The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-10
A STATE PAPER,
.,,.pocUMESr OF CONFORMATION.
v,.., Annual Report OF the Fisheries.
a.u. ard Forests Commissioners.

VIA huutNA
dame. and Forests Cemmissiorer-.
r,. ar.t annual report OF the Commissioner
,ri.heries. Game. and Forests OF the state OF
- Work. which was submitted In typewriter
-sn,script to tho Hon. hamilton Fish. speaker
the ssembly under date OF Jan. 30. 1890.
~. ,ov appeared. together with such additions
must win for 1t Widespread attention on the
n.rt of the people Of the State. In the shape Of q
prin,ed book. No one will deny that the Com.
mi.sioners were justified in causing their report
N bc printed In q book for distribution among
raople interested In such matters as the re-
mort covers. Although the law does not say
these reports shall be 80 printed. the Lceis-
is,ure has always ordered such reports issued
IN paper.covered pamphlets, and these have
been distributed. without cost to the recipients,
.s long as the editions lasted.
Tn, present Commissioners. however. have
been acting under the belief that the reports OF
mi, kind hitherto issued by commissions and
the legislature have not received the consider
alton at the hands OF the public that the good
OF the public demanded. Thoy have not de-
prec,ated the intrinsic value Of previous re-
norris, On the contrary. II was because such
reports had been full OF instructive and useful
matter that these Commissioners desired that
their display OF such matter should command
the attention which It deserved. However. their
thoughts and aspirations may be much better
set forth by quoting their own words:
ut is the desire OF tho commission" so runs
the preface to the report. that it's first report
shall be something more than q common
place, something more than q dry recital of
work accomplished. with prosaic facts and cold
figures: for. important and necessary as all these
and kindred matters may be, they are not APP
paren,ly of themselves sufficient to appreciably
i~nteres, the general public, as the general pub
lie might become interested IL the facts and
figures were presented with auxiliary matter.
and all in an attractive dress" In short. 1t was
"the object OF the commission in the following
pages to interest and In n degree instruct tho
mas. Of the people OF the State In regard to the
fisheries. game. ana forests by adding other than
statistical Information to their report.
To see that the Commissioners have produced
. public document that is something more
than commonplace" one need but glance at the
volume a. IL lies on tho table. The broad quarto
cover Is unique. Stamped near the top is n
picture OF a woodsy scene wherein q golden man
in y golden bicycle suit stands on q golden rock
and reels in a Dish from n golden pool beneath .
golden waterfall with golden deciduous trees In
the back round. On the right three golden fsh.
with bodies something like an elongated sand
pike. are rushing. openmouthed. toward tho pool.
On the left are two evergreens In black tspecies
untdeut!f.dl. Below this plate appears the title
OF the commission and below that, to balance
the golden scene above, is q golden print OF q
mounted deer's head.
Certainly when the commission hired an artist
to design this cover and then had the design en-
grayed on n brass plato for tho binders use.
they made a noteworthy beginning In their At
temp: TO make their report something more
than commonplace." No publishing house bring
ing out q sporting work OF assured popularity
would have designed n more elaborate cover.
But 1t Is not until the book has been examined
Is whole that the real wealth OF auxiliary
matter" found there may be fully appreciated.
DR.. c. Hart Merriam OF the Department Of ARri-
culture. In his minute report on the pouched
gophers. was content with plain gray litho-
graphic and pen-and.ink Illustrations OF his
rarely seen subject. Major Powell. when writ
ing Of the wonders seen during ns geological
survey Of the nation. has rare -entured be-
youd the same modest style of y allure. But
10 the first annual report OF tho New York
Fisheries, Came. and Forest Commission -
can DO found no less than sixty.one i%llustra-
tons. of which nearly a score are colored plates.
done In the most elaborate st yle OF the litho-
BY an artist II repDte. while Others are nhe pro.
cesses IRON carefully made photographs, and
even the cheapest pen-and-lnk sketch has been
executed In a manner appropriate TO the most
cAIoHslNc NOtk OF science.
But the excellence Of the pictures as speci-
mems OF the art work. OF designers, l!thogra-
phsrs; ard enE,avers Is not all that may oe
plate OF the muskalonge, OF which the Commits
.Ioners :ay thu. this I. the ir,t Time that a
specimen has been figured correctly"
People who are familiar with this fish and
also with the many beautiful pictures Of IL that
have appeared in the periodicals devoted to out
oi'coor sports, may. at hrst glance. think that
the Commissioner have claimed too much for
their plate. excellent though 1t be. But on
.p.ein.e hsrs 'iiia.,raied was .09 from G th"s .Hc
SaA Lake. and that what is claimed for
shautauqla Lake specimen has bee nrrectly
does not differ from those fonnd els a." here. but
cSai!s the rs.t are y no was ,iiH'nc''Ts. the
commissioner should receive all a.. lit duo
Ior what they have done ito inier.. nd in q
the State"
The frontispiece is q notable picture of . brook
tnat was ever printed At the expense of the
Staie, In one way IL Is sure to remind experts
@r .'f Eugene Sa,'' sis OF ass H'e w ! Of h: . M srSs' ~ hiss
commissioners, issued at his own expense and
s S. among his friends. This plate !:
nothing but The trout. while Mr.. Blackford's
pool wher. the tsh had been taken. stiil, as
,a'u. u Is a good picture, and so Will be welcome
70 ,neh indlyiduals of tho great mass OF tho
people OF the State as never saw q trout or a
g.od picture of one. To such people IL will be.
otcourse, IN a way instructive.
ohr other plate IL worth special mention-tho
picture oi what Is known In Oregon rs the
..Ihese pheasant. The Commissioners. In their
snotls 70 secure auxiliary matter " for their re-
port on Tue hsh. game. and forests Of New York,
Rrt'allen on = distinguished citizen OF Portland,
oI.tp "rIe them an essay on this beautiful. I'm
porter game bird. and at tho same time they pro-
tured from the same city q cock specimen that
nan attained what the naturalist, Hudson. calls
austy immortality IL had been mounted by
ahAldermist. II was a stuffed pheasant that
ssr'ed M the model for the artist that designed
~ picture, IL Is but fair TO say that the artist
uu ms work accurately. The picture gives an
chinese pheasant.
Indeed, II should be said OF tho Ash pictures as
reias or this pheasant, that they were all
sne.ehed from death by the commissions
The remainder OF the colored plates must
nave brief mention. The picture OF the buck
ad doe gives admirably the artists idea Of
nhat such a picture should be. II will no doubt
prove particularly pleasing TO those who favor
ny lmpressiOnist rather than the realistic
,snoPI OF art. Al any rate, any one at all
.Nmlliar Win. deer, no seen In the forest, will
necog'ilzoin which school the artist was luboring
wheh ie made the design for this plate. will sec
snal inc painstakinR care which led the artist
.Nell 10 count the scales as well as the fin spines
whth making pictures OF fsh was wholly aban-
uONci when pFeuaIinu In pnriray tho dapr