, 1889-01-31
PLANTING THE LOBSTERs.
a Splendid Success.

As we annOHnced in our Mondays 5
| issue, Hon. Jas. G. Swan went to
Tacoma on the Olympian that day To
receive the Holsters sent by the I. 5.
Fish Commission to be planted IN
the vicinity of Port Townsend. The
train from Portland, with the car Of
the Fish Commission did not arrive
at Tacoma until , O'Clock on Thurs
day morning, Jan. %.
As the Olympian left Tacoma at 7
q. H.. 1t was necessary to move pretty
lively as at the early hour no one
was stirring except the watchman on
the dock. Mr. Swan reused up Mr.
Ellis In charge of the Holsters and
the two gentlemen went to the ex-
press Office where they secured the
loan of baggage truck which the
two gentlemen hauled along side the
car and the Holsters were safely
placed on it.
They were brought out in open box
es or trays with stats naiIed across the
bottom to permit circulation of air.
A rope beckett at each end served as
handles. A layer of rock weed and
kelp was laid on the Stats. The lob
sters were placed on this and cover
ed over with another layer of rock
weed which was wet down twice each
day with salt water brought from
Woods Holl, Massachusetts Bay. in
glass cdrboys. This water was first
filtered through cotton flannel to
take out the organic matter and
make the water as pure as possible.
After the truck was loaded il was
hauled alongside of the Olympian
by the Fish Commission people, and
as it was too early in the morning for
any of the officials of the 0. r. q n.
Co. to be stirring, Capt. Roberts
very kindly gave the order to take
the Holsters on board.
AS Mr.. Ellis could not leave, he
detailed Mr.. J. D. Trenholm, one of
his assistants. to accompany Mr.
Swan and assist in planting the lob
sters.
On the way down Sound below
Port Madison, Mr. Trenholm tried
the temperature and density of the
water and found the temperature As
and density by hydrometer "a. This
is the same as at Woods Holl where
the Holsters were taken.
The temperature at Point Wilson
was found to be A and density 25,
showing the water salter than fur-
ther up Sound where the influence
of fresh water rivers makes it more
brackish.
On arrival of the Olympian here
the Holsters were put on board the |
steamer little Joe, kindly loaned by |
Messrs. Griffith, Meyers and Stetson,
her owners, and Mr.. Swan and Mr.
Trenholm proceeded in her, first to
Scow Bay. where As Holsters were
placed. Then to Point Hudson, at
the ballast ground, where 45 more |
were planted. Then to the blight
outside Point Wilson just inside the
eddy where the remainder, So lob
sters, were placed, making a total of
200 fine Holsters mostly females, with |
great quantities of spawn attached |
to them; 100000 finel live eggs of
Holsters were also planted outside
Point Wilson.
Mr.. Trenholm said il was very
much like Woods Holl where the
tides run with an s. knot current and
where the Holsters thrive wonder
fully. He thinks from the uniform
temperature of the water throughout |
the year that these Holsters will not |
only thrive and do well, but that
they will grow to a larger sizA than
in the Atlantic.
The Holsters and eggs were plant-
ed to the entire satisfaction of both |
gentlemen and they returned about
5 p. N.
Mr.. Trenholm, who is the son of
the Comptroller of the Currency,
Washington, d. c., and an enthusi-
asst in the Fish Commission work,
stated that after passing the divide
of the Cascade range, the Holsters
seemed to know by instinct that they
were approaching salt water, as they
became more lively, and when plant
ed yesterday were as vicious as if
only out of the water few hours,
whereas they have been eight days
on the Journey from Wool Holl.
These Holsters average over s in
ches in length from tip of snout to
end of tail and some measured 13
inches. They were all in fair condi-
ton, and Judge Swan is justly proud
OF his success in his long endeavor to
introduce lobsters into our waters,
and of the fact, that with his own
hands, he has assisted to plant the
first Holsters in Puget Sound We
predict the success of this expert
ment, and when in after years the
lobster business will be an important
industry on Puget Sound, the name
of James G. Swan will be remembers
ed as having first introduced these
delicious shell fish in our waters.
Port Townsend bay was selected by
him as being about midway from
the ocean to the head OF the Sound,
and from where the Holsters as they
breed can go as their Instinct directs,
either toward the Ocean or up the
Sound.
Judge Swan desires US to present
the thanks of the U. S. Fish Commis-
sion and his own personal obligation,
to Capt. Roberts of the steamer
Olympian, for promptly forwarding
the Holsters, Hon. d. W. Smith,
President of the Board Of Trade of
Port Townsend. Capt l.. B. Hastings
and H L. Tibbals jr., for their per-
sonal assistance and encouragement,
and to Messrs. Grifiths, Meyers &
Stetson for their courteous loan of
their steamer Little Joe, and last, but
not least, to Mr.. Harry Thornton
of the Little Joe, who rendered most
valuable assistance
Eupepsy.
This is what you ought TO have, in fact,
you must have it, to fully enjoy life.
ThousandS nFa sEarchipg for n do;Iy