Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-04

tate the taking out entirely of this
dam, for, in his opinion, the fish that
are caught in this vicinity will not
improve until this is done.
Thomas Summer.
Thomas Sumner says that he is
heartily in favor of the dam being
taken out entirely and he thinks that
ii such thing is done, the fishing in
the Des Moines river at this place will
be benefited greatly. 'The excellent
fish that are in the waters below the
dam would surely come up, for fish
naturally swim up stream" said Mr..
Sumner, "and all species of fish are
bound to come up to this city if the
dam is taken out" Mr.. Sumner said
further that the fish that are caught
in the vicinity of Bonaparte are of
fine quality and are much better fish
than are caught in the Des Moines
here. He is very DESTROYS OF the Bona
parte dam being taken out COM
pletely.
]. r. jacques.
When 10 r. Jaques was seen this
morning by a reporter for his opinion
about the removal of the Bonaparte
dam he said that it was immaterial
to him, as he thought the taking out
of this dam would not be of any con-
sequence to the local fisherman. Mr..
Jaques said further that he was sat
isfied with the contents Of the river
at this place and that there is bet
ter grade of fish caught here than
at Bonaparte, as the bed of the river
below the dam at Bonaparte is of a
muddy substance and fish cannot be
good eating when they have to live in
this kind of river. Mr.. Jaques stat
ed, however, that no thought the cat
| fish would be better in this locality
were the Bonaparte dam out, but as
| to bass and game fish, the removal
would not make any difference.
Julius Fecht.
Julius Fecht wants the Bonaparte
| dam out, although he thinks that its
removal would make but little diff
| ference with the fish that is in the river
in this vicinity. Mr.. Fecht said that
the fish caught in the Des Moines
river in the city were better fish than
those caught below the Bonaparte dam
| as the river bed here is cleaner than
! that further down the river. He can
not see where the taking out of the
| Bonaparte dam would affect the fish in
this vicinity and is sure that the open
| ing up of place that will allow impure
water to mix with clear water, would
not tend to make the fish better quail
ity. Mr.. Fecht also stated that If there
were less net fishing and dynamiting
! done in this vicinity, the fish would be
as good as any one would want.
G. w. Elliott.
'In my opinion the removal of the
Bonaparte dam would not improve the
| fishing in this vicinity. There would
| probably be more and larger catfish
caught if the dam We're removed but
1 do not believe that it would benefit
the game fishing. The best fishing
we have ever had here was four years
ago and there had been no especially
high water that year and no especially
good opportunity for the fish to come
up the river would favor putting
the open dates for fishing about a
! month later than at present. Our best
| fishing comes when the water is the
clearest along in November but the
/ law as it now reads prevents fishing
at that time. Leave the dam alone
keep the nets out of the river and we
will have just as good fishing as any
one could want"
Henry PaIIister.
81 am satisfied that if the dam were
out we would get better fishing Since
| the dam has been partially out and
since the big flood many different va.
| rieties of fish have been caught here
that have never been caught before,
| One that is especially unusual is the
white perch. We have caught more
( and bigger catfish and bass than ever
before. If the dam were left open the
river would not need to be restocked
with fish and this would cause great
saving. Besides this we could then
do without fish commissioners and
! game wardens for there would be
plenty of fish for all"
| William Reece.
GAS a citizen of the state of Iowa
would most emphatically protest
against rebuilding the dam without a
good fishway in it. think that it
would be far better SO far as the sup
| ply of fish is concerned if the dam were
not rebuilt. Without the dam there
would be no necessity for restocking
the river every two or three years
and this would be great saving to the
state. l doubt the right of any in
dividual or set of individuals to dam
up the Des Moines river. II the dam
has gone out or partially gone out by
an act Of nature l believe that the re.
|