The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-23
Shad and Speckled Catfish
Coming Soon.
A LETTER FROM m, MUSsER.
A Fish of Rapid Growth that Reaches
tho Weight OF Forty
Pounds.
To the Editor of THE HERALD.

ISdOcIS Will We 6IdtluSu Of0r us COu-
tents, because of the very liberal offer
of more shad next June, and the car
load of speckled catfish, and other in
digenous fishes of the Mississippi Val
ley, he promises to send US sometime in
1889.
In this connection I would like to add
something On the Introduction OF
specified catfish, which Colonel Nc
Donald says, sis the most desirable Of
all the species for food and sport"
Hearing about the good qualities Of
this fish, 1 wrote, last July, to Hon. S
P. Bartlett, Secretary State Fish Com
mission, Quincy, Ill, as follows:
II am told that your waters abound
in speokled catfish. Will you please
answer the following queries and
greatly obligs the undersigned:
1. What are their merits by the side
of the further east bull heads?
2. What is their rate Cf growth, and
how large do they grown
3. Are they prolific, and where and
st what cost per 100000 can eggs be
had?
4. Are they easily propogated artif-
5. VIII they destroy other food
fishes?
6. Does the government distribute
their eggs, and on what conditions?
Any other information on the subject
will be greatly appreciated"
QUINCY, ILL.,, July 9, 1888.
d. d. MuSSer, Esq, Salt Lake City, U.
T.:
Dear Sir-Your favor of Sd at hand.
Permit me to say in reply: First-In
my opinion the speckled catfish are
much superior to any other of that
family. Second-They are quite rapid
in growth, and are caught weighing
thirty-five to forty pounds each. Third
They are quite prolific. They cannot
be furnished in the quantities you name
by anyone that know of, as fry. Eggs
can, of course, be procured in large
mum bers. Think we could perhaps ar
range to have them taken for you, al
though l would recommend that you
procure breeders and propagate instead
of artifcially. They use live food. but
cannot say as to the damage they do.
The government design taking them
up Tor experiment.
We consider them one OF our best
fishes, and will distribute them to our
people another season. l will take
pleasure in doing anything 1 can to
further your interests in that direction.
Yours truly, 8. P. BARTLETT.
Later ou-November 22nd-l wrote to
George Il. q. Moore, ESQ.,, Division
United States Commits
sion-"Utah has a large number of
rivers and smaller streams emptying
into Great Salt Lake and the Colorado
River. l am very anxious to put few
thousand young carp into each of these
waters. Do you think we can get them
next season for this purpose?
"Haye you the speckled catfish for dis
tIioution, or how can we get good
start in these?"
WASHINGTON, D. c., December 8, 1883.
Dear Sir:-The fish, in rock, s:nt me
by Mr.. Ellis came safely to hand, for
which you will please accept my thanks.
Regarding carp for the rivers of Utah,
l think it would be advisable for you to
write to the commissioner, and give him
all the information possible regarding
streams you desire to stock.
Last summer was commenced work
that I think is destined to become one
the sloughs and bayous of the Mississ-
ippi RiV, the fish which are left there
by the spring floods. 1t is in this Way
way that the spotted catfish are OBJ
tanned. and 1 am afraid not in such
as to justify pro mise of your
being able to obtain q supply at very
early date. We have Just put 200 in a
pond to see if they will breed there
l have requested that 300 blank appli-
cations for carp be sent you.
hoping to hear from you, and that [
nav again have the pleasure of seeing
YOU and Mr.. ByWater, Iremain,
Very truly yours,
GEORGE H. H. MOORE.
To 4. u. Musser, Esq, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
I wrote to Col. Mcdonald about the
shad caught in Utah Lake, and therein
asked him, "Will it be possible to OBJ
tain, through your department, sup
ply of speckled catfish for our public
streams?"
He replied:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 10, 1888.
4. Milton Musser, Esq, SAT- Lake City,
Utah:
Dear Sr-In reply to yours CT De-
cember Sd, I beg to say that we hope to
continue next season the experiment Of
planting shad in the Great Salt Lake
Basin, and if practicable during the
next summer, will arrange
to send TO your section carload of the
fish of the Mississippi Val
ley. A very large percentage of these
that will lie sent will be the speck 81
catfish, which is the most desirable of
all the species for food and sport.
Very truly yours,
MARsHALL MCDONALD.
Commissioner.
With promise of another shorter
in the near future on
the subject of oyster ponds, cells,
crappies and the large Canada bullfrogs
for Utah waters; and with determined
purpose to sid, abet, encourage and
work for the filings up of all our fresh
waters with suitable fishes in the hope |
that ere many years they can be bought
at our markets for one-half the present
price per pound asked for beef and pork,
l will close this lengthy letter, with this |
additional grlopestion that it is not |