The Portland daily press., 1871-01-18
Terms $500 per- AMMAN, an od,oncn
DAILY PRESS,
PORTLAND.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY IS, 1871
The Fisheries of Maine.


employed, and the manner and deoree NJ en-.
iorcement OF the laws regulating them, have
engaged the attention OF the commissioner for
the past year. The progress made towards
restoration of the river fisheries has been
satisfactory. The fshways built in accrid.
ance with the plans of the commissioner at
Union Mills on the ST. Croix, at Pembroke on
the Penmaquan, and at Warren, have been
tested with entire success. The fish have as
cended In all these in large numbers. Alter
ations have been made in old ways aud i'm
provements in passage ways around dains:-
The results OF shad-halching 10 the Connsoti-
cut river, undertaken by Massachusetts and
Connecticut have surpassed the hopes OF the
most sanguine. About 56,000,O0J shad have
been halched and turned into the river the
past summer. A successful effort in the ar
tifcial breeding OF the fish at Newcastle, On
tarlo, is noticed. After investigation the SUBJ
jeet personally. the commissioner made Two
excursions no the PenUbsoot, one on the man
river and one On the east branch, the Malt
Canon, and Is of The opinion that there are
several places where sufficient plumber OF
breeding Salmon could b. Obtained to furnish
eggs for the purpose OF restocking exhausted
rivers and nceasing the brood OF the Penob-
soot.
During the year there has been but three
wardens under pay-Thaddeus IL. Spear of
Gardiner, Fra0cis Blachinan OF Bradley. and
Caleb Gilman OF Meddy bsnps. faey have
beeE lound faithful. Some war, ems nave
served without pay, anu mUre OF this class
should be appointed. All increase OF The
number oil commissioners TO three Is urged,
without n, cessarIly involving ali inci eass OF
the appropriation. A reason Tor this change
Is given, the questions OF too great moment
arise TO trust their decision to one man.
Returning again to the subject oil fish Eays =,
the commissioner refeis to The arguments
that have been adduced IN ioiner reporis ia
their favor, aud represents in an appeudx a
paper of an English engineer on the 6shways
in use in toe British Isles. Those that have
stood the test of time in that county are
nearly Identical With those in use in this State.
Several well executed plates are given, show
ing fshways in Ireland, aIso those re, eutly
built in this State, together with imaginary
plans, contrasting good with bad plan.-
The shapes OF rivers and dams are so various
that these ways cannot be built Oh uLfoim
pattern. In regard to who sbai pay The cost
vi the construction of these ways, the COM
missioner is satisfied that n prir clple OF law
is better established than that owners OF dams
are liable to build ishways, unless they are
expressly relieved, and IN support OF this he
cites recent decislpS- -aS Stbe.Supreme Couit
favorable to the ttltdl DAnced. 1t Is rec
commended that the close-time, as a general
regulation, be abolished. The commissioner
then proceeds to speak OF fishways and other
matters relating to the fishing interest more
in detail.
st. Croir Rirer. The fshway at Union
Mills recently completed, has been tested and
aewives have passed through IN great num-
bers. Salmon have passed up the passage at
Milltuwn. at Barring the way has barn put
in good order. A way has been constructed
at VanceborO'; one has been butt across the
river at The outlet Of Grand Lake. One Is
needed at Princeton in oider TO admit ale
wives to chain OF lakes.
Penn.aquan Rtrer. Four fshways were
built last spring over this river. The one over
Leavitts lower dam IS not satisfactory the
one over the second dam, owned BY the Penn
broke Iron COMPANY, is success, alewlvss
freely passing up. The one at the third dam
is yet in the rough. The commissioned rec
ommends that the town have authority to
protect the fish.
Walkers Pond. The alewives here are re-
markably small, barrel hold ng $50 OF them,
while barrel Of alewves will count out but
400. A dam without fishery has nearly de-
stroyed these fish. One has been opened at
very tlif1ing expense and works well.
