish and an enor- mous industry aggregating hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States, and which is regarded as one of the gnat sources of wealth, would be completely wiped out. If it is proper to exter- minate the fisheries where they interfere with manufacturing and other industries, then the same proposition can as logically be ap- plied to any other individual food industry. At the demand of industrial enterprises, the beef industry might be wii>ed out or the grain industry. As a matter of fact, promoters of industrial enter- ju-ises have declared their inherent right to jmllnte the streams at the expense of cattle raising.
Doubtless, people who might advocate the construction of a dam across the Susquehanna river may hold that the industry, which will be developed thereby, will be more important than the fishery in- dustry on the Susquehanna, but that will be a claim utterly without foundation and fact. The money invested by the company may exceed the money invested by tlu» fishermen on the Susciuehannii and its tributaries, although even that might be open to question, but its net earnings cannot possibly equal those which in a few years are certain to accrue to the fishermen from an open stream.
It is not merely the shad industry which would be destroyed, but the eel industry also. Within the last three years, since the legal- izing of catching this species of fish and their valuable and important industry valued at thousands of dollars a year has been created and if not interfered with, it is safe to say that in five years it will rank among the most important of tlie special fishery interests of Penn- sylvania.
The construction of the dam at McCall's Ferry would also wi])f out this new and growing trade in a useful food fish. To understaiul how surely and completely this will be, it is only necessary to point out that the eel is a fresh water fish which descends the river annu- ally to the sea for spawning purposes. The fish does not and cannot spawn in fresh water, hence the erection of a dam would prevent the matur(» fish and the young fish from ascending the river in the spring.
108
REPORT OF THE
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What is true of the eel and the shad industry is also true of a number of other fishes, the herring for example/which ascends for
dTJfT^ f^T .^f ?"'^ ^""y ""^l^^ P^*^««''t condftions In dollars and cents the total loss to the people along the Susquehanna iver would be, conservatively speaking, in the neighborhoo^d of half a million dollars a year, but more important than the dollars and cents would be the loss of food.
Fishermen on the Susquehanna river have appealed to the Depart- ment o oppose the construction of the dam; but the power of the Department in this respect is restricted, and it can onl?^Ict w thi^ the limits of the laws regulating fishing, and the fishermen them
^vHuT:' '^-'"'".r ^^''^ '""^ initiative and bear the b™nt of the work of opposing the construction of the dam at McCall's Ferry
wh?ch^7r""'°* will naturally and earnestly enforce every Lw which It can command for the preservation of the fisheries
OFFICE WORK.
Since the establishment of the Department the work of the oflice has enormously increased. For the last six months it has been simply impossible, even by extending the working hours into the night for the regular force to complete the work Another sten ographer IS imperatively needed, and I will be compelled to ask for the appointment of an additional stenographer. More than fifty letters are written every day in addition to other typewrUten matters which come under the charge of a stenographer and typewriter
for'at/oVaTSlt^setZ Tf Z'^t^^Z''' —-^^"o-
1st. The authority to employ an additional stenogranher at the same salary which is now authorized under the [^w ^
A Ihat measures recommended by the joint Legislative Com of' New YnT'^'^ 'V"""" ""'form fish laws betwf^n the States sylv^nTa. ' ' '"'''^' Maryland, Delaware, Ohio and Penn
3d. That among the provisions in the concurrent legislation there should be an act prohibiting the catching of shad in the Delaware river from Friday sunset until after Sunday midnight of each week during the otherwise legal open season. ^
4th. There should be an enactment forbidding the sale of certain food and game fishes, notably bass and yellow perch of less than a
tT%l^ ''^C'',T.'''' ^^''^ ^^^Sl"* ««• «t whit time of the year 5th. There should be an enactment forbidding the sale of black
^°- 23. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 109
to make fish caught in such licensed devices the subject of larceny the moneys accruing from such license fees to be devoted to the uses of the Department of Fisheries.
^^^;-!-®^''??^^^ recommend the enactment of stringent legislation prohibiting the pollution of streams to an extent that destroys food fish and injures public health. "^
8th. That the Act forbidding Sunday fishing be modified or ^fZLTnXeZ''''''''''''' -"^^ '^^""^^ ««"' discr'ion'L'th"
9th. That an appropriation be made sufficient to purchase a sea-
^"5 ofh T 'f,r ^'^""^ ^''"^. "^^ ^^^'^^""g P'"-P««e« on Lake Erie
10th That the appropriation for warden service be increased to an amount sufficient to employ the full number of regular waiMlens authorized under the Act of May 29, 1901, and for other exnenses incurred in the enforcement of the fish laws, and provided t^atL intn'?r t't^t^' ^^'■"'^"^ «» *!>« fi°^« instead of one-half be turned
11th Tht^^r'^T;'"'"^ ^^ ^'^^ "'^ "* t"^^ Department of FisherLs
llth. That the Department of Fisheries be given the right of
eminent domain in case an amicable understanding cannot be reached
between land owners and the Department for a property which the
?r?rtSerb?,a^^ '''' ""''''''' ^"-P"^- -''- ^uch\"atJh'ex^'es
appointed by the Department of Fisheries The above is respectfully submitted.
W. E. MEEHAN,
Commissioner of Fisheries.
no
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
The following- is a statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Department of Fisheries for the year ending November 30, 1905:
Received from the State Treasurer for the hatcheries
and general expenses of the Department,
Balance on hand November 30, 1904
Received from State Treasui-er under provisions of deficiency bill, act of March 10, 1905
Received from llake Erie licenses for the year ending November 30, 1905 '
Balance from Lake Erie licenses. November 30, 1904,
Received from fines for the year ending November 30,
1906
Balance from fines November 30, 1904
$25,704 19 8,504 00
1,843 01
3,503 17
139,559 37
Paid for hatcheries and general exjienset: of the De- partment
Received from the State Treasurer for the payment
of wardens 6,250 00
Balance on hand November 30, 1904 22 20
Received from eel licenses for the year ending No- vember 30, 1905
Balance from eel licenses on hand November 30. 1904,
896 45 284 09
6,272 20
1,180 54
$39,»79 90
7,452 74
Paid for wardens during the year $7,400 2i
Received from State Treasurer on account of contin- gent fund for the six months ending November 30, 1905
Paid for incidental expenses ,
New Hatcheries.
Received from State Treasurer for auxiliary to Erie i hatchery, act of May 11, 1905 $5.000 00
Payment for building, ponds, etc ~~~7!~~ $4,777 87
Received from State Treasurer for Torresdale hatch- ery, act of May 11. 1005
$767 12
Paid for labor, etc.
Received from the treasurer of Philadelphia for Torresdale hatchery $5.000 00
$767 12
Paid for building, etc. $4,1!S0 OO
FIshways.
Received from State Treasurer for erection of fish- ways under provisions of section 13. act of May 29.
1901
$1,753 90
Paid for fishway at (laleton. ., Paid for advertising proposals.
1 . 750 CO 3 90
$1,7.=)3 90
Total receipts for the year i, $60,766 01
Total payments for the year ! i $,')8,4.''>6 e.'i
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
Ill
CORKY HATCHERY.
Station No. 1. Report of Superintendent Wm. Duller. Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I take pleasure in presenting my thirteenth annual re-
duig ^: ^nr ^u '''' ''''^''' '^^^^ '^'^- ' -- ^^^^^ " ""'^"t
tin, fiii '^ T , ""' """ Pi'evious records in hatching and distribu-
noiL t\r5 2l7o'^n'^^ ''^' ^"t ^-- t^- 1-tchery
?T nntfi r ' 'x?^ ^^^' ""^ ^^^ ^'"^^^"- ^f these 3,295,500 were brook n77 4n?i^"'f ^^^- ^' ^^^^ '^'''^^^^ b^-^^k trout fingerlings No 2 Kll 'no *r r^'r'"^'""^1 "^i" '; ^"' ''^''' ^-^^^ Lefen tro,rt linSs No 1 ^2 i\n ut l^"" "'''^? Y^^^' ^^'^"^' ^'^^^ ^^^'^^ ^ass finger- imgs .No. 1, 2,lo0 black -bass and the remainder miscellam^ous fishes
o J^ "^^r"'^^'"^^ *«t«l ^x^'^^eds the previous eightcH^n nionths bv 22 012 fish or at least 1,000,000 more than the previous caleX yeai- I began shipping brook trout early in March and fi led the last
' Fni f^,f T':^\"^'' ^"^ ^" ^^P^'^1 2^^^'^^^' '-^"d in May 743 500. ^^ 1^01 the first time in many years, owing to a long ix^riod of ex- tremely dry weather, the water supply in the various sm-iZs on tlfe
i^M"i^7''^V''^r'^'^' '^"^ "^ ^^- ' ^— reaped danger point. This was in December, and I promptlv augmented the suddIv from a pond which was supplied whollv with sprinrwater Th^^^^ water was much colder than that which regulaHv fl^ow^d i„to tL house, and in consequence fry in the troughs supplied bvt were much smaller than those in the water from the regu ar s rinV bn?
^'m^^rS N^ '^'''^ ''? ^^^^-* ^- ^^a^e^mber
or nngdiinp No 1, which is reported. I am glad to sav that bv
woro nf "?„ "/ ^lu '""'*1\"-^'';*' " '"'■«'' rinmhov of „Id ....nh-s whirl, were of no further use to the n<.i>artinent for broe.liii- i)nrr)oso.s and on the direction of the romn.issioner, thev were sent to" ar on!; ponds for public parks, etc.. where th.-v c^uld boused X show Z poses B.v jfetting rid of these fish three of the ponds are now a! i ' able for .vounger and good breedin^r trout.
The lake trout e^'gs received from the United States h'ltched
v.'n ccd f^.??'' *'"r J-1? •■• «"^'"^ I'orcentasc of loss amm^ the ad
«;,?,/ !•« r'" ■'"'' ♦'""'■'^- ■■' ^'^''^^'' ^^hi*-'' tl.e young of this specu-s of fish s<M.ni i>articularly liable, if overcrowded
Inasniuch as the D.-partinent was disappointed last Autumn in ob
inning lake tront eggs frou, Dunkirk on account of tl e f^sh" "hk not
resetting the.r nets after a severe blow on the lake, it n"s7ho"S
best to make preparations at this and other hatcheries to become
«-,„*..?• ^* ^'"' request of the Commissioner. 73000 best selected lake (rout flngerlings to be retained for breeding purposes
112
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
in this and the Union City auxiliary. I propose, with the consent of the Commissioner, to retain several thousand annually. It requires four years for a lake trout to reach spawning age. With the stock held back this year, and that retained annually, in five years from now the Department should be certain of many million eggs of lake trout independent of those which may be taken from wild fish from Lake Erie and elsewhere.
Several years ago California trout were reared at this hatchery and many thousands sent out annually. The Fish Commissioner, however, decided to cease propagating the fish on the grounds that the results in the streams were not sufficiently satisfactory when the expense of rearing was considered. At the Allentown Station the number of barren males and females w^as nearlv one half the total number. The proportion was not nearly so large at this hatchery, in fact it was scarcely more than the i>ercentage of barrenness among the brook trout. Another reason the Fish Commission de- cided to abandon California trout culture was that at the Allen- town hatchery the fish spawned in November at the same time as the brook trout. At the Corry hatchery the spawning season was the same as in their native waters on the Pacific coast, namely, March.
Two years ago I suggested to the Commissioner that it would be well to try the experiment work again of rearing California trout, at least at this hatchery. I drew his attention to the fact that the per cent, of barrenness among the females was normal and the spawning season in March when the hatchery troughs were being emptied of brook trout, advanced fry and fingerlings. By taking up the Cali- fornia trout again the Department would thus be employing the hatching house for several months longer and would be' able to plant that many more desirable fish. The area of the Corry hatchery has been extended and new ponds added, therefore the Department can afford to give some space to brood California trout.
The Commissioner received the suggestion favorably and a requisi- tion made on the United States Government for eggs. Thirty thousand were received in the month of June from the United States station at Leadville, Colorado. They were in fine condition, and hatched with scarcely any loss. They are now in the ponds and doing well. With these fish alone two years hence I should be able to nearly double the present output of trout from this hatchery, with- out taking into consideration the vast increase which must come from the large number of brook trout wiiich have been added to the breeding list. This addition is 100,000 young fish of wild trout received last May from the Wayne county hatchery.
The fish in the breeding ponds remained in splendid health during the year. There was at no time any indication of an epidemic, and the death rate was far below that which is usually considered nor- mal. It was rare, in fact, to find a dead fish. l' never saw finer, healthier, plumper trout. In fact, if there was anything wrong, they were a little too fat, because when we began to take eggs this fall I noticed that there were more "bloody eggs" than usual.
I began taking eggs on the sixth of October and the last were taken a few days before the close of the year. In all we took very nearly 5,000,000 eggs. I am sorry to ^:\y[ however, that they were not as good on the average as in former years. At the outset. there was a heavier, percentage of loss than I like to see. and this loss T attribute to the prevalence of "bloody eggs" among the females.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
113
Wherever we came upon a fish afflicted this way the eggs started hard at the vent and as they were expressed, clots of blood were miagkd with them. I am inclined to think that this "bloody egg" trouble IS due to their having been slightly over fed and allowed to become too fat. The egg loss, however, was only in the beginning. As soon as the first picking was over the death rate was normal only, and the total loss I think will not exceed twelve per cent The eggs began to hatch on November 28th, and they are rapidly emerg- ?L!J'^^ their shells fine and healthy fry. There should be at least 4,000,000 for distribution in the spring.
The rock bass and sunfish and yellow perch spawned freely in their respective ponds and the prospects were good for a large quantity of yellow perch. Unfortunately, the yellow perch had scarcely spawned when there came a period of extremely cold weather and a furious storm. The perch pond became thick with mud. The yolk sacs were cut and thousands upon thousands of the little creatures floated up against the outlet screen and died. Only a few hundred survived.
In the sunfish pond there gathered an immense quantity of algae and It formed faster than it could be taken out, and also at a time v\'hen to do so would mean the taking out of the minute fish. We might, however, as well have done it first as at last for when we undertook to draw the pond for the purpose of getting out the sun- hsh and rock bass for distribution, the majority of them were smothered in the slime before they could be rescued. TT ^f^yj^ the fall I received a car load of large mouth bass from the United States Bureau of Fisheries. They were good sized specimens, but unfortunately were badly bruised. Fungus, consequently broke out among them and many died. It had been intended to keep them for brc^eding purposes at the New Crawford and Spruce Creek hatcheries, but the breaking out of the fungus compelled a change of plans and they were therefore distributed to applicants. This was decidedly the best plan because 6y putting them in the natural streams most of them would recover from the bruising more readilv than they would in the ponds.
The latter part of November I received 5,500,000 lake trout e^gs from the United States Fish hatchery at Northville, INlichigan " A portion of these were intended for hatching in the Corry Station and the remainder at the new hatchery at Union City. When thev arrived the Union City hatchery building was not quite ready, but a tew days later was able to send over between 2,000,000 and 4,000,000. Considering the long journey and the fact that I was forced to crowd tliem in the troughs when they arrived, thev have done very well
Just before the winter closed the roof of the oldest portion of No. 1 hatching house gave way under the weight of the snow. Fortun- ately, at the time most of the troughs in that part of the house had been emptied of the fish and there was therefore no loss through the catastrophe.
It is not surprising the roof fell in since that portion of the house was built thirty years ago, and it is probable that there has never been more than twenty-four hours when the rafters have been free from moisture. Some one has said that trouble never comes singly
8—23—1905
114
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
and this was true at the Corrj hatchery last year. Within two weeks after the roof in No. 1 broke in, a part of the flooring of the hatchery No. 2 gave way fortunately without allowing any of the trfoughs to drop through. Hatchery No. 2 was a cheaply constructed alfair, and it was built over the larger part of a trout pond; the floor joists were of wood and naturally rotted. Although built as recently as 1898, it is surprising that the floor joists held as long as they did. Indeed the floor was shaky for more than a year before anv portion of it gave way.
As soon as the shipping season was over we began repairs. A new roof was put in No. 1 house in the early part of July, and the new floor on the No. 2 house the latter part of the same month. In order that there should not be as much dampness in the future, ventila- tors were put in the roof of No. 1 house and also No. 3 house. All the buildings were also painted white and green, the hatchery colors decided by the Commissioner. A flag pole was also planted on the hatchery ground, and on the Fourth of July, for the first time in the history of fish culture in Pennsylvania, the American flag floated over the grounds of the Corry hatchery, the flag having been sent from the Department at Harrisburg.
A\ itli the beginning of the summer commenced repair and exten- sion work to the ponds. The fry ponds around No. 3 house were put IKn'fect condition. Four new ponds at No. 3 were finished and three others started and completed just before frost, making seven new ponds added in 1905.
The work of building these ponds was extraordinarily difficult. They are located on the ground purchased two or three vears ago from th(^ Hatch estate. The whole place it dotted with springs and most of the ground is a muck heap. Just beneath the surface, water soaked trunks of trees buried, no man knows how manv years ago, are to be found everywhere. In places the muck or quicksands are ten and fifteen feet deep. Last year when we began some ponds in this section we tried to build side walls of concrete but the effort was a failure owing to there being no good foundation; the walls cracked and sunk and bent out of shape. By patient tinkering at them I have at length succeeded in getting them to reach foundations, but they are by no means things of beauty.
With this experience in mind this year I made the side walls of boards, driving uprights down until they struck solid ground, then gouging out the ponds two feet deeper than I required them. On top of this muck I then spread thoroughly two feet of what we call here gravel, that is small stones from the size of a large marble to the size of a small orange. By spreading it oiLproperly and then leaving it, in the course of a couple of weeks they seemed to bind up, indeed they formed a bottom on which a man could stand. Then adding some more gravel and letting it stand a couple of weeks I had a fairly firm bottom. The building of these seven ponds, which would ordinarily have been accomplished in about three weeks, took from the early part of July to the first of November.
Even after they were built I met with trouble from the innumera- ble little springs in the sponge ground on the right side- water squirted through the sides of the ponds in streams and broke above the surface of the ground. When on one of his tours of in- spection I had a conference with Mr. Meehan on the subject of abat-
^°- 23. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 115
'"V.^"'^/!^!!"^*''' ^^"^ '- '"*^ ^ ""'^''^ ^«« I ^"ilt al><^u< «ix ffPt to the
ufHin/.V T'^'y 'P'.^"^^ ^^ ^^'^ '^^'^'^ 1^^"^^ ^1"'^^^ false ponds or VMde ditches boarding the sides and ends of same as regular ponds
but made them only about two and a half t^^t deep. Into7hese runs K / * «"n)liis water drains to a depth of about a foot and inns ott into some of the lowest ponds. Later, if necessarv these
l^'l^v" '^'•' *^^' '''''''''^ ^^' *^^^1^"^« ^^«- ^ ^^»d 2 fingerHngs kept for breeding purposes. *' '
The superlntendonfs resideiK-e is an old striuture, miuh older Ilia 1 the liat.heiy. It contains no modern <oiiveiiieu(es and was
er H- ,'",''■/• f •:?""■• '^''"' """'•'1 "^ l''"'"''.^- <""minission last win- ter decided to bnild a new dwelling and a e<.ntra,t was awarded dur- ing th.. summer to a loeal builder for a new house .oiitaining all the modern couvenieu,-,.s for the use of the superint^-udeut. oMng t^, stiikes and otlu-r troubles the house was not .onipleted at the end of th(> ealendar year. It is being built on th.- n.-iv grounds.
keentnf. tlV"'/ ^" ^»"",•''"*^,'"■"' ''*""'''• '''■""'"'K t\u- hatching house, keeping the lawn and walks ii, good condition on the old property I
began the work of putting the new grounds in pres<.ntable condition 1 graded the gronud along the dwlling hou.s,. marked out a d rive: way from the public road to No. ;! hat.hery, planted maple trees on . ach side and .leared away most of the underbrush in the woods If th,. Department could afford to give me two m.-n 1 could keep them continuously for the next two years, in beautifying tli,> new grounds and ,n keeping the old to the high,.«t standard as it is this work n ay only be done at odd times. ^
My assistant in charge. William Haas, has been with the Denart- ment for more than fifteen years and to-dav is as efficient a trout cultunst as there is in the State. My first assistant. Te.Te Crk house, has been in the employ of ,l,e Department fm- oyer ei"ht .years and is not far behind Mr. Haas in efficiency. Although I am exceedingly sorry to lose them. I f.-el that they both deserye d e m" motion to superintendencies. whi.'h Inne com,: to them and I yenture to say that the new Spruce Creek Hatchery will, in the hands of Mr Haas become as important and successful as anv in Pennsylvania' j nd that he Torresdale Hatchery, under the charge of Mr. Ck-
thfs report! <''«f''>''f""» of fishes by .ounties is app.-nded to
The Following is the Estimated Xunib..r of Fish in the Breeding
Ponds:
Brook trout four years old .. f,,,,,
Hrook trout three vears ohl, ... 97,,
Hiiook troiit two veare old. ... ^-n I
Hrook trout one year old r^nZ
r-alifornia flngerlings '-'" "
Goldfish, ...... ^^'•"""
«"nfi8h :; .■;.■.:.■.■.■.■ ; o^n
Rock bass ■■* iZ
Yellow i>erch .■.■;.■ ' ;'*"
I-ake trout yearlings — [[[ [
116
REPORT OF THE
CORRY HATCHERY.
Off. Doc.
Output of Fish for Year 1905.
Brook Trout Fingerlings No. 1 Distributed from December
to December 1, 1905.
Armstrong county,
Bradford county,
Cumberland county,
Cameron county,
Columbia county,
Carbon county,
Clinton county,
Cambria county,
Clarion county,
Crawford county,
Dauphin county,
Erie county,
Elk county,
Franklin county,
Fulton county,
Forest county,
Fayette county,
Indiana county ,
Jefferson county,
Lycoming county,
Lackawanna county,
Lebanon county,
Luzerne county,
Mercer county,
McKean county,
Northumberland county,
Pike county,
Potter county,
Philadelphia county,
Somerset county,
Schuylkill county,
Susquehanna county
Sullivan county_,
Tioga county,
Venango county
Wyoming county,
Wayne county,
Warren county,
Westmoreland county,
York county,
Callicoon, New York,*
Hancock, New York,* '.
Lordville, New York,*
1, 1904,
1,500 46,500
116,000 15,000 18,000 40,000
170,000 19,500 2,000 21,000 81,000 54,500 76,500
190,500 28,000 52,000 13,500 4,500 62,000
214,500
200,000
1,500
48,000
58,500
307,000
6,000
24,000
404,000
66,000
66,000
40,500
8,000
113,500
202,500 81,000 24,000 24,000
253,000
70,500
55,500
4,000
4.000
8,000
3,295,500
•These fish were plant**! In Penniylvaala w*t«rs.
^°- ^^ DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 117
Brook Trout Fingerlings No. 2, Distributed from December 1 1904
to December 1, 1905. ' '
Allegheny county, ^_^^
Bradford county, o±,ouu
Berks county, 11,500
Cambria county, 21,000
Carbon county, . 19,500
Clinton county, ..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.[[[] ^^'^^^
Crawford county, 16,500
Columbia county,' 18,000
Clarion county, 4,500
Dauphin county, 36,000
Elk county, .......! ^'^^^
Erie county, ^'^^^
Fayette county, .........[.....,][ 43,500
Jefferson county, 15,000
Luzerne county, 9,000
Lackawanna county, o3,500
Lycoming county, .'..... .* .* ' ." * ' * * .'*''*.*"'' 94 nna
Lawrence county ^%^i)\j
Monroe county, 15,000
McKean county, 13,500
Mercer countvf .' 64,500
Mifflin county, ...*.'.* .'.*.*.*.'.' .* '^'^^^
Northampton county, ...'.[.'. ^l'^^^
Potter county, .* ^^^'^^^
Sullivan county, ?'^^^
Somerset county, . 15,000
Schuylkill county, ..**.*.**.*'. ^^'^^^
Tioga county, .^ ^'^^^
Venango county, 48,000
Warren county^ 3,000
Wyoming county, 18,000
Total, ~ ~
' 767,000
Lake Trout Fingerling No. 2 Distributed from December 1 1904 to
T , December 1, 1905. ' '
Lackawanna county,
Luzerne county, . ^^yovv
Sullivan county, ..'.'.'.'.'.'..'. ^^'^^^
Wyoming county, ...'.*.*.*.'.*.* tS,'^^^
Wayne county fish hatchery, ^^'3
Planted in Lake Erie, ::;:::;::;:::;:: 900'S
''^*^'' ~ 1,077,50^
Loch Levan Trout ^[riger^ings No. 2, Distributed fro^T^^^^^^
^, ^ 1904, to December 1, 1905.
Chester county, o^ nn«
Philadelphia county, . ?f^^^
/' 34,000
Total,
' 68,000
118
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
Large Male Brook Trout, Males Distributed from December 1, 1904,
to December 1, 1905.
Bucks county, 25
Centre countv, 50
Lackawanna countv, 25
Lancaster county, 100
Philadelphia county, 05
York countv, 70
Total, 335
Yellow perch fingerlings >»o. 2. sent to Torresdale hatcherv from D(»ceniber 1, 1904, to December 1,
1905, . .' 100
Rock bass fingerlings No. 1 sent to Torresdale hatch- ery from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905, . . 3,000
Blue gill sun fish fingerlings No. 1 sent to Torresdale hatchery from December 1, 1904, to December 1,
1905, . .' 000
Gold fish 1 vear old sent to Torresdale hatcherv 300
Yearling gold fish distributed from December 1, 1904,
to December 1, 1905, Allegheny county 30
Yearling Bluck Bass Distributed from December I, 1904, to Decem- ber 1, 1905.
Armsti ong county. 50
('rawford county 100
Carbon county 50
Forest county 50
Lackawanna county 200
Lancaster county, 100
Lycoming county 100
Lebanon county 50
Montgomery county 50
Meicer county, 100
Northampton county 50
Northumbei'land county 50
IMiiladelj>hia county 50
Susquehanna county 250
Venango county 200
Wavne countv 050
^Varren county 50
Total 2,150
Large Black Bnss Distributed from Deccmbrr 1, 1904. to I)(Mcmber
1, 19(K5.
\Vavne countv 100
VVM. Bt'LLKR. Suix^'intundent Corrv ITatcherv
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
119
ERIE HATCHERY, STATION No. 2.
Report of A. G. Buller, Superintendent.
To the Members of the Fish Commission:
loS'll^ D^mb^?"iil05' ^The^ ""^"f ^'^^^^^ ^^^^^ ''^^^^^^ ^^
and lake herdngeg-s received Xi^'^r^ ^ ^'IT' '"^"""* ''^ ^'^'"'^ ^'^^ fnni^ +r,^ « 1 ^ ^'"^ recened this season than n previous vcnr^j in
lion. 1 might add we have s nee received tho niiini^^,. ..f • ^
The fi.;st shipnunt of walleyed pike ejiRs was received on Vn.il lOth. V^e fontiniied to receive eo-^s iintirHi,. oonj ', xi ^^'l'.
The total amount received was 6^'riOnnn nn\f i f ^'"' """"*''•
..te. to ...rent part, ot U.^^^ ^J^^^^^^^-^^
nnlt." wis'^f ',00 O0.r*'n; n"" '''"'1''' ''''"- "^ ">'^ W"<^ P'^e. The
and planldi; Lake Erie """"^'^'' ''""'' ''"■' '*-*^^"'»0« >'«t<="<'<l
I regret to rei,ort tli(> jmor condition of these citl's Tn tim fi. f
the fish had been dead for son e time Th.' ^'';. '.•'"'«'*': ""■"•'^■' "f also the weather at this "rof the vej ^TJ^'^nr^L'^T/""''"''"- Bo^..nt,,v. there is nsnal.v a large lossH; H.; hate'! .i^^-or'tt hZ
... Targ.. ..nantities. the total „nn„.er .^.inr.2.);;!o: ^^'^^.^t':.;'
120
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
perienoe, frog culture vet being in an experimental state, the ponds were over stocked. The tad-poles began dying rapidly when they were about six weeks old, but we did not realize the cause until it was too late. When we finally noticed their alarming condition, we removed the remaining tad-poles to the number of 30,000 to the ponds on the peninsula. I feel that our past experience has given us sufficient reason to believe that our next attempt will be more successful.
On November 14, 1905, we received the first shipment of white fish spawn. The eggs came in quite rapidly. On the 27th day, we received our last shipment, making a total' of 41,976,000. We are better prepa-red for handling a larger number of eggs this season than in previous years.
As the amount of white fish eggs received was not sufficient to fill the batteries, I asked Mr. Meehan's permission to employ a num- ber of the fishing tugs from Erie in order to collect lake herring spawn. Under the new law the fishing season closes November 15. Mr. Meehan decided to employ the fishing tugs to collect spawn for the hatchery. The first boats began fishing on November 23. As the nets had been removed from the lake, there was some difficulty in locating (he fish. From the time they began fishing until Decem- ber 1st, they collected 6,880,000 eggs. If the weather continues fav- orable we should be able to fill the house.
I wish to speak here of the jar Mr. Meehan has invented. Mr. Meehan had two sample jars forwarded to this hatchery and asked me to give them a thorough test. We have the jars in constant use. and compared them carefully with the MacDonald jar, the only other type in use in this hatchery. Up to the present time the jar has given perfect satisfaction. The shape of the inside and bottom is similar to the MacDonald jar, but the top differs materially as it has an opening similar to the Downing which affords better access to the eggs. Another decided improvement is the flat bottom stand. The MacDonald jar has small feet or knobs on the bottom which are very easily broken when the jar is practically of no further use. The jar as it now is. works four quarts and one pint of eggs with one and one half quarts of water to the minute. I suggested to Mr. Meehan to raise the spout or lip one inch higher. By so doing the jar will conveniently carry a larger number of eggs.
Mr. Meehan directed me to collect the licenses for fish in Lake Erie for 1905. There were 101 licenses issued. There were |!71.00 collected for trap nets, |40.00 for night lines, f980.00 for gill nets, 15.00 for dip net, |440.00 for pound nrts, making a total of $l,536.0o!
I wish to speak of my assistant, Philip H. Hartman. I feel that a great deal of credit is due Mr. Hartman. He took particular pains in the work after my leaving on the 4th day of September for Union City to take charge of the auxiliary hatchery.
The number of visitors registered this year was 2,151.
There were several changes made at the hatchery. The porch on the south side of the building was enclosed, which has enlarged the working space inside. As we did not have sufficient light in the hatchery, Mr. Meehan directed me to have a window put in on the west side of the building. There were some needed repairs made on one of the battei^ies. There was also an old fry tank removed and a new one put in its place. The building was given a coat of paint
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
121
both inside and outside. The fence was repaired and also painted A flag pole was raised and from its top floated the stars and stripes.
Yours respectfully,
A. G. BULLER, Superintendent.
ERIE HATCHERY
Output of Fish for Year 1905.
Wall eyed Pike i^ry Distributed from December 1, 1904, to Decem- ber 1, 1905.
May 5, Armstrong county, so nan
May 10, Bradford county, i9n ono
fill i^ ^''^'f''^, '---^y^ ::::::::::::: mm
May 4, Crawford county, 230 000
May 8, Cumberland county, ..." * 7*>'oOO
May 8, Dauphin county, ofi nnn
fill s'h'T r"'^"' •; ::::::::::: 200,000
May 8, Huntingdon county, 120 000
May 10, Luzerne county, 36 000
May 10, Lackawanna countv, 48000
May 9, Lycoming county, : '/.'.'.]'.'/..'. 288000
May 4, Lawrence county, Oo'oOO
May 4, Mercer county, 570 000
May . 5, Mercer county, 300,'oOO
May 8, Northumberland county, . . . 60,000 *^ ^ ' May 9, Northumberland county, . . . 120,000
May 8, Perry county 7TT77 ^8oC
M^^o' l^^'V'""*'^' •• ::::: mZ
May 10, Susquehanna county, 354 000
May 5, Venango county, . . ! * j VjO 00(1 '
May 8, Venango county, 29o!ooo
Mnx. Q Mil X — 1,540,000
May 8, Warren county, 640,00i)
May 12, Warren county, 480,000
May 8, York county, 7777 ' * ^'{lo 000
May 4 ti) 12, Planted in Lake Erie, ;;;.:;; 45,464;000
"^^^^^^ 51,324,000
9 """"==
122
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
ERIE HATCHERY.
Yellow Perch Eggs sent to Corry, Wayne County and Bellefonte Hatcheries from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
May 18, Wayne County Hatchery, 1«n 000
Ma^ l> rn"'*°^*! I"''"''"''' ■■ •■•••• SoOO
May 26, Corry Hatchery, 100,000
"^^^^^^ .• • 380,000
Yellow Perch Fry sent to Corry and Bellefonte Hatcheries from
December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
May 21, Bellefonte Hatchery, 9n oon
May 26, Corry Hatchery, . .\' :;.:;:;:;;:;: : sJoOO
"^^^^^f 70,000
ERIE HATCHERY.
Fish Caught for Corry and W^ayne County Hatcheries from Decem- ber 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
Adult yellow perch o.p.
Yellow perch fingerlings No. 3, . mo
Rock bass, adult, or^
Calico bass, adult, 7^2
Sun fish, adult ^^^
Black bass, adult k^'^
Grass pike, adult, * '. *. *. ^^^
Black bass fingerling No. 4 ..,[] [ ] [ [ * .' .' [ ' ,' 47
^^*^1' 2,844
ERIE HATCHERY.
Black Bass Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1 1905
Fingerlings No. 2. '
August 17, Blair county, o^x
September 1, Columbia county, ... onn
August 7, Huntingdon county onn
September 1, Lebanon county onn
September 1, Lycoming county, ^00
September 22, Susquehanna county [[][ ^qq
'i'"^--" ^
No. 23.
August
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
Black Bass Fingerlings No. 3. 7, Huntingdon couirty,
123
2.000
Black Bass Fingerlings No. 4. September 22, Susquehanna county,
100
ERIE HATCHERY.
Black Bass Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
Fingerlings No. 4.
November 7, Chester county, 90
November 7, Lebanon county, .' 30
November 7, Philadelphia county, 60
Total, ^
Cat Fish, Fingerlings No. 1.
July 22, Elk county, 2,000
ERIE HATCHERY.
Yellow Perch Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1,
1905.
Fingerlings No. 3.
September 22, Carbon county, 2,000
September 22, Columbia county, l[2r)0
September 22, Lackawanna county 1.000
Total, 4^250
ERIE HATCHERY.
\\'Iiit<' fish fry i^hintcd in Lake Erie from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905, 34,489,000
Lake herring fry planted in Lake Erie from Decem- ber 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905, 22,840,000
Wall-eyed pike fry planted in Lake Erie from Decem- ber 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905, 45,464,000
Blue pike fry planted in Lake Erie from December 1,
1904, to December 1, 1905 9,4.50,000
Tadi>oies planted in ponds on peninsuhi at Erie from
December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905 30,000
124
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
ERIE HATCHERY.
White Fish Eggs Sent to Torresdale Fish Hatchery from Decem- ber 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
December, 1904, White fish eggs, 3,096,000
Lake Herring Sent to Torresdale Fish Hatchery from December 1
1904, to December 1, 1905. '
December, 1904, Lake Herring eggs,
15,760,000
ERIE HATCHERY.
Licenses CollPcted at Erie from December 1, 1004, to December 1
1905. '
1906.
March 28,
28,
April 4,
5.
e,
12. 12. 14. 16. W. M. 19. 24.
24.
24.
24,
24,
24,
26. 28,
28,
2».
1. 18,
1.
1.
1. 1,
May
1. 1,
2. 4,
M. L. Alford, Northvllle, Pa., 3 trap nets
3- 5f- Truesdall, Northvllle, Pa., 3 trap nets, ..'.*.■.■.■.■.■
W. E Babcock, Northvllle, Pa., 5 trap nets,
F. Helmbrecht, N. Springfield. 2 trap nets
Keystone Fish Co., Erie. Pa.:
Tug W. J. McCarter, gill nets
Tug Rainbow, gill nets
Tug E. C. Oggell. gill nets ;
Tug Doctor, gill nets ;.
H. N. Joles, North Girard, 10 trap nets
Andrew Joles, North Girard, 10 trap nets, '....
Clark Service. North Springfield, 2 trap nets, .'.'.'.'.'.
, R. Kunth. North Springfield, 2 trap nets .
Case, Johnson & Co., North Girard, 4 trap nets
Case, Johnson & Co., North Girard. 1 sail boat gill "net
Gllson Johnson, Falrvlew, Pa., 6 pound nets
Henry Burg, Erie, Pa.:
Tug Master Esser, gill nets
Ed. Lamp, Erie, Pa.:
Ping Pong gas boat, gill nets
Geo. Nunnea, Erie, Pa.:
Sail boat, gill net
Charles Nelson, Erie Pa,:
Sail gas boat, gill nets
Frank Wlegand, Erie, Pa.:
Sail gas boat, gill nets
Joe Degnan, Erie, Pa.:
Sail gas boat, gill nets
Theodore Wagner, North East, 2 trap nets"*.".*."!.*."]
Eugene Loesch, Erie, Pa.:
Tug Eugene Loesch, gill nets
Tug Kate Wilson, gill nets
J. J. Flckles, Harbor Creek:
Sail boat, gill nets
Schiafferle Bros., North East, 4 pound nets
R. Kunth, North Springfield, 1 trap net? ...
Doke Reed, Erie:
Wm. Truesdall, Northvllle, 5 trap nets
Jerry Driscoll, Erie:
Tug Norma,
Wm. Daggett. North Girard, 1* pound" net,' "... !
Keystone Fish Co.. Erie:
Tug Erie, gill net
Tug H. H. Boyd, gill net .'.*.".'.*.*.*
Tug C. W. Desmond, gill net
Tug Eagle, gill net. .........::;
Joe Fratus. Erie:
Steam launch, gill nets
M. Maher, Erie, Pa.:
Tug HIngston, gill nets
Frleburg & Co., Erie, Pa.:
Gas sail boat, ..'
H. J. Knight, Manager. A. Booth '&' Co.", "Erie:
Tug Valiant, gill nets ..T!..
|
$3 00 3 00 5 00 2 00 |
|
15 00 15 00 20 00 20 00 10 00 10 00 2 00 2 00 4 00 5 00 60 00 |
|
20 00 |
|
5 00 |
|
5 00 |
|
5 00 |
|
5 00 |
|
5 00 200 |
|
15 00 15 00 |
|
5 00 40 00 1 00 |
|
ROO |
|
15 00 10 00 |
|
20 00 20 00 20 00 15 00 |
|
10 00 |
|
20 00 |
|
5 50 |
|
20 00 |
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
125
LICENSES COLLECTED— Continued.
1905. May
4,
June
Sept.
5. 8,
8, 8,
11.
15, 15, 15. 15,
Tug Cockerell, gill nets
Tug Comet, giii nets
7^' w • T-S^V^*^^^ Northvllle. 1 trap " "net! '".'.'. C. W. Zlegler, Erie: . •••
Sail boat, gill nets
S^K^*.^Sr""?*' ''^^ ^^^' K»i' nets. ":.";:.";;:;
Dash & Masters, Erie:
Five pound nets
W. F. PInney, Erie:
iSail boat, gill nets
11. t F. P. Elchbacher. Erie:
II: ; Sir?s'sch^!^?:i.L^ ^'"'^*'' ^'•'«- ^ ^'p "«*• ••
1.^ ^.?,.^"''1L.^P^y' erlll nets
15, William Wilson, Erie:
Tug Planet, gill nets
Keystone Fish Co., Erie-
Tug Don, gill nets
Dan Elliott, Erie:
Tug Elma, gill nets *
C. Hudson, Erie:
Tug Jean, gill nets
Kraus Co., Erie:
sail boat, gill nets
ifi VJ^K>^ Masters Erie. 5 pound" nets, ".■"""" 11: SS.e^R'eS^tie'^"' ^"""^'"^' « ^^""^ -ts,
; Row boat, gill nets
16, Reed & Duwallle. Erie, 4 poundnets ;;;
18, Gronnette & Spaulding Erie-
' Row boat, gill nets, ..'. "
18, Jake Frantz, Erie:
Row boat, gill nets
6 trap nets
Aug. 1,
1,
5. 10, 11,
11.
14, IB, 15, 15.
19. 21,
24, 24,
1,
1.
16.
18. 19,
1. Dash & Masters. Erie. 4 pound nets. '.V.'.
1. : Keystone Fish'Co.r'Erle- ^''""^ "^*''
I "^S Uncle •.
I Tug Keystone
5' ?il^°^ Johnson. Falrvlew. "i "pound "net
10* ^tI^'"^.,*",^' ^'•'«' 1 trap net. ....
26 ?;pS; "^"i^^o ^'*'"**' Springfield, 4 trapne'ts,""::: M, Freberg & Peterson, Erie- <■=....
Sail boat, gill nets
Penna. Pishing Co.. Pittsburg." "pa.":
Tug Robert E. Goodlll. gill nets
Tug Hugh Stocker, gill nets
Tug J. L. Wyland. gill nets
Tug James Burns, gill nets
Tugwm. H., giirnits ...•..:;
Tug Buckeye, gill nets :;
Richard P. Dailey. Erie. Pa :
Tug Kate White, gill nets
Schaflferle Bros. Northeast, one night" "line"
Lamar Gibson Northeast, one night line, .'..•••
H. L. Moore, Erie:
Tug Gull, gin nets
Tug Rowira. gill nets. .
Tug Helene. gill nets. . .'.'.'..'.W
James Kelley Estate, Erie:
Z?^ H; G. Barnhurst, gill nets.
^ V nl'^Z5,l xr'"'*.'!''^^*' •*"« "'«ht line
Henr^y R '^n.^^EnSr^^^' °"^ "'^^^ "^
Tug Frank and Jim
Gilson Johnson, Avonia, otie" "night* "iine," ■.'.".".■;■"
J. C, Elviage, Erie:
Gas boat Ida. gill nets.
