Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-01-27
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY JANUARY 81, 1883.
WHITE FISH.
Their Propagation and Use. d" Mich
igan.

Their Propagation and Use d" Mich.
To the Editor of the Post and Tribune.
In Thursdays Post and Tribune was
-pu0llShti the copy or remOnstrance
which.lS being circulated through the
state a sainIt ,le Matching and planting
of white fish, which is known to all to
be the most useful Of food fishes, to all
classes, both rich and poor, fisherman,
dealers and consumers. There ia hard
ly hotel In Michigan to-day that does
not place upon table at least once day
the luxury of a brOiled or baked white
fish, and without the propagation and
artificial Matching which are being so
successfully carried ont by the fish COM
mission of the different states. we
should soon be without this much called
for fish.
The remOnstrance reads as though
Michigan was the only state that was
doing any work upon the white fish, but
quite to the contrary, Ohio contributes
yearly millions of young white fish to
the lakes, as also do Wisconsin and ths
Canadian government. Pennsylvania
made an effort this last fall to do some
thing towards the Matching of young
white fish, but 1t was too late before
they made the attempt. Undoubtedly
next fall they will be well into the work
on white fish.
The remOnstrance also states that If
the work Is carried on in Michigan they
will have to purchase a lot that will
cost $1,000 or 5000, and then a building
that will cost 81 500 or $1,000 more. But
now comes the true light upon this i'm
pOrtant subject. In the fal! of 1876 the
commission built the white fish hatch
cry In Detroit at cost of $4Q9. They
leased the land where it stands of Wm.
Convey at $50 per year. and for the last
two years Mr.. Convey has let them have
the land at $40 per year. This hatchery
has turned OutimilliOns of young, healthy
swimming white fish every spring since
the building was erected, and at the
present time there are about 100000
white fish eggs at the Detroit hatchery
and In the finest condition.
Another important fact that should be
known Is that with the present knOwl-
edge of the work it costs no more to
hatch 500,000,O00 white fish than it does
to hatch 100000 brook trout. But the
commission are anxious to do all in
their power to increase all good fish of
the state.
1t Is well understood that the remon-
STRANGE referred to was gotten up by
Jas. G. POrtman, the late superintend-
ent, who was discharged September last
by the unanimous vote of the board of
fish commissioners, since which time he
has been very busy in defaming the en-.
tire board OF fish commissioners, also
trying to poison the mind Of the legisla-
ture and all the good people he CONES in
contact with, especially those who are
unacquainted with the work.
POrtman has said many times that
ignorance was the only opposition to
the fish work. wonder if he will stick
to that now any better than he does to
the article he put in the last report of
1879 and 1880, on the thirteenth page,
speaking of white fish. He says exactly
these words, as can be seen in the book:
These fish are the only ones mentioned
in the act creating the commissions;
therefore your board feel bound by law
so long as there exists any law upon the
subject--to make the cultivation and
distribution of this, the best of food
fishes, prominent part Of their work."
And so it goes on, all in favor of the
white fish work and all good fishes of
the state. But things have taken turn
with him, caused by his own misman-
agement. The propagation Of fish is an
important matter for the state of Michi-
gan, as we'll as every other state, and it
is hoped that an enterprise worthy of the
patronage of all good people and law
makers will not be trampled down by
the working of disappointed and DISC
bedient servant of the Lord.
nnt Tn