The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-12
FISH AND GAME.
Annual Report of the Com missioners,

Augusta. Nov. 1.-THE commissioners
say in their annual report just presented
to the Governor that never before in the
history of the State have inland fish and
game interests been SO much discussed
by the people and the press as during
the year Just closed. The laws for the
protection of fish and game have always
been difficult of enforcement, and those
charged with their enforcement have
never escaped severe criticism.
| LIT Is fact, however. that there has
been less violation of the game laws this
year than ever before since fish and game
became abundant.
The State has four we'll equipped hatch
cries and feelings stations, viz, at Edes
Falls Caribou, Auburn and Monmouth.
At Auburn cottage has been built
during the year for residence for the
superintendent and Matching house
erected at Caribou, and new dams have
been built at..these places.
Two hundred and thirty thousand
trout were raised four hundred and fifty
thousand land-locked salmon; and one
hundred and forty.six thousand Penob-
scot river salmon, which were planted in
one hundred and twenty. one different
bodies of water in the State, besides sew
eral hundred thousand trout and salmon
were raised and planted by private enter
prise, the State having furnished the
eggs for Matching.
{. The catch of fish, land-locked salmon,
white perch, pickerel and black bass has
been exceptionally large. The guides re-
port that those fishermen whom they
have guided have caught more than fifty
tons of trout and salmon. The outlook
| for future fishing was never SO good in
recent years as today.
The law for the registration of guides
has worked well, and is held in great
favor by the commissioners and q large
majority of the guides and true SPORTS
men; thirteen hundred and sixteen
guides have been registered since the law
went into effect July LIST.
From the annual report Of the guides
| the following facts appear:
Total number Of days guides have been
emloyed, 81 ,giS.
AtS8. DO Der day the usual price would
amount to s155, 754 paid in wages to the
guides; $50, 600 has been paid to the tax
| idermists of the State
Number of residents guided, 35oi
Number of non -resfdents guided. 7ls5
Total number of moose killed, $50
| Total number Of caribou Killed, 239
Total number of deer killed, S947
| Total number of bear killed, 100
Non-residents who haTe employed
guides have spent in the state az least
| two million dollars.
Residents Of the State who employed
guides expended at least one hundred and
seventy five thousand dollsrs.
This is matter for oongratulatlon thaG
more than three thousand Of our own cit
izens have preferred to spend tEeir vaca.
] sion and money in the State instead OF
other States or countries.
The gHidcs refnYt their other occupa-
| tion besfdas guiding as follows:
Three hundred farmers, 35 Woodsmen,
| 1 express agent, engineer, game war
dens, is hunters, / harness maker. host
| lsr, hotel proprietors, 1aek.as-all-
| trades, jewellers, "a plumbers, mer-
chants, 16 m!llfaen. mechanical engi,
professional loafer. postal clerk, AZ river
drivers, reporters, IL surveyors, spool
steambo proprietors, 10 taxidermists, 9
| transfers, 81 trappers, trial Justice, l
farmer and postmaster. bushwhacker,
I bottoming chairs, blacksmiths, s
merchants.
One thousand nineteen (l0l9) were born
| in this State. Three have died-two by
drowning.
The youngest is fourteen years of age
and the Oldest seventy-eight, who has
been guide for more than half CEN
| tury.
| They are registered from fourteen of
the sixteen counties as follows:
Two Androscoggirl, 173 Aroostook, 20
Cumberland, 175 Franklin, Il Hancock.
lis Kennebec, / Knox, 81 Oxford $40
Penobscot, 270 Piscataquis, 1856 Somer-
set, Waldo, 10S Washington. York,
| 10 Lake MegaDtic Association guides.
| In the several f. ! shootings of persons
while hunting 10 registered guide has
been connected Five have been caught
poaohing, and one surrendered his cert1fi-
| cate
The commissioners have held monthly
meetings at the State House, and have
attended forty -one hearings on petitions
of taxpayers to close certain lakes, ponds
and streams.
| From the foregoing abstract it will be
seen that Maine has a marvellous indus
| try in her inland fish and game which
should be well cared for