V- n- ^^^^?''^' Northeast. ' one" "night ' line," '::::::::[[[""
J. C. Elviage, Erie:
Tug Puritan, gill nets
Eugene Loesch. Erie:
Tug Arlta, gill nets
F. n. Carter, Erie:
Tug C. H. Lamb, gill nets
E. H. Thompson. Erie*
Z^KJ^- ^^ Brooks, gill nets
C. W.'Pruyn. Erie:
Sail boat, gill nets
Miller & Herbig, Erie:
Sail boat, gill nets
Richard Kunth North SprlnefleM." "i" trap" net,"
'T^; W u'^*'*' ^«naPPr A. Booth & Co.:
Tug Duchess, gill nets
Tug r^vlsa. gill nets. ....::
Tug Susie B., Rill nets, ...
>*••••■••«
20 00
16 00
100
6 00
5 00
50 00
6 50
20 00 5 00
20 00
20 00
15 00
20 00
15 00
5 00
50 00 60 00
5 50 40 00
5 50
5 50
6 00 30 00
2 00 50 00
7 00 40 00
15 00
15 00
10 00
1 00
4 00
5 50
15 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00
20 00 5 00 5 00
20 00 20 00 20 00
20 00 5 00 5 00 5 00
20 00 5 00
10 00 5 00
20 00
15 00
20 00
20 00
5 00
5 00 1 00
20 00 16 00 16 00
126
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
LICENSES COLLECTED— Continued.
|
1906. Sept. |
19, |
|
19. |
|
|
ao. |
|
|
Oct. |
1. |
|
Nov. |
1, 7. |
R. P. Dailey. Eri«
Tug Phil G. Schaffer. gill nets 20 00
Penna. FLshing Co., Pittsburg:
Tug Osceola, gill nets 20 00
H. J. Knight, Manager, Erie:
Gas boat, gill nets 10 00
Thos. J. Welsh. Erie: ,
Tug Mary & Norma, gill net.s 15 00
J. J. Pickers, Harbor Creek one night line 5 00
Wm. Tallman, Erie:
Tug Rocket 20 00
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
127
■ji
.a
60
a; xn
=5
a>
•ji
O)
-t-> OS
a o
BELLEFONTE HATCHERY, STATION No. 3.
Report of Superintendent Howard M. BuUer.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I have the honor of submitting my second annual re- port of the operations conducted under my charge at the Bellefonte hatchery. An exceedingly large amount of work was accomplished, both in rearing fish, and gathering eggs and also in extending the plant. In respect to the latter, a person who might have visited the hatchery a year ago, and then not seen it until the close of the present year would scarcely recognize the place. The few temi)orary ponds which existed in 1904 have been made permanent and several large groups of new ponds have been constructed. All the buildings have been painted a uniform white and green, to conform to the color of the buildings at other hatcheries in the State. A flag floats from a large staff on the property and the grounds around most of the ponds have been graded and sodded or sown with grass seed. More than sixteen acres have been added to the establishment, mak- ing it the largest hatchery property in the State. Most of these improvements and extensions are due directly to the interest which Mr. Meehan has shown in the development of the hatchery, and under his direct supervision.
At the close of the calendar year, there were more trout eggs in the hatching house than at any time since the establishment of the station, and for the first time the take of eggs from the fish in the breeding ponds,, exceeded one million. At the close of the year there were in the hatching troughs 3,230,500 brook trout eggs either hatched or hatching. Of this number 2,190,500 were received from the Penn Forest Brook Trout Company and 1,040,000 were from fish in our own breeding ponds.
In addition to the above there were 150,000 California trout eggs from fish in our own breeding ponds in the troughs, making a total of 3,380,500 trout eggs of all species. The 150,000 California trout eggs now taken represent rather less than one-half the eggs of that species whicb will be taken before all the fish are stripped.
We began taking brook trout eggs at Bellefonte from our own fish on November 19, two days later than the previous year. For awhile the eggs came unusually fast and within a week the troughs began to exhibit a very satisfactory apiK^arance. From the 19th we took eggs daily until about the middle of December when the supply began rapidly to diminish and sometimes two days would elapse without our finding any ripe fish. The last eggs were taken on December 28.
Early in October, Mr. Meehan notified me that the Penn Forest Brook Trout Company near Mauch Chunk had generously donated all its surplus trout eggs to the State, and that the take was assigned
rl
r. "if.
y.
J.
No. 2:^.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
127
BELLEFONTE HATCHERY, STATION No. 3.
Report of Supeiiutoudeiil Howard M. BuUer.
Hon. W. E. Meeliaii, Coininissioiier of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I have the honor of submitting- my second aunujil re- port of tlie operations eondueted under my char<»e at the Bellefonte hatchery. An exceedin<;ly hn'jj;e amount of worlv was accomplished, both in rearing' fish, and j;atherin«;' eggs and also in extending the I>lanl. In respect to the latter, a person who might have visited the hatchery a year ago, and thcai not seen it until the close of tlie present year would scarcely recognize the place. The few temporary ponds which existed in 11)04 have been made permanent and several large gi*ou]>s of new ponds have been constructed. All the buildings have been iKiinted a uiiiferui white and green, to conform to the <-()l(»r of the buildings at otiier hatcheries in th<^ State. A flag floats from a large staff on the |)roperty and the grouiuls around most of the i)onds have been graded and sodded or sown with grass seed. More than sixteen acres have been added to the establishment, mak- ing it the largest hatchery property in the State. Most of tlu^se improvements and extensions are due directly to the interest which Mr. Meehan has shown in the development of the hatchery, and under his direct supervision.
At the close of the calendjir year, there were more trout eggs in the hatching house than at any time since the establishment of the station, and for the first time the take of eggs from the tisli in the breeding ]MMids.,exceeded one million. At the close of the year there were in the hatching trotighs ^i,l!.*i0.r)()0 brook trout <'ggs either hatched or hatching. Of this numbei' 2,1!M)..1()() wer(* received from the Penn Forest F.rook Trout Company and 1,040,000 were from fish in our own breeding j)onds.
In addition to the above there were ir)0,000 California trout eggs from fish in our own breeding ]K)]jds in the troughs, making a total of .S,:*>SO,.*')00 trout eggs of all s]>eci<'s. The ir)t),000 California front eggs now taken represent lather less than one-half tin' eggs of that species which will be taken before all the fish are stri]»ped.
We l)egan taking brook trout eggs at I><'llefonte fiom oui- own fish on Xoveuiber 10. two davs later tlnin the previous vear. For awhile the eggs came unusually fast and within a week the troughs began to exhibit a very satisfactory apjK'arance. From the lOfh we to(dv i''^\^^ daily until about the middle of I)ec(Mnl)er when the suj^jdy began r;i]»idly to diminish and sometimes two days would elapse without our finding any ripe fish. The last eggs w<M'e taken on I)e<ember 2S.
Eni-ly in October, Mr. Mecdian notified me that the Penn Forest Hi-ook Trout Comj>any near Mauch Chunk had generously donated all its surplus trout eggs to the State, and that the take was assigned
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
128
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
by him to the Bellefonte hatchery, until the hatching house should be filled to its full capacity. He also stated that under the arrange- ments made with the officers of the Penn Forest Brook Trout Com- pany, our men were to take all the eggs, beginning to ship to Belle- fonte as soon as it plainly evident that there would be eggs enough to fill the house at Penn Forest. He directed me to detail the requi- site number of spawn takers and messengers and to send them over as rapidly as they were required.
Acting under these orders, I sent one of my first assistants, Mr. B. O. Webster over to Penn Forest about November first, directing him to get everything in readiness at that hatchery to take the eggs as soon as the fish should ripen. Mr. Webster began taking eggs about November Oth, and on November 14th he made the first ship- ment, Fourth Assistant Houser acting as messenger and helper. The entire force of employes at Penn Forest were placed at the dis- posal of Mr. Webster, yet a few days later, I had to send another first assistant, Mr. E. F^ Tinker, to help, because the eggs had begun to come with great rapidity. Mr. Webster's first shipment was 923,- 000. As at Bellefonte, the eggs when they did begin to ripen came with great rapidity for some time. By December 2d, the greater number had been taken and Mr. Webster was ordered back to the hatchery, leaving Mr. Tinker at Penn Forest. In all the two assist- ants gathered 2,190,500 eggs while at Penn Forest, considerably less than was gathered at the same place last year. The last shipment of eggs amounted to 26,000.
From the very beginning the eggs did well, even the green eggs from Penn Forest carried well and gave but a slight percentage of loss. In consequence, at the close of the year from all appearances we will hatch between 85 and 90 per cent, of all the eggs. Our eggs began to eye in 20 days with a water temperature which is uni- formily at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the fish began emerging from the eggs in 40 days.
The California trout from which we are now gathering eggs, were sent to this hatchery as fingerlings in the fall of 1903 by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. They are now three years old, and this is therefore the first year of their spawning. A number of years ago, the Pennsylvania Fish Commission undertook the propagation of California trout at its Allentown and Corry hatcheries, and a number of peculiarities devoli)ed which caused the Commission to cease raising the fish. Among them was the peculiar fact that fully fifty per cent, of the females were annually barren, and fully fifty per cent, of the males were either barren or yielded "cheesy" milt.
When we began the examination of the fish at the Bellefonte station, we found to our surprise the same peculiarity of barrenness, only not to the same extent as at Allentown, and that it was con- fined entirely to the females. The percentage of barrenness among the females was about 33 per cent. I think I never saw finer males, or males in better condition as regards perfect and abundant milt. The eggs of the females were also of splendid form and condition.
In the old days at Allentown the California trout began spawning about the same time as the brook trout, but in Corry in March. Here at Bellefonte -the fish ripened the last of December. A peculiar feature about this difference in time of hatching is that the water at Allentown was 52, that at Corry 46 while that at Bellefonte is
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
129
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50. This indicates that the temperature of the water has little or nothing to do with the period of ripening, as it was thought was the case when there were only the Allentown and Corry fish.
The brook trout were in very fine condition this year at the spawning season, far superior to the fish the same time the previous year. Very few fish were lost through handling during the spawn- ing period, and there was almost a total absence of fungus. Out of the entire stock we lost less than fifty and there were only two fish which showed ^^bloody egg:' Both of these were from among the two year old fish.
The newly hatched fry are very strong and appear to be inperfect health. Among the fry are 25,000 wild trout, from eggs of fish which found their way into the hatchery grounds from Logan Branch creek which flows through the place.
I regret to say that for several months beginning with last spring I h^d a heavy mortality among the fingerling trout reserved for breeding purposes, hence this autumn I only had a little over ten thousand yearlings to add to my stock of breeders. The mortality was caused through their being kept too long in ponds the sides and bottoms of which were of concrete.
We began shipping trout last spring to applicants on March 13th, and by continuous and persistent work we filled the last application on May 4th. In all, we filled 1,114 applications with a total of 1,704,- 000 fingerling trout. The fish w^ere sent into 24 counties, Centre county, naturally, being the homo of the hatchery receiving the largest lot, 382,500. Excepting where otherwise ordered by the Commissioner I sent 1,500 fish to an application.
We have one pond devoted to gold fish, there are less than one hundred, but they are all fancy Jananese and these began spawn- ing about the last of July or beginning of August. About five hun- dred were hatched and when they were of proper size, some were sent to schools in Watsontown, some to the Torresdale hatchery and about 200 retained in this hatchery for future breeding purposes.
During the early spring, acting under instructions from the Com- missioner, I had one of the gold fish ponds, unoccupied, arranged for the rearing of frogs. A wire fence with very small meshes was built around the pond about three feet from the edge, and a strip of muslin fastened around the top to prevent frogs from escap- ing.
About three dozen frogs were caught and placed in the pond when it was finished. There were three species, the leopard, green and common or large frog. The first two had certainly spawned before being placed in the ponds, and I do not think spawned afterwards, but am not positive on this point. Certain among the three species Ijowever did spawn, but whether it was the common frog or a second spawning of the leopard and green I cannot tell. Which ever it was, the tadpoles which were hatched were not transformed into frogs by the time winter had set in. With the appearance of hard frost both the adult frogs and the tadpoles disappeared into the mud at the bottom of the pond, and with them nearly a hundred small frogs which had been developed from tadpoles hatched from spawn deposited early in the spring. Both the frogs and tadpoles are all
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50. This indicates that the temperature of the water has little or nothing to do with the period of ripening, as it was thought was the case when there were only the Allentown and Corry fish.
The brook trout were in very fine condition this year at the spawning season, far sui)erior to \he fish the same time the previous year. \'ery few fish were lost through handling during the spawn- ing period, and there was almost a total absence of fungus. Out of the entire stock we lost less than fifty and there were only two fish which showed -bloody egg." Both of these were from among the two vear old fish.
The newly hatched fry are very strong and appear to be inperfect health. Aiuong the fry are 25,000 wild trout, from eggs of fish which found their way into the hatchery grounds from Logan Branch creek which flows through the ])lace.
1 regret to sav that for several months beginning with last spring I had a heavy 'mortality among the fingerling trout reserved for breeding purposes, hence this autumn I only had a little over ten thousand vearlings to add to my stock of breeders. The mortality was caused through their being kept too long in ponds the sides and bottoms of which were of concrete.
We began shipping trout last spring to applicants on March 13th, and bv continuous and persistent work we filled the last application on May 4th. In all, we filled 1,114 a]>])lications with a total of 1J04,- 000 fingerling trout. The fish were sent into 24 counties, Centre countv, naturallv, being the home of the hatchery receiving the largest lot, :*.82,r)00. Exce})ting where otherwise ordered by the Commissioner I sent 1,500 fish to an application.
We have one ])ond devoted to gold fish, there are less than one hundred, but they are all fancy Jananese and these began spawn- ing about the last of July or beginning of August. About five hun- dred were hatched and wiien they were of proper size, some were sent to schools in Watsontown, some to the Torresdale hatchery and about 200 retained in this hatchery for future breeding purposes.
Dui'ing th(» early spring, acting under instructions from the Com- missioned', I had one of the gold fish ])onds, unoccupied, arranged for the rearing of frogs. A wire fence with very small meshes was built around the ])ond about three feet from the edge, and a strip of muslin fastened around the top to prevent frogs from escap- ing.
About three dozen frogs were caught and placed in the pond when it was finished. There were three si)ecies, the leopard, green and common or large frog. The first two had certainly spawned before being placed in the ])onds, and I do not think spawned afterwards, but am not positive on this ])oint. Certain among the three species however did s]»awn, but whether it was the common frog or a second s])awning of the leopard and green I cannot tell. Which ever it was, the tadpoles which were hatched were not transformed into frogs bv the time winter had set in. With the appearance of hard frost bdth th(^ adult frogs and the tad])oles disappear'>d into the mud at the bottom of the jmnd. and wilh th<'m nearly a hundred small frogs which had been develoju'd from tadpoles hatched from spawn <leposited eju'ly in th<' sjiring. Both the frogs and tadpoh's are all
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as far as I know in a perfectly healthy condition. I had evidence of the truth of this a few weeks ago. I had occasion to make some slight repairs to the outlet of the pond, and in doing so, turned up some of the mud at the bottom of the pond, and by so doing dis- turbed several frogs and tadpoles. They were all fat and in fine condition.
When the frogs spawned last summer and after the tadpoles were hatched I was directed to keep a close watch on the mature frogs to ascertain whether they ate tadpoles. I was unable to catch any frogs in the act of devouring tadpoles, but I am convinced that they do, for although I found no dead tadpoles from the time of their hatching until the setting in of winter, there was a large decrease in the number of tadpoles, without there having been any possibility of their escaping from the pond. Few if any were eaten by birds or animals, and no snakes were found at any time in the pond. Hence I conclude that those which disappeared were in most instances at least eaten by the parent frogs.
Expecting a very large supply of trout eggs for hatching this win- ter I built two more hatching troughs in the hatching house, occupy- ing the spare whieh had formerly been used for the meat chopping machine, afterwards transferred to the new meat house, making in all 82 troughs in the house and increasing the capacity by 200,t>00 eggs and at least 50,000 advanced fry. As this was not deemed suflficient I built 68 outside troughs twenty feet west of the hatching house. These I built in two tiers of 34 each, so that the same amount of water could be used twice over. Each trough is 16 feet long by 23 inches wide and ten inches deep. Along the upper end of the first or upper tier is a sui)ply trough 100 feet long, 14 inches wide and 12 inches deep, the water supply coming through a six inch terra cotta i)ipe which taps the end of the supply sluice of the group of 13 concrete ponds 200 feet above.
After the water has passed through the 34 upper troughs it flows into a supply trough the same size of the one just mentioned which extends along the upper end of the second tier, and when the water has been utilized in the lower troughs, it flows into a pond which I am constructing betw^een the troughs and the hatching house. The ])ond will be 100 feet long and twenty feet wide and is designed to hold water varying from one to two feet deep, and in this pond can be retained at least 2,000,000 fingerlings which have just passed the advanced fry stage. By these additions the capacity of the Belle- fonte hatchery for trout has been increased by many million, and it will be several years before additional arrangements will have to be made. In order to provide for an overflow which is sure to occur, there has been added two overflow troughs 12 inches wide and 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep. The entire work has been done in a substantial manner. The troughs are set on a concrete founda- tion and supported at intervals by concrete pillars.
As it was known by me last spring that these troughs were to be constructed, it became necessary to provide additional pond room for breeding fish, and by August 1st, I had completed five, and at the same time .13 more were built under a contract awardc^d bv the Commissioner. Other ponds were built by Mr. SafTord. while T was ill, so that by the close of the calendar year there w<'re 35 y)ound<^ capable of carrying yearling and older trout to the number of many
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thousand. In addition there are 11 nursery ponds attached to the east side of the building in which in an emergency large trout can be carried for an indefinite period. There are therefore in all 46 ponds of various sizes. At the present time there are in the ponds yearling 10,000, 2 and 3 year olds about 11,000, making in all 21,000 fish which will yield eggs next year.
For three years I have been suffering from some internal com- plaint which baffled the skill of physicians. Late last spring the disease whatever it was, assumed a very severe form, and on August 1st, the Commissioner relieved me temporarily of my superinten- dency in order that I might undergo treatment. Mr. W. H. Safford, a first assistant, was placed in charge, and it was not until October 1st that I had recovered sufficiently to resume my duties as superin- tendent. I wish at this point to express my sense of deep obliga- tions to Mr. Meehan, the Commissioner of Fisheries, for his very considerate treatment of me during the period of my severe illness. Through his goodness, at a time when I was unable to give proper at- tention to the work of the hatcherv, I was relieved from mv duties was enabled to give my whole time to recovery. Mr. Safford's report which is appended covers the work at the hatchery during the period of my illness.
One day during the summer, while train hands were running a car load of cement into our car barn, they lost control of the car with the result that it crashed through the end of the building knocking the whole of it out. The company promptly sent a gang of workmen and repaired the structure. Subsequently Mr. Meehan notified the company that they could lay an additional siding from the far end, which would prevent a recurrence of the accident, but although the action of Mr. Meehan was taken at the suggestion of the company the siding was not put in. This ought certainly to be done as soon as possible, not only that accidents such as I have described cannot occur again, but also in order that the fish car can be more easily taken out and returned to the barn.
The fish car is in good condition. At the present time there ia nothing which needs be done to it. Any trifling breaks which have occurred during the year were promptly fixed on general instructions given the railroad men by the Commissioner.
There is one improvement in the car which I would like to re- spectfully suggest, namely that upper berths be placed in the sleeping compartment. At present th(^re are only two lower berths each cap- able of holding only one man. It frequently happens on a short or medium trip early in the spring or late in tlie fall, that only one or most two men are needed among the fish in the cans and tanks, but under the present inadequate arrangements three must remain awake and about. Originally the car was equipped with upper and lower berths, but when* the car was sent to the repair shops in 1904 for reconstruction bv some misadventure onlv the lower berths were replaced.
During the spawning season for yellow perch, my brother A. G. Buller, superintendent of the Erie hatchery sent me several hundred thousand yellow perch eggs. They arrived in cans, some were hatched and others were hatching. The weather was exceedingly cold, and the temjK»rature of the water was below 45. Whether
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this was the cause or not, I cannot tell, but the fact remains that the little fish died almost immediately after emerging from the egg.
The men under me have been very faithful to their duties and ex- hibited deep interest in their work. I feel fortunate in having men like, B. O. Webster, Daniel Hauser and Harry J. Griffiths as assist- ants.
The output of trout and other fish from the hatchery will be found to be appended to this report immediately following the report of Mr. Safford.
The foregoing is respectfully submitted,
HOWARD M. BULLER, Superintendent.
BELLEFONTE HATCHERY OUTPUT OF FISH FOR 1905.
Brook Trout Fingerlings Distributed to Each County from Belle-
fonte Hatchery No. 3 in 1905.
Bucks, 18,000
Berks, 130,500
Blair, 111,000
Bedford, 79,000
Centre, 382,500
Carbon, 39^000
Clinton, 18,000
Chester, 40,500
Clearfield, 142,500
Delaware, 1,500
Fulton, 6,000
Huntingdon, 147,000
Juniata, 13,500
Lebanon, 25,500
T^ehigh, 69,000
Lancaster, 43,500
Mifflin, 28,500
Montgomery, 7^500
Northampton, 16,500
Philadelphia, 6,000
Perry, 57^000
Schuylkill, 40,500
Snyder, 73^500
Union, 207,000
Total, 1,704,000
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
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BELLEFONTE HATCHERY, STATION No. 3.
Report of Acting Superintendent W. H. Safford.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
I herewith beg to submit the following as my first report. On May 28 I resigned a position with the United States Government to accept your appointment as superintendent in Department of Fish- eries of Pennsylvania, with orders to report to you at Harrisburg on June 1st. After arriving and reporting to you at Harrisburg I was at once detailed to Bellefonte station temporarily as assistant superintendent.
On July 1st owing to the continued ill health of the superintendent of Bellefonte station, I was placed as superintendent in charge and continued to serve as such until September 28, when I was trans- ferred to Torresdale station.
I began my duties at Bellefonte by first thoroughly cleaning all ponds and grounds. Next I began the construction of two new trout ponds each 20 feet in width, 70 feet in length and two and a half feet deep, built of cement. Next we began constructing another trout pond, 30 feet in width, 40 feet in length and three feet deep. I desire to say here these three ponds practically were as fine ponds as I ever built.
After these three ponds were entirely finished I began the con- struction of a large dam, 100 feet in length, three and one half feet high, 10 inches thick of cement, across the headwaters of Logan Branch of Spring creek. This was to further increase the supply of water to the already constructed ponds of the station and to furnish water for the ones at that time proposed to be built at upper end of grounds. On August 1st contract was let by the Commissioner of Fisheries for new set of ponds, 13 in number.
Plans and specifications drawn by Commissioner and myself were accepted by contractor. Ground was broken for the ponds on August 1st, and they were completed early in September. These ponds are all 15 feet wide, 30 feet long and three feet deep and are constructed of cement, and when completed presented a fine appear- ance and added a vast amount of pond room to rear and hold year- lings and adult fish. This newly acquired water was brought from gateway in dam through a race about 500 feet where I constructed a cement receiving basin eight feet square and five feet in depth. From there to the raceway of the new group of ponds a water main was laid, 180 feet in length built of terra cotta pipe 20 inches in diamater connecting the receiving basin to the new group of ponds just completed. At the lower end of this group of ponds or over- flow race, another main was laid 160 feet in length of 12 inch terra cotta pipe leading into one of the large ponds directly in front of hatchery, where from there it was carried through the entire num- ber of ponds at the lower end of the station, thus giving nearly any quantity of water to the ponds.
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Provision was also made iu this new group of ponds to run water mains to different parts of the grounds in the near future. Whih^ speaking of ponds I may add that the large pond directly in front of the hatchery was cut in two by building a wall across centre mak- ing two very nice ponds 40 feet wide and 75 feet long.
I partially excavated and built cement wall on two sides of one of the ponds between the railroad and hatchery building which added greatly to the appearance of the grounds. I also made some needed repairs to some of the other ponds. This, 1 think, was about all the pond construction work I did while at Bellefont(» station.
I then took up the grading of the grounds. This new group of ponds at the upper end of grounds that I speak of were not exca- vated but only trenched for a foundation. They were practically built on top of ground which required a great amount of grading. 1 built terrace five feet at top, eight feet at bottom around three sides of entire group of ponds, the upper end being brought to a level with side hill of the grounds flnished up the looks of the ponds very nicely. Directly back of hatchery the grounds were very rough. I exca- vated a space 20 feet in width and 140 feet in length bringing that portion of the grounds to a level with the newl^' constructed ponds.
Between the gold fish pond and small fr^' pond was an unsightly gully directly at the front of the grounds which I filled and levelled off. This will add greatly to the lawn when seeded. I gave parti- cular attention to the lawns in the way of cutting and trimming and keeping them clean. I also caused signs to be erected allowing no driving on lawns as visitors had become very careless and were driving almost anywhere.
I erected a very fine flag staff just at left of front of hatchery GO feet in height. This was set in concrete five feet in depth. At the surface of the ground at base of pole I built circular platform of cement. I wish to say that not much attention has been given as yet to building driveways and walks with the exception of a verv nice foot bridge built across pond at the rear of hatchery building.
The number of fish being reared in ponds at the station require a considerable amount of food which was beitig cut l)y a hand ma- chine which took a great amount of the employes time to cut and prepare. This matter was looked into very carefully by the ('om missioner and myself and deemed advisable to arrnii.'jje to cut lisli food by power. There being a small stream of water flowing tlown across the grounds, it was finally decided to locate (he meat house on this stream. I built a dam at a point on the stream where I could raise the water to a depth of about four feet, built foundation walks on each side of stream and built the buildin<»- 12 bv 14 feci" directly ovca* stream.
Underneath the building at front and one side I constructed the flume for water wheel which was made of galvanized iron three feet in circumstance and two and one half feet in diameter which made it very strong and durable. The object of building house di- rectly over stream was two fold. First it was a direct channel to carry off' all refuse from the building making it very easy to keep building and all (Mjuipments ]K*rfectly clean. Second, to get ]H)wer as close to food cutting machine as possible. With this wheel and water power I had created I am confident it will run the meat chop-
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DEPARTMENT OP FISHERIES.
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jier to cut all the fish food used inside of grounds in one hour and which when in operation will save a valuable amount of time.
This was the only new building erected on the grounds this year. All other buildings, superintendent's residence, hatching house and car barn were carefully repaired and painted. There was also placed on lower end of hatchery a sign bearing name and number of station. I placed small signs bearing name of fish over each poiid so that visitors at station could readily tell species of fish in ponds.
At this time there was a valuable addition to the station in the purchase of adjoining land and buildings and water rights which now makes it a very complete station in every detail. The fish cul turial duties at the Belief onte station are of no mean importance containing as it does such a large number of ponds, also large num- ber of fish requiring the utmost cleanliness of ponds and careful fe(^d- ing of fish.
The condition of adult fish when I took station Julv 1st was ex- cellent. The condition of fry or No. 1 and 2 fingerlings, as we term them now, was extremely poor, there being a vast amount of fungus that had completely invaded every fry pond at the station, not an epi- demic of any kind, but owing to dirt and filth and some little to over- feeding, the death rate reaching quite good proportions. I at once began to give them vigorous treatment. I began by giving all No. 1 and 2 fingerlings affected salt baths twice a week until they began showing improvement, then dropped to one salt bath per week, then to one in two weeks until all signs of fungus had dis- appeared. In the meantime I had carefully cleaned all fry ponds drawing them down as dry as possible and salting sides and bottom, these ponds being built of cement are rapid producers of fungus and require a very thorough cleaning at least once a week. The con- dition of fish on a whole when I left the station was excellent.
Early in September owing to the near approach of the spawning season of the trout, I deemed it necessary to put the hatching equip- ment in condition to receive eggs. The receiving tank on one side of hatchery was carefully repafred and painted, hatching troughs and trays carefully looked over and painted, placing the hatchery ready to receive eggs the moment the fish began to spawn. I noticed on various occasions that the fish food in coming to the station would be in a very poor condition owing to the carelessness in the way it was packed for shipment, such as broken barrels which would expose it to the atmosphere and heat in warm weather, and sometimes be- ing delayed in transit so that food on arriving at station would sometimes be utterly useless and more often very very poor. I would recommend that something in the shape of fish food shiT>ping cases be made so that food would reach station in better condition.
The depredations of water animals among the fish were very small.
The work of frog culture was started by enclosing one of the already constructed ponds beginning with a board at bottom 12 inches wide nailed to stakes firmly set in ground with wire screen t hree feet wide on top of this board. At top of ««creen incline pieces 12 inches wide were nailed to which was fastened a stri]) of cloth 12 inches wide. This is necessary for the fac+ tha^ adult frogs during the coming of a storm are inclined to jump and climb to quite an extent. Between 35 and 40 adults were ]>laced in this pond which produced at the start between two and three thousand tadpoles,
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of these about 1,00 began growing very nicely and there is no ques- tion as to the number that can be hatched and reared at Bellefonte station.
In the matter of gold fish at the station, considering it was the first year they were there and the limited space they were given, they did very nicely. As to the number of ponds and fish therein, quantity and quality of water, I consider the Bellefonte station the equal of any in the Union. The grounds need a vast amount of work and quite an expenditure of money to be in first class condi- tion; but with the very progressive spirit of the Commissioner of Fisheries in a very short time this will all be accomplished. When this is done there will not be a hatchery found any better.
In closing my first report to you on 'the Bellefonte station, I de- sire to mention the valuable services rendered me by Messrs. Daniel Houser and Harry J. Griffith, the two regular employes. They are very able young men and a credit to the Department whose services I value very highly. All of which is respectfully submitted.
I am your obedient servant,
W. H. SAFFORD, Supt. in Charge Bellefonte Hatcherv, Station No. 3.
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WAYNE COUNTY HATCHERY, STATION No. 4.
Report of Nathan R. Buller, Superintendent.
To the Members of the Fishery Commission:
Gentlemen: I herewith submit my annual report of the Wayne Fish Hatchery No. 4, from January 1st, 1905, to December 1st, 1905.
Continuing from my last year's report of brook trout work, I feel very much gratified with what was done by the end of the distribu- tion season. Taking into consideration the extreme cold weather and the heavy snow falls in Wayne county during the months of January and February, we are entitled to self praise since the severe weather entailed a great deal of extra work upon the employes of the hatchery. We had frequently three to four feet of snow to shovel from the pond^ and twenty-four inches of ice to cut in order to feed the adult trout, but the work was kept constantly moving.
The eggs in the hatchery had all hatched by February 2nd. Owing to the great amount of eggs and limited room in the hatchery, I removed the heating stove, which gave room for an additional pair of troughs. I also built forty-four troughs during the season on the south side of the building, making at the present time seventy troughs, inside and out, available for trout fry. Twenty -four of ihese troughs were not completed until after the spring distribution of the trout. As last spring was the first season of fish hatching at the Wayne hatchery, I felt very nervous lest there be some slip and consequent failure, and the nervousness was justifiable for we were carrying from 25,000 to 30,000 advanced fry in each trough; but by careful attention and hard work, I take pride in stating that we suc- ceeded in planting as fine a lot of trout in the various streams throughout the eastern and northeastern section of the State that has ever been sent out from any hatchery.
I have considered in reading previous reports that the Depart- ment of Fisheries was not receiving the proper credit for the work it was accomplishing hitherto. The hatcheries were credited with planting trout fry where in reality they were planting fingerlings.
From the standpoint of the fish culturist there is a vast difference in the work of hatching eggs and planting what are termed fry, and feeding the fish up until they reach the stage of fingerlings. All fish culturists know that very little work and knowledge is required to carry the fish through the sac period, as they can be crowded very thickly in the troughs and do well up to the time of the absorption of the sac and feeding begins, but from that stage on, until they reach the age of four months, is the time the fish culturist must bring all his knowledge to bear on his charge and give constant, daily and even hourly attention to every trough of fish he has in his house. If at the end of the four months he has met with no mishap and his troughs are full of healthy fish, he can pat himself on the back and say, "I did it."
At the order of Commissioner Meehan, during the month of Feb- 10
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WAYNE COUNTY HATCHERY, STATION No. 4.
Report of Nathan R. Buller, Superinteudent.
To the Members of the Fishery Commission:
(Jentlemen: I herewith submit my annual report of the Wayne Fish Hatchery No. 4, from January 1st, 1905, to December 1st, 1905.
Continuing from my last year's report of brook trout work, I feel very much gratified with what was done by the end of the distribu- tion season. Taking into consideration the extreme cold weather and the heavy snow falls in \\'ayne county during the months of January and February, we are entitled to self praise since the severe weather entailed a great deal of extra work upon the employes of the hatchery. We had frequently three to four feet of snow to shovel from the ponj^ and twenty-four inches of ice to cut in order to feed the adult trout, but tlie work was kept constantly moviug.
The eggs in the hatchery had all hatched by February 2nd. Owing to the great amount of eggs and limited room in the hatchery, I removed the heating stove, which gave room for an additional pair of troughs. I also built forty-four troughs during the season on the south side of the building, making at the present time seventy troughs, inside and out, assailable for trout fry. Twenty-four of iliese troughs were not completed until after the spring distribution of the trout. As last spring was the first season of fish hatching at th«' Wayne hatchery, I felt very nervous lest there be some slip and consiMjuent failure, and the nervousness was justifiable for we were earrying from 25,()()0 to 30,000 advanced fry in each trough; but by careful attention and hard work, I take pride in stating that we suc- ceeded in i)lanting as fin(» a lot of trout in the various streams throughout the eastern and northeastern section of the State that has ever been sent out from anv hatcherv.
I have considered in reading previous reports that the Depart- ment of Fisheries was not receiving the proper credit for the work it was accomplishing hitherto. The hatcheries were credited with j)kinting trout fry where in reality they were planting flngerlings.
From the standpoint of the fish culturist there is a vast difference in the work of hatching eggs and planting what are termed fry, and feeding the fish up until they reach the stage of fingerlings. All fish culturists know that very little work and knowledge is required to carry the fish through the sac period, as they can be crowded very thickly in the troughs and do well u]> to the tinie of (he absorption of the sac and feeding begins, but from that stage on, until they reach the age of four months, is the time the fish culturist must bring all his knowledge to bear on his charge and give constant, daily and even hourly attention to evcM'y trough of fish he has in his house. If at the end of the four months he has met with no mislia]> and his troughs are full of healthy tish, he can \\\\\ hinis<'lf on tin* back and say, "I did it.''
At the order of Commissioner Me( han, during the month of Feb- 10
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riiai'v, I made an experiment of freezing six fingerling brook trout into a cake of ice. On melting the ice, I found two out of tlie six alive. My test was very severe, much more severe than fish could possibly experience in a stream. In reference to this, I will state here that I had an non-intentional experience of trout freezing in the ice in one of the pools on the hatchery.
The water supply in one of the pools, during very severe cold weather, was shut off and it was impossible to start the flow of water until we had a thaw. I remember rightly, there were about 15,000 to 20,000 fingerling trout in the pools. They were practically frozen into a solid mass of fish and ice. On the waters commencing to flow again the ice melted and much to my delight there was only a loss of a few trout. This pond was not disturbed, I left nature take its course.
During the season, I constructed a series of pools forty feet long, twenty feet wide, three feet deep, the water supply being taken from the Lackawaxen river. These pools were constructed with the in- tention of placing the brook trout therein that were to be kept for breeders.
I also constructed a series of four pools opposite the fry pools which were fed from the same source of water, for adult trout of which I had a few hundred, which were presented to the Department by the Blooming Grove l*ark Fishing and Hunting Club.
Much to my chagrin during the month of August, the water being- very low in the river the tenii>erature in the ponds rose to eight de- grees Fahrenheit which put an end to most of the trout before they could be removed. I might say in this connection this work was all done in a hurry and the water supplies was brought from the river, in open ditches, which went far towards warming it up. I still con- sider at some future time these ponds can be used for the work they were intended, by bringing the water in covered trunks and thor- oughly shading the pools. While we have ample supply of spring water, it was not available at the time, for the construction of our ponds. But since this occurrence I have constructed four nursery pools, thirty feet long by nine feet wide, and three feet deep, with available space for two more, giving us ample room for yearling fish.
I have also constructed at the outlet of the nursery pools, one breeding trout pond forty-five feet long, by eighteen feet wide and there is still space available for one more pool, fifty feet long by eighteen feet wide. Then by crossing the road-way with out water supplies we enter an old abandoned pool that was built a great many years ago and at a very small cost. This can be cleaned out and used for adult trout. The temperature of these ponds never ex- ceeded fifty degrees Fahrenheit even after reaching the large pool, as there are innumerable small springs all along the mountain side which empty direct into the ponds. I consider after this work is all completed we can hold adult trout enough to produce about 4,- 000,000 eggs which will be about the limit of brook trout of the Wavne hatcherv.
On January 28th, I received 5,000 Atlantic salmon eggs from East Orcland, Maine. They arrived in fine condition, although I had a desperate time to get them to the hatchery, the snow being three feet deep in the level, the roads drifted so full that a team could
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
139
no be used. We carried the eggs from the depot to the hatchery, taking almost a day to travel the three miles there and back. These <'ggs hatched in about twenty days after their arrival. The fry did well up until the month of August.
Owing to my previous experiment with Atlantic salmon, which was at the Bellefonte hatchery, I had great trouble getting them to feed. But on this lot of fish I ext>erimented with a new method. Knowing that these fish are migratory and ascend the rivers the same as a shad, I thought probably by adding a little salt to their food, they would take it, much to my pleasure 1 found they fed very ravenously on food mixed with salt. Having no special ponds built for the care of salmon, I placed them in the same ponds that were constructed for brook trout, with the water supply from the Lacka- waxen river. I had the same fatalitv with them as with the brook trout, the water reaching a temperature of 80 degrees.
As we are all very much interested in the propagation of Atlantic salmon, I would suggest to you when you have the money available to build a hatching house and a series of pools, for the retention of fry, on the west side of the property.
W^e have as large a supply of spring water on the west side of the property as we have on the east side, that we are now using for brook trout. I feel assured if we pursue this plan, we will be able to successfully hatch and grow Atlantic salmon. I know that you are very much interested and will strain every effort to make the Delaware river an Atlantic salmon stream. This accomplished the work will be a monument to you, and I very believe that it can be done.
I understand they are successful in impounding adult fish in East Oreland, Maine, and I suggest for the benefit of the Department, that in the near future you allow the superintendent who has charge of Atlantic salmon work, to pav a visit to the East Oreland hatcherv. SO that he can by an ocular demonstration learn the methods they are using. xVnother suggestion I would make is to have a supply of eggs coming each season, until we solve the problem.
Referring again to the water supply on the west side of the prop- erty, there is no season of the year that the water attains a higher degree of temperature than fifty degrees Fahrenheit.
It gives me great satisfaction that I was able to add materially in 1905, to the knowledge already gained by the Department in the experiments in frog culture which it began two years ago at the Corry and Erie hatcheries. That the efforts initiated by the Penn- sylvania Department of Fisheries to solve the problem of frog cul- ture, is regarded by fish culturists all over the country is proved by the number of letters received by me, from nearly every State in the Union, and by the great number of applications for frogs, made by Pennsylvanians and turned over to this hatchery to be filled.
The beginning of the work was both sudden and unexpected, and it came about in rather an odd way. Mr. Meehan was on one of his inspection trips to the Wayne hatchery, and one morning crossing the grounds to where I was directing men at work on a bass pool, asked jne what had given me the idea of starting in the frog busi- ness, and he wanted to know if it were on account of having heard that my two brothers at the Corry and Erie hatcheries were experi- menting with them. I replied in some astonishment that I had not
I
140
REPORT OF THE
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done anything in frog culture and had not been thinking of it, and that I did not know my brothers were doing anything in that direc- tion. He then took me a natural pool below one of the ponds and pointed out a great quantity of frog spawn and young tadpoles, and observed that I had better "get about the work at once," that with the material in front of me I should be able to make a generous out- put that year from the hatchery. Even then I scarcely compre- hended his meaning, and then he informed me, that he regarded the frog as one of the coming great industries in the country, and that h^ proposed to encourage it to the full extent of his power. That there were many difficulties in the way of success and that the experiments at Corry and Erie had for two years been quietly experimenting with the creatures, that Erie had produced 30,000 the year before, and that he wanted the resources of all the hatcheries taxed to their utmost and the earnest skill of all the superintendents devoted to the successful rearing of frogs by the million in each station.
Within half an hour I had the employes of the station enlarge the pool to which my attention had been directed, and before night- fall had a body of water, fifty feet long, thirty feet wide and from six inches to one foot deep.
I then proceeded to gather all the spawn that I possibly could care for in my limited quarters. This was on or about the middle or the latter part of April. This being a new work to me I gave very careful attention. The eggs were as far as I can tell about twenty to twenty-five days in the process of incubation. They remained in the tadpole stage about sixty days.
The hatching of the spawn and the taking care of tadpoles is not as simple as I at first supposed, as the tadpole, like everything else that becomes valuable, is subject to disease, especially if over- crowded, although fortunately Wayne hatchery slipi>ed through clear.
While in the tadpole stage they are great feeders and must be constantly provided with fish. The quantity of 50,000 or 60,000 tad- poles can devour in a week almost surpasses belief. Fish was the only food up to the present time that I have discovered they would take. In speaking of the fish as food, I refer to dead fish, for natur- ally live fish is beyond their reach. These can be brough in the fish markets in any city at a small cost. It was quite amusing to me to watch what followed when I placed the fish in the pond. With astonishing quickness the tadpoles would collect from all quarters and literally cover the fish and adhere to the carcass, on which they would feed until there was nothing but the skeletons left. A four pound fish would be completely skeletonized in less than five hours.
Every epicure considers the brook trout the finest flavored fish that swims in the waters, it having a delicate flavor which no other fish possesses. As was natural in a population of trout as large as is in our ponds some adults died from time to time and when such incidents occurred we utilized the dead trout for tadpoles to feed upon. It was^a noticeable fact that in each instance, although there might be the carcasses of other species thrown in at the same time, the talpoles would generally attack the brook trout first and leave the other spt^cies until they were entirely eatcMi u]>, showing conclu- sively that they discriminated and enjoyed brook trout in preference to other fish.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
141
On or about June 25th, I noticed by first frogs. Then the tug of war commenced. Tadpoles developing into frogs by the thousands daily forced a question of live food, for frogs unlike tadpoles are not scavengers and will not eat dead food. How to procure or manu- facture this was quite a problem to solve.
