The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-05-09

mIssioners. Salem, Oregon.
Gentlemen: lin regard 70 the pub
liahed statements that have appeared
in our papers ot late about the salmon
nv raised al the Mckenzie River
Hatchery station and liberated into
the mckenzie River being devoured BY
trout and other fisa native 20 that
stream, I will say that ! have made 4
careful research Into the AFFAIR, and
from what have been able to find
out. am moro convinced than ever
that with careful hatchery superin-
tendent. who win consciantiously exert
himself at all times to keep the hatch-
cry offai Chat ". dead eggs and dead
fry) from entering the streams. a. our
superintendent are always instructed
10 do: and win be particular not 70
liberate any Of the fry until after the
yoIk-sac has entirely disappeared. and
then. be particular when ani where hel
lIberates the fry, we viii never have
any OF them devoured by trout and
other fish native to the Mckenzie and
willamette Rivers, nor In fact any of|
tho other Columbia River tributaries
And further. from the Investigation
made, ! beg to state that nave been
enabled TO determine beyond ques-
tion OF doubt that the fry, OF which
ex-superintenient J. A. Talbert re-
ports. and OF which ex-Deputy Fish
Warden III. A. Webster wrote about In
his newspaper article. were dead fry
that had smothered In the hatchery
troughs the night Of Mr.. webster's
arrival at the station. or the next |
night following and that there were at
the very least calculation one hundred
100000 thousand OF these dead and
Hmothered fry dumped out together In
10 tho water supply creek below the
hatchery troughs. short distance
above its confluence with the Nc
Kenxie River during the night and the
next day, which was the ID and 9TH. or
tho ath and 5th OF January, 1907; and
IN tho 9Th. Superintendent Talbert's
report shows the catching OF the two
Dolly Warden trout and three white
IiHh In pool al the moutn OF this
sreek that were full OF salmon fry,
and OF which webster's article states
were devoured after being liberated
from the hatchery In the usual manner
It seems that Mr.. Webster visited
this hatchery unaware to this office,
during the forepart Of January 1907.
for the apparent purpose Of ccnfuting
the published reports recently receiv-
oil from the United States Bureau OF
Fisheries and from John Pease Bab-
cock. commissioner OF British Colum-
bia on the subject OF salmon Fry
liberated from the
natcheries. THAT the night Of his ar
rIval at the station. or the first night
Il was very rainy and
stormy, anu before retiring for the
night, along between . and 10 o'clock,
he hands all being congregated in the
iwclllng house, excepting Frank a.,
Pepiot Who lived at home. II was sug-
yested that someone go up to the
hatchery troughs which We're some two
t2OO) yards away to see that
sverything was all right for the night;
his Mr., c. 7. Peek volunteered to DO,
md when he got up there he found the
water supply shut Off by the trash and
,and that came down the supply creek
md the young fry all smotherlng, he
cleared away the trash
Ind got the water running again
through the troughs and then ran back
% the house and gave the alarm and
md got all hands out to help resusci-
late the fish: they worked doing this
or a couple Of hours when Webster
md Talbert concluded that the worst
u them and better be siphoned out OF
he troughs In order to clear the
lcreens, so at this work, he assisted
dr, Talbert. and Mr., G. r. Roadarmel
assisted Mr., webster; that altogether
hat night four or Ave buoketfulls OF
hese dead and smothered Ash, amount
ng to forty or fifty thousand, were
lrawn or and dumped into the water
upply creek. short distance above
where It empties into the Mckenzie
siveri after clearing the screens Of
hese fish, which was along about mid
light Messrs, Webster, Talbert and
soadarmel retired Tor the night and
Er Tannts' ,,nt,, ainna - z..k.. a.. - al