The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-14
MILLIONS Of FISH
Shad From the Govern
ment for Our Waters
A Fish Commission Car Goes to Colds
boro, Which Will be the Dis
tributing Point For
the Fish.
Especial to News and Observer.)

N5D6CldI H.
Washington, d. c., May 13.-One
of the Fish Commissions cars, left
here yesterday morning with three
million fry shad which are to be dis
tributed in North Carolina waters. The
car went from here to Goldsboro and
from there it will send out shipments
of from 100000 to 100000 fish each,
to the following places:
Fayetteville (Cape Fear), Whining
ton (Cape Fear), Lumberton (Lumber
river), Clinton (SiX Runs riVer), New
port (New river), Pollocksville (Trent
river), and two points on the Pee Dee
river in South Carolina.
Last week when a car of fish was
sent to Augusta, Ga, it planted fish
at two North Carolina pointS-one in
Pee Dee river and the other in the
Catawba river. The balance went to
the waters of Georgia Two or three
other shipments are scheduled for
North Carolina waters later in the sea-
son, but are of course dependent in
large measure on whether or not the
commission will have the fish neceS-
sary to make them when the time
comes, the hatch so far having been
far below what is usual at this time.
This, of course will be in part made
up later, there being two seasons of
distribution--fry in the spring and
| fingerlingS in the fall.
At the Edenton station, for instance,
| the hatch has been only 10000, 900,
whereas it usually runs from two to
three times that number These have
| already been distributed in the Albe-
marie Sound and it's tributaries. The
| decreased hatch, officials here say, is
| due almost exclusively to the decrease
| in the catch of fish in the sound and
the decrease, therefore, in the supply
of eggs.
| Secret of Decrease
| AS previously stated. the commission
| is making an investigation into the eX-
! tent and causes of this decrease,
| Though this investigation is not yet
complete, the opinion of the officials
/ in charge of it. formed from such data
| as they have obtained, is that the
| decrease is due to local conditions and
will become greater each year until
! the State enacts some much-needed
remedial legislation.
/ The shad is both a fresh and salt
water fish 1t is Matched and spends
! the first six or eight months of its
| life in fresh water. Then it goes out
| into salt water to come back to fresh
water two or three years later to
spawn and reproduce itself. Failing
! to reach fresh water it does not spawn.
| Taking advantage of this condition
! local fishermen have lined with pound
| nets the sides of the channels of the
| sounds and rivers of North Carolina,
! at the point where the fish come out
| of the salt water to spawn, and in
many instances they have put gill nets
! across the channel, which they watch
and remove only when compelled to
! do so in order not to obstruct naviga-
| ton. Under these circumstances few
! of the fish ever get beyond their first
| spawning season and even of these few
! ever spawn. Hence there is no natural
reproduction and unless there is some
| legislation by the State regulating the
time and method of taking the shad,
we must soon come to the situation
| of taking out each year just the few
! thousand fish that the commission put
! in two or three years before.
| AS soon as the investigation is COM
| pleted the commission will formulate
some recommendations on this impor
tant point, which will very likely be
! brought to the attention of the North
| Carolina Legislature next winter.
An almost exactly similar situation
existed in Connecticut several years
ago and threatened the fishing indus
| try of that State as it now threatens
| the far more important fishing indus
/ try of North Carolina. The State au-
| thorities were induced to take up the
matter notwithstanding the fact that
there was much politics brought to
| bear in it, and today the Connecticut
shad fisheries are more valuable than
ever before and increasing in value
and Importance every years.
! In addition to the distribution of
shad now being made, the commission
is shipping brook trout from stations
all over the United States.
Blows Brilliant Bubbles.
Col. B. Frank Mebane, of Spray
who has been here this week, talked
politics to a reporter of the Washing
| ton Post. He is quoted as saying:
"As a loyal Republican, | wish to
| haven't the slightest doubt he will
! be.
'The Democrats are, unfortunately
| for them, in a position where they
have no issues on which they can go
| before the people with any chance of
making a winning fight. The President
| has in his whole public career showed
! himself so thoroughly in sympathy
with the masses and so intent on pro-
noting their welfare, that no attacks
of the opposition can loosen the hold
| he has on the regard of his country
| men. Moreover, as | view it, the DEM
ocratic party is certain of splitting at
st. Louis. The followers of Messrs
Hearst and Bryan are going to be very
| formidable, if not in a majority, ana
| they will not listen to the nomination
of any man who suits the Democracy
| of the East There is a bolt coming at
| St Louis as sure as fate.
He was not interviewed as to his
opinion upon the Booker Washington
dining; the Crum appointment; and
| the Indianola postmistress incident.
FRED l.. MERRITT.