I first introduced into ponds and yards, boards covered with sweet substances, such as molasses which attracted flies. On these the small frogs very readily fed, keeping the boards surrounded all the while. But I do not think this would be a sufficient amount of food. If the frogs had to be maintained for anv length of time.
In passing back and forth from my dwelling to the hatchery I noticed in the roadway, myriads of small flies collected around the various heaps of refuse and horse manure. I came to the conclu- sion that by keeping an amount of this in the frog yards, it would attract ample food, for the frogs owing to the large number of in- sects which were constantly attracted there. This I found to be cor- rect, and the frogs grew rapidly both in size and fatness.
The question of food for the frogs was not the only trouble which confronted me. It became now a question of protecting them from their enemies, which I found were quite numerous, first in the list was some older frogs which I had kept in the yard, these I found were eating the tadpoles. I immediately removed every frog that was in the yard. The next enemy I found in going to the hatchery early one morning was a lot of crow s having a feast on young frogs, that necessitated covering the yard with wire netting. Another enemy to be guarded against is the water snakes. These enemies can all be provided against by the proper construction of yards.
I made my first shipment of frogs on July the 5th, and the last shipment on September 21st. My space devoted to this work was very limited being a yard thirty feet wide by fifty feet long.
In describing the construction of the yard and pool which I think is about the proper dimensions, should be constructed in the follow- ing manner; excavate the side so there is a depth of water at the outer edges of about six inches, centering into a pool with a depth of three feet. The bottom of the ponds should be mud from six inches to a foot deep. The inlet and supply of water should be con- ducted through a pipe that you had absolute control of as there is periods in the incubation of eggs and the stage of tadpoles that the flow of water must be regulated according to their w^ants. Generally there should be neither inflow or outflow or very little because the warmer the water the more rapidly and vigorously the tadpoles and frogs seem to grow.
The outlet of the pond, should be constructed in a manner to draw the pond perfectly dry when necessary. Surrounding the pond be- tween the water and the fence there should be a space of grassy land at least 2 feet wide. This is a necessary adjunct on account of the frogs after they are hatched.
There should also be obstructions on the grassy land. These may be pieces of wood three to four inches square placed at intervals of two and three feet. The obstructions are to keep the frogs from huddling in one mass, as they are apt to do if there is only the cor- ners in the yard. Each one of these ponds or yards, in order to con- fine the frogs must be fenced and built very securely. My method was to sink a twelve inch board at least four inches under the ground,
142
REPORT OF THE
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the remaining eight inches above in order to fasten the wire thereto. The top railing should be a board six inches wide, one inch thick and a height of thirtv-two inches. The fence proper should be com- mon wire mosquito netting. The fence alone, will not keep the frogs in the yard as they climb the fence and go out over the top. In order to avoid this, we placed projections 12 inches each, inside the fence and covered with a piece of muslin this prevented the frogs
from getting out. , „ , f i
\s a result of my experiments last year, I shall be more careful with the amount of food required and the different temperatures of the water to grow a certain number of frogs, and more carefully pre- serve all concerning the work. This much I have learned that frog culture is not child's play.. It recjuires a great deal of labor and con- stant attention to achieve success. To att'ord an idea of how many frogs can be grown into the size of two inches in length in the yard that I mentioned, I will say my distribution was 60,900.
I not only find that there is a great demand in the city markets for the edible frogs and in this I am supported by the Commissioner who informs me that there is more, propagation in America in six months than in any other country in a year, but there is still another demand that probably equals the food end of the question, namely, that among the fishermen with whom tadpoles and frogs are in great demand as bait for catching the different game fish.
An interesting experiment that I am making, after finishing up the shipments is that I have placed 250 adult frogs in this same yard to find out how they wintered and what condition they come out after their period of hibernation has ended. 1 have also ap- proximately the number of young frogs in order to ascertain exactly how long it requires to bring them to maturity. The depth of the water in this little pond, is as I have mentioned, three feet in the centre with probablv a foot of mud in the bottom. They disappeared about the middle oif November, since that time the pond has been covered with ice and there is probably eight inches of ice on the pond, this being the latter week in December, l^efore spring I in- tend to cut through this ice and take up a number of frogs to find out there condition. These experiments I will embody in one of my monthly reports.
During the month of August, I received from the supermtedent of the United States Fish Commission, of the Leadville Hatchery, Colorado, seventy-five thousand cut throat trout eggs. They came in very fine condition, hatching out fifteen days after their arrival in water of a temperature of 47 degrees. The treatment of the fish was the same as brook trout. By the direction of the Commissioner I planted them, with the exception of 5,000, which T kept for breeding purposes, in three dift'erent lakes, one in Wayne county, one in Sus- quehanna county and one in Lackawanna. I did this in December, when they were planted as fingerlings Number 1, being on an aver- age of an inch and a half in length. As T understand it the cut throat trout is a species of fish that has never been introduced into waters of the State of Pennsylvania ])revious to this planting, and it was on this account the Commissioner ordered me to plant them myself and not allow them to go out on application. Tt was he also wiio filled the lakes in which they were deposited.
From the little information I have gained in regard to this trout.
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142
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
the rciHaiiiiiij; I'ii-lil iuchc-s abovi' in oicU r to fasiiii the wire Hit ret o. The top railing »\nniU\ he a hoard six indies wide, one inch thick and a heij^ht of thirtv-two inches. Tlie fence proper should l>e com- mon wire mosquito lu'ttin--. The fem-e ahjne, will not keep the Iro^s in the vard as thev climb the fence and ^o out over the top. In order to avoid this,\ve placed projecticms V2 inches each, msuh; the fence and covered with a piece of muslin I his prevented the lroj;s
from j»ettin<;" out.
As a result of mv experiments last year, I shall he more caretul with the amonnt of food retpiired and the dilTerent temperatures of tlu' wat'M- to j;ro\v a certain number of fro«;s. and more carefully i)re- serve all concerning tin' W(uk. This much I have learned that iro^ culture is not child's plav. It recpiires a j,n"eat deal of labor and con- stant attention to aclneve success. To atford an idea of how many frogs can be grown into the size of two inches in length m the yard that I mentioned, I will say my distribution was ()(l,l)00.
I not only find that there is a great demand iti the city nmrkets for the edible frogs and in this I am supi)orted by the ('ommissn)ner who informs me that there is more ]>ropagati(ni in AnuMica m six months than in anv other country in a .Near, but there is still another demand that probably (Mpials the food end of the (piestion, namely, that among the lishermeii with whom tadiioles and frogs are in great demand as bait for catching the ditTerenl game fish.
\n interesting experiment that I am making, after finishing up the shipments is that I have ]>laced 'IT^O adult frogs in this same yard to lind out how they wintered and what condition they conu' out after their i)eriod of hibernation has ended. 1 have also ap- proximatelv the number of young frogs in order to ascertain exactly how long it recpiires to bring them to maturity. The de])th of the water in this little i)ond, is as 1 have mentioned, three feet in the centre with probably a foot of mud in the bottom. Thev disa]>peared about the middle of November, since that time the ivond has been covered with ice and there is ]M'obably eight inches of ice on the pond, this being the latter week in December, liefore si>ring 1 in tend to cut through this ice and tak<' u]^ a numlx'r <d' frogs to tind out there condition. Thesi' experiments I will embody in one of my monthlv reports.
During the month of August. 1 received from the su])erinledent of the United States Fish ("ommission. of the Leadville Hatchery, (Ndorado, seventv-fiv(> thousand cut throat trout eggs. They came in verv line condition, hatching out fifteen days after their arrival in water of a tem]>erature of 47 degrees. The treatment of the fish was the same as broek trout. r»y the direction of the Commissioner I ]danted them, with the excejdion of n.OOO, which I \iv\y\ for breeding punmses, in three ditl'erent lakes, one in Wayne county, one in Sus- qmdianna county and one in Lackawanna. T did this in December, wlwu they were planted as fingerlings Number 1. being on an aver- age of an inch and a half in lenglh. As T uiiderstaml it (he <-ut throat trout is a species of fish that has iiev^r been introduced into waters of the State of reiinsylvania ]»revious t(» this ]vlanting, and it was on this account tlie rommissiom'r ordered me to plant them myself and not allow tluMii to go out on ai'plicalion. It was he also wiio tilled (he lakes in which (hey were deposited.
From the little information 1 have gained in regard to this tronl.
■3^
\
S3
2 c
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
143
I understand they inhabit the different lakes and many streams in the Pacific slope, and in the former waters they attain a size or eight to ten and even more pounds. At the present time the Com- missioner states he does not feel justified in allowing them to go into'the trout streams, until it is demonstrated that they are less harmful than the brown trout proved to be. If they thrive in the lakes they should be a valuable addition of fish for our sportsmen, as I understand they are surface feeders. Knowing very little of the habits and environments of the fish, I will anxiously await developtv ments. I trust that you will be able to secure for me each season a similar quota of eggs, until such time as we are able to grow the fish to an adult size. This is very important in order to make this effort of yours in the interest of the sportsmen a success.
By your advice in September of 1904, I constructed a pool for the purpose of impounding adult chain pickerel, with the intention of collecting their eggs and making an effort to artificially propagate them. This I believe is the first attempt ever made by any State in that direction. From data given by the Commissioner during his inspection trips and knowing the character of the north eastern sec- tion of the State of Pennsylvania. I felt that the orders of the Com- missioner to begin the propagation of chain pickerel wise and timely. , If my memory serves me rightly in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Susquehanna counties there was an aggregate of over 400 lakes varying in dimensions from fifty acres to 500 acres each. Most of these lakes are what are termed kettle holes, that is having no visible inlet, but deriving their water from springs in the bottoms but many are inlet lakes with mud bottoms and thickly planted with water lilies. Most of the kettle hole lakes in early years were inhabited by brook trout; but with the passing of the forest land the waters have become slightly better adapted for bass and especially pickerel.
At the present day fishermen can at most any time be rewarded with a fair days catch, especially since the prohibition of unrestricted ice fishing; but it is noticeable that the pickerel caught are smaller in size than they were in previous years, due I think in some measures to inbreeding from year to year, the importance of an infusion of new blood therefore can be T^adily seen. I feel assured in a few years, if we are enabled to pursue the work we have begun and have planned this season, under the instructions of the Commissioner, made ar- rai\gements with many of the owners of these lakes to collect eggs from one body of water and restock the lakes with fish taken from some different lakes. I feel assured that this method of infusing new blood will eventually increase the size of fish.
The pool I mentioned having been constructed through the courtesy of the Wild Wood Park Association in Wayne count v, we were enabled on the 8th day of October, 1004, to place therein 200 adult pickerel, averaging in weight from two and a half to three pounds. They were transported from their lake to the Wayne hath- ery, a distance of thirty-two miles by wagon, with the loss of only twenty-five fish. I wintered tho«e fish in comparatively good con- dition, although we experienced a very severe winter, the thero- meter ranging for weeks from eight to thirty degrees below zero. The iK)nd was covered almost continuously with twenty inches of ice, making it impossible to feed the fish artificially during the win-
144
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
ter. In contemplating and looking forward to the experiments which we wanted to make in the spring, I felt very dubious about having
any fish left.
During the month of April the ice began to leave the ponds and it melted away from the shores. Much to my pleasure I found the fish there ready for business.
Not having any battery erected in the hatchey, I constructed a temporary battery at the foot of our small mouth black bass pond, large enough to place twelve jars. As soon as the ice had left the ponds sufficiently to operate the seines, I caught the fish and trans- ferred those which were ripe to tanks I had arranged in the hatch- ery.
Much to my chagrin after expressing the eggs from the first ripe female, I could not express any milt from the males, so my first day's work was a loss. Allowing a few days to elapse I made another attempt and collected eggs sufficiently for my jars.
In expressing the eggs from the female and expressing the ijiilt from the male, I found I had a glutinious mass beyond anything 1 had ever experienced before. Now the difficulty arose, how to sep- arate the eggs? As the attempt had never been made before to my knowledge, I continued on the same lines and methods that are used in the separating of the wall-eyed pike eggs, using a portion of corn starch and water and stirring continually. I found after fifteen or twenty minutes, the eggs had separated. I then placed them in a hatching jar. The circulation of water through the jars kept the eggs in constant motion and I found that very little bunching or clogging of eggs occurred, and hoped to bring this hatch to a success- ful stage.
Much to my chagrin, on going to the hatchery one morning I found that some party or parties had placed the gates in the reservoir, sit- uated on the head waters of the Lackawaxen river cutting my water supply entirely off. The consequence was that I lost 1,000,000 of eyed pickerel eggs. This was a very serious loss for the season was now advanced. I nevertheless sought the lakes in the vicinity in the hope I might find naturally deposited eggs. I was successful beyond my hopes. The eggs that I had in the jars were already eyed when the mishap noted occurred, showing conclusively that chain pickerel eggs can be hatched in jars as easily as wall-eyed pike, white fish or shad. The temperature of the water during these oper- ations was on an average 38 degrees Farenheit.
I collected eggs from the lakes, transporting them to the hatch- eries and hatched them on trays.
I might describe for the benefit of the fish culturist and others in what places we found these eggs. The first lot of eggs was from Wild Wood Park, a lake situated about thirty-two miles from the hatchery. On my first arrival at Wild Wood, I found the water of the lake very rough as the wind was blowing high and the man who har charge of the lake was afraid to venture on with the boat. Knowing the importance of getting the eggs I persuaded him to take me out. With my limited knowledge of the habits of the chain pickerel, I was under the impression that I would find these eggs in the grass and weeds surrounding the lakes, but before the day was over, I found I was mistaken, as in all my quests on the differ- ent lakes, I found that pickerel had deposited their eggs wherever
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OP FISHERIES.
145
there was a clump of stumps or sunken logs. This is their spawning place, and it was a noticeable fact that some of the strings or as one might say clusters of eggs, would fill as much a four quart pail. All deposited by one fish.
The results of the first day's work were placed in a shipping can in water, transported to the hatchery and placed on trays.
I did not attempt to clean up these eggs as I found they hatched very satisfactorily on the trays in the natural clusters. The product of this and other lakes when hatched was immediately shipped and placed in the difl'erent lakes in the north east. I will say in this con- nection, for the benefit of anyone who attempts the propagation of pickerel that they should not attempt it in spring water, the water must be taken from creeks or ponds. For some unaccountable rea- son spring water is certain death to the small fish.
Other attempts in transporting eggs were made in our regular shipping cases, placing the eggs upon flannel trays with a perforated box full of ice on top. The melting of the ice kept the eggs moist during the transportation. I find this much the best method of transportation as the eggs in the cans of water are very apt to smother.
During the month of May, in looking over my pickerel breeding pond, I noticed a number of small pickerel about an inch in length. These were hatched from some few eggs that I had missed. Here was a point now for another experiment, but with what success I could not at the time say, as the adult breeding pickerel were in this same pond. The pond was entirely free from vegetation. In order to save these little pickerel it was necessary to provide shelter and feeding grounds. I had the employes place brush in the water all around the pond and this atforded hiding places for them, out of reach of the older fish.
I watched these pickerel during the season to find out upon what they were feeding.
During their earlier period of life, am satisfied they feed en- tirely upon daphnia and later on a small black insect which covered the water. They fed greedily on the latter. I think that up to the age of three and four month, when they are four or five inches, they feed principally upon foods mentioned. After that their principle food is small fish.
The experiment with these young pickerel ended the first of Octo^ ber. When they were taken from the pond, there average growth was four inches. I would like to this coming season devote several of the ponds to the purpose of growing pickerel to fingerling size. In view of the experiment which w^e have made with the chain pick- erel I have asked Mr. Meehan's permission to erect a battery for the hatching of ]?ickerel eggs, for the reason that I consider it the best method of hatching eggs in large quantities. He granted my re- quest and authorized me to erect a four trough battery in my brook trout hatchery. This battery is nine feet high and sixty-five feet long. When 'equii)ped will support 300 Meehan jars. I might say in this connection, each jar is seventeen inches high, has a width of six and six-eighth inches at the top and six and a half inches at the bottom. The battery is supplied through a six inch pipe of water
10—23—1905
14G
REPORT OP THE
Off. Doc
taken from the Lackawaxen river flowinjr bv irravifv t ho^ i .
and discussions of that iZortait n^h If! r^ t" *'!*' '"''"''"■''^ meetins of the Vmor oL K.I ° o • f *' i'' ^""^^ ^ attended the
Springs' We't vV.S." I^ 1"^' worrrtVavne' T 7?,"*^ "."'p!!"^ seemed to me to be the best informatln obSble """"''' "''"*
extending in depth tot \To Tn^sTo^Sret'" T.*,e"' 'T^;
.™n..o the Aests ^.^^Xi^:i,^^:s^-^:^:^^
fish, which were Tn fine and hefl/h ^^«**!':.«n'J took out the parent .you'ng small mouth black bass * •' '""*''*"'"' ' '""'^'^ "«* « «'"gle
about'6SoT>?„„'?w^irh^?e:\,Vhri ''/"\p^"' "' -* ^«-' -d
rock bass were tfken out and distrihntn •'''"^''•^''"■"''- '^^''^ ^^^-g were one and onehalMn, hp« Tr.\ !u^ " different waters. They
There are differe^^'iL's tVhi rfattHln t: nw'fa"^ ''-tributioZ the absence of any aquatic irrrnvtl, ;,. h, ■ "^ fai'u'-e; one was
attach some imnortance rf ?» J * '"'"'' " '"'''''^'•n to which I
summer for I have ptant^d n ,it. , ''^''T. '''^}'^ """"«* «^'«t next to be the bestlLc g owi'nTnla,;'t"i^;;,"'*f^" P'''"*' <"''«><'e''ed for failure undoubtedly wa^thnw^^!^ t ^'"'^*- -^"other reason the water supply The nond u^,« i.IIm °f.,'>«^e P^'rfect control of
uns from a dhch'-diJectirfrom h^f£Sx ^ w't^ ^""^''^ the water rose in the creol- th„ -irf^i^ !?^ ^"*^" times when
was .onsequentT/a%^rv larce owTf"''' ^I" ^Vl^ ^""' ''""^ *»'«••« which we could not noiil T^.f • "^^''t-'r through the pond
for we haye absoh te\o,^troT of t'LT';""*' ''^''T' "•"^- ''"^e'"-
«"PP..y ditch from aLTolrbielup y^irrs,*;;'!'?^';^ ^"*"""« *"''
Another reason and in all nrobah iftv t^„ ^ ^^ .
to hatch bass last spring was the extremp T f"'^ "' ^^^ ^"""'•^ water. During the entire Tnn Jnit^ 'T temperature of the
ingly cold and'^it is a well known f^etTh.T' ^"^f P""« ^«« exceed- will not spawn when t^ tem,JInt„^! • ^.^''^'^l' "'"»*'' ^'»'''^- bass and that any eggs which mi^'h^Pn / " "."f •" .^" *'''«'•''<'« Farenheit ture falls as^lof L iSgZ^s Durfn'l''thr*' '"" "" " *''- ^^'"P*"-''- in .905. the temperature aT;t^tim?rTa?h;^d^^d:g;^^.\ro7^,l':r
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1
I'U;
REPORT OF THE
iakvu from thv Lacl
Off. Doc.
m connection with (lie batt against every troutili widi a s
kawaxen river llouino by gravity. I have al
ery, run a line of two incli
so;
water into any trough on the plant indcM.eml.
pigot that ] ran tap La eka waxen
iron pipe
river
it i
s iiiy intention after the disposal of the t
pendent of spring waler
troughs for piekeivl and perch worl
rout to utilize these
1 feel exceedini:!
y sorrv to
mouth black bass at the Wavne hatch
report my attempt at rearin
<!■
fail
ure
I ha\
(^ry the year 1{)()5, an ent
small
on tli(» rearinj' of
'■ ^!,'i:'^^'^'"^V"','!'^• '■'•'""■f^ of ^^^ dittv'rent'atte
ire
<^^ral hatclieries and al
small moulli black I
>ass. 1 have also visited
mptj
and discussions of that meeting of the Ainer Springs, West Xi
so paid very strict attention to tlu
sev- remarks
rginia,
In tl. seemed to me to be the best inf
. niiporiant tish at the time J attended the i.aii Fisheries Society, held at AVliite Sulphur ^''' '- ^he work at Waynes I followed what
Tl of tl
u' ]>oiid which I was making le small mouth black bass is
ormation obtainable Ih
extending in depth from t
g these attempts in the ill area about one and third
area of (he this tabic la
similar to the m^sts used'in theSlicl Mr. Lvdelj.
wo imhes to eight feet. Tl
propagation acres.
pond varies in depth from IS inches to thr no, or niore proju-rly shelf I placed sixtv 1
iigan hatcheries, and
le greatest
ce feet. On
)ox nests made
iiivrnted bv
I
^ave all the attention I j.ossibl
cover whether th(^ 1
th
cy di<l so. n
>ass o(
.V could si>are to watching to d
s
pawned in i>laces outside the nc^sts wl
''^V^^'^^ ihr uoMf^, but J failed to thid th
ope that they might have
owever, I was still in h
is- iit
15ut in Octol
tish, which w
)ei-, when I drc
lich were undetected b
w olf the water and took out
<*i'<* in hue and healthy condition, I f
th
y me. c jjarent
oung small mouth black b
In taking u]> the |
!1SS.
ound not a siniii
e
>ar<'nt tish, 1 found a f
ihout (;,()()(l young which thev had h
rock bass were tal
were one and one-half incl The
iJtched and i ('n out and distributed in ditt
w pair of rock bass, and
cared. These vo
uni!-
ics in lengih at the (
crent waters. Thev
re are ditlerent causes to which I attril
ime of distributio
the absence of
attach some importance. It summer for I have planted (,ui'i to be the best
niy acjuatic growth in ihe p,,,)!
)nte my failure; o
n.
; one was
\ reason to which I
IS a r<.ason which cannot exist next
for failure undoubtedl
nsect growing ]dant in il
<''•' "inaniiiy of chara plant, conceded
tl
'.\as fiom a ditch d tl
was that I did not ha
>c west. Another reason
>!' water supply. The j.ond was hastilv I
ve i>erfect control of
ie water rose in tlu
irectly from the Lacl
>nilt and the water suppl
was <()nse(|ueiitlv a \
''re<'k (he ditch
Iwawaxen. Often times wl
would be bank full
which wf
for we have absolut
could not avoii'l. That
cry larg(^ ih,^ oi' water through' 'tin-
len and there
SI
'•oiitrol of |li(. \vat
IS guarded against
I>ond now, howe?er
ippl.v ditch from a controlabh^ suni.l
'• supply, it (Altering th<
Anotl
icr reason and in all probabilitv tl
Ppl.v in a sluicewa\
lo hatch bass last s|
u
water. During the ent
ing was th(^ extreme low t
'<' one cause of the failu
re
ingly cold and it
will not spawn when the t
and that an
ure spawning season, the spi
cmpfMature of the ing was exc(»ed-
.sny.in<now,,nu.f,l,,,ts,nnir,Mo,m, ,',1
tup(> fiills as low as 45(1
emperature is under .10 d ^'t^ii^ which may becMi deposited will d
in 1905, the temperature at
<'^rees. During the spa
no time reached .lO d
ink bass
egrees Farenheit
ie if the tempera-
wning season of bass
'egrees and on June
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
147
14th, it was 44 degrees. I have taken measures which I think here- after will tend to keep the temperature at a higher rate in the future even if the weather temperature be below normal. As I have abso- lute control of the water supply to suit our needs, 1 can regulate the flow and is necessary stop it entirely.
I suppose I may take comfort in the thought that I am not the only superintendent in the country that made a failure in 1905, not- withstanding this I assure you I feel extremely sorry to report this failure, as you and the Commissioner have always been very much in- terested in the success of small mouth black bass and are urgent for hatching on a large scale.
I think I can agree with Mr. Frank Clark, superintendent of the Northville station, Michigan, when in his paper he says, "In order to obtain the best results at a small mouth black bass breeding sta- tion, the ponds should not be too large or too deep, but have plenty of them. It is preferable that they be from one-half to and over three- fourth of an acre in area, in a maximum depth of six feet in about one quarter of the pond."
Acting under the direction of my Chief, Mr. Meehan, I have taken up the study of yellow perch to find out the best technical methods of propagation. And I herewith take pleasure in setting forth the results of my efforts and experiments to this date.
In the season of 1905, the first perch which commenced to spawn at this hatchery, was on April 15th, and duration of spawning period was until May 12th. One exj>eriment made was with a pond the di- mensions of which were fifty feet wide by one hundred feet long. There was an average depth of three feet throughout. At the time of placing the eggs in the pond, I had every reason to believe that there would be a successful hatch, for this method had been success- fully done in previous years by A. G. Buller and William Buller at the Corry and Erie hatcheries. The first eggs were placed on brush. The tops of the brush extended out of the water from 12 to 18 inches and the strings of eggs were placed on the brush underneath the w ater. The idea of the tops of the brush extending out of the water was to create a motion to the eggs by the branches being swayed by the wind, as it was well known that if fish eggs lie perfectly still, sediment will collect upon them and the consequences are that they smother. The gentle puffs of wind cause the branches to wave and the eggs rock gently back and forth in the water washing from them all sediment.
I was not, however, as successful in this method as my brothers, for I found that the ^ggs w^ere apt to loosen from the branches and drop to the bottom of the pond.
I then took some trout hatching trays, placed the eggs upon them and floated them loosely over the pond, the eggs by this method hatched to perfection, and my pond was literally alive with young perch. Unfortunately this pond was located at the lower end of a series of three pools being nearly constructed. The leakage was very great, necessitating a large inflow of water. The fish newly hatched being so small and weak and the current through the water so strong that thousands were undoubtedly washed through the leaky places. I would recommend and very strongly that the ponds be reconstructed so that they will be perfectly water tight, so that during the sac period of the fish, it will not be necessary to flow more
148
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
water into the pool, than merely enough to make up for the loss by evaporation.
To demonstrate the necessity of having these arrangements in so secure a manner, I would state that the screens used to hold the yellow perch from the outlet are finest brass wire cloth netting made. The meshes being 100 to the inch. Any mesh larger than that would allow the fish to escape. As I am well aware that we will not have the time to correct this evil, during the coming season I have made a large lot of floating boxes, in which I intend to hold the fish until they are about six weeks old when they will be from one- half to three-fourth of an inch in length, a size at which they will be able to stem the current in the pond.
Another experiment I made was in the matter of trough culture. I hatched the eggs and reared the perch similiar to the methods used in brook trout work. The only difference is in the character of the water supply. For perch it is absolutely necessary to use creek or pond water. Spring water seems to be fatal.
I found the sac period on the perch to be from five to seven days. When I noticed they were seeking for food, my first attempt at sup- plying them was with milk curd which I found I could separate in smaller particles than I could liver. It was a question in my mind for quite some time, whether the little perch were feeding or not, as they were so small, I could not detect anything in their stomachs. It is noteworthy that the young perch are so nearly transparent that for many weeks it is possible with the naked eye to see the entire stomach and intestines.
After a period of eight or ten days by examining a number of the fish with a magnifying glass, I found their little stomachs full of food. From that period on I began to feed ground liver. As this experiment was on a limited scale, I was able to note particularly whether there was any cannibalism among the advanced fry and fingerlings. Up to October the time of distribution I had not dis- covered that they were feeding upon one another, although it is a well known fact that the parents will feed on the young.
In view of the many waters throughout the State, which are suffi- ciently warm to be inhabited by yellow perch, this fish is bound to become a valuable factor in fish cultural work. In order to propa- gate the yellow perch in large numbers and bring them to fingerling stage will require a great deal of space and the use of the battery.
I will kindly call your attention to the matter of the propagation of catfish at this hatchery. It is a fish, the propagation of which will be of great value to your administration. I would suggest that you allow me to construct at least one pond for that purpose this coming spring. I have already secured a number of breeding fish in anticipation of your concurrence.
During the time the employes at the hatchery were not devoted to fish cultural work, they were kept busy at construction work. With the assistance of some temporary employes there was con- structed a trunk line for the purpose of supplying the different series of pools with water. This trunk line or sluice is five hundred feet long, twenty-four inches wide and twelve inches deep, furnishing an ample supply of water for all work. In addition to this, for a dis- tance of 250 feet to support this trunking, a stone wall has been laid with an average height of four feet. From its terminus there
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
149
extends a four inch iron pipe line, 150 feet in length for the purpose of conducting water to the hatching house fry pools. Four fry pools each forty feet long and eight feet wide with boarded end and natural graveled sides and with a depth of three feet were built. Also one pool 160 feet long by 50 feet wide, an average depth of four feet for the retention of Oswego or large mouth black bass. Besides there was built a stone wall 200 feet long with an average height of four feet on the west side of the Lackawaxen to protect the hatching house and ponds from high water. Also a series of brook trout nursery troughs numbering 32, length 16 feet, width 22 inches, height 10 inches, made out of two inch plank were con- structed, together five brook trout fry pools and one pool for adult trout, the dimensions of which is embodied in my report on brook trout. A battery 300 jar capacity, was placed in the hatching house. The superintendent's dwelling house was remodelled and given two coats of paint on the out side and the interior papered and painted throughout. A steam heating plant was installed, and other com- forts provided.
I wish to speak here of the excellent service my assistants, J. C. Granville and F. P. Deming, have rendered the Department. Both of them have given their untiring attention to the work at all times. As both of these men were entirely new to the service when I took charge of the Wayne hatchery, they cannot be given too much credit for the advance they have made in fish cultural knowledge. I was very much pleased this past winter on account of their skill in help- ing me to gather the brook trout eggs. Mr. Granville took charge of the collection of the eggs at Weisport and Mr. Deming the same at AUentown. Both of them have developed into good spawn takers. In speaking in praise of the young men, it should be borne in mind that the duties of fish culturists are very heavy at times, often necessitating very long hours and exposure to all kinds of weather.
In reviewing the work and the conditions existing at the Wayne hatchery, you as well as myself recognize that everything is still in a very crude state and will require time and money to bring it to the point where we wish it. All these ponds will require thorough tightening, and to be right in line and in standing with the other hatcheries, every pond should be lined throughout in order to pre- vent the great seepage of water. It also will need an immense amount of grading to put the place in order and I would suggest to you that this coming season, we be allowed to devote part of our time to this work.
Respectfully submitted,
NATHAN R. BULLER,
Superintendent.
I 1
150
REPORT OF THE
WAYNE HATCHERY.
Off. Doc.
Rock Bass Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
Lycoming county, fingerlings No. 1, 4,000
Wayne county, fingerlings No. 1, 1^000
Susquehanna county, fingerlings No. 1, 1,000
Total ^'^00
WAYNE HATCHERY.
Yellow Perch Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1,
1905.
Wayne county, Fry, 100,000
Philadelphia county, Two years old, 200
Lehigh county, Two years old, 600
Total, 100,800
Cut Throat Trout Distributed from DcHMiuber I, 1904, to December
1, 1905.
Lackawanna county, Fingerlings No. 1 25,000
Susquehanna county, Fingerlings No. 1, . . 25,000
Wayne county, Fingerlings No. 1, 20,000
Total, 70>000
Pickerel Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1, 1905.
Monroe county, Fry, 500,000
Luzerne county, Fry, 350,000
Susquehanna county, Fry, 2,500,000
Carbon county. Fry 550,000
Wayne county, Fry, 2,750,000
Pike County, Fry, 800,000
Lackawanna county. Fry, 2,750,000
Total, 10,200,000
Total Distribution of Fingerlings No. 2 600
Grand total, 10,200,600
No. 23. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
Frogs Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December 1,
Dauphin county,
Lancaster county, . . :
Cumberland county,
Lawrence county,
Venango county,
Crawford county,
Adams county,
Huntingdon county,
Schuylkill county,
Berks county,
Luzerne county,
Wyoming county,
Pike county
Montgomery county, ,
Clinton county,
Lebanon county,
Lehigh county,
Centre county,
Perry county,
Clearfield countv
Chester countv,
Elk countv,
Carbon countv,
Northampton county,
Juniata county,
Lackawanna county,
Philadelphia county,
Lycoming county,
Susquehanna county,
Columbia county,
York countv,
Total,
Brook Trout Distributed from December 1, 1904, to December
Lehigh county
Columbia countv,
Northumberland county,
Schuylkill county,
Wayne county,
Erie countv,
Centre County
Monroe county,
Wyoming county
Sullivan county
Philadelphia county
Luzerne county,
TTnion county,
Carbon county,
Lackawanna county,
161
1905.
600
" 300
600
600
300
600
300
1,500
7,500
5,100
900
300
300
600
3,000
1,800
900
3,300
3,000
300
900
3,600
900
2,100
3,000
2,700
3,000
1,200
1,500
2,100
8,100
60,900
1, 190.-).
33,000
84,000
22.500
13.3,-^.00
129.500
125,000
125,000
190.500
13,.500
30,000
31,500
198,000
22,500
156,000
137,000
152 REPORT OF THE
Susquehanna county,
Pike county,
Northampton county,
Total,
The above are to be divided as follows
Advanced Fry,
Fingerling No. 1,
To Corry Hatchery. Brouk Trout Eyed Eggs,
Off. Doc.
69,000 70,500 84,000
1,655,000
210,000 1,445,000
400,000
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
153
TORRESDALE HATCHERY, STATION Ko. 5.
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Report of J. F. Brower, Assistant in Charge.
To Hon W. E. Meehan, Coniuiissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I beg U^ave to make the following \^^''\^\':;^'^ ^''''' "* th^ToV osdale Hatchery from January 1 to October 1 005.
During the early days of the ^'f/,/^^;^^^^^^^^^ cold
with the work that we would ^^^^^ ^o have done on a^^^^^^^^^ ^^
irdT'of ke upper pond so we ^evo^ed ou^^^^^^^^^^
After a time we^could begin to see ^^^ ^^f^^'^J^^^^ the refuse to of brush. Then the trimming of h^^^^^^^^ ^he
ground was fit for tho plow and s";""?' P"«;"rroucW banks and
"wCnSwort w», ir»lnB on Mr. Bl.ant.on w.. .™ainjr ... foM
rn,.T;*r.?«"bnrru'.n .{..,. ..cb ..«!<,. pip... .b. li
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
153
TOHHESDALK HAT( UKHY. STATION No. 5.
•a:
be
y:
3
"T*
b£
Kei.oit of J. F. Bvower. Assistant in Cluirjj<'.
To lion W. E. M.M.lian. Tonnnissiono.- of FisUovios:
n...,r Sir- T 1.0.' leave to n.aUo the following report of work done at
,J.'V;:r;;:.la'l' natel...., f-n-T^--^ I.,;- ;';:;'•;:;, :;';;• ,...,.Uva.v ,„„.ins llM. earlv .lays o the 7'' ';.;J'^, :.„,,,,, of tl.e eol.l
with the work I hat w.MVonhl 1''^' /""'.Y, J ^nd assistant .onld do
-'^"^ru. :;:.::i:':^^:i^^^i^^ '^ idoak at the lower
siireadins branches. „,„u.r nnd lower ponds, and
T l.nilt a rustle bridjiv l.-'tween ''''l "'7' ' "^".^^ on the ,.onds ,>v the tin.e sprinj.- arrived ^vo ^^■ore read, o, ♦ '^ «^^""; ""Jt lalt the and to bnild a lloaiins slip ='^^^-l>':V:„; M t vo^ ''Parted
fjronnd was fit for the plow and 'X^.^M^^^^^^^^^ banks and
to finish t^.; 1-^, ;:-;f ; ;- ■.;;^r w ha ^.m foot pip<^ to eonvey
,1,0 water to the V'-'^/;-;*"'' ;;'^ .^^ ? ' ^r.-am o" w te aronnd the „K.need. T^i-'^t a snuill hoh «ith a . th stn a^^^^^^^ ^^^^^
soon repaired and the water "1!^ % , ' ';>,,;,.t , i,. -bad nsed tin- „„„,:. n,ore "^onlde appear..!, ^_^e '1 f^^ \l\ ^^^, ^5,, ,,
banks for lluMr winter hone, tnmn 11 .}- I1 om ( n • side, and as the wntorreaeln-d these holes on t ;- s-d ^^ ^^^^^ ^,^^
th,. run and show on ^'V' "" .^' l-^-^^^?'^/ / ^ , ^nd outlets were ;rnt\"V^; a;;;r;:iri:r;a'nsed'Zh''lron,d to tind. but at last
"'"whJh"tll^s"work was soinfr on Mr. Shannon was sending ns jrold .;;:;;':erfisi:fronn.ankford,whiehhadto^^^^^^^
first lot of .-^00 was I' ^":"<\'" '';;;'„"';' ^ ?';',," wav nntil their
,l,e work to rer..ive tl'^"' hesan ^l ;.^^,, f;" ' ^^iV'^y^^^ovinR along ^l^oltir';!:!-;^ ^d th';t;rk t.t^. meh' s„etion pipe in the
li
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
154
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
river five hundred and twenty-five feet from the pump, but by this time we had become used to these little things.
Early in May Mr. Glennen and sixteen men from the U. S. Hatchery arrived, after pitching their tents, the work of shad hatching com- menced. Among this party of U. S. men, eight were sent to collect the spawn and the balance to do other work. We had turned the hatchery over to them; we attended to other work. Put in sluice at lower pond, built dam at cave, started a new pond for catfish. While we were at this latter work we found a stream of water, and the upper or gold fish pond leaking. Finding it was caused by a vein of gravel extending from pond to pond, we rushed the work at the cat- fish pond so as to end that trouble.
But trouble never comes alone, as on the afternoon of May 31st Mr. Glennen informed me that at 5 P. M. he and his men would leave and turn everything over to me, which meant stop all other work and take charge of hatching shad. This we carried on until the end of the season and I think we were as successful relatively as those who had gone before, considering our small number and the lateness of the season.
After the young shad were all transferred to Mr. Sutton, the New Jersey representative, we resumed work around the hatchery finish- ing catfish pond, transferred the gold fish to new pond and drained their pond to find the leak. We encountered a lot of trouble; we bored the gravel vein and puddled it with clay which was furnished through the kindness of Mr. Bender, superintendent of filter plant. The clay, after many vexations, held. We again transferred the gold fish to their pond. Then the n'ew pond showed us the same trouble, which must be fixed.
But time was pushing us and we had to look out for our wall to keep the tides from washing out our banks, so we started a stone wall on the river front extending from the upper side of the catfish pond to the old stable, filling in and backing it with soil and making a road to new house and stable.
I should note the theft of our big boat, the thieves leaving in its place a launch, afterwards claimed by Captain Adams of the Schooner Bimiller, and turned over to his representative, also the work done in helping the fish wardens in breaking up illegal fishing on the river.
Thanking you for the many favors and kindness shown to me, I can assure you it is with many regrets I leave the Torresdale Hatchery and your employ.
There has been received at the hatchery the following mature fish and No. 1 Fingerlings:
Gold and silver carp from Mr. Shannon, 1,300 mature.
Gold and silver carp from Mr. Chamberlain, 1,500 No. 1 Finger- ling.
Catfish from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 482 mature. White perch from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 39 mature. Yellow perch from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 92 mature. Black bass from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 10 mature. Calico bass from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 2 mature. Sunfish from Mr. J. Sundemeyer," 96 mature. Yellow perch from Wayne hatchery, 40 mature.
ft)
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154
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
river five hundred and twenty-five feet from the pnnip, but by this time we had become used to these little thinji^s.
Early in May Mr. (ilenuf^i and sixteen men from the V. S. Hatchery arrived, after pitchin*;- their tents, the work of sliad lialrhin«»- com- menced. Anions this parly of V. S. men, cii-ht were sent to collect the spawn and the balance to do oilier woik. We had (urned the hatchery over to them; we attended (o other work. Put in sluice at lower pond, built dam at cave, started a new pond for callish. While we were at this latter work we found ji si ream of water, ami tlu^ upper or gold fish pond leaking-. Finding it was caused l)y a vein of gravel extending from pond to ])ond, av nished the work at the cat- fish pond so as to end that tronble.
But trouble never comes alone, as ou the afternoon of May 31st Mr. Ghainen informed me that at 5 V. M. he and his men would leave and turn everything over to me, whieh meant sto]> all other work and take charge of hatching sliad. This we carried on until the end of the season and I think we were as suc<*essful relatively as those who had gone before, consideiing our small number and tlie lateness of the season.
After the young shad were all transferred to ^li-. Sutton, the New Jersey representative, we resumed woik around the liatclieiv finish- ing catfish pond, transferred the gold llsh to new }>ond and drained their pond to find the leak. W<- encountered a lot of trouble; we bored the gravel vein and ]aiddled it with clay which was furnished through the kindness of Mr. IV'uder, suiK'rintendent of filter plant. The clay, after many vexations, held. We again transferred the gold fish to their pond. Then the n'ew pond sIiowcmI us the same trouble, which must be fixed.
But time was pushing us and we had to look out for our wall to keep the tides from washing out our banks, so we started a stone wall on the river front extending from tln^ up])er side of the catfish pond to the old stable, filling in and backing it with soil and making a road to new house and stable.
I should note the theft of our big boat, the thieves leaving in its place a launch, afterwards claimed by ("ajdain Adams of the Schooner Bimiller, and turned over to liis representative, also the work done in hidping the fish wardens in breaking ujv illegal fishin^^ on the river. *
Thanking you for the many favors and kindness shown to me, I can assure you it is with many regrets I leave the Torresdale Hatchery and your em])loy.
There has been received at the hatchery the following mature fish and No. 1 Fingerlings:
Gold and silver carp from Mr. Shannon, 1,.S00 mature. Gold and silver carp from Mr. (Iiamberlain, 1,500 No. 1 Finfrer- ling.
Catfish from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 482 mature. White perch from Mv. J. Sun'demeyer, .'^O mature. Yellow perch from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 02 mature. Black bass from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 10 mature. Calico bass from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 2 mature. Sunfish from Mr. J. Sundemeyer, 00 mature. Yellow perch from Wayne hatchery. 40 mature.
X
X
'X
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
^ «« DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
No. £o. . 1 ^
XUere has been hatched and Pjaced in the Delaware nver shad fry by the United States 3,256,000.
