Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-13
SHAD IN THE CUMBERLAND.
Is the Work o the Fish COmmissisn
Beginning 90 Develop that Wby
Some Intsrt'sting Speculation
on the Subject.

B~gInnIng 90 Develop that Wby?
Some IntertSting sPecalatiOns
on the Subject.
Nashville American. 12tbl
On the 10th of July, 1875, Messrs.
Owen Chase and Z. f. Bahne placed in
the Cumberland river, at the wharf, foot
Of Broad street, this city, 72.000 young
shad, which they had brought from Holy.
oke, Mass, under the direction of the
United States fish commissioner, for that
purpose. The water of the Cumberland
at the time, was muddy, and the temper.
ature 83 degrees. Mr. Chase thought
the river not in as good condition as
could be desired, but was of opinion that
oil would yei be we'll for the young shad.
Our reporter then said: None Of them
were ever half an inch long, aud about
the size of small csmbrie needle"
From Mr.. Chase he also learned that
these tiny fish will remain in the waters
adjacent to the city till the latter part Of
August, when they will 60 down the
stream in search of salt water. Daring
the third year they will return to this
point to spawn"
On Friday morning, the 10th inst, our
reporter saw, ou the fish stalls Of the
Nashville market, shad which was
taken from the Cumberland. the day be
fore, short distance below Hyde's Ferry
some ten or twelve miles below the
city by water. 1t possessed all the marks
Of true salt water shad-squsre upper
lip, slightly projecting under lip, two
pectoral fms, two belly fns, and the anal
snd dorsal fne-tail decidedly forked-
full back-dark, sharp belly and whittier.
ing to the rim-weight one ard three.
quarter pounds-length nineteen inches,
including tail-scales perfect Mr.. Bob
Ed@unds, who took this fish, says be has
taken thirteen Of the same, some weigh
ing as many as three pounds, in the same
ueighberhood The specimen above
described is the only one we have seen.
It is stated, however, that fisherman
above the city some twenty miles BY
water, at Hill's Island, has taken quite a
number of strange and superior fish,
which have been consumed in his neigh.
borhood and not brought to the Nash
vile market. Itis also stated that fish.
ermen have seen about the first of April,
between the mouth Of Harpeth aud
Clarksville, schools of strange fishes,
making their way up stream. We can.
not voueh for any Of these statements,
and give them for what they are worth.
1t is certain that Mr.. Edmunds has
taken as many as thirteen shad from the
Cumberland river, below this city. He
took them in Rets, set 30 as to take up
coming 6sh. Whether the shad placed
in the river July 10, 1875, have gone to
salt water and returned or not, is anoth.
er question. Those which we receive
from the Savannah river and other At.
lantic coast streams are much earlier in
season; and, though about the same in
weight, are shorter and brighter in color.
1t may be that they have never been to
the gulf and have been nearly three
years iu fresh water.
The facts above are given for the con.
sideratien of the fish commissioner, as
Important ones in an experiment which
is looked upon with much interest in this
section.
| 1t may be as we'll to say, also, that
there is fish in many of the Southern
streams called the Hickory" shad-in
its young form, skip jack" This fish,
of late years, has become more and more
frequent in the Cumberland. 1t is quite
different from the shad; bat may be the
Hills Island shad