Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-09-12
Fish or no Fish.

WcT OuflnP INC late excursion OF
the Grady party down tho Savannah
River, We heard on every hand COM
plants from the peoplo about the
Augusta dam stopping the run of
shad. Before this obstacle was
placed in the river shad fishing was
q profitable business, and many men
who owned fisheries found them far
more profitable than.farlns. Besides.
they were a great comfort to the
people, for they were enabled, dur
ing the running season, to purchase
oil the fish they wanted for more
song. Often wagon load were
caught at single drag Of the seine.
Not only was the Savannah abun-
dantly supplied with shad, but all
the tributary streams, and even
small creeks swarmed with them.
Hundreds of people would turn out,
and in a few hours capture enough
fish to feed a county for days.
But as soon as Augusta built her
canal dam, this business went by the
board, and shad became as scarce in
the upper waters as hens teeth.
Not only profitable business was
destroyed, but the people deprived
of their chief luxury. Every shad
they ate had to be brought from Au-
gusta, and an extortionate price paid
for it. The Savannah River shad is
considered up North the greatest de-
licacy in the fish line, and as the
Augusta dam proved an insurmount-
able obstacle for the passage OF these
fish, of course those living below
that obstruction rcaped all the bene-
fits.
A so-called fish way was placed in
the dam at Augusta, but a shad had
as well try to scale the Eiffel tower
as to pass through it. The few fish
that made the attempt were found
in the traps below, broken to pieces
by the force of the current.
| There is no doubt about there be-
ing great wrong pcrpctrated on
the people living on the upper wa
tcrs of the Savannah, by dcrriving
them of their fisheries, and the
Banner editor determined to investi-
gate the matter and see by what
right and authority city could
block the channel of a great water
course for its individual benefit.
During our recent visit to Atlanta
we searched the State library for all
reports bearing on this subject, aid
also to discover by what authority
the Savannah River was given en-
tirely to Georgia. This is a solemn
treaty made and ratified between
Georgia and South Carolina, and in
closing the Savannah against the
free passage of fish-which the Au-
gusta dam certainly docs-Gcorgia
violates this compact, and we be-
licve the people of Carolina can
force her to remove that obstruction
But it will not be necessary to de-
stroy this important manufacturing
enterprise to rc-establish a channel
for the migration of shad. A fish
way can be made in the Augusta
dam by which the fnny tribe can go
up stream. The fish-way at Augusta
should be made by legislative en-
actmcnt to build, if it costs $4,000
or more to do so. Such tish-ways
arc successfully used in many dams
up North. BY permitting Augusta
to blockade this great river the lie.
gislaturc not only violates a solemn
treaty with neighboring State, but
also works injustice and hardship or
a large class of her people.
Fish culture is now most impor.
tant matter. Mr.. Henry w. Grady
tells lie that the United States Fisl
Commissioner stated to him that he
could raise more meat in the streams
of Georgia, if they were left free OF
distinctions, than the land could
produce. The immense population
of China is chiefly fed on fish, and
there is no reason why our own
State should not enjoy this saving
and luxury.
The government will stock any
stream with fish where they have q
free passage, and SO soon as a good
fish-way is built in the Augusta
dam, we can have several million
young shad planted in the upper wa
tcrs of the Savannah.
TO the foregoing, the Augusta
Chronicle replies a follows:
The complaint of tho up.country
that shad do not ascend is an old
| ono aud ,poc hand ,,orx MAN., ,,,,,,