1 io 554,000
Shad fry by Pennsylvania, 2,754
Alewife's, 2,125,000
White perch, ______1 5,937,754
Delivered fish per orders:
Mr. Vandergrift. Andal-ia Buc^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Mr. A. FitswateI^ Ph^n^vnie.^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^
Mr. Charles R^i'^^^^'i^E^'^^ Lebanon county. Mr. Thomas Capp, ^^^^^'Jt Lebanon county.
Mr. Grant Weldman L^Jj;°"^ork county
Mr. E. K. McConkey. YorK lOFK ^^^^
Bridgeton. York county,
Mr. - ^r „
Mr. M. A. Hayson.^..^^--^ ^ ...
Mr. M. A. Hayson BHgeton xu ^^^j^^ county,
Atherton & Bf ".^^- rrsdai? Phllkdelphia county .
?urtm iSr-Glrman^ow^n. Philadelphia county.
75
200
200
200
25
200
2o
200
200
2.100
mature sunflsh. No. 1 fingerling sunflsh. No. 1 fingerling sunflsh. No. 1 mature catfish. No. 1 mature catfish. No. 1 fingerling sunflsh. No. 1 mature catfish. No 1 fingerling sunflsh. No. 1 fingerling catfish. No. 1 fingerling catfish, mix gold fish.
3,640
Yours truly,
September 29, 1905.
J. F. BROWEPv,
Assistant in Charge.
156
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
TORRESDALE FISH HATCHERY, STATION No. 5.
Report of Superintendent W. H. Safford.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I herewith beg to submit the following as my report on the operations of Torresdale Station since my appointment to be its superintendent on October 1, 1905.
Owing to the fact of the much needed repairs then in course of progress, the station was in practically a dismantled condition. It therefore took some little time to place the station on a satisfactory working basis again. There has been completed the superintendent's residence, a modern building in every detail, a gift to the Depart- ment from the City of Philadelphia, and a fine stable for horse and equipment has also bpcn finished. An addition to the hatchery in the shape of a boiler room or pump house has added materially to the efficiency of the station. The hatchery building proper including living rooms upstairs, have been receiled, adding not only to warmth of building, but greatly to its appearance. Both superintendent's residence and hatchery building have been very nicely painted with the Department colors — white and green.
Since taking the station the entire equipment w^as given a general overhauling. The Torresdale Station depending as it does entirely on a pumping system for its water supply for the hatchery and portion of ponds, it became necessary to buy a new steam pump as the one in use had been in service quite a number of years and had become nearly worn out. Proposals for new pump were asked for from different manufacturers. The one selected was known as the Burnham single stroke steam pump with a capacity of 455 gallons per minute, which so far has proven very satisfactory.
The old steam pump on the installation of the new one, was at once sent to the shop to be generally overhauled and repaired. When returned to the station it w\as set up to be used as an auxiliary. In placing the hatchery in condition, preparatory to receiving eggs, it was discovered that something was wrong with the large intake main, for with the new pump coupled to the main we were unable to get water in sufficient quantity to feed the batteries. After trying to locate the trouble in various ways and being unable to do so, it was decided to take up the intake main. This was done at a con- siderable expense and trouble as besides being six inch iron pipe in fifteen feet lengths, it was in some places covered by eighteen inches of soft mud. I finally succeeded in getting main out and discovered three full lengths, or forty-five feet, nearly two-thirds full of mud, making it utterly impossible to get sufficient supply of water. After cleaning thoroughly, I re coupled main and from' that time on we have had a fine supply of water.
On December Hth there was received at this station' 5,832,000 white fish eggs, and on December 11th we received 34,660,000 lake herring eggs. The batteries being ready to receive them the jars
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Toinn:sj)ALK FJSii hatcfieky, station No. r>.
l\('l)()i't of Siiperiiitcndeiit AA'. II. Safl'ord.
Hon. \\'. K. Mccliai!, Coimuissionoi' of l^^islieries:
Dear Sii : I li< icwirli l)c<> to submit tlic following- as my report on the o])oratioiis of Torrcsdalo Stjition sinco my appointment to be its superintendent on Oe(ober 1, 1005.
Owinj»- to tlie fact of tlie much needed re])airs then in course of proj^ress. the station was in ])ractically a dismantled condition. It tlierefore took som;^ littU' time to ])]ace the station on a satisfactory workin.i.^ basis aiiain. Tliere lias been compU^ted the sui)erintendeiit's residence, a niodcin buihlin^- in every detail, a jiift to (he Depart- ment from the City of riiiladelphi.'i. and a tine stable for horse and equiitmcnt hns :ilso been finished. An addition to tlie hatchery in the sha])o of a boiler room or pump liouse has added materially to the efhciency of the slation. The liatchery buildin^- projier indudinjij livin<r rooms n]»stairs, have been recoiled, addin*:: not only to warmth of bnildin.u, Imt ureatly io ils a]»i)earance. Both superintendent's residence and liJitcheiy Imildini:' have been very nicely painted with the D(^]>arlment colors — while and jxreen.
Since takinii' the station the entii'f^ equipment was ijiven a jj:eneral overhauliii«!:. The Torresdale Station de])endinj; as it does entirely on a pum]nn«i- system for its water su]>ply for the hatchery and portion of ]>onds, it IxcaTiu' n<'cessary to buy a new steam ]mm]) as the o?u^ in use had l)een in service (Miite a nuiiib(>r of years and had b<M'ome nearly worn out. l*ro]Kisals for new ]mmp were asked for from difTci'ent manufactureis. The one selected was known as the Burnham sin«:le stroke steam imm]) with a capacity of 40.1 j^nllons per minute, which so far has ])roven very satisfactory.
The old steam ]iuni]> on the installation of the new one. was at once sent Io the sho]) to be jrenerally ov(^rhauled and repaired. When returned to tlu^ station it was set up to be used as an auxiliary. In placinji' the hatchery in condition, preparatory to receivinjr ei^jj's, it was discovered that something: was wronjjj with the lar^e intake main, for with the new pump coupled to the main we were unable to fret water in sufTicient quantity Io feed the batteries. After tryinj? to locate th(» troubh^ in various ways and beinu: unable to do so, it was decided to take u]> the intake main. This was done at a con- siderable expense and trouble as besides bein<>: six inch iron pipe in fifteen feet lencfths. it was iu some places covered by eiirhteen inches of soft mud. I finnllv succeeded in .c^ettinir main out and discovered three full len;Liths. o, foil y five feet, nearly Iwo-thirds full of mud, makiuo- it utterly im]»ossi])le to jjct sufficient supply of water. After cleanin«i' thorout^hly. I recouided main and from that time on we have had n fine supT>ly of water.
On I)(>cember (llh there was re.-eived al this slation 5,8:^2,000 while fish enros, jind on December 11th w(» received 84,000,000 lake heri'in<.v ejrjj:s. The batteries bein^^ ready to receive them the jars
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
157
were filled and started. The eggs are in process of incubation and doing fairly well at this date. As the season was well advanced before my arrival at the station, the limit of time for outside work was short. The main driveway running around lower end of pond two, between hatchery and superintendent's residence was graded and raised to a height of about three feet bringing it to a level with lawn at hatchery and residence. These lawns are kept nicely cut and trimmed. Considerable grading was done around superin^ tendent's residence, a terrace extending some distance front was also completed. The ground on south side of hatchery was filled in to a level with rest of lawn at that point.
The catfish pond being only partially completed, I proceeded to reconstruct it taking out about eighteen inches of bottom of upper end of pond to conform with the kettle. One fry pond was started and partially completed.
As the station is new the fish cultural duties, aside from those in the hatchery, are light, and the station has not nearly reached its full capacity for work. There is at present in the ponds a very good start in the following species: yellow perch, sunflsh, black bass, and catfish, both white and yellow.
In the gold fish pond there is a fine set of brood fish, although last year,owing to being placed in a newly constructed pond and handled frequently, their spawning qualities were greatly inter- fered with. The gold fish being propagated for the public schools of the Commonwealth, the demand at this station was very heavy. The supply this year not being equal too the number of applicants on file. Mr. Andrew J. Malin, of Phoenixville, and \V. B. Chamber- lain, of Torresdale, very generously gave their surplus fingerlings to the Department; Mr. Chamberlain giving about three thousand. These together with what were in the ponds enabled me to supply the following schools of Philadelphia with gold fish:
Special School No. 7, Wm. McKinley, The Logan, George Brooke, The Webster, J. Sylvester Ramsey, John Hancock, Wyoming, Warner, George M. Wharton, Beck's Primary, James Campbell, Cal- houn Combined, Newton for Girls, Paschalville Combined, Fairhill, Northwest, Isaac A. Shepard, Edward Shippen, Rutledge Combined, Commercial for Girls, Thomas B. Florence, Chestnut Hill, C. W. Shafer, F. D. Pastorius, Joseph E. Hill, Levering Consolidated, Andrew G. Curtin, Joseph Leidy, Daniel Keyser, Belview, Alfred C. Harmer and the Board of Education. This branch of the fish cultural work by the Department is one of the most worthy in many ways, affording a very interesting study to the pupils of the public schools of the Commonwealth.
One shipment of yellow perch and black bass was made to Bucks county and one shipment of sunfish to Montgomery county. The fact that a power launch being at this station for its use in various capacities made it very necessary that w<' should have an aAchorage close in shore, not only to protect boat but also to be more con- venient in using. A channel was ordered cut by the Commissioner, leading from shore to deep water, which is partly completed. The labor was furnished by the Hon. Sheldon Potter, Director of Public Safety, of the city of Philadelphia. This will be entirely finished on the opening of spring. The cost of labor on this channel being brought to a minimum through the kindness of the Director of Public Safety. The launch itself will need a general overhauling
158
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both in hull and engine in order that it may be put in first class condition. The location of the station, being as it is close to the large city of Philadelphia the number of visitors is very large, pro- bably being in excess of any other in the Department, there being from five to one hundred per day, many showing great interest in the work done. The future of the Torresdale Station, in my opinion, is very bright. It is one of the very few shad stations in the United States, making it very important in that one feature alone. Pros- pects of propagation of the yellow perch, black bass, sunfish and cat- fish are excellent. All of which is respectfully submitted.
Your obedient servant,
W. H. SAFFORD.
TORRESDALE HATCHERY, STATION No. 5.
Output of Gold Fish for 1005.
Beck's Primary School
Belview School ,
Board of Education
Brooks, George
Baldwin, Mathlas
Curtin, Andrew G
Calhoun Combined ,
Commercial High for Girls ,
Chestnut Hill Primary
Campbell, James,
Fairhlll
Florence, Thomas B
Glrard, Stephen,
Hancock, John
Hill, Joseph E
Harmer, Alfred C
Keyser, Daniel L,
I^eidy, Joseph
Ivogan Higher Primary
levering Consolidated,
McKInley, William
Newton for Girls ,
Northwest School,
Pastorlus, P. D
Paschalville Combined
Ramsey, J. Sylvester ,
Itutledge Combined
Sohaeffer, C. W
Shippen, Edward
Sheppard, Isaac A
Special No. 7 (Ludlow below 36th).
Wharton, Geo. M
Wharton Combined
Webster,
Wyoming,
Warner
Total,
•Adult flsh.
2,025
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No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
159
UNION CITY AUXILIARY HATCHERY, STATION No. 6.
Report of A. G. Buller, Superintendent,
To the Members of the Board of Fishery Commission:
Gentlemen: After the bill for the auxiliary hatchery had been passed and signed by the Governor, Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Mr. Meehan directed me to look up a suitable site on which to locate the station. Among the numerous places visited I found several which were admirably adapted to the work. According to the Act authorizing the hatchery, it was necessary that citizens of Erie county should present the State with at least fifteen acres of land before the appropriation to build could become available.
Citizens of Girard and Union City were especially anxious to secure the new hatchery and offered better inducements as to location and other needs. The location and supply of water one place was indeed about as favorable as the other. But Union City offered the larger number of acres and some other advantages, and Mr. Meehan after carefully considering all points finally decided in favor of Union City. About thirty acres of land were donated, of which we have in our possession at the end of the calendar year the deeds for twenty-four. The deed for the remaining number of acres is now being passed around to the different heirs who are scattered in various parts of the country to be signed.
There is an ample stream of spring water passing through the entire length of the property which can be used for pond work. There are also a number of small springs on the land, which will be of special benefit for the work, and several others outside from which permission has been given to draw.
The dwelling house and barn which stood on part of the grounds and owned by Mr. Garrett Smith, was purchased by Mr. Meehan to be used as a dwelling for the superintendent, and the barn for housing the cattle. The property is conveniently located about one mile and a quarter from the depot, and the dwelling house has two and one half stories with nine rooms and with all modern conveni- ences, also has a summer shed attached. The dwelling was in good repair and needed nothing but repapering. There is also a very pretty lawn around the house, bordered with a row of large maple trees facing the public road between Union City and Corry which is frequently traveled.
I took possession of the dwelling house on September 5th. On the 2Ist day of September the foundation for the hatching house was staked off in the presence of Mr. Meehan and Mr. Whitaker. The size of the building is forty feet by one hundred feet, ten feet to square. It is well lighted, havbig forty-eight windows with single glass lights. The floor is concrete. The building is frame with tile foundations. The interior arrangements of the hatching troughs differ radically from those in the other hatcheries in the State. Ordinarily a house of the above dimensions would hold only eighty troughs, but in this there are 120. The supply trough, as in other
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
159
UNION CITY AUXILIARY HATCHERY, STATION No. 6.
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Report of A. G. Biiller, Superintendent,
To the Members of the Board of Fishery Commission:
Gentlemen: After the bill for the auxiliary hatchery had been passed and sij^ned by the Governor, Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, iVir. Meehan directed me to look up a suitable site on which to locate the station. Amonj; the numerous places visited I found several which were admirably adapted to the work. According to the Act authorizing- the hatchery, it was necessary that citizens of Erie county should present the State with at least fifteen acres of land before the appropriation to build could become available.
Citizens of Girard and Union City were especially anxious to secure the new hatchery and ollVred better inducements as to location and otiier needs. The location and supply of water one place was indeed about as favorable as the other. But Union City otlered the larger number of acres and some other advantages, and Mr. Meehan after carefully considering all points finally decided in favor of Union City. About thirty acres of land were donated, of whicli we have in our possession at the end of the calendar year the deeds for twenty-four. The deed for the remaining number of acres is now being passed around to the dilferent heirs who are scattered in various parts of the country to be signed.
There is an ample stream of spring water passing through the entire lengtli of the property which can be used for pond work. There are also a number of small springs on the land, which will be of si)ecial benefit for the work, and several others outside from which permission has been given to draw.
The dwelling house and barn whi( h stood on part of the grounds and owned by Mr. (Jarrett Smith, was purchased by Mr. Meehan to be used as a dwc^lling for the superintendent, alid the barn for housing the cattle. The lu-operty is conv(Miiently located about one mile and a v|uarter from the depot, and the dwelling house has two and one half stories with nine rooms and with all modern conveni- ences, also has a summer shed attached. The dwelling was in good repair and needed nothing but repapering. There is also a very pretty lawn around the house, bordered with a row of large maple trees facing the public road between Union City and Corry which is frequently tra\t'led.
I took ])ossession of the dwelling house on Se]>temb(^r .Ith. On the iMst day of Se])tember (he foundation for ih<' hatching house was staked oil' in the presence of Mr. Meehan and Mr. Whitaker. The size of (he building is forty feet by one hundred feet, ten feet to square. It is well lighted, havijig forty-eight windows with single glass lights. The flo(M' is concrete.' The building is frame with tile foundations. The inteiioi- arrangements of the hatching troughs differ radically from those in the other hatcheries in the State. Ordinarily a house of the above dimensions would hold only eighty troughs, but in this there are 120. The supply trough, as in other
INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE
160
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hatching houses, runs the full length of the building on the east side and below it are three tier of troughs, the water from one running into the others below. The first tier is fed from the supply trough; the second tier set eight inches lower than the first. The lower end of each tier of troughs extend over the upper ends of the tier below so that the water from the first tier falls into the second tier and then into the third. The third tier of troughs has an eighteen inch drop instead of eight inches.
In order to better aerate the water, there will also be a small pan
with perforated bottom for the water to pass through before it
reaches the third tier. In this way a large amount of fish can be
carried with one-third the amount of water which an ordinary
hatchery would require.
The water supply for the hatching house is received from the Bentley spring and the Shepard pond about 100 feet away, the use of which have been legally given. My intention was to lay pipe from the Bentley spring to the hatching house this winter, but owing to the cold weather we were unable to entirely complete the work. The pipe line from the Shepard pond is completed and in operation. The flow of water from this pond is 100 gallons per minute, nearly enough for the work of the house. It was necessary to get the water from this pond for the hatching house and the necessary legal papers were promptly signed by the owner, Mr. T. J. Sheppard, for merely a nominal consideration, and under the terms of the agreement we raised the pond two feet and put in an intake tank for the small compensation of laying a three-quarter inch pipe from the pond to his barn and a six inch drainage pipe from the barn to the road, a distance of two hundred feet. The pond is a natural pond of spring water.
I also wish to speak of the courtesy of Mr. M. D. Seymour in allowing us to lay the pipe to the hatching house through his land from the Seymour pond.
At the upper end of the property now in our possession was a mill dam badly dilapidated and empty of water. I have begun the construction of a large pond at this place by rebuilding the breast and digging the area of the old pond deeper and wider. When fin- ished it will cover about one acre of ground and it is hoped will make a desirable body for lake trout or muscallonge. An old mill race leading from this pond and passing the hatchery building has also been dug deeper, and in the spring I will board the sides and cover it to keep the water cool and free from surface drainage. The water from the Sheppard pond is naturally, although spring water, sub- ject to considerable variations in temperature excepting in the winter when it registers from 33 to 35 degrees F. For this reason fish eggs will be longer in hatching. But this, as fish culturists are aware, is rather an advantage than otherwise.
Shortly after I began work at Union City, Mr. Meehan instructed me to get the hatching house ready to receive eggs as quickly as possible. On the 22d day of September we began to dig the founda- tion. The work continued nicely until we reached the depths of three feet when we came upon numerous springs which made the digging very difficult. When the digging was completed we laid drain pipe to carry off the water from these springs. The founda- tion for the building was ready for the carpenters to begin work on
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
161
the 13th day of October, and the house was in readiness to receive eggs on November 28.
I have no knowledge of a hatching house being completed in so short a time.
On November 29 we received our first consignment of eggs which was 900,000 lake trout eggs. We also received 900,000 eggs on the 30th day of November.
I cannot help but feel that this is the beginning of excellent work which can be accomplished at this station.
I wish to mention the kindness and generosity of the people of Union City. All seem to be interested in the work and wish to lend their aid in any way possible to improve or help make this station a grand success.
Respectfully,
A. G. BULLER, Superintendent.
I
11—23—1905
162
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CARP INDUSTRY IN PENNSYLVANIA FOR 1904.
By George D. Shannon, Fish Warden. Philadelphia.
To the Board of Fisheries Commission :
Gentlemen: In obedience to an order issued by Mr. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries, I undertook to gather as nearly accurate as possible the amount of German carp sold -in Pennsylvania during the year 1904 and the money realized, in order that some idea might be had of the extent of the industry. I was directed to gather statistics in the largest cities and most important towns onlv. Hence the figures which I have gleaned must necessarily represent much less than the actual size of the industry in Pennsylvania.
From the figures obtainable it api>ears that'^in 1904 there were sold 5,214,200 pounds of live and dead carp in the principal cities and towns in Pennsylvania, producing a sum of |263,945 to the dealers. In gathering these figures I took no account of the fish caught in Lake Erie and sold by the dealers in the city of Erie, because the vast bulk were shipped to cities and towns in Pennsyl- vania, and would have probably been counted the second time.
The following table gives the cities and towns, the amount of pounds of fish sold and the sum realized therefrom :
Philadelphia
Pittsburg
Allegheny
Scranton
Various other towns,
Total
3,490,000 pounds
845,000 pounds
92,000 pounds
2,000 pounds
785,200 pounds
5,214,200 pounds
$174,700 00
29,330 00
920 00
120 00
58,875 00
$263,945 00
The traffic in German carp in Philadelphia, where the largest business is done in this species of fish, is conducted chieflv by people of foreign birth or immediately foreign heritage. The trade is almost entirely with the Jews, Italians and Hungarians. It was difficult to secure anything like an approach to an accurate report among a number of the dealers as to their sales during the year, inasmuch as many of the small dealers buy and handle the catch of illegal fishermen and poachers. The latter catch the carp and by arrange- ments have the dealers meet them at specified points, times and places on the Delaware river and its tributaries. The dealers take a pair of scales and boxes and go to the named points from two to three times a week and buy the catch of the fishermen.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
163
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As the German carp is a fish very tenacious of life, it will live several hours out of water, especially in the winter months, so the dealers have no difficulty in carrying them alive from the streams to their place of business. There the fish are placed in tanks of running water which each dealer has in his back yard and then sold to the consumers.
Live carp in Philadelphia bring from 8 to 10 cents a pound more than those which are dead, hence the risk which the fishermen are willing to take in poaching and illegal fishing and buying. Live carp are much more in demand than dead or western stock and sell during the fall and winter months at 12 to 16 and 18 cents a pound. At times, though rarely, the price will range as high as 22 cents. Large carp, from twenty to thirty pounds weight, are not as much sought after as those running from four to eight pounds, and the price of such fish is accordingly less. Heavy weight carp seldom brings more than 7 or 9 cents a pound alive.
The dead carp exposed in the Philadelphia markets come mostly from western rivers. The Illinois river supplies the bulk. They are frozen or packed in ice and bring from two to six cents a pound according to the size, condition and state of the market.
Although there is a large number of small dealers, the bulk of the trade in Philadelphia is practically in the hands of three houses. They purchase direct from the fishermen from points on the Dela- ware river and tributary streams as far south as Newport, Delaware, and north as far as Trenton, New Jersey, and it is to these houses that I am indebted for the most trustworthy material and from whom I received every courtesy. The fishermen bring the carp in live cars or boxes, the traders being generally towed in by naptha launches. The principal market is on Dock Street, although at times quite a few are brought into Callowhill and Vine Street wharves.
Should any of the small dealers buy direct from the fishermen on the wharves a duty or tax is levied on them by the wholesalers, that is to say a certain per centage is charged the small dealers for use of the scales, etc., for weighing out.
I interviewed all the dealers, large and small, with the exception of one in Chester, in regard to their sales during the past year, and whether, each in their opinion thought the carp were on the in- crease or decrease. They all made the same reply, namely, that this fish is decidedly on the increase and are in waters to stay. Many thought more fish were caught and handled in the Philadelphia market during the yvar 1904 than in 1903,
As a result of my investigation the astonishing fact stands clearly forth that the carp industry in the Philadelphia markets ranks next to that of the shad notwithstanding its strong condemnation through- out the State as the fish of inferior food qualities. Its value as a commercial commoditv is therefore onlv next to the shad, which is generally conceded to be the finest commercial food fish taken from the waters of Pennsylvania.
As stated above the total sale of the German carp in the Phila- delphia markets during the year 1904 amounted to .S,490,000 pounds. The wholesale selling price averaged from five to six cents a pound for both live and dead fish, only one dealer reporting an average of four cents a pound and only one six cents. The total sum realized fl74,700 is more than one half the usual estimated annual
164
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
value of the shad industry. Of the carp sold during 1904 in Phila- delphia 1,969,200 pounds were live fish and 1,520,800 pounds were dead fish or western fish. Hence the former figures represent with some accuracy the number of German carp caught in Pennsylvania waters for the Philadelphia markets, because from my investigations it is in Philadelphia only that live German carp are sold in any great number and in all other parts of the State the dead fish are brought either from the western States or from Lake Erie. The value of the live fish sold in the Philadelphia markets in 1904 was at least 198,760.
The different dealers not only declare the carp to be on the in- crease in the waters of Pennsylvania, but they declare most positive- ly that if the State of Pennsylvania would permit additional devices for catching them the industry would be very much greater. They say that the bulk of the dead fish are imported from Illinois and other western points, representing the present shortage of the supply of Pennsylvania fish, and that with additional facilities given by the State to fishermen the latter could easily furnish the more than 1,520,800 pounds from local waters and thus keep a large sum of money in the State.
It is a very interesting sight to go through the Jewish section of the city of Philadelphia. Smoked and green or fresh stock are dis- played on stalls or carts at prices ranging from high to low according to the quality of the commodity offered. It is a common sight to see tubs and tanks on the stands containing water and holding live fish (carp and suckers). Many of the Jewish faith will not eat fish which are exposed dead for sale, but must see the fish alive and have them killed or cleaned according to a prescribed form or method.
It frequently happens that a dealer will scale a portion of the carp alive and cut from its w^rithing body as much as a customer desires and the latter goes home with his purchase, cooks and eats it, while the mutilated carp retained by the dealer flops and gasps on the fishmonger's stall. I talked with' the different dealers concern- ing the handling of live carp and the practice of mutilating them for the convenience of the customer, and many express a feeling that the Legislature should either prohibit the sale of live fish altogether or make it an offense to mutilate a live carp or suckers.
Vast quantities of green or fresh pike, pickerel and bass are sold to the better class of the Jewish trade and it is of little consequence to the dealer from what section they come.
I had naturally expected to find Pittsburg and Allegheny cities not far behind Philadelphia in the size of its carp industry on account of the large foreign population. When I first visited 'the stalls of the market in Pittsburg my opinion was strengthened because every- where I saw large piles of fresh dead German carp, but when I had gathered my figures I found the total to be only about 845,000 pounds which realized |29,330 to the dealers.
I was more than surprised in going through the Diamond market in Pittsburg and in talking to the different dealers, all of whom gave me kind and courteous treatment and every facility for gathering details of the cnrp business to learn the actual facts. While the in- dustry is not as large in Pittsburg and Allegheny cities as in Phila- delphia, it will be seen by the figures that the industry is still an important one, for there are many thousands of pounds' sold, realiz-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
165
ing many thousands of dollars. There are seven principal dealers in Pittsburg and three in Allegheny city. The bulk of the fish come from the Illinois river, Sandusky, Ohio, and from Lake Erie, although large numbers are caught in the Allegheny and Monogehela rivers and their tributaries. It is said, however, that since the repeal of Section 9 of the Act of May 29, 1901, which allowed the use of a seine for the capture of carp the number of this species of fish caught in the western rivers in Pennsylvania and sold in the markets of Pittsburg and Allegheny was greatly decreased.
A large portion of the carp handled in the markets of Pittsburg during the summer months are sold to the hucksters and pedlers to the amount of hundreds of barrels a week to be sold in the adjoining towns and suburbs. The largest firm who makes a specialty of cater- ing to the Jewish trade and to the peddlers states that the sale of carp amounts to over |10,000 a year.
Perhaps it would be as well to say at this point that I made inquiry of the different firms as to whether their sales of German carp were more in 1904 than in 1903, and all declared that the demand and sale w^ere much greater. The fish from the western points are packed in barrels and covered with ice.
Fish Warden Lowery gathered the figures from the anthracite coal regions, and the surprising fact was developed that notwith- standing the supposed preponderance of the foreign element in that section the value of the carp industry w^as almost nothing. The business ^vas done in ^cranton and even there only about 2,000 pounds were reported with a value of $120. Wilkes-Barre, Carbon- dale and one or two other points in that section scarcely realized more. From other places like Harrisburg, Williamsport, Lock Haven, York and Lancaster, and multitude of places of similar size, the total number of pounds was about 785,200, with a total value of 158,875. The price per pound in these miscellaneous towns ranged a little higher, apparently about seven and a half cents per pound. It is curious that even the foreign element outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburg and Allegheny cities do not appear to take much inter- est in the carp or purchase them to any great extent. I found that the native born and English can hardly be induced to use the fish at all. There were exceptions here and there, people who declare that when properly cooked the fish was either good or fairly edible. I found along the Susquehanna a bitter feeling against the carp and an indifference to it either as a food for the fishermen or as an industry. Yet without doubt the waters of the Susquehanna and its tributaries are rich with the fish, which has a high price in the leading markets.
While in Philadelphia I made inquiries of the dealers why it was that the foreign element, notably the Italians, Jews and Huns, were willing to pay such a high price for the flesh of the German carp. They replied that notwithstanding the first cost was high, by the time the people had prepared the fish and it was ready for the table, it was cheaper than meat. After scaling and ch^aning the fish and taking therefrom the bones, they mixed the flesh with potatoes, turnips, onions, greens, bread and other ver> cheap vegetables or food and thc^n cooked the whole and the price thereof was very low.
In dealing directly with the Philadelphia markets I omitted to state that the steamers running from New^port, Leipsic, Smyrna,
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Blackbird aud other creeks on the State of Delaware side of the river Delaware all carry large tanks on their decks for the sole purpose of handling live carp. The catchers of carp bring their fish from miles up these different streams to the steamboat landing in live cars and then dip them from the said cars into tanks on the steamboat decks. As the dealers in Philadelphia all know of the time of the arrival of the different steamers they have wagons on the wharves to meet them. The fish are so weighed off to the different purchasers and hurried to their places of business and are so put into the tanks which each dealer has in his yard and then keei> running water on them until sold. The above will give you as nearly a complete compilation of the carp business as it is possible for me to prepare. I made it a particular point to inquire if any of the fish dealers, especially in the western part of the State, handled or bought carp through one another, but found they purchased that class of fish almost always directly from the packers and shippers in the west.
The foregoing is respectfully submitted.
GEORGE D. SHANNON,
Fish Warden.
NOTES ON GERMAN CARP.
By W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries.
The report of Fish Warden George D. Shannon on the carp in- dustry in Pennsylvania for 1904 is likely to call attention again to an industry the advent of which was hailed with much enthusiasm all over the country between the years 1880 and 1886. There is probably no fish either indiginous or introduced which has excited so much interest as the German carp. Few species of fish have been introduced with a greater blare of trumpets or from which so much was expected, and no fish was afterw^ards so deeply and generally execrated as the German carp. As an illustration of the two ex- tremes Professor Baird, the first Commissioner of the United States Commission, declared in one of his annual reports that the German carp was distinctly to be for the warm water streams and for the poor people, what the brook trout is to the mountain streams and the sportsmen anglers. Recently a newspa^K^r compared the intro- ducer of the German carp to Benedict Arnold.
In only one particular has every promise concerning the German carp been realized, namely, that it is wonderfully prolific and would abound in all the waters in this country. The great mass of the citizens have repudiated the German carp. as a fish undesirable for food. Very few i>eople will eat it excepting certain of the foreign element and a class of citizens who purchase it because of its wonder- ful vitality, which will i>ernnt it to be killed aecording to certain religious observances.
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DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
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It must be confessed that the popular execration of the German carp is based on strong foundations. Possessing a strong muddy flavored flesh, it is rightfully regarded by good judges as an exceed- ingly inferior food fish. Of wonderful fecundity it has overrun the streams and been one of the factors towards depleting the waters of better food aud game fishes. An inveterate spawn eater, a German carp will clear the nests of the black bass and suufish of eggs in a few moments and readily strip hundreds of strings of yellow perch eggs from the water plants. Vegetarian also in its habits it digs in the mud for roots of water plants and so destroys the hiding places aud sheltering places of the little fish aud also deprives them of daphne, clyclops and other water life, which thrives on the before mentioned water plants.
But there is a strong feeling growing among those who recognize and admit the destiuctive character of the German carp and its undesirability as a food fish have been too outspoken and free in their condemnation. By their too great freedom they have given fish pirates, pot hunters and thousands of i)eople who do not care much for the means by which fish are killed, so that they can kill them, an excuse to join in a demand on the legislature to let down the bars and permit the use of any device whatever for the capture of German carp. In other words it is to be feared that unless there is a sober second thought, the people of the State are in danger of becoming what someone termed ''carp mad.''
There is no doubt in my mind that every proper effort should be made to reduce the number of German carp now existing in our streams, but any ell'ort made in this direction should be made with a due regard for the protection of other fishes. As shown by the report of Mr. Shannon, a ready market can be found for the fish, and despite the present conditions which limit a means of capture, a very large industry has been built up in the State, especially in the cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburg aud Allegheny City. The number of carp in the Delaware within tidewater has been greatly reduced within the last ten years by proper methods of fishing, and the same thing can be done elsewhere. It was comparatively an easy matter a few years ago for the owners of a stake net to capture from a ton to a ton and a half and two tons of carp in a week. To-day 300 to 500 pounds is considered a good week's haul.
The new law enacted at the last session of the legislature per- mitting the use of a seine having a mesh of four inches stretched measure and on the giving of a bond of |200 is being taken advan- tage of by many people in the river in which the German carp are known to be abundant, thus indicating not a special desire to get rid of the German carp but to catch them for profit. I see no reason at present why the sentiment should not be applauded.
According to Mr. Shannon the number of Pennsylvania caught carp decreased materially with the repeal of Section 9, of the Act of May 29, 1901, which permitted two inch mesh seine stretched measure to be used for the capture of the fish. It is to be hoped that the figures will materially increase under the new law.
According to Mr. Shannon's report on the carp sold in the city of Philadelphia during 1904,1,969,200 pounds were live fish and 1,520,800 pounds were dead western fish, and he is probably correct in his assumption that the former represented with some accuracy the num- ber of carp caught in Pennsylvania for the Philadelphia markets
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and that the bulk of 1,520.800 pounds of dead fish came from other States. If this is true and since there is a market for more than a million and a half pounds beyond the home catch, it would seem to be common sense for Pennsylvania fishermen to give more attention to the capture of Ger- man carp for commercial purposes. They will probably fare better financially than by fishing for other fish illegally. It will be noticed that the German carp industry is nearly one-half that of the shad, which along with the white fish and lake herring and wall-eyed pike of the lakes are generally regarded as the most valuable of our fishery industries. It is logically followed therefore that the in- dustry should be encouraged as long as there is a German carp alive in the streams. I feel that it is by encouraging this industry and at the same time maintaining on the statute books the prohibition against planting carp, is the one and only hope of clearing the streams of this inferior food fish.
The history of the German carp is rather interesting. Although called German carp it is in reality not indigenous to German waters, but was introduced into that country from Asia, it is supposed by the Crusaders. It found a congenial home in the European waters and soon spread or were laken to Austria-Hungary, France and England. Huge carp farms were established in Germany and Austria-Hungary, and some started as early as the thirteenth and fourteenth century are said to be still in existence, and there is one farm covering more than forty acres. The German carp was first introduced into the United States about 1870 by a gentleman living in Sonoma, Cali- fornia. Shortly afterwards the fish was taken up by the United States Fish Commission, and the National Government was followed with more or less enthusiasm by individual States. In Pennsylvania the craze for carp culture for a few years was only parallelled by the "Merino sheep craze" and the "Morus multicaulus" or silk worm fever. Only fortunately for the farmers the results were not as disastrous to them financially. Nearly every farmer in Pennsylvania who had a small duck pond or who could dig a pond on his place ventured into carp culture and it was speedily ascertained that the carp could be as easily raised as the authorities claimed it could. But the farmers did not take to the flesh and could not sell it on tTie markets. Dreams of wealth vanished and the fish were either liberated into the streams by the act of the farmer or gained access thereto through the breasts of the ponds breaking away in flood times. Within five years after the introduction of German carp in Pennsylvania people were as loud in their condemnation of it as they had previously been enthusiastic in its praise.
There are three leading species to be found in our waters, com- monly called the scale carp, the mirror carp and the leather carp. Scientifically speaking the first is called Cyprimus carpio commis, the second, Cyprimus carpio speculious, and the third with the some- what liberal title of Cyprimus carpio Coriaceus cive nudeus. They received their name of scale, mirror and leather car]) as follows: The first being covered with scales, the second having one, two or three irreguhnr rows of extraordinarily large scales along the side of the body, and ihq third or leather carp, because it either has very few scales or ])ractically none with a thick soft skin, velvet to the touch. Of the three, if there can be a choice, the mirror car]) is
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supposed to be the best for eating purposes. The leather carp will bear transportation the best and is less liable to be injured by bruis- inb. All three have a wonderful vitality. They may be carried long distances by being simply wrapped in wet cloths. As soon as cold weather approaches the carp seeks the deeper portions of the water they inhabit, where if the bottom is muddy they spend the winter in a more or less torpid state. It is claimed that when they seek winter quarters they do so in groups of fifty to one hundred or more, making a cavity in the muddy ground called a ''kettle" where they pass the time until spring, huddled together constructing a circle with their heads together. From the time of seeking winter quarters until spring arrives it is believed that they take no food. During the period of hibernating the carp make no growth what- ever, but with the approach of warm weather they make up for lost time in this particular. In an ordinary year a carp will make the following percentage of growth in ponds: In May 13 per cent., in June 31 per cent., in July 34 per cent., in August 18 per cent., and in September 4 per cent. It is stated that a carp will sometimes make a growth of three jjounds in the first year of its life.
I have stated that the carp is wonderfully prolific. A three or four pound fish will yield from 300,000 to 500,000 eggs at least. There is one consolation, when we regard this enormous number of eggs and that is that the mature fish is just as fond of the eggs of its own kind as it is of the eggs of the black bass or other s])ecies of fish.
REPORT OF THE CARP INDUSTRY IN PHILADELPHIA FOR
1905.
Hoard of Fishery Commission:
Gentlemen: Herewith please find my report of the carp industry on the Delaware river and tributaries for the year 1905. Since my last report on the carp industry for Pennsylvania a number of Jewish fish firms have formed themselves into a company securing a charter under the laws of New Jersey with a capital of $50,000 for the pur- pose of engaging in the carp industry which is steadily growing in Philadelphia in size and importance.
The company which consists almost exclusively of Philadelphians, has leased a body of water containing 15 acres in Cumberland county. New Jersey. The company, through its agents, buy all the live carp they can during the summer months when the price is at its lowest point and hold them in the water in New Jersey until the winter months, when they are able to dispose of them at an advance of from eight to ten cents a j)ound from the original cost.
At the close of the year the com])any had over 30,000 ])onnds of carp in its i>ond which were being held for a freeze u]) ancl a rise in the market. In consequence^ of the mild winter the fishermen have been able to catch carp all winter and the prices therefore generally ruhnl much lower than the same period in former vears. To give an 12
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idea of the possibilities of the carp industry, I might note the fact that the company which I have just spoken of sold during 19U5, 1,500,000 pounds of live and dead carp at an average of live cents per pound. From other points there was shipped to the Philadel- phia market 483,000 pounds which was sold at an average of five cents per pound.
About two-thirds of the carp sold in the Philadelphia market are dead and usually a large proportion from points west notably on the Illinois river. The bulk of the live fish come from tributaries of the Delaware in Pennsylvania from the Neshamany creek to Ches- ter in Pennsylvania and from streams in the upper part of Delaware and from tributaries of the river on the New Jersey shore from Olleway's creek to Burlington. Owing to the open weather the total sales of carp in Philadelphia and the amount of money realized were less than in 1904. The total Philadelphia sales being 2,402,000 pounds with a value of |123,100.
Respectfully,
GEORGE D. SHANNON,
Warden.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
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REPORT ON THE SHAD INDUSTRY OF THE DELAWARE
RIVER FOR 1905.
To the Board of the Fishery Commission:
Gentlemen: Enclosed please find my report, as far as obtainable at this late date, of the shad industry of the Delaware bay and river. The time allowed for gathering material was not suflticient to cover the entire river from Ship John Light to the New York State line. The figures which I here present must be therefore necessarily far below the actual industry for the year. My work was confined almost exclusively from Bay Side, N. J. to Trenton Falls, that is to say in tide-water.
The heaviest catch of shad in the bay is from points between Allo- ways creek and Ship John Light, a distance of probably 20 miles. From there the fish are shipped to market by steamer and railroad. Two-thirds of the catch of shad are sent to the Philadelphia and Chester markets, or sold to small dealers or individuals in the snml ler towns and villages which line the Delaware river in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Trenton Falls, the remainder are sent to the New York market, Jersey City and the towns between the river and the points named. The Philadelphia market alone handled 412,500 shad, having a value of |268,375.00. Ten boats between Bristol and Bordentown shipped about 10,000 shad to New York at an aver- age price of 40 cents each or |4,000. In the neighborhood of 507,270 fish having a value of $152,181 were sent to New York, Jersey City and intervening towns, to Easton, Doylestown, Newtown, Chester and as before stated, small towns and villages along the Delaware river and the borders of Philadelphia. The total catch of shad in the Delaware during 1905 was not less than 929,770 with a value of $424,550. These figures show a decrease in the number of shad caught over the season of 1904 by nearly 300,000. On the other hand, from all the information I can gather the price received by the fisher men was much greater and that the aggregate amount of money re- ceived by the fishermen was probably greater than for many years.
Most of the shore fisheries on the Delaware river are located on the New Jersey side, although as near as I can learn, a large part of the capital invested is Pennsylvania money.
I would suggest that hereafter the wardens operating along the Delaware river be instructed to gather the statistics concerning the shad industry as well as the industry in other fish during or imme- diately after the close of the season, in this manner more accurate information can be received.
The above is respectfully submitted bv
(;eorge d. sh.annon.
Warden.
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PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF CER- TAIN WATERS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
To the Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Sir: I have the honor to report the progress made in the investiga- tions conducted during the summer of 1905 for the Department of Fisheries.
The general object of this worlv was ''to study the food of fishes, their habits and environments," as stated in our instructions. To do this properly it was necessary. to make somewhat extensive col- lections both of fish and of other water organisms, and to note cases of pollution of streams where this affected the well being of the fish fauna. This work occupied the time of the writer and an assist- ant, Mr. Charles F. Noll, for nearly three months of the past sum- mer, and collections were made here and there over a large portion of the State. The total number of collections made were. 193, in- cluding collections of the animal life of the waters investigated and also collections of small microscopic life and occasionally vegetation. Owing to your hearty support and to your wisdom in selecting Prof. H. A. Surface, our able Economic Zoologist, to direct the work, a large amount of material and many valuable observations have been made.
The great amount of care and labor necessary to work out in detail the results of this investigation, and the fact that the writer has had no assistance in the laboratory work, except what Professor Surface has so generously given in his spare moments, makes it im- possible to present more than a preliminary report at this stage. Thus far the laboratory work has been confined to the identification and classification of the fishes collected; and the minnows, compris- ing about half of the collection, remain yet to be identified. Nothing has been done toward identifying the insect larvae or the other ani- mals collected and little definite information can be given until this has been done. It has not been possible to make any food studies from the stomachs of the fishes collected, although it is hoped that a report can be made soon on this important subject, as well as a re- port giving a list of the fishes collected. Several species new to the State have been found already, exclusive of the group of minnows, and it is probable that others will be found.
