The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-08-20
Items Of Interest Taken From
Our Exchanges and
Condensed.
AN IMPORTANT DECISION,
u. s. Judge Severens Defines the
Rights ofVessels over Dredges
in Navigable Waters.

Inc Unlted states QlStrlct court at
Marquette has just rendered de-
cision of considerable interest to
vessel and tug men of the lakes, 1t
perhaps will be remembered that on
May 9Th of last .year the schooner
James Mowatt was being towed
through the Portage Lake canal by
the tug Valerie of Houghton. At
the same time the dredge Superior,
owned by Captain c. S. Parker, of
Superior, was at work in the chan
mel and was occupying so large
part of the stream that the tug and
the tow were unable to pass. The
tug, however, without waiting for
the dredge to move 10 one side, at
tempted to pass through the narrow
opening, with the result that the
schooner collided with the dredge,
doing considerable damage to it and
sustaining some damage herself.
The owner of the dredge libeled the
schooner at Marquette for the dam
age sustained The court absolved
the schooner from all fault, holding
that while the dre6ge might right
fully occupy a navigable channel
while engaged in its work, yet it
must use diligence in giving vessels
an opportunity to pass. The case
was argued by Searle ,& Spencer, of
Duluth, on behalf of the schooner,
and by Fl. II. Grace and ChadbUurne
& Rees on behalf of the tug and
dredge. This is said 10 be the first
time that decision has beer OBJ
tained that clearly defines the rights
of vessels over dredges in navigable
waters Mining Journal.
State Fish and Game WardeR sOs-
born reports that forty eight COM
plants of violations of the fish and
game laws were investigated in
July. There were twenty-six ar
rests, fifteen convictions, one ac-
quittal and three discharges. The
fines and costs assessed aggregated
$3O2.6 Eight of the arrests were
for violations Of the game laws, and
eighteen for violations of the fish
laws. Six cases are still pending.
Deputy Warden Brewster has just
completed tour of inspection
throughout the state. Be visited
Beaver islands among other places
aud learned that the department is
more than likely to have serious
trouble there this fall Practically
the entire population of the islands
us made UP of fishermen, and they
give it out cold that they do not
propose to observe the laws fixing a |
closed season. They declare that
the period from Oct 30 to Dec. Is,
which is the closed season under the
law enacted by the last legislature,
is the most profitable of the entire
year, and that it is their purpose to
make the most of it. They claim
that the state has 10 jurisdiction
over the great lakes, that being a
function of the general government.
Warden Brewster says that the
fishermen of Beaver island make
laws to govern their fishing that
are even stricter than those enacted
by the Legislature. The new statute
permits the use of nets with four
and one-balf inck mesh for general
fishing, and two and three quarter
inch mesh for herring fishing The
islanders, however, have agreed
among themselves to use no smaller
mesh than FIVE inches, and to per-
nit no one else to come in there and
use smaller mesh. The result is that
fish shipped from Beaver island are
larger and bring better price than
those caught elsewhere with nets of
smaller mesh. 1t is Game Warden
Osborn S purpose to have repre-
sentatives on the ground during the
closed season and see to it that the
law is enforced to the letter.
In the Mackinac county Republi-
can convention held Monday every
thing went strong for Pingree,
Burrows and Sheldon.