The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-12-31
Governor Fifield Tells Reporter
all About 1t.
IS GOING TO SALT THE WATER
Lake Superior is to be Changed From Fresh
to Salt Water, and in Addition to
Seal Goldfish and LobSterS are
to be Propagated.

Governor Fifeld, of Ashland, con-
siders the proposition to raise seal in
Lake Superior tremendous joke.
He says that when he was returning
from trip to the south he picked up
a Chicago paper, and found full
account of the plans which together
with a Russian nobleman and
gentleman at Rhinelander he was
supposed to put into execution. 1t
was the first he has heard of raising
fur bearing seals in Lake Superior,
and recognizing the merit of the joke
played upon him by the Ashland
Press. he has steadily pushed it
along. The Duluth News Tribune
got hold of him Saturday, and the
next morning the folio wing appeared
in that paper:
Former Lieutenant Governor
Samuel S. Fifeld of Wisconsin came
over to Duluth last evening with a
party of Ashland people to witness
the final performance of Ben Hur at
the Lyceum. The party are guests
at the St Louis. Mr.. Fifield smiled
when the story was preached that
corporation of Ashland people are to
stock Lake Superior with fur bear
ing seals.
Il suspected you would speak of
that" he said. 81 am surprised,
but some of the far away papers
seem to take the subject seriously.
For their benefit you may say that
we have obtained "a corner on the
salt market and expect to transform
Lake Superior into salt sea, and it
will be a freshwater lake but short
time longer. You see we need the
salt water for the best results in
raising the seals. The cities that
derive their water supply from Lake
Superior, will, we apprehend, make
no complaint. They will recognize
the much greater demand for much
cheaper seaIskins than for mere
water. There will be further ad-
vantage for the water drinking pub
lie on the lake. They will find it
necessary to boil and evaporate the
water ssupply to get salt out ofit,
and by so doing the last possible
thought of the presence of unwhole-
some germs will be oanished.
'But our plans have broaden ed
since the original report of the estab-
ishment of the seal industry in
Lake Superior was made public.
lnasmuch as swe will have to trans
form the water from fresh to salt, it
has been decided to introduce cod
fish, mackerel and Holsters. 1t will
be necessary for us to amend our
articles of Incorporation and increase
the capitalization but it is we'll
worth the trouble and expense. We
did not at first grasp the possibilities
OF the scheme which began with the
mere establishment of the seal in
dustry. Bv making salt water of
Lake Superior it will increase in
popularity as a summer resort for
tourists, and real sea serpent may
be tempted to spend it's summers
here for their benefit. You may say
that now is the time to get in on the
ground ofoor if there is any idle
capital in Duluth: We are ia cor
respondence with big firm in the
east which is anxious to handle all
the stock, and people that wait too
long may see the greatest opportun-
ity of their lives vanish forever.
Copper mines are all right enough
for people that are satisfied with
mo6est results, but if you want to be
in with the biggest thing that ever
happened, now is the golden oppor-
$unity."