The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-23
Wo3DBR w1RK WITH FISH.
soma Marvellous Things to be Shown
by the Fish Comm 'ssion.
Ia.on, }bo On.

by the Fish Comm ssion.
From the Washington Star.
The United States fish commission hopes
to make its EXHIBIT the most attractive
seature of the worlds fair. Nor would this
expectation appear necessarily unreason-
able. inasmuch as the waters of the earth
cover countless things in which mankind is
most keenly interested, being spread over
an area three times larger than that wherein
explorations on land are practicable.
What science knows already Of the bot
toms of the rivers and the seas and of the
creatures Of various kinds from giants to
microscopic pigmies which the waters con-
tain is interesting enough, but almost i'm
measur able fields of subaqueous research
yet remain to be surveyed aud investigated.
Full many gem not only OF price, but of
knowledge, the dark, unfathomed caves of
ocean bear. The problems Of the great
deeps are mysteries still destined to furnish
libraries of fascinating information for gen.
creations to come.
For it is only within a very few years
that attempts have been made to fish I'D
what these depths contain, to investigate
the inhabitants Of the realms where iaer-
maids and mernen were supposed OF old TO
dsport themselves, and 70 catalogue the
fauna and fora Of Neptune's marvellous
domaing. Only within time most recent
have naturalist learned how to assist the
spawning of sea fishes Ia the streams. The
rivers ard ponds all over the country are
rapidly being transformed into farms for
the pr0ra ;ation ard fattening Of finny pro-
duce and it Is estimated by those who have
most kno Wedge ON the subject that II will
not be long before the waters Of the United
States will Yield more food for the people
Of this country than tie land.
la AinG ALI these things into consideration,
it teens likely that the fish commissions
show at the fair will draw the multitude.
An entire building will be devoted to aQua-
| ria, In which all sorts Of living seq aud
fresh water flshes, as we'll as other animals,
will be exhibited Another structure will
be filled with anglers apparatus Of every
kind, with every description of hooks, lines,
nets, sinkers, poles artificial blit, spears,
etc, as well as traps and other devices for
commercial use strictly, which the sports
man sneezes contemptuousy at.
Also will be shown tile mechanism by
which the ocean bottoms are surveyed aud
mapped out, with dredges and other para
phernalia for collecting specimens Of every
variety of life from the depths. Appliances
which record soundings even in the great
sea holes SIX miles down or more Will be
displayed with devices for taking the
temperature OF the always frigid depths
for bringing up samples of bottom ooze,
and for recording the tremendous pressure
of the neither waters
An elaborate series Of exhibits will show
the most approved methods adopted for
Matching and farming fish. In this way will
be illustrated the processes by which the
great shad fisheries, which would have
otherwise been already destroyed, are main
tanned in the Potomac and other eastern
rivers and how, similarly, the wonderful
salmon fisheries of the northwest are kept
M Nv svxfn thn orYae
millions of young fry. Matching of various
food fishes will be carried on constantly In
jars, turning out hundreds of thousands
daily, so that the public may have an op-
portunty to observe how science he's learned
10 assist the piscatorial efforts OF nature.
The notion Of fishery exhibition seems
to have been originated by the Dutch who
held the first one at Amsterdam in 1861, In
1868 q similar show was opened at Bergen,
Norway, at which were shown ell kinds of
apparatus for the capture of aquatic ami
mails from the whale to the shrimp, besides
models of fish curing establishments and sea
products of every description. During the
Following year nshery exhibition was
started at Archac0n, in France. in which
among other things, tie multitudiuous uses
OF seaweeds were demonstrated. Like wise
the value of guano made from inedible
fishes was shown, and various other strange
sea products were placed on view, such as
ambergris, spermaceti. shagreen and the
dye shells of the Indian ocean.
There were also oysters from the Isle of
Re, growing in their native element and on
the very tiles which for propogating pur-
poses hsd been placed to intercept the spat
Cultivated mussels, so valuable as bait, were
seen hanging in beautiful clusters Just as
they had grown on basketwork provided for
farming them in the Bay OF Aiquillan. In
1866, also, an even larger fisheries exhibi-
: ton was given at Boulogne. During 1867
there were several more shows of a similar
character at various European cities in Den
mark, Austria and Sweden.
In 1868 France gave such an exhibition at
Havre, in which picked mackerel were
} shown for the first time and excited much
curiosity. 1t was not until 1871 that the
Italians entered the field with show at Ma
Piles. A piscicultural exhibition was held at
the Westminster aquarium, London, in
1878, but owing to the haste with which il
was got up IL was unsatisfactory. In 1880
the Germans gave a fishery exposition at
Berlin, which was a grand affair. Ii is a
matter OF history that the display made by
the United States on this occasion far ex-
ceeded that OF any other nation in compre-
henslveness and in the variety of objects
shown. .,sf
The first prize, given by the emperor, was
awarded to America for the completeness
} Of its showing. The Prince of Wales, in
1881, opened a national fisheries exhibition
} at Norwich. which proved so successful that
it was followed the next year by the inter-
national fishery exposition at Edinburgh,
} and in 1888 followed the great international
/ fisheries exposition at London. This last
was, perhaps, the most important event in
the history OF the fisheries of the world,
aud did more to advance the interests Of
fishermen than had been done by all other
shows Of the sort up TO that time
However, not all these exhibitions put to-
gether have made such display as will be
shown at Chicago to celebrate the anniver-
sary of the discovery by Columbus, aud it
may reasonably be anticipated that the
great show Of fisheries to come will give a
new inspiration to the study Of. the waters
| aud 70 toe water farming of thelfntura