Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-01-16
Cast thy Bread upon the Waters y

We have been pleased in examining the
sixth annual report of our Commissioners
of Fisheries. +. NJ. Stillwcll and Ii. o.
Stanley, Esqs. The State of Maine has
been awake to one of her important inter-
ests in the attention bestowed upon the
protection of game, fish and animals. and
upon the propagation of the former by
artificial means. There can be no ques-
ton that by wise legislation. and protec-
ton. under the fostering care of the State
our inland fisheries will again become a
source of vast wealth, and of luxury with
in the reach of every man. BY recent
act of the legislature the commissioners
are empowered to order the construction
of new fish-ways over dams, rs in their
judgment are required. at the expense of
the owners. We find from this report
that the owners o. dams. when called
upon, have been prompt and liberal. and
have readily acquiesced in the plans of
these gentlemen. Fi.h-ways should and
in time will be built on every dam across
our rivers and streams: and these made
accessible to all rive Is of migratory fish.
The commissioners ella i'm this can be done
without loss of water power. OF damage
to the interests of manufacture. But i'm
case a small personal inconvenience
should result to tie owners of dams. no
fair minded man would wish to Withhold
great good from the public for the sake
of 4 small gain To himself. Beside il
isn't treating a fish well. to oblige him to
reach round and put his tail in his mouth
in order to get "spring" enough 10 sur
mount twenty or thirty foot fall. Tradi-
ton. which never lies. saith that the noble
salmon king of fish was driven To thi,
i@noble eXpedient when mill dams first
appeared in Maine. We hope the mill
owners of Hancock County will remember
the poor fishes and the poor men who
want to catch fishes when they are called
upon for iish-way>.
An interesting feature OF the report i Il
description of the experiments and results
attained in the artificial propagation of
salmon. at Bucksport by Mr. Charles G..
Atkins. employed BY the commissioner of
fisheries of the United States. commission
erS of Maine and several other y. T..
States.
MIR. Atkins the last season succeeded in
obtaining large number of formulated
eggs which VIII soon he in condition for
transportation to any required distance or
place where by proper exposure in running
water they will hatch out and IN time be-
come full grown fish. This method of
stocking waters hitherto barren. ha, long
been understood. but has proved costly.
The great value OF Mr.. Atkins experiment
depends upon the fact that he has been
able to accomplish the most satisfactory
results at an expense comparatively TIL
Hing 80 that there now seems no reason
why the salmon should not be restored to
all our waters and again become an i'm
portant article of commerce.
Still further legislation i necessary to
protect our fisheries and to carry on our
work so well begun. We hope the lc.i>-
lature Will see in the restoration of our
fisheries the material interest and honor of
our state. We hope within the next
decade To find our own river-beautiful
in spite of edging> and sawdu>t teeminr
with the silver sided salmon a, in day,
gone by.