Few states have a more varied system of watersheds than has Pennsylvania. Along the eastern border is the Delaware river with its large tributaries, the Lehigh and the Schuylkill, which flows into the Atlantic. In the central i)art of the State is the Susquehanna, which with its two large branches forms a great basin emptying into the Atlantic further south than the Delaware. This fact explans why it has a somewhat different fish fauna. Along the southern border, in Adams, Franklin, Fulton and Bedford counties are some branches of the Potomac, and there are i>robably fishes here not found in any other part of the State. In the weslern ])art of the State is the Ohio, which emptic^s finally in the Gulf of Mexico, and has a fish fauna much different from that of the eastern rivers. Its
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Zl TJ tributaries the Allegheny and the Monongahela probably also differ in the kinds of fishes they contain. In Erie county a few small streams drain into the lake, and in Potter county are the head waters of the Gennessee. Both of these drainage areas pour their waters into the St. Lawrence, and bring a much more norK faunT
wis^'of'^LXte. '" ^""^ ^ ^''^* ^'"'*^ "^ ^'^ ''^' ^^ '^'^ ^°1^°^' In the present paper the most that can be done is to discuss in a general way the different waters examined, their character and general biological conditions.
The Trout Streams of Central Pennsylvania. The first work was done in Center county, where 46 separate col- lections were made. The greater number of streams in this counTv . tPiv "« ^.tr^^^ms, and each important one will be taken up separ-
nnH^hv ^r^l^ '''^^^'' ^ '^*^'' ^^^*^^ ^"^^^ ^^^ by mountain streams and by two large springs, one at Belief onte and the other at State College empties into Bald Eagle creek at Milesburg. Its water is
fronf^'' T^ln 1 Z*'"'^ T^'^ l"."'"^'* P^^^^«' ^«^«^i°g ^ fi°^ stream for nf Roll ?.!''''". ''^''"'''^ '° '- "PP^^ ^^-^c^s, but in the vicinity sip^t fn^'h *^^br«J^° trout, introduced by the Fish Commission seems to be most abundant. Food for such fish as the trout is plentiful, consisting of miscropic animals for the voung; the larvae of caddis flies, mayflies, stone flies and diptera, and small flshes for the larger ones. Two species of suckers, the common white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and the black sucker (C. nigricans) are abundant The stream is in good condition, except below BeHe f onte. There the fishes die occasionally, and the trouble seems to hL?^-^ in^r^ase. During the latter part of Februarv many fishes have died, chiefly suckers, but some trout also. A number of these fishes have been sent to State College, where Prof. Surface and the writer have examined them. It is difficult to determine from the specimens the cause, but one thing is certain, thev do not die from a ixxrasitic disease. The trouble is very probably due to some poison- ous material dumped into the stream, as the fish examined were
nni.'^nf f^l T ^f "^T ""' ^""^ ^^^" ^^^^^°^' ^° the bottom, in the case of the trout. One trout contained caddie flies, cases and all in Its stomach, and the other a number of darters (Boleosoma nigruni) which is a fish living on the bottom. An analvsis should be n^ade of the water below Bellefonte, and also of the'^deposit on the bottom of the stream, if there be such. Some step should be taken soon as many fine fish have already been killed
A trip was taken along Sinking creek in the southern part of Cen- ler county. This creek, though not large, is interesting because it rises in a sphagnum bog known as Bear Meadows, and because for part of Its course it runs under ground. It abounds with trout, which are very dark colored because of the brown discolored water from decaying vegetation in the swamp. After it emerges from the mountains into cultivated land the trout become scarce due probably in part at least to the large amount of saw dust in the stream. In its lower part suckers are abundant and a few species of minnows. *
Bald Eagle creek was examined above Milesburg. It is broad and tlat, rather rapid, with a stony bottom and little vegetation. Larvae
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of caddis flies, Corydalus conmtus aud Chauliodes are plentiful; also crayfish and larval bull frogs. The chief food fish are suckei*^ and sunfish, although further down bass are also taken. The bass are said not to be so abundant as formerly. What the conditions are below I do not know, but at Milesburg the biological conditions are satisfactory for abundant fish life.
An interesting comparison can be drawn between two tributaries of this creek, Marsh Run and Beech creek. In Marsh Run there is abundant fish food in the form of larval mayflies, Odonata and Parnidae. Snails, crayfish, leeches, earthworms, mussels and Polyzoa were also collected in it. As to vegetation Hydrodictyon and other algae were abundant. Darters, minnows and a small cat- fish (Schilbeodes insignis) were also plentiful. The game and food fish are white and black suckers, two species of sunfish, and small mouth black bass. These latter were quite numerous as young. On the other hand Beech creek contains scarcely any fish food and practically no fish. In the first case all conditions are satisfactory; in the second case the stream is polluted with water from the soft coal mines near Snowshoe. Beech creek was formerly a fine trout stream, but trout are now confined to the small branches in the mountains that do not contain the water from coal mines.
Fishing creek in Clinton county was next visited at Lamar. The stream here is large and rapid, with a rocky bottom. The water is cold and aquatic insects are plentiful, consisting of hellgramites (Corydalus), stone flies, mayflies, diptera, chauliodes and parnidae. Darters and dace are abundant. One could tell from the character of the other life that trout were abundant, as they are.
In Huntingdon county a trout stream there. Laurel Run was studied. It is a characteristic trout stream, and the life is much the same as the previous stream, except that insect life is not so abundant with respt^ct to species. Eels are taken at Whipple's dam, and pike have been taken as far up as this dam.
The Susquehanna River.
We collected in the Susquehanna river in three places, at North- umberland, at Kingston, and at Jersey Shore. We were not provided with the apparatus necessary to make a qualitative and quantitative determination of the fish in large bodies of water, and consequently our results are not very satisfactory. The main thing we wished to determine in this stream was the reason for ihv decrease of black bass especially in the West branch. The general opinion of the fish- ermen appears to be that the scarcity of bass is due to the large num bers of carp in the river, as they believe that they eat the spawn of other fishes and even young fishes themselves. At the outset it may be said that the investigations of Leon J. Cole for the United States Fish Commission indicate that the damage^ from carp is ^'either greatly exagerated or entirely unfounded." In regard to the case of the black bass he says "the bass have actually increased in numbers in some places from having the young carp to feed upon."
At Northumberland we were told that bass, salmon, pike, sunfish and catfish, which were formerly abundant, ar<» now scarce. How ever, bass are ]>resent, as we collected a few, and also a f<nv rock baas. Food material seems to be scarce, May flies and stone flies
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
175
are the Chief insect larvae, and snails are numerous. At Kingston on the North branch food is more abundant, especially LfvaTrnav flies and caddis flies. The tube building and net buflding caS flies were both numerous. Polyzoa and spongilla were also noted The water is yevy black and dirty from coal dust, yet we saw num-* bers of young black bass. At Jersey Shore on the West branch fi^h food IS not abundant, a few may flies and stone flies being the In sect larvae in greatest numbers. There were quite a varifty of food and game fishes collected here, including f>erch, black bass rock bass, pike and suckers, yet none were in abunda^ice Young black bass were very scarce, and we were told that the best an-lers had made small captures that season. The water here is ri^ier dark colored and tastes of tan liqnor. In fact the odor of tan bark can be noticed before reaching the river. There is even a dirtv scum on the water in the eddies. It has been only recently that the tan iquors have been not ced this far down the river, and the worst effects are probably yet to be felt. The cause for the apparent difference In the numbers of fish, especially black bass in the West and North branches of he Susquehanna, is not as evident as would seem al though It looks as though of the two evils, tannerv vofmo was worse
al'pn7' ri*"r-/''r '^^".^"^'^ '""''^ ^^S^^"- MJre time shouTd be taken for a detailed investigation than was at our disposal.
Other Tributaries of the Susquehanna.
lif^L^^-T ^^"'^ ^ '^^''^' complete collection of the fishes and other hfe in Fishing creek was made. Prof. D. S. Hartline of the Normal School took a great interest in the work, advised us where to collect
fi^h r/n" T"* 7'^\^^ ^^'. '? ^^^^^ ^^^^^- ^^^^^ b^««' t)lack bass, sun- fish and pike, together with suckers were obtained here. Small fishes are plenti ul, as is also food of various kinds. Caddis flies
anTdi'ntln'^""^^^'"/-. /^'^' ^'''^ '''''' ^'''^ corydalus, Chauliodes and diptera were fairly numerous. On the whole, conditions are favorable to the welfare of the angler's art here. Prof. Hartline gave us a hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleghaniensis) which he had
hntfnn nf"!i* "^ T^'' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^'^' interesting light on the distri- vvlif^f .1 this salamander. It is generally supposed to live only fiTh food ^^^^''^^^'''^^' ^* ^« ^° important enemy of fishes and of
A little collecting was done in the vicinitv of Harrisburg, but the water was so high here that the work was not verv satisfactory A water snake, practically albino, was taken in Paxtang creek
In I erry county collecting was done in Montour Run, Sherman's creek, and Big Buffalo creek. Fishes of the kinds present were num erous. Such as suckers, eels, catfish, «unfish and pike. Small fishes are plentiful in these streams, and also fish food of various kinds, crayfish, snails and polyzoa. The water is in good condition
•f V"Vi ?'''''' ^^'"^ ^^""^ ''^ ^^''' Susquehanna tributaries to be vis-
ited. Ihcre had been numerous rei)orts of the decrease of black bass in it, so we tried to make a pretty thorough investii-ation. The stream at elersey Shore contains some deep holes, but above this there seem to be scarcely any de(^p places and very little shelter for fishes The stream is broad, flat, with stony or gravelly bottom, and little vegetation. It is of almost uniform depth from a short distance
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above Jersey Shore into Tioga county. At the lower part bass are as numerous as for the past two years according to the statement of Rev. W. E. Karns, of Vilas P. O. We saw large numbers of young black bass, and food in the form of may flies, stone flies, hellgramites, etc., is abundant. The water is deep enough to afford shelter, and there appears to be no reason why bass should not be plentiful here. But further up the stream the case is different. A stop was made at Slate Run, and here young bass were scarce, and small fish are much scarcer than at Jersey Shore. The bottom of the creek here is covered with sawdust from a large saw mill, and this would have a bad effect on bass, by covering up their spawning beds. Logs which are floated down during high water probably has a bad effect on the bass by tearing up the spawning beds, but I think the greatest difficulty is in the nature of the stream itself. It is so shallow and there so few deep holes for hiding places that bass cannot become very abundant. This fact, together with the saw dust, is the main cause of the scarcity of bass.
The Potomac Basin.
This was visited in Franklin county, mainly for the purpose of finding whether there were many fishes here not found in other basins. Collections were made in Conococheague at Chambersburg and Marion and Back creek at Williamson. Several smaller streams, including a branch of Antietam creek, were also investigated. In the Conococheague, fish food is abundant, consisting of caddis flies, stone flies, crayfish, gammaris, chauliodes, corydalus dipterous larvae and snails. A few black bass were taken. Catfish, sunfish and suckers w^ere plentiful in places, but high water and rocky bottoms prevented a thorough examination. Trout are abundant in Dickey's Run near Mercersburg.
The Delaware Basin.
(Collections were made in the Delaware at Portland and at Eas- ton. At Easton Prof. Davison, of Lafayette College, gave us some valuable suggestions as to where to work. We collected in the Dela- ware and in Bushkill creek here. The Bushkill is in good condition as far as fish food is concerned. Sunfish, catfish and trout are found here. In the Delaware a few young bass were seen, but not in great numbers. The river here is not nearly so full of various kinds of life as at Portland, where fish food is abundant, and it is probable that bass are more abundant there also; but because of the rocky bottom we could determine little in regard to the kinds and relative abundance of fishes, as a seine could not be used to advantage.
Collections were made in the Lehigh and its branches at Slating- ton, and at White Haven. At the latter place bass, pickerel, perch, eels and sunfish are said to be abundant, although here also high water and rocks prevented our making as thorough an examination as should have been made. The conditions necessary for a good fish fauna are present, and small fish for the food of bass and pickerel are abundant. Large mouth bass were taken in a vsmall branch of the river at this place. At Slatington there appears to be little fish life in the river and other forms of life are also scare. Collections
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
177
were made in the Schuylkill at Reading, and in Maiden creek. Fish are evidently plentiful, but the details of this work remain yet to be worked out.
The North Eastern Lakes.
Beech Lake in Wayne county w^as visited in order to get an idea of the life in it. Mr. White, a fish warden there, offered us every facility for work ,and some valuable facts were obtained. Quite a variety of food and game fish are found in the lake, but the catch It not large. There is a fair abundance of food in the form of may flies, gammaris, and a few other forms in less abundance, but small fish are very scarce. It is probable that game fish are not plentiful in this and other lakes partly because there is a large amount of fishing done; partly also because small fishes are so scarce that the larger and more rapacious fishes eat their own young from the scarcity of other forms, and in certain cases parasites or disease break out in an epidemic.
Loomis Lake in Susquehanna county was visited to learn if pos- sible the cause of the perch dying there. It is said that they die every few years. Mr. Thomason, who is part owner of the lake, gave us every facility possible for work, but the visit was made so°late that few dead perch could be found, and these few were in bad con- dition. There is evidently no parasitic disease, and no definite cause could be assigned to the trouble, unless, as Professor Surface suggested, the evidence points toward dynamiting. The air-blad- ders of the specimens obtained were burst, which would indicate dynamite as the cause, although there is a possibility that decay had so far advanced that the air-bladder was easily broken. The fish should be examined shortly after they have died in order to be cer- tain.
Complaints having reached the Department of the black bass dving in Lake Carey, we were directed to investigate that, but here also we arrived on the scene too late. The height of the trouble occurred two years ago, and from accounts seems to have been due to a para- site. We were told that the parasite was sometimes found in the sunfish now, so we collected a number of them. These* have not been examined as yet, but if anything is determined, it will b(» reported later.
The Genessee Basin.
A short trip was made to the headwaters of the Genessee in Potter county to collect material. The stream here is very small, but abounds with life of various kinds. It was one of the most in- leresting and important trips, zoologically, that was made during the summer. Several species of fish not taken anywhere else dur- ing the summer were collected here, but they are minnows, and, as stated before, these have not been identified. Dr. A. E. Ortmann, of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg, who kindly identified the cray- fish, states that our "discovery of Cambarus obscurus in the head- waters of the (lenessee river fills a very striking gap in our knowl- edge.'*
12—23—1905
178 REPORT OF THE Off. Doc
The Allegheny Basin.
Collections were made at several points in this basin, and some most important facts discovered. At Ridgway a short stop was made to look at the Clarion river. The water is as brown as coffee, due to the refuse from tanneries. It is the foulest stream that we saw during the whole summer. It smells fearfully, and the bottom of the stream and the stones are covered with a gray slimy deposit of considerable depth. There is nothing living in the water except leeches and a few filth-loving worms. What was undoubtedly once a fine stream for fish has been converted into the filthiest thing imaginable.
A very profitable series of collections were made in French creek above Franklin. The creek is large, rapid, with a rocky bottom. It is a fine black bass stream, being deeper and much rockier than Pine creek, which it otherwise much resembles. All sorts of aqua- tic life flourish in it. Fish food is abundant, and small fish are plentiful. In spite of the dilficulty of using a seine, a number of species were obtained. Four different darters were obtained, one of which is rare (Etheostoma voriatum). This is given as occurring in the Ohio Valley, and I have found no reference to it as being found in this State. The trout-i>erch (Percopsis guttatus) was taken in abundance in a small branch of this creek. It is rare in this State also. Young black bass were seen in abundance.
The Shenango river was next investigated. This is a fine fishing fetream. Bass are plenty, also pike, suckers of various kinds, and muscallonge. This is one of the few streams in this State wliere the last mentioned fish is taken. Croppies and other sunfish are also found in it. At Sharon w^e looked up the cause of the death of fish there. Some of the local anglers are very much wrought up over the pollution of the stream by the steel companies there. They showed us where the pollution takes place and aided us in getting samples of the water. We also obtained a sample of the pulverized slag dumped into the river at one point, and this seems to be the main cause of the trouble. The molten slag is dumpi^d into a pit of water, which causes it to break up into fine sand-like particles, but which contain air bubbles, making some of the particles light enough to float. This is then allowed to pass into the stream. It gets into gills of the fishes, and cuts them to pieces. Since, of course, a fish cannot breath without its gills in good condition, the fish virtually suffocate. If the furnaces would get rid of their slag in some other way it is very probable that there would be less trou- ble, if indeed there would be any at all. There may of, course, be. other injurious substances dumiM^d in the stream, but a chemical analysis of the water is necessary to prove this. The slag is un- doubtedly one of the most important causes of the destruction of fish, and it is possible that if the attention of the mill-owners were called to it, they would find some other way to dispose of the slag. If not, other means should be taken.
At Jamestown, in Mercer county, some very important collections were made. The Shenango river here teems with a great variety of life, and fishing is in good condition. Several rare fis)ies were taken here, among them Moxostoma anisurum, Percina caprodes, Campos- toma anomalum, and Etheostoma maculatum. The last two men-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
179
tioned have never beea taken in Pennsylvania before to my knowl- edge. Several species of mussels were collected here that were not taken anywhere else.
The last collection of the summer was made in the vicinity of In- diana. Although there is not a great variety of food fish here, be- ing mainly suckers, sunfish and rock bass, yet two fishes not known hitherto to occur in the State were taken in Crooked creek. These are Campostoma anomalum, mentioned before, and a small catfish recorded only from the State of Indiana (Schilbeodes miurus).
Thus the work, while not so satisfactory in some respects as could have been hoped for, has been productive of some most valuable re- sults. Such a series of collections extending over so much of the State has never before been undertaken, and cannot help being of great scientific importance. There is still room for much more simi- lar work to be done, as this work has suggested already many im- portant lines of investigation.
In conclusion I wish to extend my thanks to you for your interest and support; to Professor H. A. Surface for his able direction, and hearty interest and help in the laboratory work; to Dr. A. E. Ort- mann for his identification of the crayfishes collected, and to Mr. Charles F. Noll, whose eneregy and interest in the field work con- tributed much towards its success.
Yours respectfully,
W. R. McCONNELL.
180
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OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
The following are the opuions rendered by the Attorney General's Department as to the interpretation of the various points of law sub- mitted to it by the Department of Fisheries:
GIGGING OR SPEARING NOT LEGAL.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., June 23, 1903.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries, Harrisburg, Pa.:
My Dear Sir: In reply to your inquires contained in your letter of the 11th inst., I answer that Sections 2, 7 and 8 of the act of May 29, 1901, prescribe the lawful methods of taking fish in this State.
Giging and spearing are not authorized-
The Department of Fisheries can authorize j>ersons to remove carp from the waters of this Commonwealth as its representatives, and name the kind of net to be used by such representatives. There is nothing to prevent the acceptance of a sum of money by the De- partment in lieu of selling the fish, said moneys to go into the De- partment of Fisheries for the purpose of fish protection and propaga- tion.
The act of May 8, 187G (P. L. 146), is the only law covering the sub- ject of pollution of streams which your Department can employ.
Very truly vours,
HAMPTON L. CARSON,
Attorney General.
ONLY ONE TIP UP LEGAL.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., December 11, 1903.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Fish Commissioner:
Dear Sir: Replying to your request for an opinion, I reply that, in my judgment, fishing with a line through a hole in the ice, attached to a short stick spanning the hole, popularly known as a "tip-up" is a legal means of taking fish, provided it be confined to one line with not more than three hooks. It may be clearly construed as a hand line, but a series of holes, through which hand lines are used, con- nected as they are by the solid mass of ice, and multiplying the hands of the owner in taking fish, amounts in effect to a set device which is not permitted by existing acts.
Very truly yours,
HAMPTON L. CARSON, Attorney General.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
181
FISH- WAYS.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., May 31, 1905.
Hon. W. E Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I have before me your communication of recent date enclosing a letter from the secretary and treasurer of the Pennsyl- vania Power Company, in which he makes certain statements 'in reference to the construction of a dam owned and operated bv that corporation. From these statements it appears that the dkm in question was constructed during the spring and summer of 1901 You ask for an official opinion as to whether or not, this being the fact, the corporation is subject to the provisions of Section 13 of the act of May 29, 1901 (P. L. 307), which reads as follows:
"That from and after the passage of this act, anv person, company or corporation, owning or maintaining a dam or dams, or who mav hereafter erect or maintain a dam or dams, in anv waters in this Commonwealth, shall immediately, on a written order from the Fish Commissioners, erect therein such chutes, slopes, fishwavs or gates as the Commissioners may decide necessarv to enable fish to ascend and descend the rivers at all seasons of the vear; and any person company or corporation refusing or neglecting to comply 'with the provisions of this section, shall forfeit and pav the sum of fiftv dol- lars for every month he or they so neglect, which sum or sums' shall be recovered by civil suit and process, in the name of the Common- wealth, and when collected shall be paid into the Treasury of the State for the use of the Fish Commissioners. If, after the lapse of three calendar months, the person, companv or corporation ownin"' or maintaining said dam or dams, shall neglect or refuse to erect or place the appliances as directed by the Fish Commissioners, the Board of Fish Commissioners are empow^ered to enter upon such dam or dams, and erect such slopes, chutes or fishwavs or gates as they may decide necessary; and the cost thereof shall be charged against the person, company or corporation owning or maintaining such dam or dams, to be recovered by the Board of Fish Commis- sioners by civil suit and process, in the name of the Commonwealth* Provided, That where, by reason of any dam or dams having been constructed prior to the requirement by law of the placing of chutes, slopes or fishways therein, or for any other reason, the owner or owners of, or person or persons maintaining such dam or dams can- not be compelled by law to pay the cost of erecting slopes, chutes or fishways, as provided in this section, the cost of erecting such slopes, chutes and fishways by the Fish Commissioners, as provided in this section, shall be paid by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, out of the funds not otherwise appropriated, upon warr ints drawn by the Auditor General upon the State Treasurer. The Auditor General to be furnished by said Fish Commissioners with an itemized state- ment of the cost of such construction, which must be approved by him before he shall draw a warrant for the payment of the same."
I am clearly of the opinion that the said corporation is subject to the foregoing provisions. In an official construction of the act in
182
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h
question to H. C. Deniuth, Esq., treasurer of the Board of Fish Com- missioners, on January 23, 1902, a copy of which communication I enclose herewith, I set forth at length my views upon the effect of this act under circumstances somewhat similar to those in the case now before your Department, and have no reason to depart from the conclusions which I reached therein.
Very respectfully,
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
Office of the Attorney General, . Harrisburg, Pa., January 23, 1902.
H. C. Demuth, Esq., Treasurer Board of Fish Commissioners, Lan- caster, Pa.:
Sir: Your letter of recent date to this Department, r jceived. You state therein that the York Haven Paper and Power Company, a corporation operating a paper mill at York Haven, Pa., is construct- ing a set of wing walls or dams in the Susquehanna river at that point for the purpose of diverting the waters into the wheels of a power plant which it is erecting there, and ask an opinion upon the following questions:
1. Has the above corporation authority to erect a permanent build- ing in the river, and if so, can it be compelled, upon the completion thereof, to place fish ways in the wing walls or dam?
2. Can it be required to place in the head race or canal leading into its wheels such screen or screens as will prevent the passage of fish into and their consequent destruction by the same?
I find upon examination of the records that the corporation in question was organized under the general corporation law^s of this State, and has no especial privileges other than those contained in such general laws. In this opinion, however, it is not necessary to pass upon its legal right to build the wing walls or dam mentioned. I assume that your concern in this matter is simply as to the effect which such an arrangement will have upon the fish.
Section 13 of the act approved 29th of May, 1901 (P. L. 302), pro- vides as follows:
"That from and after the passage of this act, any person, company or corporation owning or maintaining a dam or dams, or who may hereafter erect or maintain a dam or dams iq any waters in this Commonwealth, shall immediately, on a written order from the Fish Commissioners, erect therein such chutes, slopes, fish ways or gates as the Commissioners may decide necessary, to enable fish to ascend and descend the rivers at all seasons of the year; and any person, company or corporation refusing or neglecting to comply with the provisions of this section, shall forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars for every month he or they so neglect, which sum or sums shall be recovered by civil suit and process, in the name of the Com- monwealth, and when collected shall be paid into the Treasury of the State for the iise of the Fish Commissioners. If, after the lapse of three calendar months, the person, company or corporation owning or maintaining said dam or dams, still neglect or refuse to erect or place the appliances as directed by the Fish Commissioners, the Board of Fish Commissioners are empowered to enter upon such
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
183
dam or dams, and erect such slopes, chutes, or fishways or gates as they may decide necessary; and the cost thereof shall be charged against the person, company or corporation owning or maintaining such dam or dams, to be recovered by the Board of Fish Commis- sioners by civil suit and process, in the name of the Commonwealth: Provided, That where, by reason of any dam or dams having been constructed prior to the requirement by law of the placing of chutes, slopes or fishways therein, or for any other reason, the owner or owners of, or person or persons maintaining such dam or dams cannot be compelled by law to pay the cost of erecting slopes, chutes or fishways as provided by this section, the cost of erecting such slopes, chutes and fishways by the Fish Commissioners, as provided in this section shall be paid by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, out of the funds not otherwise appropriated, upon warrants drawn by the Auditor General upon the State Treasurer. The Auditor General to be furnished by said Fish Commissioners with an itemized statement of the cost of such construction, which must be approved by him before he shall draw a warrant for the payment of the same." This language is plain and unequivocal. It is clearly the duty of the Fish Commissioners to see that it is carried out fully in every respect, and for that purpose they are given the power of enforcing their orders in the courts.
1. I am, therefore, of the opinion, and advise you, that, if upon the completion of the wing walls or dam the Commissioners of Fisheries be satisfied that some artificial devices are necessary to enable the fish to ascend and descend the river freely at all seasons of the year, they have the power under the law to compel* the erection of such devices; and upon the failure of the parties in question to build them within three months after having been notified so to do, it is the duty of the Board to construct them and to compel the corporation to pay for the same by the ordinary legal methods.
2. The law bearing upon your second inquiry is contained in sec- tion 14 of the above mentioned act, which provides:
^'That from and after the passage of this act, any person, company or corporation owning or operating a raceway, fiume or inlet pipe, leading to a water wheel, tubine, pum]> or canal, shall, immediately upon receipt of a written order from the Board of Fish Commis- sioners, place and maintain a screen or net at the upper end of such raceway, flume or inlet pipe, sufficient to prevent fish from entering therein. Any person, company or corporation refusing or neglecting to comply with such order for a r>eriod of one month, shall forfeit and pay the sum of fifty dollars, which sum shall be recovered by civil suit and process, in the name of the Commonwealth, and when collected shall be paid into the Treasury of the State for the use of the Fish Commissioners. If one month after notification, the person, company or corporation, owning or operating such raceway, flume or inlet pipe has not placed such screen or net as may have been directed, the Fish Commissioners are empowered to enter upon such raceway, flume or inlet pipe and place such screens or nets as they may decide necessary; and the cost thereof shall be charged against the said person, com]>any or corporation, and if not promptly paid, such cost mav be recovered bv the Board of Fish Commissioners bv civil suit and process, in the name of the Commonwealth."
What I have said in reference to your first inquiry is equally
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applicable to your second. The language is so plain and unambigu- ous, the intention of the legislature to provide for such cases is so clear and the method marked out for your board to pursue is so unmistakable as scarcely to call for comment. The large sums of money annually appropriated by the State to protect and propagate game and food fish in the waters of the Commonwealth, and the laws passed to provide safeguards against their wanton destruction, as well as the energetic and thorough work of your board, should enlist the heartv co-operation of every citizen.
I am therefore of the opinion and advise you that it is the duty of vour board, under the authority conferred upon you by the legisla- ture in the act above quoted, to see that the proper steps are taken at once to provide for the safeguards required in such cases as the
one before us.
Verv respectfullv yours,
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
NETS UNLAWFTTL IN THE OHIO RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., June 7, 1905.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Sir: Your letter of recent date, asking for an official opinion relative to the authority and duty of your wardens to seize and confiscate any nets or seines carried on house boats in the Ohio river or its branches within this Commonwealth, received.
After a thorough examination of the Acts of Assembly upon this subject I am satisfied that it is unlawful to use a seine for any pur- pose whatever in the Ohio river and contiguons streams, for the reason that these rivers do not contain any fish which may lawfully be caught with a seine at anv time of the year, unless it be carp, which, under the Act of April 26, 190.5, may be taken by a seine having a mesh of four inches, between September 1st and June 20th. The law provides that before a seine can be used for the capture of carp, a bond must be given by the person so using the same, which bond must be approved by the court of the county in which the owner
of the seine resides.
Section 37 of the Act of May 29, 1901, distinctly provides that "the possession of nets ♦ * * or other devices prohibited or not permitted by law, shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of
this Act."
It is therefore the duty of your wardens, in cases where they have knowledge of seines being used from or kept upon house boats in the Ohio river or streams contiguous thereto, to demand the pro- duction of the receipt or permit issued by the authorities, allowing the owners of the seine to use the same for the capture and destruc- tion of carp, and upon the failure or inability of the proper parties to produce said bond, to seize and confiscate any illegal net or nets
so found.
Very respectfully.
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
185
A FISH BASKET LICENSE A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., September 27, 1905.
Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I have before me your letter of recent date, in which you ask to be officially advised whether the license to operate a fish basket with wing walls for the purpose of taking eels, under the provisions of the Act of April 27, 1903, (P. L. 319) is to be considered as a privilege granted to a particular person or a permit issued for the use of a specific apparatus, in other words, whether it is the person or the thing to be operated which is licensed by the State.
In order to arrive at a proper conclusion, it is necessary for us to consider the language of the Act so that the intention of the Legislature may be understood. The law distinctly provides that the license is to be issued to a person who must be a citizen of this Commonwealth; that the written application made to the Depart- ment for the granting of the license must bear ''the name and place of residence of such applicant and his description as near as may be;" and that tbc said cortiticat*' or lif'^Mis*', when issued, "shall autliorize the owner thereof to take eels from the waters of this Common- wealth as provided in the first section of this Act. Said certificate or license shall not be jransferablc, and shall be exposed for examin- ation upon demand."
In the light of this language it is perfectly clear that the intention of the Legislature was to permit eels to be taken in this manner by certain {kh'sous duly licensed by the Department, under certain restrictions and regulations named in the Act. It is equally clear, and I therefore advise you, that the right granted by the license can be enjoyed only by the person named therein, and that this person alone has the right and authority to operate a fish basket con- structed in accordance with the law.
I desire, however, to advise vou further that vour discretionarv power in matters of this kind is broad enough to permit yon to deviate from the strict letter of the law in individual cases where such a construction would work a manifest hardshi]> to an honest holder of a licens<», who might, for some unforest'en rcnison, such as a temporary physical disability, find it necessary to have assistance in fishing the basket, or to have work done teni])orarily by someone' else under his direction and authority, but in all such cases tlu* written permission of your l)ei)artnient should first be applied for and obtained.
Verv truly vours,
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deimtv Attornev General.
EEL 1L\SKETS MUST HAVE MOVEAHLE BOTTOMS.
Ottice of th(» Attornev General, Harrisburg, Pa.. Sei)tember 27, \\H)Tk
lion. \V. E. .Meehan, Comniissinner of Fisheries:
Dear Sir: I have before nie your comnuinieation of the 20th inst., asking for an otticial oinnion uiK)n several question which have 13
186
REPORT OF THE
Off. Dog.
arisen in regard to the proper legal construction to be placed upon the language of the first sectiou of the Act of April 27, 1903, (P. L. 319) which reads as follows:
'That from and after the passage of this Act, it shall be lawful to catch eels in the waters of this Commonwealth, by use of fish baskets with wing-walls: Provided, That every basket so used shall be made of slats not less than one-inch apart, with a moveable bottom, which shall be taken out of each basket, so used, at sunrise, and be kept out until sunset; and no basket shall be used or operated for the taking and catching of eels, excepting from the twenty-fifth day of August to the first day of December in each year: Provided, That the penalty for using said basket at any other time or in any other manner, than is authorized by this Act, and for catching and taking any other fish than eels from the streams or waters of this Commonwealth by the use of such baskets, shall remain as here- tofore."
You ask to be advised on these two points:
1. Whether the words 'Svith a moveable bottom, which shall be taken out of each basket so used" mean that the entire bottom of the falls must be taken out or only a portion thereof.
2. Whether the words ''Thai every baskt't so used shall be made of slats not less than one-half inch apart" mean that this space shall be determined at the time the basket is constructed or after it has been i>laced in ]vosition to be fished, and after the wood is swollen by contact with the water.
In reply to the first question I beg to say that, giving the words used by the Legislature their proper meaning, it is obvious that the word ^'bottom" means the entire bottom and not a portion thereof. T therefore advise you that, to comply with the letter and the spirit of the Act. the entire bottoiy of the fall must be removeable and taken out, in accordance with the provision of the law, at sunrise and kept out until sunset.
In regard to your second question, the evident intention of the Legislature was to i>rovide for a space of not less than one-half inch between the slats in the basket while the same was. being fished, in order that small fish drawn into thc^ basket should have proper means of escape. It therefore follows that the space provided by the act, to wit: one-half inch between the slats, must be preserved . at all times without regard to the space between the slats at the time the basket was constructed; otherwise, any person charged with a violation of the law in (his regard might set u]) \\w plea that, at the time the basket was constructed, a sufficient space had been left to comply with the requirements, but that by continued exposure to the water the wood had become swollen and the space correspond- ingly decreased. I am therefore of the opinion, and advise you, that the half inch space between the slats provided for by the Act must exist at all times. Any deviation therefrom constitutes an offense which should be i)roperly and promptly punished.
Very truly yours,
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
187
CLOSED SEASON IN BOUNDARY LAKES.
Office of the Attorney General, Harrisburg, Pa., October 10, 1905.
Hon. W. E. Meelian, Commissioner of Fisheries:
Sir: Your letter of yesterday, pointing out an apparent conflict in terms between Sections 12 and IG of the Act of April 2, 1905, entitled "An Act to classify the s])ecies of fish in such parts of boundary lakes, etc.," and asking for an official opinion relative to the same, is before me.
The first part of Section 12 provides:
"That it shall be unlawful to fish with any nets, or other devices of any description, excepting a rod and line having not more than three hooks, or a hand Wuo having not more than three hooks, or with a trolling line with spoon hooks attached, in any waters of any part of any lakes described in this Act, over which this Common- wealth has jurisdiction, from the 15th day of November of any year (o the 15th day of March of the succeeding year."
The section also provides severe penalties for the violation thereof, including fine, imprisonment, confiscation of all boats, nets or other appliances used by the oltenders. This language is plain and direct, and no doubt can possibly exist as to tlie intention of the Legislature in enacting the same.
Section 10 of the Act, however, provides that any ixn'son or per- sons, company or corpoiation may ap])ly to the Department of Fisheries for a license to operate any boats, nets or other devices in any of the waters where they may be used legally under the pro- visions of this Act, and upon ])ayment of certain specified fees the Department is authoiized and directed to issue such license, ''which license shall hold good from the time it is issued until the close of the calendar year in which it is issued.
It appears that some j>ersons holding such licenses contend that, because the licenses are made for one vear, thev mav have the ri}»ht to fish with nets and otliei* devices, under the authoritv of the license, in contravention of the express terms of Section 14. In this conclusion I cannot agree. It is entirely clear that there is no con- flict between the two sections. Section 10 nierelv fixes the time when the lic(Mise shall ex])ire, to wit: the close of the calendar year, and must be read in pari materia willi section 14. which fixes the time within which sn<h ni^s oi- devices mav be legallv usi'd. I ther(»- fore advise you that the licenses in (luestion confer no right upon file holders thereof to fish with the nets or other devices between the 15th dav of November of anv vear and the 15th dav of March of
the succeeding year.
Verv respectfullv,
FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
Olfice of (he Attornev General, Harrisburg, I'a., November 29, 1905.
Hon. W. K. Meehan, Commissioner of l^^isheries:
Sir: I am in receij)t of your leitei' (^f riM-ent dale. i*elalive to the Act of Ajiril 2. 1905, entitUMl "An Act to classify the species of fish
188
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in such parts of boundary lakes," etc. You quote the language of Section 7 and Section 12 of the Act and ask whether, under the wording of the said sections your Department has the right, in case its officers find any nets set in the water of Lake Erie, within the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, between the 15th day of November in any year and the 15th day of March of the succeeding year, which time is made by the said Act a closed time for the use of such devices, to seize and confiscate the said nets or devices, even though the persons operating said nets are not captured and no arrests can be made and the Department has no knowledge of the ownership of said nets.
In reply I advise and instruct you that, as the confiscation of the nets and devices is merely an additional penalty imposed upon the persons guilty of violating the law, you have the power and authoritv to seize and confiscate the nets in all cases where the owners cannot be found or apprehended, as well as where this is done.
Verv truly vours,
^ FREDERIC W. FLEITZ, Deputy Attorney General.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
189
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
STATE FISHERIES ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANLV,
HELD AT BELLEFONTE, CENTRE COUNTY, JUNE 21
AND 22. 1905.
A number of the representatives of the State Fisheries Associa- tion of Pennsylvania gathered in informal meeting on the morning of June 21, 1905, in room 16 of the Bush House, Belief on te. As some of the incoming trains bearing other representatives were late, it was decided to alter the program slightly, and instead of holding the business meeting then, in the Bush House, to postpone it until the afternoon, when the meeting will be held in the dwelling of the Bellefonte Fish Hatchery. In the meantime, that the assem- bled representatives should visit and inspect the hatchery.
The citizens' committee of Centre county, of which Mr. Meek, of Bellefonte, was Chairman, provided carriages and drove the repre- sentatives from the town of Bellefonte to the hatchery, where the State plant established in 1903 was thoroughly inspected, both as to buildings, ponds containing the growing and brooding trout, the apparatus for automatic feeding and other appliances for propa- gating trout on a huge scale on a most economical basis.
At one o'clock the representatives were entertained at luncheon in the dwelling of the Hatchery by the individual members of both the Fishery Commission and the Commissioner of Fisheries.
At two o'clock, other representatives having arrived, the meeting was called to order in the parlor of the dwelling.
Twenty representatives were present, embracing nearly all sec- tions in the State. In the absence of the President, Mr. Feely, the Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries, the honorary Presi- dent, presided.
Letters from a number of other county organizations, numbering fifteen, declaring their intention of sending representatives, were read by the Secretary. The reading of the minutes of the last busi- ness meeting held in Harrisburg, in March, was dispensed with.
The presiding officer in a brief six^ech welcomed the members, saying:
''It gives me great pleasure to meet you again. The gathering of the State Fisheries Association of Pennsylvania, an Association which was organized a little more than a year ago is bound to be fruitful of important results to us and the State at large in connec- tion with fish culture and fish protection. For many years, the county organizations have been laboring and doing good work in both these directions, but they have not been able to perform as effective work alone, because working alone and without knowledge of what the other associations were doing, they could not accomplish desired results. They were like a disintegrated army. A great statesman declared, ''in nnion there is strength," by all the county organizations uniting in a State organization, they become a unit and certainly a powerful factor in arousing public sentiment through the necessity of greater fish protection, and will unquestionabl.-* possess more power in shaping legislation affecting fish. As an
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illnstiation of wliat may be done by orKauizations, I may say that a \oi\v afto the orj»aiiizalions j)assed a n^soliition, requostinjj: the Legis- lature to establish as many hatcheries in the State for the cultiva- tion of black bass which would produce as many of this species of fish for public planting- as the existing hatcheries do now of trout. While, the Legislature, when it assembled did not create hatcheries to the extent requested, it, nevertheless, authorized the erection of four additional fish hatcheries for the propagation of black bass and other fish, the number being only one less than the entire number of hatcheries now in operation in the State, and when the Wayne Hatchery, which is specifically for black bass is considered, the number "of hatchei-ies in Pennsylvania, for the propagation of black bass, exceeds, by one, the number in operation for trout, lake fish and river fish. ']5y the act of the Legislature, the State will soon have in operation nine fish hatcheries or one more than any other State. Much of the credit of this is due to the active interest of the State Fisheries Association of Tennsylvania. I have no doubt that when this Association becomes stronger, and all the county associa- tions are enrolled in membershii), its inrtu(Mice in Pennnsylvania will be very great, for it will represent between thirty and forty thousand fishermen. (A])i»iause.)
''There are several things, which during the meeting, I desire to call your attention to, and advise action being taken. With these remarkSj^ I call the meeting formally to order and announce that we are readv for business."
By Col. John W. Hague,
Several members have called my attention to the fact that at the business meeting held in Harrisburg, new officers of the Association were elected, and although I am one of those otTficers, I have been requested to suggest that the oflicers then elected be continued until the next annual meeting in 11)0(5.
This was agreed to.
By Mr. Meehan,
I thing that before we begin reading any papers, the association should take u]) business matters and there is one important proposi- tion which I think should be undertaken, namely, how^ best to secure the greatest proti ction of fish, the better enforcement of the laws relating to fish, and how in this work the Society and the Com- missioner of Fisheries can give each other the greatest amount of aid.
Dr. J. S. McCreight, Kidgeway,
I am glad that this matter has been brought up af this time. T think the I)e])artment of Fisheries should send one of its regular wardens in our territory. Ilh^gal fishing is very common throughout Elk county. In fact, it is going on nearly all the time. If a regular warden were sent into the county for a few weeks, it would have a good moral efl'ect, and would greatly help the sportsmen.
By Mr. Meehan,
I am sorry to «ay that it is not practical for the Department of Fisheries to send its regular wardens into territories in which illegal
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fishing is reported, without there being specific cases. The exj>ense of sending wardens into a territory is very great and the appropria- tion for warden service is very small. Whenever specific cases are reported, even though the testimony is not strong, the Department is warranted in sending a man to work the case up and then to make a still hunt for fish law breakers. If Dr. McCreight and the society he represents will send specific cases, the Department will take them up promptly.
