The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-08-30
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unknown to former piscatorial lore.
Add new subgenera and change the for
nation of varieties. For great trans
formation in the fifth class Of verte
brate animals has resulted from the dig
ging of the Chicago drainage canal and
the commingling of the lakes waters
with those of the rivers. The digging
of the channel across the great divide
that once separated Lake Michigan
from the Mississippi Valley has let
the lake fish into the Des PLANES, the
Illinois and the Mississippi rivers. The
seeming unnatural commingling of wa
ters has produced fishes that seem un-
natural-that is, when compared to our
present standards. New forms, new
varieties, new types have appeared,
differing In color, habits and general
description from any other known TO
the American pisciculturist. CoeXist-
ent with the appearance of the new
kinds of fishes there Is noted most
remarkable increase generally in the
number of the finny inhabitants Of the
Des PLANES and Illinois rivers. The
Des PLANES River fairly swarms with
fishes, and fishermen are reaping har
vest such as their fondest fancy never
pictured In former times. All along
the canal, and the Chicago River, and
far down the Illinois River, the same
conditions are noted to a greater or less
extent Ichthyologists have marvelled
at the seeming phenomena, and from
all sections of the country scientists
are coming to study the conditions, to
make note of the new forms and record
them in the new history of American
fishes, which now must undergo COM
plete revision. True, many dead fishes
have appeared In the rivers, but all
such show marks of violence and no
evidence Of disease. 1t Is evident that
a great warfare Is going on among
them over which families and species
shall have the best right to make the
river their future home.
With the increase in the number Of
the river fishes, there appears to be a
corresponding increase in the number
of Lake Michigan fishes At least all
the lake fishermen are complaining, and
the assertion is freely made that the
lakes fnny tribe are being emptied
through the canal into the rivers be-
yond the Chicago divide Formerly
e.. 10 thirtxr mil
wide between the lake and the river
fishes, and the types inhabiting the two
waters, generally speaking, were en-
tirely separated and distinct. But when
the canal was dug across the divide
and the Chicago River was turned up
side down, and instead of flowing into
the lake was made to become an out
let Of the lake and empty the lakes
waters into the canal and thence into
the Des PLANES and on into the Mis-
sissippi River near st. Louis, the lakes
fishes have gone with the outfiowing
waters into the rivers, there to join the
river fishes and compete with them in
the struggle for existence. Thousands
of these fishes, while being hurried on
with the current, have been noted with
the naked eye by boatmen and people
standing on the banks Of the river and
canal. Sometimes the water seemed to
be fairly alive with them, and fisher
men, unable to resist the temptation,
have defied the law, and, in nets, have
hauled them to the shore In wagon
loads. Lake trout and perch, never
before caught outside of the lakes, have
been brought to shore by thousands all
along the canal and the Chicago and
Des PLANES rivers. Lake herring, cisco
grayling, chubs, lake trout. white fish
and numerous other fishes, heretofore
regarded as exclusive inhabitants Of
the great lakes, now swarm in the wa
tecs beyond the Chicago divide. White
bass. pickerel and muscallonge have
been found in goodly numbers, and two
specimens of the Michigan grayling,
heretofore found only in Lake Michi-
gan and n the waters of Michigan
State. have been caught.
Once they have crossed the bear
trap dam at Lockport, there Is no way
for any of these great swarms Of fish
to return to Lake Michigan, and they
must make their home in the rivers
beyond and fight for supremacy with
the old inhabitants Of these waters. 1t
is probable that the conflict which will
result In the survival of the fittest, will
cause wedding out of many of the
types now aboundlng, and some of the
river fish and some Of the invaders
from the lake will undoubtedly become
annihilated. Indications are, however,
that the general result Will be most
beneficial to the lake fisheries. The in
fusion of new blood into the old river
stock already seems to have added new
life to the waters, and hence, while the
fishes are fighting for supremacy, they
are multiplying enormously, and the
splendid specimens of all the varieties
this season show that the health and
general physical condition have been
greatly improved. The fish feed upon
each other, and it appears that none sf
the deaths have resulted from other
causes than violence. The season has
afforded unprecedented sport for those
aearching for game fish. Old-time