PenobscOt R,uer. Considerable attention
has been given to this river. A tIibutary OF
the river in Bradley has been restocked with
aewives. The dams are found to be passable
~ sasnou, eAeePt that AZ basin Mills- At
Great orks ihere mas never oeen any hsn7
ing OF c0nse quence, anu u, oiutoWn lneie Is
very little nshing. inc liiuuie OF lhs RIVER De-
ing OPEN 1ne commissioner urges tue pro
leosfon OF salmon 10 tnis river. A thoioush
Inspection was Inaoe ol Tue river auu nets ON
the river and IN the bay. One hundred and
seventythree nets ana wlers nave peen u'ed
tue past year III tiie iVer anu oay. "A iuil da-
scription ~ gwen ia the report VI tueSe pets
anu wiers' me Proteeton VI nsu on LUIS riV-
CT whie passiuS .ue uauis was wei iooheu al
Ter, ana the result II tnat mucn larger num-
per lnan usual escaped destructioE. Al "p-
polntment OF an additiohal warden Is recon-
mended. The hsheimen all agree that the
salmon fishery has been lar inferior TO that Of
1858, while the dealers IN Bangor aud Belfast
report the salmon unusually plenty. Ibis 10
accounted tor IRON the tact that salmon have
been unusually pien'y IN Boston market. IEe
larger part OF the salmon caught I'D Inc river
contained no spawn, Out nave oern rsnatFa-
oly nne. "A sbad 10 a weir on lhe renooscot
IS looked upon 3s a curiosity. AewlVes are
not caught IN numbers enougo TO male thsm
OF any account to fishermen, except IN East
Srn G rlvrr ana on Tue eastern snort oi the pay
Ane ,ntroouc'ion oI aiSwiVes 10 Lsonaio
Pouu naS oeen acconpiispeu WIN cohsiuor'
auie success ~,
ns. george htuer. Inc hsnWay on tne low
er 'a'is 10 warren mas been tested tue past
season. Although compelled 10 turn many
summersels before reaching the top, the ale'
wives went up 10 great nuihn"rS, anu tue nsl-
way at the upper dam having been put in
good Oh der, they passed that also, and wero
seen in the pond. above.
henneoec htrer. Inc principal point d
interest on this river 10 tne dam st augusta.
oince .lle leouiulne y, the usu, 'ue Iu'eless .
ed parties are CONSIDERING new pans lot
nshway, which have been suomilted 70 tnen.
a misapprenens'on IA reSaru 10 nsu"ay, ns
Gust anu lls Innus"ee on .ue ,. uani auu "a.e.
power, na' ers S,seu an opposi''on W iss s1u
s.iue,,on; S' III III daaars ,In, sas' ua'
M peeh naee W 'ne -nel' Spi sna. nsu,
ways were tuinS y, ,hr - auu " :. t,els !
was no Ptooao,,,.. u,. VI .nen es.i ue'uS lequLso
" " pu,iu one. tue euai.ei VI .ue nenusoTo ''s"
Dam company Coh'lileu p,ov,s.ou !equn
ing tnem 10 puild good anu sullcient pas
sage way Tor nsn, over or through the aslp
and that unless sucn way snaii DC couiPis,Su
and ready Tor use within nVe years iroh tns
passage OF the act, sM Tue powers Siantso
should become voia: choeI .nls cnaiteI .ns
present owners noia. "A hshwsy a. lnls uan'
such as nas peen pianteu oy the Goulllss,on'
er, would use not more tnan .ne ,J onT aau ~,
Wal ,nsaLsn I tha dan, and it's entire cost inc iud
inc tbe erection of pler to guard ii from ice
and loos- would not exceed $1,000. The oom
missioner adds.-"To allow this dam to es-
cane the plain 1eouiremepts OF tue law, would
pe a robbery of the public on tue whole length
of the Kennebec river, Tor the benefit of Au
gusta."
The iahery laws have been well enioroec
on the Ke1nebec. The warden, MIR. It. IT
Spear, OF Gardiner, has expended a good dea
| OF time in looking after the welrs, and has
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