Mr. E. J. Curry, Freeland,
I agree with Mr. Meehan and I do not think Dr. McCreight takes the correct view of the matter. I believe the best way to put a stop to illegal fishing and to get the most eftective help from the Depart- ment of Fisheries is for the organization in the county to help itself. This morning, in a talk, Mr. Meehan advocated the principle that each Association should have its own wardens for local work, and when difficult special cases arose, call on the Department for assist- ance. I think that is the right principle, it is that which our Society in Freeland and the Society in Schuylkill and adjoining counties adopt. In our society, we have one of our own members commissioned as a fish warden. He is entirely fearless and pt^rforms his duty regardless of conse(iuences. In the performance of his duties he knows no friends. Not long ago, when he was patrolling a trout stream, he came upon a man, who was one of his friends, fishing in a pool. He called upon him to come to shore and show his basket. The man protested, saying, "Mr. Malloy, you know I would not violate the law.'' Mr. Malloy said, ^'I don't know anything about it, I only know I am a fish warden and I want to see your basket, if you don't come ashore and show it, I will come in after you." When the man came ashore and exhibited his catch, ^Ir. Malloy found four under sized trout and he promptly arrested his friend and had him fined forty dollars and costs. That is the kind of a man Mr. Malloy is. His energy in pursuing fish law breakers has made the people afraid to fish unlawfully, and to-day there is very little illegal fish- ing going on in our section. If the fishermen of Elk county will adopt the same method they will have the same results as we do.
Bv Mr. Meehan,
I can corroborate what Mr. Curry has said, and other organiza- tions are doing the same thing with good results. The South Fork Association, a representative of which is expected, has asked for the appointment of five of its members as special fish wardens, and other associatoions are doing the same thing.
By Mr. Curry,
In order to bring the matter before the society properly, I move that it be the sense of this Association that each county organiza- tion request the Department of Fisheries to appoint at least three of its members as special fish wardens, and to pledge the members individually to report to said special wardens any case of violation of thi? fish laws which comes under their observation. And further, that they pledge themselves to appear as witnesses at hearings before the Justice of the Peace.
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Mr. W. C. Heiirv, Paikside, I think the motion of Mr. Curry proper and 1 second it heartily.
Mr. Meehan,
The members have heard the motion and are you ready for the question?
Professor H. A. Surface, I call up the question.
Mr. Meehan,
All in favor of the motion will please say ''aye,'' contrary ''no." All having voted in the affirnmtive, the motion is carried and the Corresponding- Secretaiy will be requested to notify all the associa- tions of the action.
Mr. Meehan,
We have with us Professor 11. A, Surface, State Economic Zoolo- gist, and he has an announcement to make which will be made public for the first time and it has been held back especially for the first information to the societv. It is in reference to a ncnv line of work to be undertaken by the L)e])artment of Fisheries under the direction of Professor Surface. At the meeting last year, there were several papers read on the causes of the rapidly diminishing numbers of black bass. The consensus of opinion was, and I confess I feared it, that the first factor was the German carp. Since then, some facts which have come to my possession, I have been lead to the conclusion that we were in cM'ror, that while the German carp may be a factor in causing a lessened number of black bass through their spawn eating habits, it is not always the factor. That there is more probability that the cause may be attributed to the black bass themselves. The facts are briefly these. Susquehanna river from Clark's Ferry dam to the Maryland line, the bass fishing has diminished greatly, and there are undoubtedly thousands ujion thousands of carp on the other hand on the north branch where tluM'e are as many carp as in the lower river, the bass are ai>preciably on the increase. Pine Creek, a large tributary of the Susquehanna, emi)tying into that river near Jersey shor«^, a stream entirelv uncontaminated, was until four or five vears ago one of the best bass streams of the snmller fishing in central Pennsylvania. To-day, the bass fishing is almost extinct, and strange to say there are practically no carj) whatever in the stream. I am inclined to think, therefore, that a diminishing supply of bass must be attributed to gigging and other unlawful fishing svhich existed, and to the destruction of food for the bass by the bass themselves. To ascertain the truth of this, two youug men under the direction of Professor Surface Anil this summer make a thorough investigation of the various water sheds of the State and report this winter.
Mr. W. H. SaiTord,
•
I have studied the habits of the black bass in Mich.'gan and I find that the young devour an enormous (plant ity of minute water
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life, and it follows that if water life becomes extinct the bass must go. I have found also that the young bass contract cannibalism at a very early age, as soon, in fact, as they become what is known as fingerlings.
Mr. Satford then gave an address on the cultivation of black bass in State and U. S. fish hatcheries.
Mr. W. S. Henry,
I think some action should be taken by which the various county organizations will do as the others are doing. And, I therefore offer the following resolution :
Resolved, That every county association be requested to notify its secretary at the conclusion of every meeting to forward to the Corresponding Secretary of the State Fisheries Association, any matter of general interest that appears on the minute's of said meeting, and that the corresponding secretary be requested to send, at least, quarterly, a synopsis of such proceedings to all the asso- ciations.
Seconded by Mr. Curry and adopted.
Mr. Meehan,
I am glad that this resolution has been adopted as I think it will be a great help to all the associations, and as the work of the Dei)art- ment of Fisheries is likely to be of interest to all the societies I would not take it amiss if the society were to request me to give them a quarterly synopsis of the work done by the Department.
Mr. McCreight,
I think Mr. Meehan's offer was a very generous one and I think the societies will be glad to have it done, therefore I move that the Commissioner of Fisheries be respectfully asked to furnish the societies belonging to this organization with a quarterly statement of the work done by the Department, as far as it is compatable with the public interest.
Seconded and approved.
The hour of five o'clock having arrived, it was moved to adjourn until ten A. M. the following morning at the Bush House, in order that the Society might accept the invitation of the Nittaney Country Club to visit its club house.
On motion, adjourned to meet as stated.
The Citizens' Committee then escorted the members of the Society in carriages to Bellefonte where they were ])ut aboard a train anil taken to the Nittaney Club, where thev were rovallv entertained and given a supper.
13—23—1905
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SECOND DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.
June 22, 1905. Meetinj^ called to order at 10 A. M. Hon. W. E. Meelian presiding.
Bv Mr. Meelian,
The last question of yesterday was on the food supply of the streams; I would like to ask whether there is any more discussion on that question. If there is not any further discussion, we will take up Mr. Curry s paper.
Mr. if. J. Curry, of Freeland, Pa., read a paper entitled "The Planting of Fry and Fingerlings."
By Mr .Meehan,
I am sorry Mr. ("urry's paper is not longer; the subject is one of very great importance; in fact, I do not know of many questions effecting fish protection in our State that is of greater importance than those which have been raised by Mr. Curry. Before taking up the question of nursery streams, that is, setting aside of tributary streams for nursery purposes, I would like to say a few words con- cerning the catching and killing of small trout. I know that there is quite a strong feeling in certain localities that the limit should be five inches instead of six; it being urged that people catch five inch trout and throw them back, and that a large percentage of them were killed. Mr. Curry has told you that he has knowledge of at least eighty per cent, of these small fish being killed. Now, assuming that to be true, and I think there is no doubt that it is true in certain localities, the question arises, suppose we reduce the size to five inches, what is going to become of the four inch trout? In other words, make the legal size five inches, people will be catching four inch trout and killing them just as quickly as five inch trout. We had the five inch limit in this State at one time and it was unsatis- factory, and the fishermen came to the Legislature and demanded the six inch limit, and we got the six inch limit. My own experience is that the killing of fish by means of bait in nine times out of ten is the fault of the fishermen. Not that it is purposely done, because I do not believe that the real sportsman who uses bait is a man wiio will deliberately kill a fish; but I have found this, that a man fishing down stream with bait; he has his bait ahead of him, and he gets a little quick snap at his bait and misses; does not get his fish; he recovers his line, looks at his bait, and drops it at the same place. Now a good size fish that is larger than six inches, very rarely misses; when he strikes at a bait he gets it. Three times out of four, yes in nine times out of ten is it true that trout of six inches or over when they are hooked are only hooked in the jaw or in the gills or throat. If a fish is hooked in the throat and carefully taken from the hook, there are good chances of recovery. As an illustration, this spring I was fishing on the Lacka waxen and there was a large fisli
broke some distance away. I tried for him several times with a fly and he would not come; so 1 slipped on a little worm, but before I got down to where he was 1 had hooked a small one, and when I hooked him, he had the hook in his throat; it was about six inches long or less. I very carefully took that hook out of the throat, sent the fish down to the house, put it in a pond and it remained there for a little while, and for all I know that fish is alive to-day; there w^as a little bleeding. Now, it happens very often that when a man catches a little fish, they will look at it and say confound it, and give it a shake and shake it off the hook. So that very many of these fish are killed when there is no need for killing theni. Even though a large percentage of them are killed, I think it would be very unwise to go back to the five inch limit: I believe that if a change is ever made, that it would be better to take away all limits of siz(\, and cut down the number of fish caught.
As to the question of setting aside tributary streams for nursery purposes. There are several sections relating to streams directlv. Section 23 of the Act of the 20th of Mav, 1001, savs: (Read sections 23, 25, 30 and 30).
It would seem to me in taking that 30th section, that the only way that the Department could act would be to secure the consent of the owners of the tributary streams, of these nursery streams, to close them for public fishing until such time as we can induce the Legislature to empower the Department of Fisheries to definitely set aside some streams for nursery purposes. It is a i)retty hard matter to say whether or not a stream is barren. In the two years in which I have been Commissioner I have only one knowledge I think in which we could fairly say that the stream is barren. T have held and am supported by the Attorney General that the stream might be considered barren where a man fishing for a whole day would possibly only secure a single trout; that was characteristic of a barren stream; he would either get none, one or two trout out of the whole day's fishing; such a stream would be considered barren.
By Mr. Curry,
That is the j)oint that I would like to covim-. It does not mak(» any difference whether you make the limit two, four, six or eight inches, the only way to i)rotect that trout is to ]UM)hibit fishing until such time as he is able to work down the stream and take care of himself.
Bv Mr. Meehan,
The matter is important because there are many streams, especi- ally in Central Pennsvlvania, that are reallv nurserv streams, but the water is of sufficient quantity that when the big fish enter them to spawn, that instead of going out in the flow of the main stream, they will remain and spawn where the side streams are. Some of the side stn^ams are as large as some of the regular trout streams in Monroe and Pike counties. These streams are full of little trout; they are so abundant in fact that they very rarely get beyond six or seven inches, aiul men have come to the conclusion that they are of another variety of trout and cjill (hem mountain trout.
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By W. C. Henry, Parkside, Pa.,
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We have the same thing right at my place; there are any amount of little fish there; a great many of the the D. L. & W. men come down to Scranton to fish that stream. I know there are hundreds of those same little fish destroyed and probably hundreds of them carried away under six inches. The number of fish caught in a djxy now I believe is limited to fifty; as far as I am concerned, in our club we only allow twenty-five taken, and I think twenty-five fish of a size limit ought to be enough for any man to take in one day; fifteen fish is plenty for me. I would like to see that State law limited to twenty-five instead of fifty, and I make a motion to that effect. We have an association called the Parkside Association and twenty-five is our limit; if any man brings in more than twenty-five fish he gets a fine of ten dollars.
By Mr. Curry,
I have heard of men going out to fish and bringing along two or three of their boys, and in that way the father was able to catch the limJt, fifty fish and more. We want to protect the fish, first, so that the fishermen will have something to catch when they go out. These greedy men who fish in these tributaries, they pick up these little fishes and simply kill them and let them float down the stream, and so they never reach the limit size.
By Dr. J. S. McCreight,
To limit the number of fish caught to twenty-five I think is a very good suggestion and I second Mr. Henry's motion.
Mr. Henry moves that the various associations of the State take up and consider the question of asking the Legislature to reduce the number of trout which may be legally caught with one rod in one day to twenty-five, and to report their views to the next meeting of the State Association through their representatives.
Motion seconded and carried.
«
By Dr. W. H. Reed, Norristown,
I would suggest that we advise these associations of this motion so that they get the sentiment of it.
By Col. John W. Hague,
In reference to barren streams, a few years ago I fished down in Fayette county in company with a gentleman there from early morn- ing until late at night; we caught one little trout about six inches long. So that is one stream I can say is barren in the full sense of the word. We have not in my part of the State many trout streams; our trout streams are a long distance away from us so that I do not have much experience in that line. T can talk more about black bass than I can of the trout. The nearest streams are in Westmoreland county or Fayette county, so that I could not say very much on that subject. This is one experience I had in that particular case.
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Prof. H. A. Surface, of State College, then submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That we endorse and shall urge legislation authorizing the Commissioner of Fisheries to set aside, at his discretion, such small streams as he may find best, as nursery streams, in which fish- ing shall be prohibited at all times of the year. Said streams to be posted at the lower limit by a conspicuous poster and also at inter- vals of three hundred yards.
By J. L. Nimick, Ridgway,
It seems incomplete in that there was no time limit for the closing set.
The Chairman replied that it was for all time as to nursery streams.
Motion was made to adopt the resolution, seconded by Colonel Hague and carried.
The Chairman then suggested that. before reading the next paper a motion should be made authorizing the secretary to purchase a minute book.
Dr. Keed made the motion which was duly seconded and carried.
Colonel Hague made a motion that a stenographer be employed to take notes of the meetings, which motion was seconded and carried.
The Treasurer, Dr. W. H. Reed, of Norristown, then made the following report:
Receipts.
16 Membership Fees, $32 00
1 Membership Fee (half paid) 1 00
Amount, $33 00
Expenses.
Printing Bill (Receipt Books) |2 75
Printing Bill (Letter Heads), 5 75
Postage, 86 |9 36
Cash Balance on hand, |23 ()4
Dr. McCreight moved that the report be received, accepted, placed on file and bill paid; motion seconded and carried.
Chairman Meehan made the statement that under the bv-laws all that is necessary to do is to pay the tw^o dollars annual membership fee to the club which under the rules would entitle them to a repre- sentative. Each organization is entitled to one representative and also to one representative for each additional one hundred members that it may have. In case there is a county in which there is no organization, an individual may represent that' county until such time as there is a regular organization.
Mr. Curry then submitted thv following report:
Committee met and decided to hold our next meeting on the third Wednesday and Thursday of June, lOOH, at Corry, Erie county, Penn- sylvania.
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C'olonel Hague made a mot ion that the report be accepted and that all delegates, clubs, associations, etc., be notified to that effect. Motion seconded and carried.
A paper entitled ''Forestry in Its Relation to the Water Supply and the Fisheries," by Charles Wetherill, of Philadelphia, Pa., was then read by the secretary.
Mr. Henry opened the discussion as follows:
A gentleman by the name of
is planting 200 acres at
the present time; he started in last year; he planted hickory, walnut and all kinds of trees; and just a short time ago he had sent from Germany several large boxes here to plant; and last year his brother told me, I think he said, that they had planted about forty or fifty bushels of hickory nuts.
By Mr. Meehan,
It is fortunate I think that the State is extending as it is its forestry preserves, because it is calculated to bring about the con- dition that Mr. Wetherill hopes to bring about. It is the practice I believe to purchase those tracts from which the timber has been cut and then work the timber up again, and in course of time, when that timber becomes of certain size, to thin it out and sell it and use the money for additional tracts of land. I think every one of us who have i)assed our boyhood days, we are not getting old, however, not- withstanding the gray in our hair, can all remember some of the I>rominent streams; to-day the water supjily is far less than it was years ago; moreover that it is unequal. One day the stream banks will be full; a few days afterward there will be hardly any water. 1 have one strc am in mind in the North Eastern part of Pennsyl- vania; Saw Creek. When I was a boy, fishing in Saw Creek, I think no part of it but that could be fished at all tinu^s. Now, a week after a rain storm, you will see no water whatever in parts of it; you can hear it strike underneath the rocks; and it does not take very much of a rain either to cover these stones. I can well remember the time when every spot in that section was covered always by a depth of less than one foot of water; now a day or two at most it is covered.
By Mr. Henry,
Where the timber has been taken away, tlw steams seem to dimin- ish every year; they keep going down, the other streams where the timber has not been taken away, as West Branch, Paradise, and others, are holding uj) very well.
By ;Mi'. Trell, of Tioga county,
It is the same way up in Tioga county; a fine stream there where you could catch a basket of large trout. Now the timber has been cut down, and there is not enough water to stock the stream.
By Mr. Meehan,
In connection with this matter, which i« very aijrojm^ to this paper, is this question of jmlluting stream!^. For years the fishermen have
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been trying to have some acts passed through the Legislature which will put a stop to the pollution of streams, but every measure was defeated by the owners of tanneries, etc., who simply came forward with the tremendous argument "Would you destroy our splendid industries for a few fish?" Last winter this Association met in Harrisburg as a purely business meeting to try to pass some legisla- tion, and a bill was submitted and approved and presented by Senator Godcharles, of Northumberland county; it only affects five industries at the present time, but it is merely the entering wedge. In the mean time. Dr. Penrose, of Philadelphia, had drawn three bills, which he introduced. After reading those bills very carefully, they found that it covered the question more thoroughly than the God- charles bill. The Legislature was with us, and they simply used the Godcharles bill as sort of a scarecrow. We took a good many of the associations into our confidence and wrote to the members, espt^i- ally the doubtful ones, to support the (Jodcharles bill. We took up the local boards of health, and th(»re were some 750 of them; and more than 500 of them sent resolutions. The result was the Penrose bill passed the Legislature and was signed by the Governor. There ^vas only one feature about the bill that caused Dr. Penrose to lament. The Tannery Trust was powerful enough to enforce an amended bill. At first when it was passed it att'ected but four tan- neries; to-day nearly every tannery uses vitriol.
In order that you may know exactly, I would suggest that these acts be read.
Secretary Hague read act No. 215, (entitled "An act creating a De- partment of Health and defining its powers and duties."
Act No. 236, entitled an act creating the water supply commission of Pennsylvania; defining its duties, fixing the scope of its authority and powers, and making an api>ro|>riation for the payment of the salaries and expenses connected therewith.
Act No. 182, entitled an act to preserve the purity of waters of the StatO for the protection of the public health.
By Mr. Meehan,
In addition to these three acts passed by the Legislature, there is one other statute already in force under the act of May 8, 1870.
By Mr. Meehan:
There is another matter that I could like to bring to the attention of the association for congratulation. At the first meeting of the association in March last year, a resolution was adopted in effect asking the Legislature to direct the establishment of a sutticient number of hatcheries to produce the same number of black bass as are now in use for brook trout. The Legislature directed the erec- tion of three such hatcheries, and adequate appropriation for the building of such hatcheries was ])royided, but the Governor on ac- count of all the appropriations asked for having been granted by the Legislature to all Departments and charities was com]>elled to cut our approjH'iation, which makes it imi)ossible to put the three hatch-
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eries fullj and squarely on thoir feet. It is'lioped to locate one of those hatcheries in the eastern part of the State, one in the southern and one in the western part of Tennsylvania.
In pursuance of my promise 1 would like to make a report of the work done by the Department of Fisheries.
At the last session of the Legislature a resolution passed author- izing the Commissioner of Fisheries to invite the United States and New Jersey to join with it in the propagation of shad and other fishes on the Delaware river and the oiler was accept(^d. Had it not been for a very poor season on the river, an enormous lot would have been hatched.
Subsequent another resolution was passed by the Legislature au- thorizing the appointment of a commission consisting of three mem- bers of the House, two members of the Senate, and the Commissioner of Fisheries to meet a similar Commission, appointed by the State of New Jersey, Ncav York, Dt^laware and Maryland to endeavor to formulate uniform fish laws and to perform joint fish hatching work' in the Delaware river.
This year the Legislature gave an appropriation of 155,000 as against |25,000 two years ago.
By Secretary Hague,
Yesterday there was mention made about the violations by Hun- garians, Austria ns and others, of the streams. My experience last year was this, I kept and maintained for quite a long time at my own expense a club of from two to four men on the Allegheny river; we had a tent and on the opposite bank was a gang of Italians alleged to be doing dynamiting business. Frequent reports were heard. We though that we were going to make a whole lot of monev; had men up constantly night and day. We failed after all the expendi- ture of our money and time to find a single violation of the law. One day just after a thunder storm we heard a very slight explosion within a})out a stop.e's throw to the depot. Instead of dynamite be- ing exploded, we found a man hunting musk rats, and the explosion we heard was the discharge of a No. 10 shot gu'.i. P>ut while we failed tomake any showing there, we have made another showing, one that could not be rejioited. Just below a certain dam on the Alle- gheny river, the incrc^ase of black bass was enormous; and it was utterly impossible to keep them from taking out these small bass. "Whatever violations had been going on befort' there was stopped bv the maintenance of that camp. I sni»iK)se now tlu' river will be teeming with fish at that jfoiiit. The wall-eyed pike still is main- tained there. The fish are still there and during (he last season they jHOpagated. Down along the waters where tlu' gravel was thick, you could get any quantity of iheni :i, 4 and 5 inches long. At the same time the gar is just as abundant. While we have done good in one point, we have still done bad in another; the same pro- tecticm is given to the gar as to the other fish. The dejmsit from the oil i-efineries has settled on (he bottom of the rivers, and there are other pollutions there that have been mentioned; saw dust, tanner- ies, etc. I believe the l^ig Denver along there to the month of the river is almost totally destroyed so far as black bass are concerned, from the latest re]>orts there are no more. There are carp there
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where I was fortunate enough to cause two nrrests. There are still dynamiters on that river; but I do not think from my own observa- tion that it is being done now. 1 think the arrest of those two men, the death of one and the imprisonment of the other w ill stop that! And if there are any more violations in that neck of the woods, I think we will catch the otfenders and either imprison them or fine them. The same thing has been going on in the neighborhood of Brownsville.
On the other side in Washington county, just across the river, found men fishing by outline in the day time without sufficient lead to weight it to the bottom of the creek. Then we found some Sun- day fishing. I have within the last two months driven ott^^ from the banks at least two hundred people; one Sunday found forty in a bunch. Did not arrest them; there was no complaint made, and another thing our jails are full out there; thev have been trving to get people out of jail.
Then there was violation of the law with regard to selling wall- eyed pike during the close season. One man I know obtained two hundred barrels of wall-eyed pike in one week. He secured everv store keeper, every Italian, every Dago and every other vile person he could get hold of to take these fish around and sell them quickly. My men have seen strings of pike and perch sold and the stopping of these prosecutions has encouraged them in it. I think we have the sentiment of the community, and I believe if we have the sentiment of everybody that we are right and the matter ought to be stopped, that it will be stopped. We are doing all we know how, resorted to all methods we know how to make to stop this illegal selling and we are willing to receive all suggestions, hints, orders and every- thing else that will be given to us to help us. We don't care what the people think; we have our conception of what our dutv is and we do not care if we oll'end one man or a thousand nu^n if we are right. \y(i feel we are right, and as long as we have got that feeling we don't care whose toes we tramp on. If we fiiid the court will sustain us we will have a i)retty nice bunch of fines there. There is a lot of fines in ihe hands of the magistrate that have been paid in and I don't believe they have been paid over to the count v treasurer; it. is there, l)ut it has not been paid over to the count v treasurer.
By Mr. Meehan,
I have noticed advertisements in various papers of an electrical device for catching fish; this device is known as "Vim Hait." There is a law in Pennsylvania against fishing wi(h electricitv. I commu- nicated with the manufacturer and sent liim a copv of'the clii)ping. He immediately entered into correspondence with the owner of "Vim liait," and he wrote me a few days ago that he had received a re- ]»ly from the company, stating that the fish were not caught bv actual electricity, but they had some sort of an incandes<en't light which lured the fish to the bait. If they are putting this incandes- cent light on the bait for the jMirpose of luring the fish, thev are violating the law, and one thing is quite sure arrests will be 'made for using smh devic(>. I would be very glad if any association comes across any person using this device they will make report. 1 -I
I
n
^^1
I
i?
202
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
By Dr. McCreight,
In regard to destruction of the fish by catching them, I think in catching small fish it is a matter of care on the part of the fishermen in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred whether they are killed or not. Out of five hundred fish caught under size, we did not lose a half dozen. We used bait altogether.
By Mr. Meehan:
I think if the fishermen would use a little larger hook, and if they get a strike and miss it, not to put their line back in that place, a great many small fish would be saved.
By Mr. Curry,
How many go on the stream who are looking out for the welfare of the fish? A four to five inch trout will swallow the hook, and any fish will die that is hooked in the gills.
Bv Mr. Meehan:
I'se a little larger hook and not catch a fish when they fail to sj^rike I think is a good plan.
By Mr. Curry,
Would it be wise to recommend a limited size to the hook as well as the trout?
By Dr. Met 'reight, I would recommend mon* fly fishing than bait fishing.
By Mr. Curry,
Before we close I make a motion that we extend our thanks to the Nittany Rod and (run Club, and also to the citizens in general of Bellefonte for the kind and generous hospitality during our stay in Bellefonte. Motion seconded and unanimously carried.
By Dr. McCreight,
I think we should congratulate our Commissioner on his work and extend him a vote of thanks, and I make a motion to that effect. Motion seconded and carried.
By Mr. Meehan,
I very deeply ai)preciate this. 1 have taken an interest in fish cul- ture for many years; have always been a fisherman and an angler. Caught my first trout when 1 n\ as eight years old. When the Gov- ernor honored me by placing me at the head of the Fish Commission- ers, I made up my mind to do the best 1 could to increase fish life in the waters. 1 felt I could not do it alone and that I needed the help of men like yourselves. I am trying of course to help the associa- tions. Without the associations I could not do the work I have ac- complished. And while you have given me thanks, you should not
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
203
forget the board connected with the Department. The board has been a great feature in the work that has been done.
By Colonel Hague, We will include the Board of Fisheries in that motion of thanks.
By Mr. Nimick,
I make a motion that we adjourn until an hour to be named later by the chairman.
Motion seconded and carried.
Adjournment.
Evening Meeting.
The meeting was called at S o'clock in the evening in the Bush House, Mr. Meehan presiding.
204
REPORT OF THE
Off. Do«.
LIST OF FISH COMMISSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND
THE STATES.
Department of Commerce a lul Labor.
Bureau of Fisheries.
Washington.
Bureau of Fisheries.
Commissioner — George M. Bowers, The Shoreham.
Deputy Commissioner — Hugh M. Smith, 1209 M Street.
Chief Clerk— I. H. Dunlap, The Marlborough.
Assistant in Charge of Division of Inquiry Respecting Food Fishes — B. W. Everman, 412 T Street.
Assistant in Charge of Division of Fish Culture — John W. Tit- comb.
Assistant in Charge of Division of Statistics and Methods — A. B. Alexander.
Disbursing Agent— W. P. Titcomb, 2237 Q Street.
(iOVEKNMENT HATCHERIES.
Name and Location.
Green Lake, Me., E. E. Race, Superintendent.
Craig Brook, East Orland, Me., Charles G. Atkins, Sui>erintendent.
Nashua, N. IL, W. F. Hubbard, Superintendent.
St. Johnsbury, Vt., E. N. Carter, Superintendent.
Gloucester, Mass., C. G. Corliss, Superintendent.
Woods Hole, Mass., E. F. Locke, Suj>erintendent.
Cape Vincent, N. Y., Livingston Stone, Superintendent.
Battery, Havre de Grace, Md., J. N. Wizner, Superintendent.
Bryan Point, Md., L. G. Harron, Superintendent.
Fish Lakes, Washington, D. C, C. K. Green, Superintendent.
Wytheville, Va., George A. Seagle, Superintendent.
wiiite Sulphur Springs, W. Va., R. K. Robinson, Suj>erintendent.
Erwin Fishery, Tenn., Vacant.
Cold Springs, BuUochville, Ga., J. J. Stranahan, Superintendent.
Tupelo, Miss., C. P. Henkel, Superintendent.
Edenton, N. C, S. G. AVorth, Supcrintendeiit.
Putin-Bay, Ohio, S. W. Downing, Superintendent.
Northville, Mich., Frank N. Clark, Superintendent.
Duluth, Minn., S. P. Wires, SuiKM'intendent.
Quincy, 111., S. P. Bartlett, Superintendent.
Manchester, Iowa, R. S. Johnson, Superintendent.
Neosho, Mo., IL D. Dean, Suix'rintendent.
San Marcos, Tex., J. L. Leary, Superintendent.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
205
Leadville, Colo., W. T. Thompson, Superintendent. Spearfish, S. D., D. C. Booth, Superintendent. Bozeman, Mont., James A. Henshall, Superintendent. Baird, Cal., G. H. Lambson, Superintendent. Clackamas, Ore., Claudius Wallich, Superintendent Baker Lake, Wash., Henry O'Malley, Superintendent.
Arizona.
T. S. Bunch, Safford, Arizona. Eugene Allison, Jerome, Arizona. W. L. Pinney, Phoenix, Arizona.
California.
W. W. Van Arsdale, President, San Francisco, Cal. W. E. Gerber, Sacramento, CaL John Bermingham, Jr., Pinole, Cal.
Address all communications to California Fish Commission, Mills Buildmg, San Francisco, Cal.
Colorado.
J. M Woodward, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Denver Colorado. *
. Connecticut.
_ _ •
George T. Mathewson, Commissioner, Thompsonville, Conn Robert G. Pike, Commissioner, Middletown, Conn. E. Hart Geer, Commissioner, Hadlyme, Conn.
Delaware.
Charles J. Luff, Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries Wvomin^ Delaware. ' "^ ^'
Idaho. William N. Stephens, State Game Warden, Rexburg, Idaho.
Illinois.
S. P. Bartlett, Commissioner, Quincy, Illinois. N. H. Cohen, Commissioner, Urbana, Illinois. Henry Kleine, Commissioner, Chicago, Illinois.
Indiana. Z. T. SwtH?ney, Commissioner, Columbus, Indiana.
Kansas. Dell W. Travis, State Gann* Warden, Pratt, Kansas.
Maine.
Leroy T. Carleton, Commissioner, Winthrop, Maine. J. W. Brackett, Commissioner, Phillips, Maine. E. E. Ring, Commissioner, Orono, Maine.
A. R. Nickerson, Commissioner of Sea and Sliore Fisheries Booth- bay Harbor. '
111
2««
REPORT OF THE
Maryland.
Off. Doc.
James D. Anderson, Commissioner, Deals Island, Md. Charles F. Brooks, Commissioner, Sandy Spring, Md.
Massachusetts.
John W. Delano, Commissioner, Marion, Mass. Edward A. Brackett, Winchester, Mass. George W. Field, Chairman, Sharon, Mass.
Michigan.
Freeman B. Dickerson, Commissioner, Detroit, Mich. George M. Brown, Commissioner, Saginaw, Mich. Charles D. Joslyn, Commissioner, Detroit, Mich.
Minnesota.
Uri. L. Lamprey, President, St. Paul, Minn.
H. G. Smith, First Vice President, St. Paul, Minn.
O. J. Johnson, Second Vice President, St. Paul, Minn.
D. W. Meeker, Secretary, St. Paul, Minn.
S. F. Fullerton, Executive Agent, St. Paul, :Minn.
Missouri.
W. H. Huges, \'ice President, St. Louis, Mo. J. M. Shortal, Secretary, St. Louis, Mo. John (lable, Jr., Browning, Mo.
Nebraska.
John 11. Mickey, Commissioner ex-Ofticio, Lincoln. Neb. (feorge L. Carter, Traveling Deputy, Lincoln, Neb. \y. J. O'Brien, Su])erintendent Hatcheries, Lincoln, Neb. State Fish Hatcheries, (Jretna, Nebraska.
Nevada.
George T. Mills, Commissioner, Carson City, Nevada. Pat McCarran, Commissioner, Tonapah, Nevada. H. H. Coryell, Commissioner, Wells, Nevada.
New Hampshire.
Hon. Nathaniel Wentworth, Hudson Center, N. H. Hon. Merrill Shurtlei!', Lancaster, N. H. Charles B. Clarke, Concord, N. H.
New Jersey.
Richard T. Miller, Camden, N. J.
David P. McClellan, Morristown, N. J.
Benjamin P. Morris, President and Treasurer, Long Branch, N. J.
Percy H. Johnson, Bloomfield, N. J.
James M. Stratton, Protector, Long P,ranch, N. J.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. New York.
207
James S. Whipple, Commissioner, Albanv, New York.
J. Duncan Lawrence, Deputy Commissioner, Albanv, New York
John D. Whish, Secretary, Albany, New York.
Ontario.
Hon. J. O. Reaume, Commissioner. S. T. Bastedo, Deputy Commissioner.
Oklahoma.
Eugene E. Watrous, Game and Fish t\)mmissioner, Enid, Okla- homa. '
Ohio.
Thomas B. Paxton, Cincinnati, Ohio.
James F. Rankin, South Charleston, O.
D. W. Greene, Dayton, O.
Paul North, Cleveland, O.
George W. McCook, Steubenville, O.
George C. Blanker, Secretary, Columbus, O.
Oregon.
Geo. E. Chamberlain, Governor, Salem, Oregon. F. I. Dunbar, Secretary of State, Salem, Oregon. Charles S. Moore, State Treasurer, Salem, Oregon. H. G. VanDusen, Master Fish Warden, Astoria, Oregon H. A. Webster, Deputy Fish W^arden, Astoria, Oregon.
Pennsylvania. Hon. W. E. Meehan, Commissioner of Fisheries, Harrisburg, Pa.
Fishery Commission.
Hon. John Hamberger, Erie, Pa.
Hon. Henry C. Cox, Wellsboro, Pa.
Hon. Andrew R. Wliitaker, Phoenixville, Pa.
Hon. W. A. Leisenring, Mauch Chunk, Pa.
Rhode Island.
Henry T. Root, Providence, Rhode Island.
William P. Morton, Johnston, Rhoad Island.
J. M. K. Southwick, Newport, Rhode Island.
Charles W^ Willard, Nesterly, Rhode Island.
Adelbert Roberts, Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Albert Davis Mead, Providence, Rhode Island.
William H. Boardman, Central Falls, Rhode Island.
James M. W^right, Foster, Rhode Island.
Herbert N. Gardiner, Barrinton, Rhode Island.
Philip H. WMlbour, Little Compton, Rhode Island.
George W, Hoxie, Charlestown, Rhode Island.
John H. Northup, Warwick, Rhode Island.
James C. Collins, Clerk, North Providence, Rhode Island.
20S
REPORT OF THB
Off. Doc.
1
Tennessee. Joseph H. Acklen, JjJtate Warden, Nashville, Tenn.
Utah. John Sharp, Commissioner, Salt Lake City, Utah.'
Vermont. II. C. Thomas Stowe, Commissioner of Fisheries, Stowe, Vt.
Virginia.
Dr. John W. Bowdoin, Chairman, Bloxom, Yd. Seth F. Miller, Secretary, Mathews, Va. George B. Keezell, K(Mv.elto\vn, Va. Ilenrv M. Tyler, Richmond. Va. Robert J. Camp, Suffolk, Va.
West Virginia. James II. Marcnni, Fish and Game Warden, Huntingdon. W. Va.
Wisconsin.
Calvert Spensley, President, Mineral Point, ^^'is. Jas. J. Hogan, Vice President, La Crosse, Wis. E. A. Birge, Secretary, Madison, Wis. William J. Starr, Eau Claire, Wis. Henry D. Smith, Appleton, Wis. Jabe Alford, Madison, Wis.
Wyoming.
Samuel II. Campbell, Superintendent Fish Hatchery, District No. 1, Laramie, Wyo.
C. W. Morgareidge, Superintendent Fish Hatchery, District No. 2, Sheridan, Wvo.
Washington.
Albert E. Mead, Governor, Olympia, Washington.
Geo. G. Mills, Treasurer, Olympia, Washington. ^
T. R. Kershaw, Fish Commissioner, Bellingham, Washington.
Texas. Hon. I. P. Kibbe, I*ort Lavaca, Texas.
New Mexico. Page B. Otero, (ianie and Fish Warden, Santa Fe, N. M.
Oklahoma.
Eugene E. AVatrons, Game and Fish Commissioner, (Jutrie, Okla- homa.
Georgia. A. T. Dallis, Superintendent of Fisheries, LaGrange, (Ja.
No. 25.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
209
THE OPINIONS OF THE VARIOUS COURTS, SUPERIOR AND
COUNTY.
When the Department of Fisheries was organized it proceeded to conduct its work with the idea that the two acts of May 29, 1901, the permissive act of April 27, 1903, and the act of April G, 1903, cov- ered all the methods by which fish coulil be taken in the waters of the Commonwealth and the boundary lakes. As cases were tried it was found that there was diversity of opinion among the judges of the State as to the interpretation of the law regarding fishing, but in the main the views of the Department have been sustained. Be- low we give the opinions of the courts on the cases which were heard:
Selling (Jame Fish from Lake Erie Out of Season.
In March, 1904, the Department directed the wardens to arrest persons who were selling wall-eyed pike and other game fish during the close season. Warden Hague arrested Lawrence Kuapp and Henry Knapp, of Pittsburgh, for selling black bass out of season. They were convicted before C. C. McGovern and fined |20 and |I0 p^ piece for two fish. From the decision of the alderman the defen- dants took an appeal to the court of quarter sessions where the con- viction was confirmed in the following order:
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County, Penna.
, Commonwealth vs. Lawrence Knapp and Henry Knapp.
Commonw^ealth
No. 20 March sessions, 1904.
No. 21 March sessions, 1904.
vs. W. J. Wvland.J
Appeal from decision of Aldernmn Charles C. McGovern. Filed March 23. 1904. Hearing fixed for
Appeal showed bond to be given in the sum of |.*)0.00, to be ap- proved by Clerk of Courts.
Order of the Court.
June 3, 1904, these cases <-ame on to be heard and upon inspection of the petition and record, the conviction is affirmed.
By the Court. From the Record. Attest:
FRANCIS X. BARR,
Clerk.
In the spring of 1905, Warden Hague arrested Charles Beilstein for having in his possession ten wall-eyed pike during (he close sea- son, the same being dead. The defendant was convicted before the 14—23—1905
210
REPORT OF THE
Oft. Doc.
alderman and sentenced to pay a fine of |100. He took an appeal to the court of Allegheny county which court reversed the opinion of the court the year before in the following opinion:
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County, Penna.
Commonwealth t.. ot tit i • ......
JSo. 37 March sessions, 1905.
^®' * Appeals from summary conviction.
Charles Beilstein.J
Shafer, J.
The defendant was charged before an alderman of the city of Pittsburgh, by John Hague, fish warden, with having in his posses- sion, the same being killed, ten wall-eyed pike, between the 15th day of February and the 15th day of June, contrary to Section 3 of the Act of May 29, 1901.
Testimony was taken, which, for the purposes of the case counsel for both parties admitted to be true, from which it appeared that on April 14, 1UU5, the defendant had in his possession ana for sale in the city of Allegheny, ten blue pike, which fish had been caught in the waters of Lake Erie by a boat having a license from the State of l*ennsylvania to fish in those waters. Some question was made as to whether the fish which were in the possession of the defendant were properly called blue pike, or wall-eyed pike, but for the pur- poses of this case we find that there was no difference and that while the fish which the defendant had in his possession may more correctly be called blue pike, they are within the meaning of the term wall-eyed pike in the Acts of Assembly.
The Fourth section of the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 302, provides that after the passage of the Act, "It shall be unlawful to catch, kill or have in possession, the same having been killed, any blue pike or wall-eyed pike, and that any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of ten dollars for each fish."
Section 32 provides that the prohibitions and penalties provided in this Act shall not apply to any lake partly within the boundaries of this State, nor to any fish caught in the same.
In the case of the Commonwealth vs. Wilkinson, 139 Pa. St. 298, an act in regard to the killing of quail or having the same in pos- session after the same have been killed, in substantially the same form as the present Act was construed by the Supreme Court to apply only to persons having in their possession quail which was in fact killed contrary to the Act. And it was held in effect in the case that in order to secure a conviction the Commonwealth must show not merely the possession of the forbidden game or fish after it had been killed, but that it was in fact killed contrary to the Act.
We are therefore of opinion that the testimony not only fails to show any violation of the Act in question, but affirmatively shows that there is no such violation, which it was not necessary for the defendant to do.
The judgment of the magistrate is therefore reversed, and resti- tution of fine and costs is awarded.
From the opinion of the Allegheny County Court the Common- wealth appealed to the Superior Court which affirmed the decision of the court below thus making it legal to sell wall-eyed pike, bass
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
211
I
and other game fish taken in Lake Erie and ottered for sale in the (Commonwealth during the close season.
It will be observed, however, that the Supreme Court sustains the contention of the Department that in a prosecution for having game or food fish in possession out of season, the burden is upon the defendant to prove that the fish were lawfully caught either in another State or in Lake Erie.
Commonwealth, Appellant, vs. Beilstein.
Fish laws — Wall-eyed pike — Criminal law — Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 302, and May 29, 1901, P. L. 335.
A person cannot be convicted u^ider the Act of May 29, 1901, Sec- tion 3, P. L. 302, for having in his possession for sak' wall-eyed pike, in the city of Allegheny, between Februaiy 15 and June 15, whert; it appears that the fish in question were lawfully caught in the watei*s of Lake Erie under the permission granted by the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 335. In a prosecution on such a charge the burden is upon the defendant to prove that the fish were lawfully caught and killed in Lake Erie.
Argued October 2, 1905. Appeal, Xo. 37, April T., 1906, by plain- tiff, from judgment of Q. S. Allegheny Co., March T., 1905, No. 37, reversing judgment of justice of the peace in case of Commonwealth vs. Charles Beilstein. Before Rice, P. J., Beaver, Orlady, Smith, Porter, Morrison and Henderson, J. J. Affirmed.
Appeal from summary conviction. Before Shafer, J.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Superior Court.
Error assigned was the judgment of the court.
John W. Hagu(\ for appellant. — The very fact that a party has in his possession, killed game fish, during the close season, has always been recognized as pointing to a violation of the close season, and has always been considered an effective police regulation. To permit wall eyed pike and other game fish, to be sold by fishermen, of the boundary lakes, throughout this Commonwealth during the close season, is at once to destroy the effect of the having possession of killed game fish as a police regulation; and to occasion such a con- dition as will shut the door against the discovery of violations of the fishing laws.
