Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-30
TWENTY CARS Of FISH.
State Fish and Game Commits.
sioner Lincoln Talks of
His Work.
Expects to Transfer Twenty Car
Loads Of Fish Before the
Winter.
Will Place Only the Larger Sized
Fish In the Interior
Streams.

Game Commissioner Lincoln was at
home a short time yesterday, awaiting
the arrival OF his private car, on which
he left last night for Sabula, where he
will load about $4,000 fine fish for trans
portation to Storm Lake. Mr. Lincoln
expects to handle at least twenty cars
of fish, having already planted car load
lots at Independence, Elkader. Corning.
Ottumwa. Perry, Clear Lake, Wall Lake
and Humboldt. OF his work and plans
Mr.. Lincoln last evening said:
II am not following the precedent es-
tablished in this state. and have deter
mined that the state shall not be asked
to pay penny for handling or freight
of fries What is the use of putting
out tiny little minnows that will be COB
bled up by larger and older fish? be-
lieve that our present plan of putting
out nothing but fish that will breed next
spring is the only sensible thing to do,
and SO when my men are catching in
the bayous of Sabula for shipment to
various sections of the state we adhere
to the rule that nothing but good-sized
and aged fish shall go into the tanks.
For instance: In the last carload we put
out there was one croppy that weighed
two and half pounds, by the govern
ment scales People who are interested
can see in the aquarium in the green
room at Greenes opera house several
average specimens of our shipments
We have ten men constantly employed
in SEEMING and asserting fish for ship
ment, and are sending out pickerel. pike.
black. silver and rock bass, croppies and
sunfish. We catch thousands of carp,
but make no effort to save them, cas- the
recent decision of the supreme court has
upset all our plans. AS Is. perhaps, quite
generally known, these fish are caught
in the bayous OF the Mississippi river,
having been left there by the spring
floods, and unless they are seined out
and cared for they will perish during
the winter by the millions"
The disappointing decision OF the su-
spreme court is synopsized in the follow
ing dispatch from Des Moines:
1.-THE supreme court, decided that the
state fish and game warden may not
take or authorize the taking of fish
from the public waters to stock private
waters. Fred Sears of Sac county was
convicted Of SEEMING fish and defended
by exhibiting the written authority OF
Fish Commissioner Delavan. The court
holds that the fish commissioner has no
such authority and can not delegate 1t.
Sears wanted the fish for a private
pond. Under the decision the fish COM
missioner can not use fish fry from the
hatchery even to stock private wa
ters."
Commenting upon this Interpretation
of the law, Mr.. Lincoln said:
Heretofore the fish commissioners
have worked under section 2546 of the
game law, which provides that the war
den may take from any of the pubic
waters of the state, at any time and in
any manner, any fish for the purpose of
propagating or restocking other Wa
ters.' and under our Interpretation OF
this section we have occasionally given
carp and other fish to owners of private
ponds. In fact, many farmers and 9th
ers have constructed ponds for the rails
ing of fish for their own use, believing
that the state would supply the stock,
coming session of the Legislature will
be unable to comply with a single re-
quest. One gentleman in the southern
part of the state has large artificial
lake in which he permits the people for
miles around to fish at certain seasons
of the year. 1t is virtually public
lake, except that the fish are protected
during the spawning season, yet my de-
partment can not do a thing to assist
him in keeping the lake stocked. I
hope this matter will be agitated in ev-
cry county in the state until the laws
are amended. We need several changes
and a larger appropriation. The people
are just beginning to appreciate the
value of this department, as is mani
tested in many ways especially in as
sisting in the enforcement of the game
laws. The right kind of sentiment is
being worked up, and the results will be
plainly seen in a few years.
Cousins at Ida Grove.