Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-02-20
Notes from Harrisburg.


be amiss. Col James Worrall. the Com
missioner appointed to devise plan for the
construction of dams on the Susquehanna
so as to give free passage to fish, up the nv
er, has just submitted to the public, in adj
dition to his regularreport, paper, accom-
panied by the Massachusetts, report on fish
cries, which contains some wholesome truths.
Col. Worrall says: 'sOur law is. as far as L
can see, sufficiently explicit in its provisions
but if you want fish those provisions must
be enforced, and their enforcement depends
upon the people. Piratical fishing must be
stopped If after the fish get through our
fsh-ways, and deposit their spawn above
the dams, and when the poor little shad fry
are making their way to the sea they shall
be caught in fish baskets and sold by the
bushel, how are we ever to get shad back TO
the river? Our law is sufficient to prevent
this now, if the people along the river viii
take the thing in hand and prevent this
wholesale murder. Now, | give the peo-
pie due and timely notice that much de-
pends upon themselves, if the plans we
have adopted should prove such as to admit
the fish above Columbia 1t is we'll known
that shad don't take much pains to go be-
yond the grounds where they have been
spawned but to get these grounds they will
work with irrepressible instinct. Then
catch few and place them alive above the
dams, so that their progeny may learn the
-way-refrain from taking fish the first
year or two-and do away with the murder
GUS fish basket, and we will eventually have
our fish back 1t is to be hoped that
the people along the Susquehanna river,
and its tributaries, will give this subject
due and timely consideration, and that the
suggestions of Col Worrell will be acted
upon as the most efficient and speedy means
again seeing our waters alive with shad.
Last week, a bill was passed by the Legisla-
ture, creating the office of Assistant District
Attorney in Allegheny county. John w.
Rid1all Esq, has been appointed to fill the
the Office.
The report of Thomas H. Burrowes, Su-
perintendent of Soldiers Orphans, states
that during the past year four new schools
schools now required, will be organized as
soon as possible. There have been admit
ted during the year, 1878 children, and the
total number of scholars on the lst of De
cember was 2,65o, of which | ,59l were boys
and ,067 girls. These are all cared for un-
til tho ago of sixteen, when they dis
charged, being judged competent at that age
to do something towards earning liveli-
hood. The total expenses of the system
for the year ending November 80 was $685.
l49 26, which is a small sum, when we con-
slider the benefits which are derived from it.
The bill authorizing the Pittsburg and
Connelsville railroad company to complete
its line to the State: of Maryland, and its
connection with the Southern Pennsylva-
mia road, whenever practicable, or, in other
words, to restore the charter of said compa-
ny which was underhandedly repealed in
1864, came up in the Senate on the 18th and
was defeated by vote of Is ayes to II noes.
The friends of the road, up to the time of
taking this vote, were pretty sanguine of the
passage of bill restoring its franchises, in
some shape, by the present Legislature ; but
the motion Of Mr.. Connell to reconsider
the vote being Indefinitely postponed by the
Senate, effectually debars the present bill
from being again considered at this session.
The repeal of the charter of the ConneIs-
vile road, in 1864, was great and almost
irreparable wrong and fraud upon the peo-
pie of that section of Pennsylvania They
had already expended a large amount of
money in constructing and putting in sue
cessful operation some fifty miles of their
road besides the expenditure of large sums
in tunneling the Allegheny mountain-per-
haps the largest tunnel in the United States
and which retarded the completion of the
roadlong ere this. Justice to an enterprising
and suffering people, and the great coal and
iron wealth that lies undeveloped for want
of transportation facilities, demand the res
toration of the charter of the Connesville
company-h not by this Legislature, it is to
be hoped by the next.
The Standing Committee of the Senate,
to whom was referred Mr.. Bigham' Gener-
al Railroad Bill, have reported bill, but it
differs widely from that offered by Mr. Big
ham-the original one being So surrounded
by amendments, by the Committee, as to be
scarcely recognizable therein. Some of the
amendments are important, and would an
swer good purpose, providing they would
apply to all alike But this they do not.