The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-08
PROTECTING FISH.
A Paper Read bU Il. 0. Sweeney, of st. I'a,.l
lt'g.. at the Recent Chicag0 Meetin0.

a Paper Read by Il. 0. Sweeney, Of st. I'n,.l,
It.y:.- at the Recent Chicago Meeting.
- sllss ,,r,,.. [Chicago Times Oct. 81
III "A plea for protecting the Mississippi River
System" was the subject of a paper read by
DIR. R. O.. Sweeney, Of St.. Paul. He desired
to call attention, he said to the particular and
marked omission of legislation in the common
wealths bordering upon the Mississippi River
and its navigable .state:dividing tributaries,
either regulating, restricting or prohibiting
wanton, abusive and exhaustive fishing. He
thought that the remedy, to be effective must
emanate from the national legislature. There
were, besides the resident despoilers of the
water, those who use arks or fishery-boats.
which are anchored at various points along
the rivers wherever fish abound These arks
are Inhabited by amphibious people, citizens
OF nowhere in particular, and yet voters every
where in general Sometimes as MANY as tif-
teen men to an ark are employed, slaughter
ing fish with ..-''...D
+; TRAp,AND SET NETS -''
Of such destructive character as literally to LEFT
nothing escape. Their modes Of procedure is
thorough and systematic. The secrecy with
which their nets are placed, and usually at
tended, gives no evidence against them to the
majority of the world. Occasionally an early
VI uSiulSN SpOl WlCuCSSCS Uuc haul UncV
make when the nets are emptied, and sees the
wanton and wasteful destruction of small fish.
too small for market, left dead to rot and
faint both air and water on the beach. They
dispose of the selected spoil in supplying the
daily wants of the nearer villages and towns.
selling to hotels and dealers the less market
able. while thousands of pounds of the largest
and finest fish are sent to the greater cities by
the daily trains. They often actually depopu
late a stream, or come so near to it that an
outraged neighborhoOd drive them off by
threats. - 49,,
The author thought that netting and trap
ping should be interdicted, and
ONLY FISHING WITH HOOKS AND LINES
permitted; and in case Of set lines, only a GER
tain number Of hooks to line, andno one per-
son allowed to set, own or control more than a
limited number Of lines within certain limit
ed distance The streams within the iurisdic.
ton aud control of local legislation can be, and
usually are, protected by such laws: but the
generous laws of the United States allow too
much liberty in this matter of fishing in the
great highway rivers Oneman, ii he so de-
termines. may selfshly deprive whole commu-
mites Of their rights to catch and enjoy fish
simply because he can derive profit thereby
r. Another good and sufficient reason for pro-
ihibiting'nets in the Mississippi is that the at
itempts being made to introduce shad and sal
mon into the great valley system by both the
United States and state commissions should
have fair and iunobstructed field for the ex:-
pertinent, of the final success of which the
author had most sanguine hopes, -, i.
He thought that ~ r,l.,.. - .,..., -;
...,.~,;,f =. AN EFFICIENT REMEDY -.
would be, congressional legislation, in effect
that all persons who catch fish as business,
an and to sell, from any public waters whatever.
should pay a certain sum Of, money as a Ii
cense for such a priyiledge, the sum to be reg I
nlatef in amount according to- the mode Of,
catching and appliances used, and quantity of
fish captured; the money paid for the licenses
to be expended for the continuous propagation
and restocking of such waters; or, I'll lieu Of
such money, they might deliver Z, certain
quantity of tertilized spawn to the United
States or state fish commissioners, as national
or state laws would indicate, for the restock-
ing Of the same waters The sum necessary
WOULD he but triting and the expenditures
good investment. even Il benefit, and an in
creasing income to the fishermen, and not only
to them but to the community at large a,s
+ lie asked the cooperation Of every gentle
man present in urging firmly and persistcntly
the necessity of Systematically stocking the
Mississippi and it's affluents; with shad and
salmon If they united the United States
commissioners would give a respectful atten,i
ton to tho req uest 49, t'-' t'&> .',