J. M. Shields, for appellee, cited: Com. vs. Wilkinson, 139 Pa. 298.
Opinion by Morrison, J., Novi^nber 20, 1905:
The defendant was charged and convicted before an elderinan of the city of Pittsburg with having in his possession, the same being killed, ten wall-eved pike, between February 15 and June 15, con trarv to Section 3 of the Act of Mav 29, lOO'l, P. L. 302. After the conviction of the defendant he appealed to the court of quarter ses- sions of Allegheny county.
At the hearing in court it was ])rov('d and admitted that on April 14, 1905, the defendant had in his ])ossession, for sal(\ in the city of Allegheny, ten blue i>ike which fish had becMi caught in the waters of Lake I>ie by a boat and fisherman having a license from the State of Pennsylvania to fish in those waters. For the purpose of trial and decision it was agreed that the fish in question were blue or wall-eyed pike and within the meaning of the Acts of Assembly in regard thereto.
11
212
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
Itii
The defendant, appellee, contended that the provisions of the Act of May 29, 1901, did not make it unlawful to have killed wall- eyed pike in his possession in Allegheny county; they having been caught in Lake Erie, and that the thirty-second section of the Act expressly provides that the act shall not apply to any lake partly within the boundaries of this State nor to any fish caught in the same.
The learned court below adopted the appellee's theory of the law and reversed the judgment of the magistrate and ordered restitu- tion of the fine and costs. From this judgment the Commonwealth appealed and filed the following assignments of error: 1. The court below erred in making the following order for judgment, namely, ''The judgment of the magistrate is therefore reversed and restitu- tion of fine and costs is awarded." 2. "The court below erred in holding that the appellee had not violated the third and seventeenth sections of the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 302, although the court found that the appellee had in his possession and for sale ten killed wall eyed pike on April 14, 1905, in the city of Alleghenv, which fish had been caught in the waters of Lake Erie by a boat*^ having a li- cense from the State of Pennsylvania to fish in those waters." 3. ''The court erred that the burden of proof was on the Commonwealth to show not merely the possession of the forbidden fish, after it had been killed, but that it was in fact killed contrary to law." 4. "The court erred in not sustaining the judgment of the alderman." 5. "The court erred in not holding the right to fish in Lake Erie did not give the right to sell killed wall-eyed pike in Allegheny county, dur- ing the closed season, in which it was unlawful to fish in Allegheny county, and in the interior waters of the State for wall-eyed pike."
Careful consideration of the conceded facts in this case and the provisions of law applicable thereto does not convince us that the court erred in reversing the judgment of the magistrate and award- ing restitution. The third section of the act of 1901, supra, as to its prohibition and penalty, must be read and considered in connec- tion with the f'itle of the act. By the title the prohibition and pen- alty is clearly limited to the public waters within the State. The thirty-second section of the same act reads: "The prohibition and penalties provided in this act shall not be construed or held to apply to any waters forming the boundary line between this and any other State, over which this State has concurrent jurisdiction with such State, so far as such waters form such boundary line; nor to any lake partly within the boundaries of this State, nor to waters on any peninsula or of any bay adjacent to or connected with such lake, nor to any fish caught in any of the waters in this section mentioned."
Section seventeen of the act reads: "That from and after the pas- sage of this act, it shall be unlawful to purchase, sell or offer for sale, or have in possession, the same having been caught in this Com- monwealth, any dead game or food fish, except during the lawful period for catching the same and the space of six days after such period has expired."
The legislature also passed on May 29, 1901, P. L. 335, an act "for the protection and increase of fish in such parts of boundary lakes, of more than five thousand acres, as this Commonwealth has juris- diction over, and in waters of any peninsula or in any bay adjacent to or connected with such lakes; to declare the species of fish in said
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
213
waters which are game fish and those which are commercially valua- ble for food; to regulate and provide for the payment of license fees for the catching of the same; to provide penalties and punishments for the violation of any of the provisions of this act, and to repeal all laws inconsistent herewith."
An examination of this act makes it clear that a licensed fisher- man may catch and kill the fish in question in the present case, dur- ing the closed season as to the waters described in the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 302, and, therefore, in our opinion, the legislative in- tent is clear that the penalty provided in the last mentioned act cannot be made to apply to a ptn-son having in his possession and for sale, fish caught in Lake Erie by a boat and fish(Hmen licensed under the provisions of the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 335. We think this is made clear by the plain reading of the thirty-second section of the Act of 1901, P. L. 302. In our opinion, it is manifestlv unrea- sonable to suppose that the legislature made it lawful to catch and kill the fish in question in Lake Erie during the closed season as to the interior waters of the State, and then provided a severe penalty against citizens of Pennsylvania purchasing and having in their possession for sale fish lawfully caught in Lake Erie by duly licensed fishermen. If this is not the correct construction of the acts in question, then what is the meaning of the said thirtv-second section, It plainly provides that the prohibition and penalties therein shall not be construed or held to apply to any lake partly within the boundaries of this State nor to any fish caught within the waters in this section mentioned. Manifestly Lake Erie is one of the waters referred to in this section and if the prohibition and penalties do not apply to any fish caught therein, it is absurd to say that the prohibi- tion and penalties apply to a fish dealer in Allegheny countv who had in his possession for sale some of the fish, lawfully caught in Lake Erie, to which the said prohibition and penalties do not apply.
We think the question here raised is in principle ruled by Common- wealth v. Wilkinson, 139 Pa. 298. That case arose under the ninth section of the Act of June 3, 1878, P. L. 100. which, as amended bv section 1, Act of April 25, 1889, P. L. 53, enacts that "No ]>erson shail kill or expose for sale, or have in his or her possession after the same has been killed, any quail or Virginia partridge betwcM'u the 15th day of December in any year and the first dav of November next following under a i>enalty of |10.0() for each bird so killed, ex]>osed for sale or had in possession." Py tho thirty-third section of said act it is provided: "In all cases of arrests maile for the violation of each or any of the foregoing sections of this act, the possession of the game, fishes, birds, animals, fowls, nets or other devices provided for or so mcmtioned, sh^ll be prima facie evidence of the violation .of said act."
The defendant in that case was convicted and fined for having in his possession, within the State of Pennsylvania, some of the pro- hibited game within the closed season, which had been killed outside of the Commonwealth. The Supreme Court, in an opinion by Mr. Chief Justice Paxson, held: "The meaning of the act, as we view it, is that no quail shall be killed in this State between the dates speci- fied, and no jwrson shall have in his possc^ssion or offer for sale any quail so killed in this State." The court clearly decided that the prohibition and penalty did not apply to a person in this State hav-
214
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
ing in liis possession and offering for sale, witliin the closed season, quail which had been killed in another State.
We are unable to distinguish the principle involved in that jc-ase from the one under consideration. Under the two acts of Assem- bly referred to, the fish caught in Lake Erie lawfully, may be held in possession and sold in Allegheny county ])recisely on the same ground that the quail killed in another State were lawfully held in possession and oii'ered for sale in this State.
This conclusion requires us to dismiss the assignments of error because none of them require the reversal of the judgment. But be- fore closing we desire to refer to the third assignment. It is not well drawn but it raises the question as to where the burden of proof lay. At the trial the defendant assumed the burden and proved that the fish were lawfully caught and killed in Lake Erie. This we think was correct. The fish being found in the possession of the defendant during the closed season and his defense resting upon the exceptional provisions of the act of Assembly, the burden rested upon him of showing that the fish were caught in Lake Erie. To hold otherwise would have the effect in many cases of making it impossible for the Commonwealth to convict a defendant who has in his possession fisli unlawfully caught in the inland vraters of the State, during the closed season. We think the facts shown by the CommonweaUh in the present case called upon the defendant to show where the fish v/ere caught, if he desired to make a defense. We, therefore, sustain the third assignment of error but in view of the way in which the case was tried, this does not in any manner im- peach the correctness of the judgment. The case was correctly triefl and a proper conclusion reached and we sustain this assignment for the reason that we do not wish it to be understood that this court adopts the theory that in such a case the burden rests on the Com- monwealth of showing where the fish were caught. The judgment is affirmed.
FYKE NETS TO WIX(i WALLS CNLAWFUL.
In September, 1!)()4, Louis Levend()ski, of Nanticoke, was arrested for using a fyke net attached to wing walls in the Susquehanna. He was convicted befoi-e a justice of the peace, IL I*. Kobins, of Naiiti- coke, and sentenced to pay a fin*' of Iwenty-five (.|2.j.00) dollars. The defendant carried (he case to the court of quarter sessions of Lu- zerne county on a writ of certiorari. The court dismissed the writ and filed the following opinion:
Com. of Pa.,
vs.
Louis Levendoski.
In Quarter Sessions of Luzerne Countv. Vio-'
lation Fish Laws. No. 1075 October Term, 1904.
Certiorari — Exceptions.
Opinion by O. L. llalsey, A. L. J.
"The proceedings before the magistrate were under the Act of liOth of May, 11)01, V. L. ;{0l\ The information made before the mag-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
215
istrate upon which the warrant issued, alleged upon oath of A. Bauer, State Fish Warden, ''that on the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th days of September, 1904, at the county aforesaid, Louis Levendoski, Nanti- coke, Pa., did unlawfully use fkye nets in the waters of this Common- wealth namely, the Susquehanna river below the Nanticoke dam, and that said fyke nets were attached to wing walls." Upon this information the warrant issued and the defendant, Louis Levendoski was brought in, tried, convicted and sentenced. '
The first exception to the record is that the information does not set forth the statute by virtue of which the defendant was arrested. It sets forth the offense alleged to have been committed, ''that they used fyke nets attached to wing walls in the Susquehanna river." This was alleged to have been in violation of section eight of the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L. 304, which provides that from and after the passage of the act, it shall be lawful to use fyke nets in the waters of this Commonwealth not inhabited by brook or speckled trout for the capture of eels, provided such fyke nets shall be without wings and shall not be set to any wing wall. We think the information in the statement of the offense met the requirements of the statute. Com. vs. Avenger, 2 Luz. Leg. Reg. 177.
The second exception is based upon the contention that the record is not full enough as it does not allege that the nets were in a stream not inhabited by brook trout. This is not well taken because if the nets were in a stream so inhabited, it would emphaticallv be in vio- lation of the second section of the act. The nets of the defendant could not be in the water unless the waters were not inhabited by brook trout.
The third exception is not well taken as the nets as appears from the record, ^'were set to wing walls."
As to the fourth exception, it is substantially covered bv the sec- ond and third exceptions.
The fifth exception is that the record does not show that the de-
fendant committed any offense or was convicted of anv. Tin
mag-
istrate finds that the defendant, Louis I^evendoski, is convicted of the offence charged in the information that he is adjudged convicted of the violation of the said eighth section of the Act approved Mav 29, 1901, namely, of having fyke nets set to wing walls.
The proceeding was instituted as particularlv directed under the eighth section of the Act of May 29, 1901, P. L.'aiS.
Exceptions are overruled and record affirmed.
John H. Dando, for Commonwealth.
P. M. Thornton, Contra.
' !i
A DYNAMITE CASE.
On May 26, 1905, Frank Herman, John Will and Charles Dovle were arrested for using dynamite in the Sus(iuehanna river Tliev were convicted before Alderman A. K. Spurrier and sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred (|100) dollars. Frcmi this judgment thev appealed under the Act of April 22, Ulon, P. L. 284. * The Con'imorl- wealth moved to strike otf the appeal on the ground that the Vet of 1905 under which the appeal was taken was unconstitutional
1„ 'l
i
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
216
The court sustained the contention of the Commonwealth and struck o^hHiVeal and the defendants settled the case by paying the hue and cost«. Following is the opinion of the court:
Commonwealth vs. Charles Dovle, Frank Herman, John AVi'll.
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of
Lancaster County. No. 13, September Sessions, rJOo. Kule to strike oft' appeal.
Opinion. The al.«v.. lunn.d defendants wee eouvuted o" May 2(i, mt5 of
. .^i^auon of ...ction .0 <!i^]:^ i^::^;^:^:}l:^!^:s::^.^ ^!;[^
f„,e ''■'.-'If •■';';;";.'-■,:,! 1,' i"" .^ .ea'd no,n the judgment of r all^lnan to t^l^L .^f.^U.o^ a JL.nee of -^-ppea. b.^ Ue
It is coniended ln»\\e\ei tnar uufc aui i. •
=""! rr "^el-Hon r;"of "ly r;^;;!;^:; of l.enns,,vania. pro.
,viirTm«P of nreventinir an enornums mass ot business Tiom \n^ uux^
f;;',;.;vr;;',:? ;cv;;ii:r';^i::r;».'''-':»- v ,. ,»«,.
^^Tl>e \.t of '-'d A,..il. 11)0.-,. V. T. 2S4. anthori/.int; an a,.i.eal from
asun,nr;e i.^l-n wUh.n.t anowau-.^
iluM'eof UDon cause shown, is c leai i\ m (uiimmi >m. ,. ,, mi,,^
the rule to strike otf these appeals.
Rule made absolute. Appeals stnel.en off. ^ ^ jj^j,s,t.ER, .
Judge.
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
217
ARE SUCKERS UNDER THE LAW?
On April 20, 1J)05, W. J. Humma and (leorge Kenney were arrested bv Warden (leor<»'e 1). Shannon and taken before Justice of the Peace J. M. l*rutzman, charged with using an illegal device. The device consisted of umbrelhi bows, which were stuck in the ground on to which tin* fish lines were attached and to each bow was at- tached a small bell so that when a fish bit, the fisherman went and raised the lin(\ The justice of the })eace discharged the prisoners and the Commonwealth took an appeal. This a])peal was dismissed by the court because und( r the Act of April '2'2, 11)0.5, the right of the ai)peal had been taken from the Commonwealth. The Common- wealth had the case re-()i)ened and th(^ matter was argued in the court of Rerks county. The Commonwealth claimed that the Act of 100.") was unconstitutional. Retween the hearings, the Act of 1905 was decided unconstitutional, and the court of Rerks county disposed of the case without reference to the (piestion of the con- stitntionality of the Act of VM)^,.
The court d(Mided that as the i)arti('S were fishing for suckers they were not liable to any ])enalty because, in sj>ite of the decision of the SuiKM-ior Court in Commonwealth vs. Secchrist, suckers are not protected under the Act of May 20, 1001. The court therefore dis- charged the rule. From this decision, the Commonwealth has taken an aii]>eal to the Su])crior (\mrt. The following is the opinion of the Rerks count v court:
Commonwealth
vs.
Kennev and Humma.
(^>nrt of Q. S. of lierks Co. No. (m1 Misc. Dock p. :J20. Ruh' for re-argument.
Defendants having been on April 20, 100."), discharged in a sum- nmry ]»roceeding before a justice of the peace for alleged violation of the fish law of 20 May, llMIl, V. L. :502, the (\)mmonwealth on \pril 2.") 100."). was allowed an a])peal under Act 17th April, 1S7(>, r. L. 20.' In the meanwhile Act 22, April, 1!M)."), \\ L. 284, had been ap]iroved amending tlie Act of ISTd so as to restrict the right of ap jieal in such proceedings to the defendant. \\ hen the cause came up for hearing in Se])tember, lOO."), the appeal was dismissed cm th<' ground that, at tin' time when it was granted, there was no statute in force allowing it. Since then it has been decided by Judge Ehr- good. in (N)mmon wealth against Light and Hess, Q. S. Lebanon county. No. 02, Sei)tember Sessions. 100."), and by Judge Trexler in (/omn'ionwealth vs. Weiler, et. al., Q. S. Lehigh county. No. 'Ml Sep- tember Sessions, 100."), that Act of 22d April, 100."), is unconstitu- tional. ThereuiH)n this rule was obtained. At the hearing of it at the December, lOO."). argument court, all that ccmld be gone into ui)on a re-argnujent was discussed by counsel on both sides, as if the cause were up for re argument. It may therefore, be now dis- posed of without reference to the question of the constitutionality of the Act of lOO.j. 15
21S
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
The Charge against defendants was "fishing— with lines attaclied to umbrella bows, with bells fastened to the tips." the ev dence showing that one the defendants had 1.3, the other 4 of these and that between thrtn they took 9 suckers. In other words they were
Zri^Ar'n'"' '" *'•" •"'■'""•"'• <l<^«"i»'*'''- It i« contended on the nn„ ,?,! • ^' Commonwealth that this method of fishing is unl^wfu^ and pnnishable under the Act of 1901. no matter what sort of fish may or may not be taken by means of it; and in s, p port of conten cZJ^^r'""" '" Commonwealth vs. Seechrist. 27 Pa sZho" Court 423 (see page 426), is referred to. A careful reading of thnt
soToTd'a^;^plftr„."""- ^'^"^^ '''' '^ -« intended1o"llfdr
The Act o 19ni. undoubtedly designed to be' a codification nf
"An?cft'T'i '''IV." ^""*'*"' -i"' Sreat precision , a ^'*'°" "' An act to declare the species of fish which are came fish nnrt tl.»
Ewn^t'-^'^^'V'''' commercially valuable asfood. and to re"^' late the catching and encourage the propagation of th,. samiyet",
«nlVt).f '''''"■' ^}''''!!'"'^- that the statute can not have reference to any other species than those which it shall d.-clare to be either^nmo
eTc^"f sth •'ft Z'olH ''^- •^>---"-. -""^ relate'lo'thfi^cE »n., or siirn. it not only crivos no nofip^ of tho nn-r-^c^ +- :. i ^ anvthinir pIsp hnf r^n +i,;. ^« -i- ",»'- ^'i ine piiipose tu include
eiusio a'it:Ss.''^is^;'„Sy 'ri 'iies'^C' h;x;x„"",!f"^re* •'^•
;lTon'' 'lt":nli?"''"'" ''"''■"" ^" ^"^ "•»'''" "'^""ne or .. 0th;
roVe^'V^n-itted-trim/^i;^!;!'" 'f'^^ f^ -■'■^'""^^'"" ""^'^Ih" s
snckers^ouldViUo" b t'e" f l^Vorre'bv^h^^^^^
allowing 'the takinn. of nn,V fi«i 7^, • • '""""■'•«<' "f section .31
as gam^or food fis"r "t nnv timo ""V"^'''''" "P-cificnlly designated
or with hand ^JtiX^^^Z^^;::'^-,:^:^:^}- '--^ .- -jno.
wifh ArfiHo TTI, Sortion -^ of Til ^r i-/ 4- ^"^ ^'""^"^ '^'^"^^^ ^^^Aiet lishPd nndor it I v suTd^^^^^^ ''^V^^ ^^^^ ^"^^ -«^«b-
^iH^ny ronntv ITomP's cZ 77 ?., ^t^^;,' '^'^^^^^S^' "^^ Pa. 102; Alle-
Court In rln;rwp1n.T«"soT^^^^^^^^^^ '/'^'^^ *^^ ^"P--r
be regarded as derided ^^^//^;^^^^^>^'^^' «"P^''^' '^^n^i ^an not therefore
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
219
If the view indicated of the Act of 1901 is correct it is clear that there never was anything in the Commonwealth's appeal in this case, quite apart from the inquiry whether it was entitled to an appeal at all. In these circumstances it should serve no useful purpose to make this rul6 absolute, and therefor —
The rule to show cause is discharged.
By the Court.
Jan. 2, 1906.
ACT OF APUIL 22, l!M)r,, TTNCONSTITUTIONAL.
On August 14, 1905, John F. Weiler, Harvey Mohr, Harry Desch and Oscar Acker were arrested on the charge of fishing with a seine uet in the waters of Helfrich's S])ring near Allentown. They were found guiltv bv the alderman and tined. They took an appeal to the court under tlu- Act of Ai.ril 22, 1905. The counsel for the Department moved to strike otT the appeal on the ground that the act under which it was taken is unconstitutional. The court decided the act unconstitutional in the following opinion:
Commonwealth vs. John F. Weiler,Harvey Mohn, Harrv Desch, Oscar Acker.
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of
Lehigh County. 'No. ao, S(»ptember Sessions, 1905.
. . ^ . 1
Opinion of Court.
The parties were charged with having violated the Act of Assem- bly, ap])roved A])ril 20, 1905, by fishing with a seine net in the waters of Helfrich's Spring. They were adjudged guilty by the alderman and sentenced to pay a line and costs. They entered bail for their appearance at the next term of court of quarter sessions. There was no allowance from the judge of said court and the case w^as called by the Commonwealth before indi<tment found and objection made and motion entered to strike otT the appeal.
The Act of Assemblv approved A^hmI 22, 1905, P. L., amending the Act of the 17th of April, 1S7(;. ])rovides: That in cases of a sum- mary convi<tion the defendant may by entering good and sufficient recognizance to answer said c()mi)laint on a charge of misdemeanor, appeal from the judgment of the magistrate to the court of quarter sessions of the county.
It will be observed that the right to appeal is limited to the de- fendant and that tho allowance^ of the court or any judge thereof is
dispensed with.
ITpon the argument of the matter, counsel for the Commonwealth contended that the act is unconstitutional and for that reason the api^eal in this case was not properly taken. Article 5, Section 14, of the Constitution of 1874, provides: ^^n all cases of summary con- viction in this Commonwealth, or of judgment in suit for a penalty
220
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
before a magistrate, or court not of record, eitlier luirtv iiiav aoneal
of Z '"" 'i f •■""'•'^ "** "'">- '"' l»<"«<'il'.'<l I.V law. upon ai U V m ^ of tie appellate court or judse thereof upon ;,,„se shown."
\\c need not here discuss the law of suinniarv convictions The courts have d,.c.ded that thev have a phuv in onrVvsteu of laws and are no ,uconsist..nt with tl... rif.ht of trial I.v inr;.
W hilst the low<-r courts are slow to declare ai.v act unconstitn t.onal, still wher,. the violation is .h.ar, the dutv of le it is ob
VeiTuLMn';; ^'i'-'-^-'-i'V ''"''^''^ "' "'f""' «fth.' above i " e "o," l^Ji ' ; *^"? '■'^'"■'' •''"■^>' *'"■ "«l't f" -'PlK'iH but l..aves oulv the leRislature the ri-ht to prescribe the <our to wlii h t l.V.X, it
may be taken and e.xplicitlv states that it inust be u , „1 lo wan v I am unabi,. to see how the 1,-islature can <l.auKe tlu"e urovi
ronst-tution::;.'"' ''" """^- '^ ^- *-■ ^- -■«".»-t."Theiu.ris
c^.^TVi^'V***'""'.-'- ^""^^- *''•' "'"♦'"" t" '^f'ike off the appeal bv rev
rrstrfcS !;;i\.L'r,;a"shr"-'- -"^ "-'' '^ ^""-<^ -<^ *''' '•>i-'
[Seal.] ^^^' t^"^ ^^«"i't-
(Sij»ii(»d)
FKAXK M. TREXLER,
President Jiidji;e.
I hereby certify tliat the fore-oino i^ a true and correct couv of opinion of court as fonnd npon the record. « < «in ( t < op> of
MILTON J. HOFFMAN,
(Merk of Q. S.
Ill the (\)urt of Quarter Sessions of
Leliijrh (N)nntv. No. :{7, September Sessions, 1JHI5.
Commonwealth vs. John F. Weiler, Harvev Mohr.
Opinion of (\)nrt.
the appeal in this caselr^nlillin"^;^ imd "nllXl"' '^'"^""' '"'"^ [Seal.] ^^> ^^'"^ ^'^>"^'^-
(Signed)
FRANK M. TREXLER,
,, . President Jndi'e.
l^roin the record,
MILTON J. HOFFMAN,
Clei'k of Q. S.
FlSHlN(i IN PRIVATE WATERS.
After this decision, counsel for the defendant petitioned the court for an aHocatur nunc j.ro tunc larmdv on t\w oro,. h /.. . act of the Lcishinnv .If VMC, unde^.^.i," ttv 1 ' ^J J • . ^ veal was unconstitutional, therefoiv tlu-y ou^'ht to have the Hgiit
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
221
to be heard on showing cause. The court dismissed the petition in the following opinion:
Commonwealth of I*enna.
vs.
John F. Weiler, et al.
In the (Jourt of Quarter Sessions of Le- . high County. No. aG, September Term, 1905.
Petition for an Allocatur Nunc Pro Tunc.
0})inion of Court.
The defendants were arrested for violating an Act of Assembly, approved the 2()th day of April, 11)05, P. L. :U0; the charge being that of tishing with a seine net in the waters of Helf rich's Spring in the township of Whitehall, contrary to said act.
The defendants were found guilty by the magistrate, were sen- tenced to pay a tine of twenty-tive dollars each and appeaU^d without asking the allowance of court, reiving u]>on the Act of the 22d day of April, 1005, P. L. 281.
Upon motion to strike oft" the appeal, I filed an opinion in which I declared that the Act of 1005 was unconstitutional. The defendants thereupon presented this petition for an allowanc(» nunc pro tunc.
In view of the circumstances of the case, 1 consider this petition, for an allocatur, the same as if it were originally j)resented, without reference to the former section of the court quashing the appeal.
Should the court grant the appeal? Has an injury been done to the defendants?
The act complained of is practically admitted, at least, it is not denied.
The allowance* of an appeal being a matter within the discretion of the court the petitioner should come before the court with the utmost good faith. The allegation of the complaint should be de- nied.
Commonwealth vs. Appel 25, Pittsburgh Leg. Jour. New series 220.
If there is no denial of the charge, it may be presumed that the alderman was right in finding the defendant guilty. The only ques- tion then remaining wouUl be, admitting the facts, so do they come within the jmrview of the act or is the a<t under which they were sentenced unconstitutional?
The act of the 2(;th of April, 1005, P. L. :no, under which the charge was brought ap])lies to any of the waters of this Commonwealth and covers a pond of the kind referred to at the hearing and in which the oft'ense was committed.
The pond had an outlet into another stream and whilst there might have been some difficulty in fish ascending the stream and entering the pond, there certainly was nothing ])reventing the fish from de- scending.
The regulation of fishing in the waters of the CommouAvealth comes within the police ])owers of the State and the courts have recognized its exercise in a number of cases.
At the argument there were a number of defects pointed out in
W- I
222
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
the record of the justice, but (hey are such as should have been taken advantage of by certiorari.
Now January 22, 190(), allocatur is refused.
By the Court. (Signed)
FRANK M. TREXLER,
T ^, . , ^ X President Judge.
Lehigh County, ss. : *^
I, Milton J. Hoffman, Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Lehigh county, Pa., hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as found on the record.
(Signed)
MILTON J. HOFFMAN,
[Seal.] ^^^^1^-
ACT OF APIUL 2.",, 1905, UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
In August last, Warden Shoemaker arrested J. E Allen of Brad- ford county for using a fish basket which did not comply 'with the provisions of the Act of April 27, VMKl. He was convi/ted before the magistrate and sentenced to pay a fine of twentv-five dollars and costs. An appeal was taken under tlic^ Act of April 22, 19().-5 where upon the Commonwealth moved to strike off the appeal 'on the ground that the act was unconstitutional. The court sustained the Commonwealth in the following opinion-
Commonwealth
vs.
J. E. Allen.
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Bradford
County, Pennsylvania. No. 14, December Sessions, 1905.
Rule to Strike off Appeal from Summary Conviction.
The defendant was found guilty of fishing with an iUegallv con- structed eel basket and duly sentenced to pav a fine of twentv-five do lars and costs. An apiK'al was taken to the quarter sessions without allowance by the court. The rule was taken Ix^fore indict- ment found to show cause why the appeal should not be stricken off, raises the question of the constitutionalitv of the Vet of ^'^d April, 1905, P. L. 284. ^ t ^ ^vll ^^a
Article 5, Section 14, of the Constitution i>rovides, -In all cases of summary conviction in the Commonwealth, or of iudgments in suit for a penalty, before^ a magistrate, or court not of record either party may appeal to such court of record as mav be pr(^scribed bv law, upon allowance by the appellate court, or a judge thereof upon cause shown." Under the Act of April 17, 1870, Section 1, either party could appeal from a summary conviction to the court of quar- ter sessions upon allowance by that court, or a judge thereof upon cause shown,— a right guaranteed by the Constitution. As to jud"--
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
223
ments in a suit for penalty, the Act of 1905 amending the Act of 1876 works no change, but in cases of summary conviction permits the defendant without allowance of the court to appeal as of course, a privilege or right not accorded to the other party. The act clearly offends against Section 14, Article 5 of the Constitution above quoted, which provided for, and prescribes the method of, appeal in cases of summary conviction and is therefore inoperative.
This act has already been judicially considered in the case of Com- monwealth vs. Wieler, et al., and a similar conclusion reached.
And now, January 16, 1906, rule absolute, appeal stricken off and
quashed.
By the Court,
A. C. FANNING, P. J.
! (
ILLEGAL EEL BASKETS.
During the first months of the Department there was a diversity of opinion in regard to the Act of April 27, 1903, which permits the taking of eels by means of eel baskets. In Cumberland county, Judge Biddle, in a dictum, expressed the idea that eel pots and eel baskets are synonymous, quoting the Century dictionary, when, as a matter of fact, there is no more resemblance between the two than between a fishing rod and a flat iron. He also said that the Act of 1903 provided no penalty.
This opinion was followed by a similar one by Judge Hart, of Lycoming county, and also by Judge Landis, of Lancaster county. The Department decided to make a test case, and on October 10, 1903, a warrant was sworn out by Warden Parker against Isaac Seechrist charging him with using a fish basket without taking out its bottom between sunrise and sunset, and also neglecting to take out a license.
The case was tried before Jeremiah Rife, an Alderman in Lan- caster city, who found Seechrist guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of |25. Seechrist took out an appeal which was dismissed on account of irregularities. He then took out a certiorari, but it was not sustained as it was not'issued within the required twenty davs. In default of payment of fine, the Alderman sentenced See- christ to jail for a ]veriod of twenty-five days. The defendant then sued out a writ of habeas corpus, and Judge Landis discharged the prisoner on the ground that in neither the Act of May 29, 1901, nor in the Act of April 27, 1903, was a penalty provided for the offence charged against the defendant. The Commonwealth then took an appeal to the Superior Court.
On March 14, 1905, Judge Orlady, of the Superior Court, handed down an opinion in which the contention of the Department was sus- tained, that persons who did not take out licenses under the terms of the Act of April 27, 1903, were guilty of using an illegal device and punishable under the Act of May 29, 1901. The Court also sus- tained the contention of the Department that all the provisions of
M
i\
m
224
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
the Act Of April 27, 1!)():^, iv^ardiiiK a iiiovcabk' bottom must bo complied with or the p<'rsoii will be punishable under the Act of I'JUl. Below IS the opinion of the Court-
March 14, 1J)05. Opinion by Orladv, J.
The essential recpiisites in a case of summary conyiction haye been declared and enumerated so ckMrly and forcibly in Common- wealth ys Borden, (>1 Ta., 272; Commonwc^alth ys. DaVidson, 11 Pa.,
cZ^T^rw"'*' ^'^^^' (;ommonweaUh ys. Ayers, 17 Pa., Superioi' ( oui t, aob; (ommonwealth ys. (Jilbert, 170 Pa., 42(;, and the authori- ti(^ thenMii cited that nothino would be ^ain(>d by reyiewino tlu^m
Ihe complaint in this case was that the defendant did -use a fish basket, without takino- out such moyable bottom at sunrise and keep out such moyable bottom until sunset, for tishin<.- * * * .j,i(| did m^Kh'ct to take out the license recpiired authorizTno tishiim- with eel baskets; said fish basket bein^- a deyice used for fishiiur by defendant not permitted by, and bcMuj; contrary to, the acts of Assembl.y of the Commonvyealth of Pennsylyania in such cases made and proyided After due notic(^ th(> defendant appeared, and a full hearin^r was had befoiv the alderman who detiMinined the ouilt of the defendant and conyicted him, as stated in the record, "that the said Isaac Seechrist did maintain and use the said fish basket or deyuv as charj-ed in the information and complaint made" The
wi h"r'V''''*%'^"^7;i^ ^1''^ sentence imposed in strict conformity AMth Sections 88 of tlu^ Act of May 21), llMIl, P. L. ;>>()2, which m-o- scnbes th(^ penalty for yiolations of that Act. The complaint was a specific charge of maintainino- and usiu- a fish basket or deyi.e not permitted by and contrary to law.
The defendant took an ai)i)eal from the judonieiit of (he Alderman which was subsequently stricken otl' for iireoularities. Ib^ then sued out a certiorari, on the hearino of which eyery itcMu of defense which IS here presented was ui-ed in the court below, and his exceptions were oyerruled. The judj-u.ent of the alderman thus become absolute and can be disreoa.ded only for want of jurisdic- tion A writ of habeas corpus was next allowed on his petition in ^^hlcll he a lej^cd that he was confined unjustly in the custody of the constable b.y yntue of the commitment issue^d by the alderman After a hearing- the luisoner was discharovd for the reason, as stated b.y the learned court below, that the Act of Ajuil 27 ll)(ia P T aP) does not prescribe any penalty for the olfenses alleov,] i„ the'com- I)laint -under wl.ich the proce^Mliuos were had and that there was
noon ir'^'r'^'T' ?[ '^"' ^^'^' ^'''''-^ ^^^^''^ eonclusion was reached npon the hndinj;- by the court-that the complaint sets forth but two
bottom at sunrise and ke'cpinj. it out until sunset; and the other for failure to take out a license. The (%)mmonw<.alth su<m1 out an appeal and the order d.scharoino- the relator from <ustody bein« a final one
r.oinuHmwe.nth ys. Butler, V.) I'a., Su]MM-ior (^)urt, (^l we hae the whole record before us. The int(>rpnMation of the complaint by Ii'!Jrtr'-/T"' n^' <eHainly more narrow and restrictcMl than that ftnoi to It by the alderman, who found that the defendant luPin-
ained and used a fish basket or dc^yicc^ as chai-ed in the information, ^^hIch ni said complaint is declared to be "a deyice for fishin- not permit (>d b.y and contrary to law;" and the defendant eyidently so understood it as shown by th(^ record, -defendant sworn and f^ives
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
225
eyidence that the fish basket or deyice is in and on his premises as charged." In order to ayail himself of the proyisions of the act of April 27, 11)03, the defendant must haye complied with its proyisions, else the fish basket or deyice described in and on his premises as charged was an illegal construction, not warranted by any statute and yiolatiye of the proyisions of the Act of May 2i), li)t)l, V. L. 302, which is a codification of the former fish laws. Its first section classifies the game and food fishes and i)rohibits fishing for game fish in any manner except by rod, hook and line, or with hand lines; or for food fish, with any other deyice than as specifically permitted by the act.
Carj), catfish, eels and suckers, are not in either class of game or food fish, and th( se may be taken in eel pots, dip, fyke or seine nets, and by lay-outlines, at sjiecial sejisons, as described in sections (>, 7, 8, 1) and 11 of the act; and by section 31 they may be taken at any tiuH of the year with rod, hook and line, or with hand line not haying more than three hooks. By section 37 of the Act of 1901 poasession or operation of such a deyice or appliance prohibited or not permitted by the lavy, is made prima facie eyidence of the yiolation of the act. There is no statute which authorizes tlu^ maintenance or use of a fish basket or deyici as charged in the information, except as pro- yided by the i)ermissiye Act of April 27, P)(I3, P. L. 310, and by its proyisions it is declared that the j)enalty for using such a basket at any other time or in any other manner, and for catching and taking any other fish than I'els shall remain as heretofore. The section prescribes the manner in which such an eed basket may be licensed so as to be an authorized construction.
No ])enalty is fixed for the yiolation of the ]>royisions of this Act of 1003, but none is ikm cssary. inasmuch as the whole apj)liance or deyice would be an unlawful construction and punishable under the Act of 1J)01 unh'ss the terms of the Act of 10t)3 were obseryed. Eels may be caught in a basket only when the ])rescribed licemse is pro- cured. The re]>eal of the ninth section of the Act of 1001 by the Act of March 20, 1!)03, P. L. 44, refers to the use of seine nets only and no other jiart of the act is affected.
This record shows that the defendant is being ]>rosecuted for a matte'r which is embraced in the statute which prohibits its commis- sion, and one oyer which the alderman did haye jurisdiction. (Com- monwealth ys. Ketne'r, 02 Pa., 372.1 In a habe'as eor])us ease', as stated by Judge' Smith, in Ce)mmemwealth ys. (libbems, 0 Pa. Su]>e'rior Court, 535: "We* are to ascertain whe'tlu'r the' ee)urt be'le)w had juris- dietie)!! in the* ])re'mise's, and e^xe'ieised it aece)rding te> law; whe'the'r the e)tfe'ne'e e)f whie-h the' re'late)is stand eeuiyieted was e)ne' whieh the court had ])e)we'r te) punish summarily and wlu'tlu'r the' se'ute^ne-e' was lawfully impe)se'd." Se'e alse> Ce)mmonwe*alth ys. Xuber, (I Pa., Su- l)e'rie)r Ce)urt, 420; Ex parte' Lemge', 18 Wallaee, 1(>3.
The' jM)we'r te) discharge' freim eustody by writ of habe'as corjius is one* that she)ulel be' e'xe'rcise»el with e*xtre'me* caution and only in a eh'ar e-ase. It must alse) be e*xe*reise*d in aid e)f the* administration e)f jus- tice, ne)t te) de*fe'at or ne'e'dle*ssly e*mbarrass it; (Quay's ])e*tition, 180 I*a., 517. Afte'i* a h'gal trial in a e-e)urt e)f e-ompete'nt jurisdie'tion and in whieh a prope*r judgme*nt has be*en ente'ie'd against him, and which
15—23—1005
226
REPORT OF THE
Off. Do«.
we deem sufficiently regular to sustain the commitment, the defend- ant has his right of api>eal under the Act of April 17, 1876, P. L 29 or by certiorari. He resorted to each of these remedies in'turn and failed in his contention. He now seeks to have the Court of Common Pleas to set aside the judgment of another court of co-ordinate jurisdiction, which cannot be done. Doyle vs. Commonwealth, 107 Pa., 20. A writ of habeas corpus cannot be made a s- bstitute for a writ of error and where a party is in custodv bv virtue . final decree of judgment, or process thereon, of a court of compete nt jurisdic- tion, no inquiry into the process which lead to the decree is to be had, and no relief administered on habeas cori>us. Commonwealth vs Keeper of the Jail, 26 Pa., 271); McCabe vs. Commonwealth, 22 Pa * 450. '
In Commonwealth vs. Nuber, 6 Pa., Superior Court, 420, this court allowed a writ of habeas corpus and released from custodv one who had been sentenced upon a valid judgment, for the reason that the power of the court below had been exhausted in imposing the original sentence which could not be subsequently amended, hence the court was without jurisdiction to make the order under which the defendant was then held, after the term at which trial convic- tion and partial sentence occurred, to alter and reform it. '
The record of the alderman is free from error as to jurisdiction procedure or sentence. The judgment of the Court of Common Pleas in discharging the defendant in this proceeding is reversed and the record is committed to the court below, that the judgment entered by the alderman may be carried into effect.
CONSTABLE'S FEE OF TEX DOLLAKS.
Ijnder the Act of March 22, 1899, the various constables of the Commonwealth were made ex-officio fire, game and fish wardens Under the provisions of that Act, all constables are entitled in addition to fees already authorized by law to the sum of ten dollars to be paid by the county commissioners who afterward draw one- half the amount from the State Treasury.
In Wayne county, the Commissioners objected to the pavment of this reward to a constable and by mutual agreement the issue was tried upon case stated. Judge Purdy decided that the constables are entitled to the ten dollars provided in the Act, and filed the follow- ing opinion:
A. C. Lee, constable of Clinton township
vs. County of Wavne.
No. n May Term, 1904.
Opinion upon Case Stated.
The claim of the plaintiff is" based upon the Act of the 22d of March, 1899, P. L. 1899, page 17, the title of which is as follows:
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
227
''An act making constables of townships and boroughs ex-officio fire, game and fish wardens, prescribing their power and duties, fixing their fees as wardens and prescribing their punishment for failure to perform their duties."
The fourth section of the act provides:
"Any constable or warden, upon the arrest and prosecution of any offenders to conviction under the provisions of this act, shall, in addition to the fees to which he may be entitled under existing laws, be paid for his services the sum of ten dollars, on a warrant drawn by the County Commissioners on the County Treasurer, one-half of which shall be paid out of the treasury of the respective county, and the remaining half of the said reward shall be paid by the State Treasurer into the treasurv of the said countv, out of monevs not otherwise appropriated, upon warrant from the Auditor General, but no such warrant shall be drawn until the respective county commis- sioners shall have first furnished, under oath, to the Auditor General, a written itemized statement of such expense, and until the same is approved by the Auditor General: Provided, That no county shall be liable to pay for this purpose in any one year an amount exceeding five hundred dollars."
Under the provisions of this act the plaintiff, in_ December last, arrested, and prosecut(^d to conviction. Jack Waltz, James Arthur and Wesley Peck for illegal fishing, and Philip Freeze for illegal hunting; and he claimed from the defendant forty dollars, ten dollars in each case. The defendant alleges non-liability by reason of con- stitutional defect in the title of the act, with respect to notice of the provision contained in th(^ body of the act for these payments.
Does the title of this act clearly express the subject to which it is to apply? "If the tith* fairly gives notice of the subject, so as reason- ably to lead to an inquiry into the body of the bill, it is all that is necessary." Commonwealth vs. Mintz, 19 Pa., Superior Court. 283. The title to the act in question gives specific notice that by its pro- vision constables are constituted fire, game and fish wardens, their powers and duties as such wardens are prescribed and their fees fixed. Previous to this act the fees of constables for various services were a county charge; among which we may mention, costs in felony and misdemeanor cases; in arrests for vagrancy; making returns to court, etc. And, under the Act of the .'^Oth of March, 1897, constables were constituted fire wardens and their compensation as such was made a county charge. And it may be noted in passing that the title of this latter act is also silent as to the source from which the officer is to receive com])ensation and the constitutionality of this act has never been questioned so far as we have any knowledge.
The title to an act need not be a complete index to its contents. Thus the act of the 8th of May, 1876, (P. L. 1870, P. 154) entitled "An Act to define and suppress vagrancy" — which, inter alia, imposes upon the county payments of the fees of the officers in proceeding under it — is held in Hays vs. Cumberland, 5 S. C. 159 (affirmed in 186 Pa., 109) to be good in its title.
