Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-25
TO PROTECT THE BIAS S
A Meeting of Delegates From Maryland
Virginia and West Virginia.
A Bill to BE Presented to the LeEisla-
lures Of the Three States-A Close
Season for Black Bass.

There was a meeting of rod and gun
clubs of Maryland and Virginia aid ether
persons in those states and in Yves. Viz
ginia interested in fishing on the Potomac
Saturday afternoon at the club house of the
Rlue Ridge Rod and Gun Club near Har-
per's Ferry. The meeting was the result
of call issued by the Maryland State
Game and Fish Protective Association Of
Baltimore. The circular said: The Mary
land Game and Fish Protective Association
has for some time had under considera ton
the best means for the better protection of
black bass in the Potomac river, and, after
very thorough investigation of the sub
ject, is convinced that 1t is absolutely nee
essary for Maryland, Virginia and West
Virginia to agree upon a uniform law regu-
lating the catching of bass in the Potomac.
and then have the law agreed upon enacted
by the legislatures of the respective states"
Judge Edward Stake of Hagerstown was
elected president and DR.. Geo. w. Massl-
more of Baltimore secretary. Judge Stake,
in calling the meeting to order, stated that
1t was absolutely necessary that some steps
be taken at an early day restricting the
methods of catching the bass in the Poto-
mac, and prescribing a close season during
the spawning period to prevent the deple-
ton Of the bass supply in the Potomac
river. He explained in few words that
under an agreement between Maryland and
Virginia in 1IS6 no legislator enacted in
either state could become operative unless
similar action should be taken by the legis-
lature of the other state: that the agree
ment had never been rescnded, and assum-
ing that the state of West Virginia had in
herited all the state rights of Virginia
when she became q state it was, there
fore, absolutely necessary that the meet
Ing should agree upon only such proposed
legislation as would be acceptable to all
these states alike. With this in view, he
said, 1t was advisable to form the simples st
law possible containing the general pro-
visions for the protection of bass in the
Potomac, emitting all points which might
be desired by anglers in one state. but at
the same time be counter to existing stat
utes In the other states.
There was very general discussion of
the subject by the delegates present. re-
sulting in the framing of the following BILL
which was unanimously adopted:
The Dill Adopted.
1T shall not be lawful for any person to
catch or kill any black bass, green bass,
willow bass, rock bass, pike or picIlerel or
wall-eyed pike Commonly known as sal
mon) in the Potomac river and it's tribu-
taries between the fifteenth day of April
and the first day of June of each year; nor
shall catch or kill any of said species of
fish at any other time during the year, save
Only with a rod, hook and line, or dip net
ANY person violating the provisions of
this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,
and shall be punished on conviction by i'm
prisonment in the county Jail not exceeding
six months, or by fine not exceeding two
hundred dollars (S20O). or by both fine and
imprisonment: and it shall be the duty of
the court at any session of the grand jury
to call its attention to the provisions of this
law.
The provisions of this law shall not ap-
ply to the Potomac river its tributaries
below the Little Falls near Washington,
and will apply to the Potomac"
The organizations represented were ap-
pointed as committee to see that the
above bill was proposed in the legislatures
OF the respective states and Internal Rev
enue Commissioner Miller agreed 10 see
personally that the bill should be intro
duCed, and Il strong effort made to see that
1t passed the legislature of West Virginia
which is the first one to meet.
Refuse From the Mills.
A subject which came up during the dis
cussion upon the provisions of the above
bill was the refuse from the pulp and
other mills at and above Harper's Ferry
which is turned into the Potomac river,
thereby injuring the fishing and the water
supply of Washington. The subject was
promptly excluded from the provisions of
the proposed Dill and Its discussion post
poned until after the bill was framed, and
when the matter came up subsequently it
was pointed out by those who had looked
irto the matter that mill at William
sport made provisions for burning the
refuse, instead of turning it into the river,
and that other mill companies, If their at
tention was called to the matter, would
doubtless be equally public spirited and fol-
low the example of the WilIiamsport mill
A resolution was thereupOn unanimously
passed to that effect, and efforts will be
made to secure the cooperation of the va
rious mill companies in putting a stop to
this injury to fishing and faint to the water
supply.
The Delegates Present.
The following delegates were present at
the meeting: DR.. w. S. Harlan, John W.
Mccartney, James P. Willett, Rudolph
Kaufman, w. G. Sterrett, w. D. Rudy, c.
A. Shafer, from the Woodmont and Blue
Ridge clubs; DIR. G. w. Massamore and c.
S. Schermerhorn. from the Maryland Fish
and Game Protective Association of Balti-
more; Internal Revenue Commissioner
Joseph S. Miller Fl. S. cambridge and DR..
A. S. Reynolds of Shepherds town, repre-
sentng West Virginia; Judge Edward
Stake and VIM. II. Armstrong of Hagers-
town, Md; DIR. G. H. Edwards and j. G.
Mcclellan of Weverton, Md; Chas. F. Mel
son of Winchester and j. j. Grimm of Har-
per's Ferry.
BASE BALL GOSSIP.