The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-24
FISH.
The L. S. Commissioner OF Fish Car Was in
the City Yesterday.


car was in the city yesterday, sidetracked
at the Santa Fe depot. The car is in
charge of Mr. r. s johnson, with head
quarters at Quincy, Ill, and came TO Kan
sas with a load of fish for distribution by
Mr. John NJ. Brumbaugh, of Concordia,
fish commissioner for the state. 1t is now
on its homeward trip light and in the
party are Mr.. johnson, his five assistants
and Commissioner Brumbaugh.
Thirty-fve hundred bass have been dis
tributed at Burton, Medicine Lodge,
Holiday, Topeka, Nashville and Cold
water.
The forepart af the car is devoted to the
| kitchen, engine room for steam heat, and
tanks for fresh water. The center is used
as dining room and sleeping room, being
fitted with Pullman berths. The rear con
tains the store rooms and the private
apartments Of Mr.. Johnson.
| Underneath the car and running the en-
tire length are the fish tanks. The car is
complete in its appointments and has
every convenience for the comfort of the
attaches and the care OF the fish. While
the car is in motion the fish seem to do
very well but as soon as it stops for any
length of time it is necessary to aerate the
water by dipping. \ temperature of 90
| degrees F. seems to be best suited to the
! fish and by means of ice the water is al
ways kept at that temperature. When
the fish are taken from warmer water the
temperature is reduced gradually TO the
desired point.
The presence of the fish commissioner
always draws attention to the necessity of
protecting the fisheries and creates an in
terest in the matter that otherwise would
not exist Wichita can have a car load of
fish for the Little river for the asking but
the request must be made before the COM
missioner can act. The United States ap-
proprIates $500, 900 annually for this pur-
pose and Sc, 900 of this belongs to Kansas
so long as she has a fish commissioner and
will ask for it. The state also
can be used for no other purpose
and if it is appropriated by an act of the
legislature it will be sufficient TO start
hatchery.
The following extracts from the report
of the fish commissioner give. briefly the
status of the fish business in Kansas:
Springs abound in almost every section;
and when they join their tiny rivulets, a
tIcth 10 lOIlIlGU IItJ II well dtldJlttl 10 inc
sustenance of Aquatic life. These streams
are fairly well stocked with fish. The most
valuable are the black bass (both large and
small MOUTH. sun perch, croppies, channel
cat, and buffalo These are all native fish.
Some others Of the better varieties have
been deposited in the streams; a handbook
ed salmon, weighing over six pounds, hav-
ing been taken in Shawnee county. Other
kinds are heard from occasionally, but
there is so little projection afforded fish in
the state, and so little encouragement given
by our lawmakers to our fishing interests,
that it is surprising that any should live
to maturity"
In October, 1889. about 5000 black bass
We're put into Lake Sibey, near Concordia, |
in Cloud county, by the present commits
sion Of fisheries, and the experiment Will
be carefully watched to ascertain whether !
II will be successful
Because of the limited area OF the waters /
Of Kansas, 1t Is very essential that wise |
laws be enacted TO protect the native |
fishes, especially whites spawning; and such |
protection should cover the entire season. !
and severe penalties be inflicted on anyone |
who wantonly violates such statute. Such |
protection, in connection with the fish we /
may have from the general government. |
will largely supply Us with this excellent /
and wholesome food. 1t is only question /
of few years until our streams will be eN- /
hausted, and no fish can be had from them, !
if this protection is withheld
For general purposes. especially for the /
farmer, the German carp IS more valuable /
than any other fish. IL is easily handled /
needing no scientific knowledge II is !
practicable to make a pond on almost
every farm in Kansas. Any de /
preston which will hold water throughout f.
the year, by damming, and which at some /
point in it is deep enough SAY four to six .
feet to sustain fish in winter will make /
gah I,a ff1rfar
shed to fill the pond readily at any cOnsid- /
cradle rainfall
The pond being now constructed. the /
next step Is to procure the fish with which |
to stock IT. This IS very simple, and easily |
done Make application 10 the fish com
missioner who win supply the applicant
with blank application for carp This /
fill out and return TO him, and in the
month Of November following, the appli-
cation viii be filed, and twenty young
carp sent the applicant. The only expense
this viii entail viii be the expresSage from
Kansas City, or some other convenient dis
trIbuJlng point within the state, 20 the ap- I
plicant's nearest express office-prob-
ably % cents on every package Of twenty
carp. Place the FISH IN the pond as soon
as received, and be sure they are provided
with food The carp Is largely a vegeta-
rian, but viii eat flesh. Boiled potatoes
cabbage and turnips are suitable food for
him He viii also eat shellsd corn. green
corn is especially appreciated, and whear
He j. also very fond Of the |
refuse bread from the kitchen. The fish
win not require much food the first winter.
The value OF fish pond need not b. eI-
planned for everybody knows i, but il jig
not generally understood that 50 little ex
pense is attached TO il. You have only 20
ask the state fish commissioner and the
government viii furnish Il free n order 70
encourage the industry.