In Reed vs. Clearfield county, 12 S. C. 419, it is said: "It (the county) is charged with notice because the title indicates an intent to legislate for the purpose of accomplishing that which may be reasonably expcM-ted to cause expense. This is enough; the |>erson or
228
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
body who is to bear the expense need not necessarily be mentioned in the titk\" And see Haker vs. County of Warren, 11 S. C. 170.
The question in issue before us lias been considered by Common Pleas Judj»es in two cases: Judj»e Niles, in Hart vs. Tioga County, Co. C. Rep. 278, holding the act unconstitutional, and Judge Dunham, in Gunder vs. County of Wyoming, 20 Co. C. Rep. ri\)S, reaching the opposite conclusion. And our views accord with those expressed in this latter decision.
The presumption is in favor of the constitutionality of the Act and doubts must be resolved in favor of its validity. In Baker vs. County of AVarren, supra. President Rice says, ''Nothing but a clear usurpation of the power i)rohibited will justify in pronouncing an act of the Legislature unconstitutional." The increased compensation provided for in the act under discussion is ottered the constable as an incentive to watchfulness and diligence on their jiart to detect and punish violators of the game and tish laws, and for the preservation of our little remnants of forest, which are rapidly being destroyed by annual fires kindled either by recklessness or wilful criminality.
We consider this jmo vision for compensation to the officer beyond the usual meagrt* fees allowed, wise and wholesome, and its effect upon the would be violators of the law in these respc^cts will be salutary.
Now, May 2d, 1004, judgment is entered in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant upon the case stated for the sum of forty dollars with costs.
Bv the Court, GEORdE S. PI RDY, P. J.
SUNDAY FISHING ILLEGAL.
In August, 100:5, three m(»n, Rob( rt Harvey, (\ T. Lippincott and W. H. Rotheiniel were airested at Towanda on a complaint of a citizen who charged that tln' nu^n in (juestion had been fishing on Sunday. The defendants plead guilty and tendered the Justice four dollars and costs, being the amount of the tine under the Sunday Act of 1702.
The magistrate fined the men twenty-five dollars each under Sec- tion 17, of the Act of June 8, 1878, which says, "There shall be no fishing on Sunday." From the decision of the magistrate, the defend- ants a])peal(^d to the Court of Quarter Sessions, claiming that the Act of May 20, 1!)01, repealed those i>arts of the Act of 1878 in so far as they related to fishing. They also claimed that the Act of 1878 was unconstitutional. They were convicted by the Wyoming County Court and on a motion in arrest of judgment, th(» Wyoming County Court overruled a motion and declared Section 17 of the Act of June 3, 1878, to be in force and also constitutional. From this decision the defendants appealed to the Superior (\mvt where the case was argued and in January term, 1005, Justice Smith handed down an opinion sustaining the conviction of the defendants. In the mean-
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
229
time one of the defendants had died. The following are the opin- ions of the Wyoming County Court and the Superior Court:
Commonwealth vs. Robert R. Harvev
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of
Wvoming Count v. No. i3, October Session, 1003. Charge Fishing on Sunday-. Motion in arrest of Judgment.
District Attorney O. Smith Kinner for Commonwealth. Asa S. Keeler, Esq., for Defendant.
Opinion of Hon. E. M. Dunham, President Judge for the Forty- fourth Judicial District.
The above named defendant has been convicted of "Fishing on Sundav," and the Commonwealth asks that he be sentenced under Act of June 3, 1878, Sec. 17, P. L. l(K). (^ounsel for the defendant have filed a Motion in arrest of Judgment and have assigned several reasons in support of this motion.
First, It is contended that the Act of 1878, P. L. 1(>(K Sec. 17, is unconstitutional, in that it offends against Rec. 3 of Art. Ill of the Constitution as it is claimed the title to the A( t does not sutficiently set forth the contents of the act. That no notice is given that there will be any provision in the Act ]>rohibiting fishing on Sunday.
The title of the Act is "An Act to amend and consolidate the sever- al acts relative to game and game fish."
Now, first, is an amendment of the Acts relative to game fish, prohibits all fishing on Sunday germane to the subject of the former Acts relative to game fish? The avowed purpose of all our acts rela- tive to game and game fish, is the i)rotecti()n tluMcof. And it would seem that an Act which ])revents fishing one seventh of the time is as much germane to the subject as one that would ]>revent catching fish I)rior to a certain date, and aft("r a certain date in each year. It has been held very often, by our courts, that all amendments to fornu'r acts, that are germane to the former acts are sutficiently expressed in the title, when it is set forth that it is an amendment to the former Act. All amendments geruume to the former act may be expected and therefore the title is sutficient to cover all such amend- nu^nts.
I think therefore this exception needs no further consideration, and must be overruled.
The onlv other exception that it seems to me needs any discussion is that the Act of May 20, 1001, P. L. 302, Sec. 48, repeals the above provision against fishing on Sunday. This excei)rion seems to me is a more serious one and needs careful and serious consideration.
The Act of May 2t), 1001, is intended, as a careful consideration of the title and provisions will disclose to ])rovide full and com]dete ])rovisions, as to the kinds of fish that are to be considered as gauu' fish, and also as to what are to be considered as food fish, to regulate the time when or between what times peisons may catch ganu^ and food fish. To regulate the nu'ans that may be emi)loyed to catch the same. The size of fish it is lawful to catch. And in general to su])ply all laws in existence as to the size of fish or manner of catching it, and to the tinu* when the same may be caught. There is nothing in the Act of 1001, in the jh'o visions as to catching fish, etc., that in- dicated any intention on the part of the legislature to go any further
230
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doe.
than this. True the 48th Section provides as follows, "The following acts and parts of acts of Assembly are intended to be supplied by this act, and the same are hereby repealed.
1. An act to amend and consolidate the several acts relating to game and food fish, approved the third day of June, A. D. 1878; each and all the several sections in so far as they relate to fish.''
Section 17 of Act of 1878 provides a penalty for hunting, shooting or fishing on Sunday. It is a matter of no consequence, whether any fish are caught or not. It is to punish the olt'ender for the desecra- tion of the Sabbath. There is no provision in this section that in any way relates to the kind of fish fished for, the size of fish that is caught or the means employed in fishing. It is not a provision rela- tive to the fish, but to punish the act of fishing.
In order to give it the interpretation contended for by the defend- ant's counsel it is necessary to strike out a section of the Act of 1878 one word and allow the balance of the section to stand; making it unlawful to hunt or shoot on Sunday; but not to fish. I am not satisfied, that it was the intention to do so, and think that when the part relative to fish was mentioned the intention was to repeal all parts of the Act of 1878 amended or supplied by the new act and no more.
I am aware of the interpretation given this act by the Department of Fisheries, but I am not convinced that the interpretation so given is the correct one, and am compelled to overrule all exceptions.
Now, June 20, 11)04, motion in arrest of judgment is overruled.
By the Court, EDW. M. DUNHAM, V. J.
To which counsel for defendant except and at their request an ex- ception is noted and bill sealed.
EDW. M. DUNHAM, (Seal), T. J.
Commonwealth , In the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
vs. No. 40, January TcMin, 1005.
W. H. Rothermel " Appeal from the Court of Quarter
Sessions of Wyoming County.
Opinion by Smith, J.
Section 17 of the Act of June 8, 1878, (P. L. IGO) provides ''There shall be no hunting or shooting or fishing on the first day of the week, called Sunday, and any person offending against the provisions of this section shall be liable to penalty of twenty-five dollars."
The defendant, having been convicted of fishing on Sunday con- tends that this act is unconstitutional, (1) in containing two subjects, game and game fish; (2) in that the subject of the 17th section is not clearly expressed in the title; and also that this section is repealed by section 48 of the Act of May 29, 1001, I\ L. :U)2.
The title of the act of 1878 is ''An act to amend and consolidate the several acts relating to game and game fish."
As to the subject of the act. there has been from the beginning, in our acts of assembly relating to hunting and fishing, such an associa- tion of bird, beasts or fish, as subjects of relation in common, with respect to time and manner of taking, and penalties for unlawful taking that they are to be regarded as forming collectively a single
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
231
subject for a statutory regulation, with the purview of the constitu- tion; a subject embracing those creatures, ferae naturae, of the earth, the air and the water, which are used by men as food. While this subject includes several divisions, a statute dealing with more than one of them is not for that reason unconstitutional. Neither is it a valid objection to the Act of 1878, that the penalties which it imposes are not expressed in the title.
The subject of the act, as set forth in its title, is the amendment and consolidation of pre-existing acts relating to game and game fish . Therefore, anything germane to any of these acts, and which might properly have been embraced in any of them, under its title, may be included under the title of the amending act. The acts thus amended and consolidated aimed at regulating the taking of wild animals, birds, and fishes, by restrictions on the time and method of taking. Since regulation is made effective only through penalties, a title expressing a purpose to regulate implies such penalties: Com. vs. Sellers, 180 Pa., 38; Com vs. Silverman, 188 Pa., 642; Com. vs. Jones, 4 Pa., Superior Court, 8G2. There is, in principle, no dis- tinction between a prohibition of hunting or fishing on a specified day and during a specified period; and it is for the legislature to fix the times and seasons in which these acts shall be permitted or forbidden. In the case before us, section 17 is not only germane to the acts which are amended and consolidated, but is in terms a re-enactment of section 16 of th(^ Act of May 5, 1876, which is itself an act amending and consolidating the preceding acts in relation to game and fish.
There is no substantial ground for regarding section 17 of the Act of 1878 as repealed by section 48 of the Act of 1001. The subject of the latter act, as expressed in its title, is the encouragement and regulations of the propagation of fish, by restricting methods of fish- ing, and establishing closed seasons for the different species. Sec- tion 48 provides that: ''The following acts and parts of acts of Assem- bly are intend( d to be supplied by this act, and the same are:
1. An act to amend and consolidate the several acts relating to game and game fish, approved the 8d day of June, A. D. 1878; each and all the several sections thereof in so far as they relate to fish."
The obvious construction of this is that it repeals thos(» sections of the Act of 1878, relating to fish only so far as they are supplied by the Act of 1001; such being declared intention of the repealing clause. The latter act supplies every provision of the former relating to the subject of the latter; that is to say, the ])ropagation and pro- tection of fish. But it supplies neither the prohibition or the penalty of fishing on Sunday, and there is no apparent intention in either the title or the body of the act to repeal any prohibition or penalty not therein sui>i>lied. Section 17 of the Act of 1878 apply alike to hunt- ing, shooting and fishing. To remove the prohibition as to one by an implied repeal, while it remains as to the others, is a mutilation of its provisions for the prevention of all which cannot be regarded as within the legislative intent.
Judgment affirmed.
2S^
REPORT OF THE
EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF LINES.
Off. Doc.
On October, 1904, O. C. Kutz and l\ W. Lookenbill were arrested in Cumberland connty for nsin- a nnnibcq- of liiu^s vvitii two hooks on each, and having- in possession a number of suckers and cattish
They wvvv convicted before tlie Justice of the Peacc^ and tined They appeak'd to the Court of (Quarter Sessions where the Judoinent of the Justice was reversed and s(4 aside bv Judg(» Sadh^r "" This decisu)n was not in accordance with the views of the Department- but no api)eal was taken because tlie matter was to be tak(Mi up froni another court and the Department did not wisli to multiplv aiipeals in the Superior C(mrt.
Commonwealtli
vs.
C. C. Kutz and l\ \V. Lookenbill.
[n the Court of Quarter Sessions of Cumberhind Countv.
Appeal from judgment of H. S. .Alohler, Justice of the Peace. Per Curiam :
In the month of October, 1!M)4, (\ (\ Kntz and P. W. Lookenbill were observed by W. E. Shoemaker and J. W. (^risswell, State Fish hardens, tishinj:- in the Conodo^uinet Creek. The said Kutz and Lookenbill were on the shore of said strean and were usiiifr a num- ber of lines with two hooks on each, and had in their possession from twelve to fifteen '-suckc-rs and cattish." Thev were arrc^sted on the 2f>th day of October, and an information made against them bv said (^riswell before J. P,. Martin, Esq., Justice of the Peace, char<nH<r them with -unhiwfully tishino- win, an excessive number of \uuu\- lines or s(4 devices consisting; of twenty-six or more hand lines, each hand line having;- two hooks or more, therefore said hand lines or device or devices are in number nor i»ermilted in an Act ajiproved May 2J), 11)01, in violation of section 2 and :n of said act." A warrant was issued by the said Justice and a hearing had on the :nst dav of October- followin<», and the case dismissed bv the Justice on the'lth of Novemb(M' thereafter.
On the '2:k\ day of the same month (November), another informa- tion was made against the same i)arties bv W. E. Shoemaker charo-- mn: them with -unlawfully tishino and havin.^ in i)ossession an ex- cessive number of hand lines in the waters of the (Nmodooninct Creek, county aforesaid (Cumberland), said devices consist^Jnl of twenty-six or more lines, each having; two or more hooks thereon said hand lines or devices, in said number, are not specificallv per- mitted in Act approved May I'O, 1001, in violation of section 1> a'nd M of said act."
A warrant having- been issued by Justice H. S. Mohler, before whom tin* information was made, the defc^ndants wei'e a«;ain arrested and a hearinj;- had before him, in the Horouoh of ^b'chanicsburjr on the 20th day of November. 1004, and on December IM followinjT he ''adjudfj:ed the defendants guilty and S( ntenced each of them to pay
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
233
a fine of 125.00 and one-half the costs of the suit, beine- the sum of 130.45." fe
The first section of the Act of 20th of May, 1001, provides for what fish are specifically within the protection of the act, to wit- irame fish and food fish. '
(Jame fish, as the re defined, consist of, ''salmon, brook trout, and all other fish belonj^in^^ to the family of salmon and trout; black bass, ^a-een or Oswejj;o bass; crappi(\ j^rass or strawberry bass, white bass, rock bass, blue pike, i)ike i)erch, Susciuehanna salmon, or wall- eyed pike, i)ickerel, sunfish and mUscalonj^e. And food fish are desij^nated to consist of shad, white fish, herrinj»-, lake herrinj;, (Msec herrinj--, alewif(\ sturo-eon, striped bass or rock fish.
That the Le«;islature had the undoubted rij;ht to make such defini- tion in limitation of the common meaning of the words is settled in Commonwealth vs. (\)nry, 4 Superior Court, :i5().
The information made aj^ainst the defendants in the present case, charj4('d violations of the 2d and :Ust sections of the aforesaid Act of
By the said section 2d it is provided: "That from and after the imssa.ne of this act. it shall be nnhiwfnl ij^ fish for jiame fish, in anv of the waters of the Commonwealth, in any manner exce]^t with rod, hook and line, or with hand line having not more than thnn' hooks; or for food fish with any device not specificallv permitted in this act."
And the other secticm is as follows: "That nothing in this act shall prohibit the taking of any fish not herein si)ecifically designated as giiine or food fish, at any tinn^ of the year, with rod, hook and line, or with hand line having not more than three hooks: Provided, Tliat nothing in this section shall be so construed as to api)ly to any fish, not herein si)ecifically designated as game or food fish, which the Fish Commissioners by i>roclamation may hereafter declare a close season on, for i)ropagation purposes, and then onlv within the waters designated by such jMoclamation."
In the i)resent case the fish taken by the defendants, and fcmnd in their ])ossession were neither what the act of Asseinblv denominates "game fish" or "food fish." They W( le "suckers" and -catfish." To take these is not made unlawful by eitlu r of th(» sections of the Act of 1!)01 for which the defendants were charged with violation.
The only inhil)itions against the catching of cols, carp, catfish and suckers, are in the 7th section of the act which ]»rovides that they may not be taken "with dip-nets from streams not inhabited by trout excei)t during the months of March, April. May, October and Decem- ber," and in the Sth section, which limits tlie taking of the same with fyke nets, when the stream is inhabited by brook or speckled trout, to the months of ^farch, AjMil, May, October and December, and in waters inhabited by shad to the months of April and May. \Miile the 0th section renders it "lawful to <atch with seine nets, at any time of the year, in waters nut inhabit<'d by trout." And the 11th section, by which it is ]»rovided that "from aiid after the passage of the Act, it shall Ix' lawful from sunset to sunris(» only, to catch eels, car]>, catfish and suck<'rs in the waters of this Conimonwealth not inhabited by brook trout, by means of what are known as lav out ines.
16
I
;i
234
REPORT OF THE
Off. Do«.
There was no eridemce to show that the Conodogiiinet ereek is in- habited by trout of any description or by shad.
Not only did the defendants not take or have in their possession any game or food fish, but they did not use ''lay out lines" as in- sisted upon at the hearing of the appeal. What is regarded in common i>arlance as a ''lay out line" was clearly shown by the uncon- tradicted testimony of a number of intelligent witnesses who have had experience as fishermen, and it also appeared in the same way that what was used by the defendants was what is known as a ''throw line."
* The contention that these throw lines happened to be on the same side of the stream and thus connected by land, were therefore "lay out lines," could hardly have been serious, but if so it requires no dii- cussion to demonstrate its fallacy.
It may also be observed that neither by the information made by Criswell before Martin nor that of Shoemaker before Mohler allege that the device used by the defendants was a "lay out line." The first charging that twenty-six or more "hand lines" were used by the defendants, and in the other that "said hand lines or devices in said number are not specifically permitted in Act approved May 29, 1901, in violation of sections 2 and :U."
The position on which the appeal was allowed by the court con- tained ample averments to justify its action, and the authorities cited on behalf of the Commonwealth need only be examined to justify this conclusion.
We decide therefore without hesitation: First, That there was no violation of the second and thirtv-first sections of the Act of May 29, 1901, by the defendants.
Second. That the defendants were not charged in the information with having used "lay out lines" and did not in fact use such a device.
Third. That the api>eal was properly allowed by the court.
It is, therefore, unnecessary for us to discuss or determine the question whether the action brought before Justice Martin was a bar to the second one instituted before Justice Mohler, although we incline to the opinion that this is so, as the Justice had full juris- diction to hear the case, to pass upon the guilt or innocence of the parties accused, and if convicted, to impose by sentence the penalties prescribed for the infraction of the law.
And now 20th of February, 1905, the appeal of the defendants is sustained, and the determination and sentence of Justice Mohler is reversed and set aside at the costs of the Commonwealth.
Bv the Court, W. F. SADLER, P. J.
In August. 1905, William R. Bercaw was arrested in Wyoming county for using more than one rod, hook and line or hand line, having not more than three hooks. The defendant was convicted before the Justice and fined, whereui)on he took an appeal to the Court in Wyoming county which reversed the judgment of the alderman and discharged the prisoner. To this ruling the Depart- ment took exception and appealed to the Superior Court where the case was argued at the January term, 1900. The following is the opinion of Judge Terry:
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
235
Terry, P. J., October 21, 1905: That is an appeal from a summary conviction under the Act of 29th of Mav, 1901, P. L. 302. The defend- ant IS charged with the violation of the provisions of the second section thereof, which reads as follows: "That from and after the passage of this act it shall be unlawful to fish for game fish in anv of the waters of this Commonwealth, in any manner except with rod hook and line, or with hand line having not more than three hooks' or, for food fish, with any device not specifically permitted in this act. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall on conviction thereof as provided in section thirty-eight of this act' be subject to a fine of twenty five dollars." '
The case came before the V^ourt on an appeal, as stated, and was heard in accordance with the practice in cases of summary convic- tion, when It appeared that the defendant was arrested bv a special hsh warden for fishing with rod, hook and line and with hand lines in the Susquehanna river. The Justice fined the defendant twentv-five dollars. The evidence taken before the court clearlv shows that he was fishing with a rod, hook and line and also with one hand line with two hooks thereon. It was claimed by the Commonwealth that he had two hand lines in use, but the weight of the evidence is against such contention. Therefore we find as a fact that he was fishing with but one hand line. The onlv question before us is this- Is It lawful for a person to fish with rod, hook and lin(^ and a hand line having not more than three hooks, at the same time'' The section referred to makes all manner of fishing for game unlawful except two s]>ecified modes. Those two methods are legalized The Legislature has said to the individual: vou mav fish for game fish in two ways, first, with rod, hook and line; second, with hand line haying not more than three hooks, all other modes are prohibited This, in our opinion, does not mean to confine the person to one or other of these methods. If the words "and" had been substituted for "or it could have been contended with equal plausibilitv that both modes were meant to be employed at the same time. To'escai>e this construction the word "or" may have been used. However this mav be, we think the section under consideration siinplv distinguishes the unlawful from the lawful modes of fishing.and that if a person avoids the former he is not required to make choice of the latter If the meaning of this provision of the law is not clear we must apply the rule of interpretation g(»verning in such cases. Penal statutes 'must be construed, in cases of doubtful meaning In favor of the accused and it is a reasonable expectation that when the Legislature "in- tends Hie infliction of sutlering or an encroachment upon natural liberty or rights, or Ihe grant of (exceptional exemptions, powers and j»rivileges, it will not leave its intention to be gathered by mere doubtful inference, or convey it in cloudv and dark words only— for an ottense cannot be created or infcM'red by vague implications— but will manifest it with reasonable clearness." Endlich on the Interm-e- tation of Statutes p. 452.
If the legislative intent had been to prohibit fishing with a rod, hook and line and a hand line at the same time, we think it would have been definitely expressed. In the absence of such expression we think it was not intended. Therefore the defendant has not been guilty of a violation of the act under which he was arrested and accordingly he is now discharged. The countv is directed to pav the
236
ilEPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
costs of prosooution. By the Court. To which the Commonwealth excepts, and at its request a bill is sealed.
(Seal) CHARLES E. TERRY, P. J.
UNCONSTITT^TIONALITY OF THE ACT OF APRIL 22, 1005.
In Auj?ust, 1905, Samuel E. Light and Grant Hess were arrested for emptying poisonous substance in the Swatara creek, in Lebanon county, at various times and caused the killing of many fish. They were convicted before the Justice of the Peace and sentenced to pay a fine of |100. Counsel for the defendant appealed to the Lebanon County Court under the Act of April 22, 1005. The counsel for the Dei)artment moved to strike otf the ai>peal on the ground that the act was unconstitutional. The court granted the motion to strike off the appeals and ordered the appeals quashed on th(^ ground of the unconstitutionality of the Act of April 22, 1005. Following is the opinion of the court:
Commonwealth
vs.
Samuel E. Light and (irant Hess.
Bv the Court
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Lebanon County, of Sei)tem- ber Sessions, 1005, No ()8.
Motion to strike otf appeal, etc.
The defendants were convicted and sentenced before a Justice of the Peact^ for a violation of S(M'tion 20 of the Act of the Assembly, approved May 20, 1001, P. L. 311. The defendants both appealed under tlu^ provisions of the Act of April 22, 1005, 1*. L. 284, and the Commonwealth now moves the court to strike off and quash said appeal on the ground that the said act is unconstitutional.
The jH'oceeding before the Justice was summary and under the provisions of the Act of A])ril 17, 1ST(), relating to appeals in cases of summary conviction an appeal could only be had to the Court of Quarter Sessions upon allowance of the said Court or any Judge thereof on cause shown.
The Act of April 22, 1005, is an amendment to the Act of April 17, 1870, and provides, in part, as follows: "That in all cases of summary conviction in this Commonwealth Ix^fore a magistrate or court not of record, this defendant may, within fiv(* days after such conviction appeal to the Court of Quarter Sessions of the county in which such magistiate shall reside or court not of record shall be held, upon (Altering into good and sufficient recognizance with one or more sureties, to answer said complaint, on a charge of misdemeanor, before said court." This portion of the Act of 1005, is in conflict with section 14 of Art. 5 of the Constitution of 1874, and is a clear viola- tion of its ])rovisions; which is as follows: "In all cases of summary conviction in this Commonwealth, or of judgmc^it in suit for a penalty, before a magistrate, or court not of record, either i)arty may appeal to such court of record as may be prescribed by law, upon
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
237
allowance by the Appellate Court, or judge thereof, on cause shown." While it is undoubtedly true that this section of the Constitution is not self -enacting, yet all that is required of the legislature to make it operative is to prescribe the court to which an appeal mav be taken in sumnuiry convictions and judgment in suits for penalties but only m the manner provided by the Constitutional provision, that is, upon allowance of such prescribed court on cause shown. The legis- lature, in addition to designating the court to which an appeal may be taken, can prescribe the time in which the appeal must be taken, and the method of procedure in the appellate court, binause such provisions are not in contravention but in furtherance of the .(Con- stitutional provision.
The evil that tli(^ Constitutional provision was intended to remedy by the right of appeal, was fully discussed bv the framers of the Constitution, as ai>pears in Vol. VII, page 515, etc.. Debates (^onst. Convention. When the limitation to the right of an appeal was under consideration, Mr. McVeagh asked the question "AVhv cannot the remedy for the evil as it exists be safely left to the I^-gislature?" To which Mr. Armstrong gave the reason why the convention should adopt, and afterwards did ado}>t tlie section of the (Constitution as above quoted in the following words: "I was quite of opinion that it could be left safely to the Legislature, when this section was under consideration; and yet I did not think, as it touched the liberty of the citizen, that it was of sufficient unimimrtancc to refer it exclusivelv to^ the legislatur(\ and I was (piite willing it should become a Con- stitutional provision; but I trust the gentleman from Allegheny will withdraw his objection to this amendment which seems to be a reasonable precaution and limitation against the abuse of a rule which is intended to correct abuses; and do not let us run the risk of making the remedy (the right of apj^al in all cases of summarv pro- ceedings without limitation) worse than the disease" (the right of appeal in none).
In the Act of AjHil 22, 1005, the legislature attempts to give an appeal to the defendant in a summary conviction without the limita- tion prescribed by the Constitution. The act is therefore unconsti- tutional.
And now, November 14, 1005, the motion to strike off the appeals IS granted and the appeals of both defendants are stricken off and quashed.
Signed,
A. W. EHKtU^OD, P. J.
DEFECTS IX MAC.ISTKATES' KECOKDS.
One of the troubles the Department has had to meet has been due to the carelessness or ignorance of magistrates in the lower courts. Instead of following the plain directions of the law and d<Misions of the court, they in many instances will not make u]) their records cor- rectly even when they are shown or told how. The n-sult has been
23t
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
that on writs of Certiorari whore the records have come up for re- view, the appellate court has been compelled to reverse the decision of the maj^nstrate. As an example of this we give the following record of a case tried in Franklin countv:
Commonwealth
vs.
Joseph Snivelv and (ieorge Needy.
In the Court of Quarter Ses- sions of the Peace of Frank- lin county. Pa.
No. 12 of December Scissions, 1905.
Summary conviction of violation of fish laws.
Appeal of the defendants from the judgment of D. S. Martin, Esq., justice of the peace.
Specifications of Error.
The conviction of the defendants by the magistrate was erroneous and invalid for the following reasons, to wit:
First. The evidence taken before the magistrate and sent up with the record fails to show that the defendants violated any law of the Commonwealth.
Second. The said evidence fails in show that the defendants or either of them at any time fished within the limits of the countv of Franklin.
Third. The said evidence fails to show at what time the alleged fishing therein mentioned was done by the defendants; whether within the statutory period of limitation or not.
Fourth. The gravamen of the offence charged in the information is that the defendants "did unlawfully fish and take in and from the waters of Red Run, a stream inhabited by trout," and the evidence taken in the case and sent up with the record fails to show that said stream, Red Run, was or is inhabited by trout, and it further fails to show that said stream is within the limits of the county of Frank- lin.
Fifth. The magistrate fails to find any specific act done by the de- fendants, by which the court may determine whether such act was illegal or not, or whether the fine imposed by the magistrate is in accordance with law.
(Signed)
BOWERS & BOWERS,
Attorneys for Appellants.
Commonwealth "I No. 12 of December Term, 100").
vs. - A[>peal from summary convic-
Joseph Snively and Oeorge Needy. ( tion.
Per curiam:
Admittedly the ]>roceedings cannot be sustained. The first, third, fourth and fifth assignments of error are all well taken and any one of these would suffice to reverse.
Now, December 20, 1005, proceedings reversed and the conviction and sentence set aside.
A. WATSON ROWE,
President Judge.
N«. 28.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
239
\V^rrrant issued September the 1st, 1905, to Sam- com. of Pa. uel Rock constable on oath of J. W. Criswell, fish Joaeph^Livei^ warden of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who oeor/e^Ncedy being sworn according to law, says that on the in- formation received from others, that on or about the
30th day of May, 1005, at Washington township, feet ''^
Franklin county, Pennsylvania, the defendants i™nt^'V::.. ig Joseph Snively and George Needy did unlawfull^ ituTsf-.::::..:: '^ fish and take fish in and from the waters of Red ?^s.-::::::r IS Run a stream inhabited by trout, and other waters ITi^
of aforesaid county and State with an illegal de- '^'^"' ^
vice, namely, a stir net, not specificallv permitted
and being contrary to existing laws relative to fish Trans ^50
and fishing in streams of this Commonwealth, and a "^ ""
violation of section two and other section and acts
now m force in the Commonwealth relative to fish g??vfce ,200
ia>\ S. Mllg., '. 24
Now, September 1, 1005, defendants arrested and ' '""' *— ^
held on their own recognizance until to-morrow *' ""
Saturday the 2d of September, 1005, at 1 o'clock P. SlrroT/t 50
M. iVow September the 2d, 1005, 1 o'clock P M '^' ""^«"«h' •• so parties appear— J. W. Criswell, warden Fish Com- mission of Pennsylvania, and Charles Walter Esq for defendants. '
J. W. Criswell, warden, being sworn, savs that all he knows about the case is from information re- ceived from others. Martin Gift having been sworn says that he knows one of the defendants, Joseph Snively, that he saw the said Joseph Snivel v sitting on the fence with net along side of road that he came down the stream with net, that he could not tell what kind of a net it was, did not see any fish, saw both defendants at the spring, did not know which one of the defendants had the net at that time.
Archy Harbaugh being sworn, savs that he was out at the railroad where trestle crosses the Red Run, with a stir net, that the said George Needv held a net, and that the said Joseph Snively had a pole endeavoring to scare the fish into the net that he saw both defendants in the water and saw fisli in the net.
Defendants don't testify. After hearing the tes- timony of the witnessc^s, the defendants, namely, Joseph Snively and George Needv are adjudged guilty as charged, and each sentenced according to the Act of Assembly to pay |25 fine and costs of suit.
I certify that the above is a correct transcript of the proceedings had before me in above suit, and of record on mv docket.
240
REPORT OF THE
Off. Doc.
Com. of Pa.
vs.
Joseph Snively
and George Needy.
Witness my haml and ottlcial seal this 4tli day of September, 1J)05, at NVavnesboro, Pa. [Seal.] ' 1). B. MARTIN, J. P.
Justice of tlie Peace. My commission expires May 8, 11)08.
Now Si^ptember 7, 11KI5, defendants apj>ealed to the court of <]uai*tei* sessions of the peace of Frank- lin county, Pa., appeal havin«» been allowed by Hon. I). Watson Kowe, President Judj»e.
Defendants with Samuel Needy and William H.
Tranf.'. V.::'.:::'.: ^'' ^ Johnson as bail held in the sum 'of |1()() eai h, c<(^n-
-^~ dition that they appear at the next court of (juarter
sessions of the peace to be held in Chambersburj;:,
in aforesaid county, and to abide the judj'nient of
the court in that behalf.
I hereby certify that the above is a correct trans- scrijit of the proceed inj^s had before me in above case and of record on mv docket.
AN'itness my hand and official seal this Tth dav of Sep'tember, IIM)."). (seal) I). P. MARTIN, J. P.
Justice of the Peace. My commission exj)ires May S, l!)t)8.
rommonwealth vs. Joseph Snively and (leorj^c Needy.
To the Honorable I). Watson Rowe, President Judj^e of the court of (piarter sessions of the jM'ace of Franklin county, Pennsylvania.
The i)etition of Josej^h Snively and (ieor<»e Needy, t\w defendants in the al)ove entitled case, resjiectfully showeth as follows:
That at a hearin<»- before I). P.. Martin, Ks<|.. a justice of the ]>eace and for the borouj^h of Waynesboro, Pa., hidd on Saturday, Sep- tend>er 2, 11)05, upon information made ajiainst them, the said de- fendants, by J. \V. ('riswell, tish warden of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, charj^in;* them with havinji, on or about the :{Oth day of May, P.)0."). at Washington township, Fi-anklin county l*a., "un- lawfully tished and taken tish in and from the wateis of Red Run, a stream iidiabited bv trout, and other waters of aforesaid <()untv and State, with an ille<ial device, namely, a stir net, not siucitically per- mitted," etc., tli(\v the said defendants were adjudj^cd jiuiltv. and were each sentenced to \niy a tine of |2.") and the costs of i>rosecu- tion.
That the evidence oU'ered at the said hearinj^, and contained in the transcri])t of the i)r()ceedinj;s before the justice of the ]H'ace was utterly insutticient to wairant the conviction of the defendants or the imposition of a tine and costs as aforesaid, u]M)n said defendants.
Your ju'titioners theref(U'e respectfully ]vvi\y the court for the special allowance for an aj)i>eal from said judgment, to the court of (luarter sessions of the ])eace of Franklin county, I*a., (o the said justice of the jHsice, in order that the judgment herein complained
No. 23.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES.
241
of may be reviewed in quarti^r sessions court in such manner as mav to law and justice appertain.
And they will ever prav, etc.
JOSEPH SNIVELY,
geor(;e needy.
APPEALS IN ST'MMARY ('ONVK TIONS TRIED DE NOVO.
On May 1.3, 11)04. E. J. Ehr^ood was arrested bv Warden C S Lowery while in the act of fishino with a bag that he used as a net in his mill race in the village of Moscow, Lackawanna countv. When arrested, Ehrgooa show(Hl tight, but was (piic^ed down and taken betoiv a justice of the i)eace who ihwd him |l>.5 for using an illeoal device and an additional hundred dollars for resisting the officer
Two men who wcmc with him wcmc also fin«'d «'^5 a piece nhich they i)aid. Ehrgood refused to pay and was sent to jail. His attor- ney took out an appeal and the case was heard before Judge John P KeH(>y. Ihe plamtitl's lawyer, among other contentions, claimed that the magistrate's do«ket did not show that the witnesses were sworn and therefore the verdict of the magistrate should be set asiQi*.
They also clainud that the man was fishing on his own land in a stream he had constructed himself and he was theivfore not amena- ble to the hsh laws of the rommonwealth. All these contentions were overruled, the court deciding that in case of an ain>eal of this cliaiacter the magistrate's docket was not in evidence as the court heard the case de novo. He also ruled that the police powers of the Commonwealth extended over private waters cdse the laws could be made a farce. The following is the oi)inion of the judge:
Commonwealth j In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Lackawanna
^'^- ' countv.
E. J. Ehrgood. J No. :UT June Sessions. 1004.
APPEAL FROM SFMMARY (HINVK TION.
Oj)inion of Court.
On the i:Uh day of May, 1!)04, the defendant, in companv with two others, was caught fishing for trout with a net in his mill race in the village of Moscow. The race is fed by the waters of Roaring Rrook, a trout strtNim. H(» was arrested by* one of the fish wardens of the (\)mmonwealth and taken before a justice of the ]>eac(\ and an information was then made by the fish warden charging him with
242 REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. Off. Doc.
fishing with a net for trout in the waters of Roaring Brook, and with having resisted arrest, and forthwith a hearing was had and the de- fendant was fined |125 and costs, and in default of payment he was committed to the county jail for 130 days. An appeal was allowed upon defendant entering bail in the sum of $300, conditioned to abide the event of the suit, etc.
At the hearing had before us the evidence conclusively showed that the defendant was guilty of both charges, so unless there is some technical defense we must find him guilty. We are not re- quired to examine into the regularity of his conviction before the justice as we would upon certiorari. The general rule is that in an appeal a case comes up de novo upon its merits. But the defendant questions the jurisdiction upon the ground that no warrant of arrest was ever issued. Even if he has the right to raise that question after entering bail to appt^ar, which we doubt, there is no merit in It, because the thirty-third section of the act (Act 29th May, 1901, P. L. 302) provides that a fish warden, and certain other officers, are authorized and commanded to apprehend and arrest without war- rant any person violating any provision of the act, and immediately take him before a magistrate, and thereupon make charge of sncii violation of the law, and that the magistrate shall forthwith hear and determine the charge. That is just what was done in this case. The claim that because the fishing was done in the tail race of the mill upon the lands of the defendant cannot avail him as a de- fense. It was in the waters of the Roaring Brook, which he had di- verted to operate his mill. If one could evade the law by digging an artificial channel and diverting the waters of a trout stream into it, and taking the fish from it in that way, the act would have but little efficacy. We, therefore, under the law and the evidence, are required to convict the defendant, and we do now adjudge him guilty of a violation of the second section of the Act of May, 1901, P. L. 302, in that on the 13th of May, 1904, he fished for game fish in the waters of this Commonwealth in a manner forbidden, viz: with a net; and we do further adjudge him guilty of a violation of the thirty-fifth section of the act, in that on the same day he resisted arrest.
August 7, 1905.
By the Court. JOHN P. KELLY, A. L. J.
From the Rc'cord.
Now, December 11, 1905, on motion of district attorney, a capias is issued for E. J. Ehrgood, the above named defendant, for sentence.
By the court. Same day capias issued.
Now, December 15, 1905. KSheriff returned capias C. C. et. C.
Charge. Resisting arrest. Now, December 16, 1905, the sentence of the court (by Hon. J. P. Kelly, A. L. J.), is that you, E. J. Ehrgood, pay a fine of $25 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pav the costs of prosecution, and stand committed until this sentence be complied with. Exit Cert.
Charge. Illegal fishing. Now, December 16, 1905, sentence sus- pended upon payment of costs.
HON. JOHN P. KELLY, A. L. J.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.
No. 23.
INDEX.
Carp Industry in Pennsylvania for 1904 fg2
Commissioner of Fisheries, Report of
Atlantic Salmon , ^.^.. «
Bass Season J
Black Bass Culture 54
Blue Pike and Wail-Eyed Pike Industry. og
Brook Trout Industry ^
California Trout, ...
Carp Industry
Cause for Depleting Waters of Fish , -9
Commercial Brook Trout Industry 26
Commercial Fishes ''
Concurrent Leg^islation for the Delaware River qq
Eel Industry ^^
' 32
Fish and Eggs from the United States «7
Fish Car ' " * ' ' "'
Fish Cultural Work ."..'."......... 04
Fish Culturists Scarce,
Fisheries of Lake Erie 33
Fish Protective Association
Fish ways Erected, ^^
Freezing Trout ''
Frog Culture J,
Further Experiments in Work Recently Begun, 50
Gathering Eggs at Lake Erie 69
Gathering Wild Trout Eggs ,' * g^
Goldfish for Public Schools so
Herring Industry 30
Interest Exhibited by Railroads 74
International Fishing Troubles on Lake Erie 97
Lake Erie Carp '
Lake Herring
Locating New Hatcheries '
Muscallonge Culture gc
New Hatching Jar
New Work I ' ndortaken '
Office Work ,„„
1 no
Other Fishes, "'
Other Work in Fish Culture 53
Philadelphia and Pittsburg as Aids to the Department 73
Philadelphia Carp Industry 26
Pickerel Fishing in the Lakes 23
Pollution of Streams "."...... 91
Propagation of Pickerel 57
(243)
244 'w REPORT OF THE Off. Doc.
Commissioner of Fisheries, Report of— Continued. Page.
Proposed Dam on the Susquehanna River 106
Proposed Tri-State Hatchery 74
Recommendations of the American Fisheries Society 104
Removal of Carp YY
Salmon for the Delaware 67
Shad Industry, 26 25
Shad Work for 1906 65
Smelt Work, 66
State Fisheries Association 7g
Sturgeon Culture 64
Susquehanna Eels 26
Trout Eggs from Private Hatcheries 68*
Uniform Laws for the Great Lakes 102
Wall-Eyed Pike or Susquehanna Salmon Season 23
Work of Hatcheries , 39
Corry Hatchery , No. 1 , 39
Erie Hatchery, No. 2 42
Bellefonte Hatchery, No. 3, 43
Wayne Hatchery, No. 4, 45
Torresdale Hatchery, No. 5 47
Union City Auxiliary, No. 6 : 49
Yellow Perch, 36
Department of P'isheries of the State of Pennsylvania 1
Financial Statement, 110
Fishery Commission , Report of 7
Letter of Transmittal 3
Meeting of State Fisheries Association of Pennsylvania 189
Notes on Carp Industry in Philadelphia for 1905, 169
Notes on German Carp, 166
Opinions of the Attorney General 180
Closed Season in Boundary Lakes 187
Fishways, Igl
Gigging or Speaking not Legal 180
Nets, Unlawful in the Ohio River and Tributaries 184
Only One Tip-up Legal 180
Opinions of the Various Courts 209
Act of April 22, 1905, Unconstitutional 219
Act of April 25, 1905, Unconstitutional 222
Appeal from Summary Conviction 241
Appeals in Summary Convictions Tried De Novo, 241
Are Suckers I'nder Law, 217
Constables' Fees of Ten Dollars, 226
Defects in Magistrate's Records 237
Dynamite Case, 215
Excessive Number of Lines, 232
Fishing in Private Waters, 220
Fyke Nets to Wing Walls Unlawful 214
Illegal Eel Baskets, ,.. 223
Selling Game Fish from Lake Erie Out of Season 209
Sunday Fishing Illegal 228
Unconstitutionality of the Act of April 22. 1905 236
Preliminary Report on the Investigation of Certain Waters of Pennsylvania, 172
Report of Fishery Commission , 7
Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries 15
Reports of Superintendents of Hatcheries HI
Corry Hatchery, Station No. 1 HI
Erie Hatchery, Station No. 2, 119
Bellefonte Hatchery, Station No. 3, 127
No. 23. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES. 245
Reports of Superintendents of Hatcheries— Continued. Page
Wayne County Hatchery, Station No. 4 ^^37
Torresdale Hatchery, Station No. 5, ....' 153
Union City Auxiliary Hatchery, Station No. 6 159
Shad Industry of the Delaware River for 1905, '"'. ^71
Superintendents of Hatcheries,
Superintendents of Hatcheries, Report of, m
END OF YEAR
^-i.