Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-24

mission have been the recipients Of MANY
courtesies from fishermen. on some occasions
being placed at their disposal gratis, while the
owners rendered their services IN like gener-
GUS manner. Journals kept by the
fishermen, giving full record OF
events in different fisheries, as well
as the daily catch and other information, have
also been open to the agents Of the commits
sion. thus insuring an accurate knowledge Of
ali fishing events. Facts and figures also
obtained from curers and manufacturers,
records Of railroads, express agencies
and whenever practicable the fishing grounds
visited and the location Of apparatus and
the method OF fishing observed The most Sc
cluded and out-of-the-way places are visited by
the trained agents OF the commission,
they being ofttimes obliged 70 make
dangerous passages in sail boats TO outlying
islands, or 70 ride rudderless and wayfariug
mules over mountain paths and through unln-
habited regions. 1t has been necessary also for
them to visit Chinese fishing camps on the Pa
chic coast and talk the Celestial pig tails Of to
get needed information Agents permanently
located IN few Of the larger fishing centers re-
port to the commission daily arrivals OF fishing
vessels and receipts OF fish, and in monthly or
semi-monthly reports furnish much other I'M
portant data, including the movements OF the
fish themselves and the fluctuations in the
catch on various fishing grounds. Many volun-
tary and valuable contributions are also re-
ceived from thoughtful and philosophical
persons engaged in the various branches Of the
fishing industry.
AN OCTOPUS PLANT.
The commission operating in conjunction
with its hatcheries scattered all over Uncle
Sans plantation is q sort of an octopus reach
ing out to every babbling brook or land locked
bay to inland lakes ana spawning grounds, and
bearing to every aqueous nook or ripping cor
ner OF the republic a gladness that yet may
prove fountain Of perpetual youth. and surely
would have made that ancient angler, Isaac
Walton, live forever.
MANY MILLIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION.
The commission will fhis year distribute to
the various waters Of the country about half 9
billion fish, number SO great that a boy with
pin hook pulling out one every minute night
and day would be kept so busy he couldn't steal
any watermelons for a thousand years. The
commission co-operates with the work being
done by the several states, and frequently re-
ceiyes requests from the state boards to which
there is always a ready response. The Hudson
has been made a salmon river, which il was not
by nature owing to the location of the spawn
ing grounds above impossible rapids, and
the Delaware by single planting
seven years ago has shown unexpected results.
By systematic work il too would be made the
shad is worth three-quarters of million more
than it was ten years ago, while the value of
the total catch has in the same time increased
about Sl0, 900, 900. The entire American catch
is worth about fifty or sixty millions to the
fishermen, which is enhanced to from seventy
five to Q hundred millions by the manufac-
turers
CANT TELL THEIR AGE.
Fish, fowl and gift horses are not TO be
looked in the mouth, nor, says Commissioner
Mcdonald, can you tell the age OF fish by its
size. Like Shanghai chickens and cucumbers.
fish, if they have an abundance of food. will
grow big in few days, but they can't get fat
on what little air soaks through the water into
their gill pumps. Some, like Luther rather
enjoy diet Of worms, while others must have
epicurean tidbits, but many telescope the small
fry and are pleased with the process. In the
words of Massilon or some other writer,
All the little fish
Have bigger fish 70 bite 'em.
And these in turn have bigger fish,
And so on ad infinitum