Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-05-20
CHAPTER 4h6.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented
in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
WHEREAS, This state has unsettled claims against
! 81 the general government under the swamp land
grant for many thousand d acres OF land and
since the passage of the grant, 1t Is full time
that such grant was definitely settled that the
state might accurately know its rights thereun-
der, and that the title of individual purchasers
of such lands might be perfected and quieted.
! Section l. The governor is hereby authorized
and empowered to appoint a speclal agent TO pro-
coed to Washington and settle all such conflicting
and unsettled claims as soon as possible.
Section q The governor shSu Tx the compen-
| sation of such agent and such compensation and
| the necessary expenses of such agent shall be
audited by the secretary of state upon the gov
| ernoT's approval
| Section g. There is hereby appropriated from
| the normal school fund and the drainage fund
| Zone -halt from each fund.- sum of money suff-
cient to pay such agents compensation and such
| expenses.
Section A. This act shall be in force from and
after its passage and publication.
Approved April IL, 1885.
CHAPTER 455
! AN ACT in relation to the fishing Industries Of
Lake Michigan Lake Superior and Green Bay,
and to protect and increase the fish supply
thereof; and to appropriate certain sum or
money therein named.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented
in senate and assembly, do enact as follows
Section |. 1t shall be unlawful, after the pas
sage of this act for any person for himself or for
| Others to set in the waters of Lake Michigan
Lake Superior or Green Bay, being within the
| boundaries of this state, or any of the bays
tHeTeO1, any pound, gill, Trap, 1yKe OF nOdI neCp
or any other fishing net whose mesh is less than
three and one-haif inches, stretch measure, or
one and three-q uarters inches bar, except as
hereinafter provided; provided, however, that
after the year 1885 pound nets having smaller
mesh than above stated, may be used only when
the owners, agents or lessees, or those having
them in charge shall first cause to be taken out
of the pot thereof the top part of the two oppo-
| site sides of such pot, which run parallel with
line linz! drawn n. from what is commonly called the
pot, from corner to corner and at least fifteen
| feet below the surface of the water, and substi-
4 tute therefor two pieces or parts of sides, the
meshes of which are not less than three and one
| half inches stretch measure or one and three
ourths inches bar, said pieces to be of sufficient
! width to extend from the rim line of said pot at
| least fifteen feet beneath the surface of the
water; provided, further, that gill nets, the
meSheS of which are not less than three inches
! stretch measure may be used only when set in
| water not more than twenty feet i'll depth, and
! pound and fyke nets, whose meShes are not more
/ than two and three fourthS inches stretch meas
ure and not more than twenty-five feet in depth,
may be used in the waters OF Green Bay, south
OF line running from the centre of the mouth
| OF the MenOminee river being the boundary line
! between Michigan and Wisconsin, said line run
ming in a southerly direction and terminating at
! what is commonly known as Whitney's Bluff, on
| the east shore of Green Bay in Brown county.
| Gill nets now made and in use having a mesh
smaller than four inches stretch measure or two
| inches bar may continue to be used during the
| season of 1885 and no longer, provided, however,
! that sill nets of smaller size mesh may be used
for catching herring exclusively for bait, but no
|
| for his or their benefit more than one hundred
feet in length of such nets All traps, float and
fyke nets, whose mesh is less than two and three
tourths inches stretch measure, or one and three
| eighths inches bar, except as herein provided
may be declared nuisance by the proper
authority after the season Of 1885, and be abated
as such upon the proper proceedings.
/ Section 2. It shall be unlawful for any person
! or persons to throw overheard from any sail or
! steamboat, or other craft, or put or throw into
any of the waters aforesaid, or any bays thereof
! or stream emptying therein, any fish offal; fish
offal shall be construed to mean the cleanings Of
| fish, such as heads, 1ntestineS, blood and dead
! fish. Any fisherman coming to the shore with
fish in his boat dressed, and having no offal in
said boat, shall be deemed guilty of a prima
/ facie violation of this section.
Section 3. The waters of Sturgeon bay shall
be subject to all the provisions of this act, ex-
cept that no pound, gill or fyke net, or seine or
any other net or device, will be permitted to be
placed therein, except dip net to be used for the
purpose OF catching minnows for bait, and gill
! nets, the meshes of which are not less than four
and one-half inches stretch measure; and it shall
| be unlawful to catch fish by any Of the methods
named in this act, from the waters thereof, ex-
| cept as provided by this section The waters of
! Sturgeon bay shall be considered and construed
/ to mean that portion lying south of line drawn
! from the extreme easterly point of Sherwood's
| point, said line running east to the shore, ter
| minating in section nineteen, town twenty-eght,
| range twenty-six east, in Door county; provided,
| that all the waters of Sawyer's harbor shall be
| construed to be part of Sturgeon bay.
Section 4. Every person fishing for himself or
for another as an employe shall, while fishing in
any OF the waters mentioned in this act, from the
/ Goth of October to the 1st of November in any
year, take the eggs from the female trout and the
| milt from the male trout and after mixing them
| together IN pail or can, cast them into the
water where it is not less than ten feet in depth
1 And It is likewise made their duty to pursue the
j same plan to white fish from the 10th to the
| Goth of November in each year; and all eggs so
! mpregnated shall be cast into the waters as
! herein provided within six hours from the
| time they are extracted or taken from the fish.
| Section 5. The governor SHALL within five
months after the passage OF this act, appoint, by
/ and with the advice and consent of the senate,
three persons, citizens of the state who shall be
designated as fish wardens; they shall be well in
formed as to the modes and methods OF catching
nSh, and the names and construction OF the sew
| eral nets or seines used they shall also be ac-
! quainted with the fishing industries and the men
! engaged therein in their respective districts;
date of their appointment, unless sooner removed
by the governor for neglect or incompetency.
section g. The said wardens are hereby in
vested with all the powers necessary to compel a
strict observance of the provisions of this chap
ter; they shall devote their time and attention to
their duties as herein set forth; they shall visit
the different portions Of their district where any
one is engaged In fishing, at least four times q
year and oftener if it be deemed necessary for
the better enforcement of this law 1t is also
made part of their duty to collect statistics Of
the fishing industries on the waters mentioned
each year, in the form set forth in this section
with such additions to it as their experience may
suggest. The blanks for said forms shall be fur
nished by the secretary Of state, and shall be
promptly delivered by said waTdens to the per-
s1 OF A<1S engaged IN fSn1ng IN their Q1Str1ct&.
Zach person having residence in Wisconsin en-
gagged m fshing as a business for whole any
posItaon IPort1on1 OF one, year, IN any OF the
waters before mentioned, SHALL on or before the
hfsS day of December, in each year, report to the
warden OF his district, the amount in pounds Of
an food hsn caught by them during the year, to-
geeher with the average price per pound and
| such other Information as the law provides for
any person negtecdng or refusing to make the
report provided for in this section, shall upon
conviction thereof, pay fine of not less than
ten dollars and costs of suit, to be recovered by
i the proper fish warden in any action before a
justice of the peace. This report covers fishing
! season from -1S8- to U.s.
Average Total