Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-17
UNITED STATS FISHERY STATION.
The Rebuilding Of the work-Increase OF
Former Capacity.

Former Cap3clty.
Livingston Stone, Deputy United state
Fish Commissioner for California, IS IN tut
city, stopping at the Langharl. accompanied
bv his wife. He has just arrived from TIT
East. by way of the Southern Pacific Rail
road. and is collecting and ordering supplies
and materials for the Government fish
hatchery station on the NcCloud river
The former works at that place, which wert
located there in 1872 as the salmon-breedine
station. and which have been under improve
| nent and development since, were all swept
away by the food Of the past winter, with
the exception of one building, which wa;
used for Postoffice and dwelling. Quite d
| little village had been built up by the Com.
missioner of various building in connection
with the fishery, but only the one remains,
the rest having been broken up and carried
away with the high water. This was the
largest fsh-breediug station in the world,
and in fact was more extensive than all others
in existence combined.
ABOUT SIXTY MILLION EMBRYos
Have been furnished from this station, which
have been distributed in all parts Of the
United States and also in most OF the coun-
and New Zealand.
All the appliances for carrying on this
work are now entirely gone, and Mr.. Stone is
preparing to fully rebuild and make the
works better than the former. wherever ex-
perience has led to suggestions that will effect
Improvement. The new building will be To-
Gated at the same point, but sufficiently back
and above high-water mark for future safety.
The materials for rebuilding are being largely
shipped from here. About twenty carpen
ters and other workmen will be employed
upon the buildings and works, besides as
many more Indians. OF the latter, most of
them have been employed each season at the
fishery. and have become valuable workmen
about the place.
GOLD MEDAL FOR THE BEST.
The apparatus in use at this fishery
station was not only the largest but the
most perfect known. Mr.. Stone last year
sent models of the apparatus in use at the
station to the International Fishery Ex-
hibition at Berlin, and received a gold medal
for inventions in fishing appliances and SUI
periority of apparatus in use. The medal
was received by him Immediately prior to
his leaving Washington recently for this
coast, and consists of solid gold medallion
about two aud three.fourths inches in di.
ameter and nearly three-sixteentbs of an
inch in thickness. Upon one side is relief
bust in profile of the Crown Prince of Ger
many, with the words, in raised letters in an
outer circle, Frederick Wilhelm, Kron-
prinz Des Deutchen Reiches Und Won
Preussen." Upon the other side, in
relief work, is a goddess of the
sea, holding out a wreath in one
hand, and reclining upon an oar with the
other, and having back ground of the rip
ping sea, with ships and lighthouse in the
distance Beneath the feet of the goddess
are two fish, with heads pointing towards
each other, and an eel between them.
Around the margin are the words, Inter-
rationale Fischerei Ausstellung zu Berlin,
1880" Mr.. Stone had previously received a
bronze medal from the Acclimatization So
ciety at Paris, for general success in the cult
ure of fish.
THE SALMON AND TROUT MINNows.
1t is now expected that the works will be
rebuilt and ready for taking salmon eggs by
the middle of August. The capacity in this
branch of the fishery will be about the same
as before, enabling the shipment of about
u, 000 900 eggs per year. Especial efforts
are to be made this season to stock the Mis-
sissippi river. Two million salmon eggs will
be forwarded to various points upon that
river for this purpose, and there Matched and
planted.
Deputy Commissioner Stone has orders to
enlarge the portion of the fishery used for
trout-hatching, to make the capacity as great
as may practically be done. With the pre-
vious works there were at one time in the
trout pond-where they were kept-from
5000 to 1900 breeding trout, averaging from
three to four pounds in weight each, and it
was the finest sight in the line OF trout col
lection that could easily be imagined.
THE METHOD OF CATCHING THESE
Is by hook and lire, as is quite generally
done for dists nee of about twelve miles
along the McCioud river. A line about $50
feet long is made fast at both ends, leaving
the line above the surface of the water. From
this at intervals of about ten feet lines with
hooks are placed hanging into the stream
nearly to the bottom and baited with salmon
roe. During good fishing these lines are
taken up and examined, or fish removed,
every one or two hours. or if it be come dis
lance from the station they are not visited so
frequently. AS the fish are taken from the
hooks they are placed in tight vessel of wa
ter, sufficiently large to keep them from be-
ing injured. From these they are transferred
to temporary corrals built at points along the
river. When a sufficient number has been
thus collected q couple of Indians employed
at the hatchery start at the upper end and
follow down the river, taking them into
crate and floating it down TO the trout pond.
No trout weighing less than pound are
taken to the hatchery, and those of smaller
dimensions when caught are returned to the
river.
THE PRESENT PROCESS OF SPAWNING,
Or obtaining the eggs, does not irjure the
fish in the least, and they are kept in the
ponds from year to year. The trout are not
caught rapidly, and when fishing to renew
the supply in the ponds, catch of twenty
FIVE large ones per day upon the entire
grounds is regarded as good success. The
salmon used for spawning purposes are taken
in net, AID far more easily obtained, as
they run in schools.
The McClou1-river trout, since its intro
duction to the Eastern waters, has proved a
great favorite there, and is found to thrive
finely in all fresh-water streams where it mas
been introduced. The demand for its eggs is
very great, and increasing. The largest num-
Der OF eggs which has been distributed in one
year from these trout ponds was 3,000,0 coo,
but Mr.. Stone states that the demand is
now so large that 100000 per annum
would not be too large a supply for
distribution. He will have in view
the capacity to supply this demand in re-
b1iiding the works, for which he is now
making arrangements.
tAptCLS W COulpltlt Vi
supplies and materials in time to leave for
the McCloud region tomorrow afternoon.
George b. Williams, recently bookkeeper at
Lipman & Co.'S, of this city, takes the posi-
ton of bookkeeper and paymaster of the
post for Mr.. Stone, and has already gone in
advance to the grounds.
CRY TRUsTEEs.-At the meeting of the
Board of City Trustees yesterday, the Chief
Engineer of the Water Works reported l6S
hours run of the works for the week, and
that 16 S13. $50 gallons were lifted and de-
livered by the pumps. John BelImer. as city
expert, reported the books Of City Auditor
Mckee as correct, all the accounts balancing
properly, and the records kept in business.
ike manner In the matter of the demand
of ex.police offlcer Smith fer salary, City
Attorney Anderson reported adversely. say
ing: "The object OF again contestipg this
matter seems TO be to obtain decision of the
Supreme Court upon the question, overrulins
the decision in the case of the People vs.. Hill,
Seventh California. | am satisfied that the
present decision will be affirmed, and there.
fore recommend that the clsim be rejected.
The same officer reported fayorably on the
application of J. J. Buckley to have the
taxes from 1868 TO 1880 cancelled for the
block of land bounded by II and 5. Twenty.
eighth and Twenty. ninth streets. The Board
allowed these claims and adjourned: j. L.
Clark, 1852 Sc; A NJ. Smith, So AZ ;
I q y q ~