The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-30
A GREAT SPORTING PRESERVE.
How Names Fish and Game Business is
Being Developed-A Boston Man Goes
Into 1t On a Gigantic Scale.

The facts in regard to this huge enter
prise are as follows: Benjamin D. Wyatt,
of Boston, has recently secured by lease
for a term of years, the shooting and fish
ing rights on ~, 900 acres Ct wild Ian d
in Hancock and Washington counties,
for the purpose of propagating and pro-
tectlng the fish and game, and will
charge sportsmen a certain fee for shoot
ing and fishing there There are ten
lakes in this preserve, Big Tunk, five
miles; Fox Pond, one mile; Spring
River Lake. three miles: Long Pond,
two miles; Round Pond, one mile, and
series of small ponds, five in number,
from half mile to a mile in length.
Spring River runs from; Big Tunk to
Spring River Lake, thenca Is miles to
the sea, employing into the Gouldsboro
bay, at Steuben. 1t is good-sized
stream, and experts who have examined
it say that it can be made good sal
mon river. 1t has a rough, rocky bed
with many fine pools, and before
any dams were built on it was well
stocked with sea salmon. Only last
pool below mill in trap.
1t is proposed to put the fshways in
Immediately, and stock the river with
sea salmon. II this is accomplished,
the preserve will contain what does not
exist at present in this state, viz, sal
mon river for rod and fly, with diversi-
ty of pools. While there are stretches of
water in several Maine rivers where the
tide flows up to dams, where salmon are
taken with the fly. fresh water salmon
river is unknown. Five years ago, the
fry Of landlocked salmon were put into
the lakes, and have grown remarkably,
some having been taken this spring
weighing five pounds.
1t is proposed to erect hatchery next
fall. Last October Mr.. Wyatt turned
into the waters 5000 Won Behr trout,
1000 Loeb Leven trout and 1000 land
locked salmon.
The game on the preserve consists of
deer, duck, partridge, woodcock, etc.
One camp has been erected, also an ice
house and 40 tons of ice were stored
last w inter. The lease was only con-
summated last winter. The payment of
| $25 secures the privilege or using the
preserve or five years Other camps are
| to be built as the increase in business
| demands.
At first glance this savors somewhat
| of monopoly of natures freedom that
would have reused unspeakable anger in
| the hero of Cooper's Leather stocking"
| tales. But at a second glance one sees
that this sort of thing(is not wholly
unmitigated crowding of the poor coun-
tryman by the rich city man. To make
the most of this game region to develope
| it, involves large investment OF money.
1t may bring large influx of visitors
| to that region, which cannot fail to in
| crease business and the money supply
there; also the propagating of fish there
| cannot fail to cause an overflow of the
fish supply into all tine free waters of the
surrounding country.
Of course the name preserve" seems
disagr cable when applied to hunting
and fishing in Maine, but it is the inevi-
table tendency, as this great business in
creases. If it is worth developing cap
| ital must develop it. And that is all
right if the priyege of capital isn't
abused as in the case of Niagara Falls.
| Certainly $25 for five years does not in
dictate grasping monopoly.
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