The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-15


the snow of last week have not done
much towards replenishing the
springs and the streams of North
eastern Pennsylvania. Conditions
hereabouts in this respect have not
been equalled by those experienced
since the drought Of 1908, followed
by that of the past summer and fall,
which cast its blight upon the seep-
ing hillsides and meadow lands
which have made Wayne county
famous as a country of lakes and
neverfailing springs and small
streams. These and wells, not alone
in Pleasant Mount township but in
all the adjacent territory, have nev-
er been so low.
At the Wayne Fish Hatchery,
which lies in the upper valley of
the Lackawaxen creek, Just over the
first hill from this village towards
the Ontario and Western railroad,
the conditions have been and still
are alarmingly serious. The entire
creek at the present day under a
twelve-inch pressure could be run
through 2-inch pipe, and the wa
ter is SO impure that in the past four
months the Hatchery has suffered
a loss of about fifteen thousand
breeding trout. Unless more and
copious rains fall, and there does
not appear much hope for such in
this freezing weather, the entire
stock of breeding trout may be lost.
On October 9Th, Commissioner
w. E. Meehan made a visit of in
spection of the conditions at the
Wayne hatchery. He decided to at
once put down an artesian we'll for
the purpose of supplying water to
the trout ponds to prevent the loss
by death of the breeding trout. w.
L. Barton, of Olyphant, was later
awarded the contract for this we'll,
and it is now being drilled, Mr.. Bar
ton starting the work last week.
This we'll, when completed, will be
no less than two hundred feet deep,
with an 8-inch hole, and capable of
supplying 1875 gallons per minute.
This we'll will go deep enough to
guarantee this volume of flow. A
new ice house of $50 tons capacity
is also being constructed.
Many improvements have been
made at the hatchery the past sea-
son by enlarging the original build
ing, which was 20x60 feet, until now
its dimensions are 72x85 feet, all
under one roof The capacity of
the present buildings in the output
of trout will be 100000 and for
pickerel and perch 100000. The
battery of two hundred jars for
Matching pickerel and perch will
shortly be increased to $50.
In the spring of 1910 the work of
beautifying the grounds will begin.
On the square plot midway between
the bass pond and the line of brood
ing ponds a fountain will be erect
ed. This will be of concrete, thirty
feet in diameter, with circular
bottom. The fountain will be ten
feet high and will have ten jets, the
center one the largest. Around the
ponds will be planted trees, gravel
walks will be made, and along the
edges of the ponds, willows will be
planted so as to prevent the heat of
the sun from warming the water to
such degree as to cause the death
of fish.
At the extreme north end of the
grounds a concrete dam has been
built to turn the water into the
Hatchery grounds to supply the
ponds, through a concrete inlet, the
water passing from pond to pond.
Below the concrete dam there will be
built a Japanese arch foot bridge
to cross the creek from the Hatch
cry grounds to a grove of naples,
this being the only way to approach
that portion of the grounds. In
this grove will be fitted up seats,
swings, etc., for the accommodation
of visitors to the Hatchery, in the
pleasant surroundings of which
they may wish to spend the day.
The creek from the concrete dam
to the southern extremity of the
Hatchery grounds will be of a uni
form width of twenty-five feet, with
concrete walls on either side to pro-
tect the embarkments. At inter-
walls of about three hundred feet
pools of various depths will be made
in which trout from the creek can
winter and be protected from weas-
els, coons and other animals that
prey upon them.
A perch pond is also being con-
structed which, when completed
will cover one and one-half acres,
the greatest depth being fourteen
feet, the shoalest portion four feet,
making an average depth of nine
feet. This. when completed, will
have a capacity of $1,000 perch,
capable of furnishing 100000
eggs. Two of the large fry ponds
are to be cut into brood pond for
bass. This pond will also be cap
able of maintaining 10000 bass.
On the northeast corner of the
grounds is very pretty elevation
which will be cleared of stumps and
rocks, made of uniform grade and
seeded down. On this plot will be
planted hemlock, spruce and pine,
which will grow right down to the