Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-01


Carleton by accepting the office did
mot for a moment contemplate aban-
doning his law practice which was
worth to him $4,000 a year. being as
sured that the duties of the Office
would not take one-fousth of his time,
and that he could carry ON his law
business just the same. as everyone
VINO had held the office had done
I Upon entering upon the duties of
the Office he at once gave that care
full consideration to them that he was
accustomed to give to important cases
in court. He hired an Office up three
flights of stairs. on Water street, paid
the rent himself. and had put on the
door 'Office of Commissioners of In
lard Fisheries and Game" Here was
written the famous guide law" and
here he re-wrote every fish and game
law on the Statute books-the new
code that has been so extensively
copied all over this country-and in
several foreign countries. He very
soon found that he must resign or
give up his splendid law practice al
together. Becoming deeply interested
in the work he. concluded to abandon
his law practice altogether. which he
did within the year, and has ever
since devoted himself exclusively to
the work of the office. '
But few fishermen, summer, visitors
and fewer hunters, then came to
Maine: deer and moose were nearly
exterminated, and there were but
two fish hatcheries in the State.
There were practically noe funds pro-
vided by the Legislature to carry on
the work. He drafted-and the Legis-
lature passed-license laws of various
kinds which bring into the State
treasury over $4,000 a year, and
there are ten large, modern, up-to-
date fish hatcheries and feeding sta
lions which raise annually millions of
fish that are planted in the public wa
tiers of the State.
Fishing has most wonderfully in
creased. SO that this year more fish
have been taken than ever before in
single year. and the increase in
moose and deer has been little short
of marvellous, as we'll as the increase
in fishermen. summer visitors and fall
hunters, and there has been an in
crease of $4O,O00,000 in taxable vaca-
ton property in the State, In fact,
this large. gigantic industry has
grown up under his masterful over
sight and unceasing toll.
He persuaded the late Col. Stevens,
then superintendent of public build
ings, to give him the use of an old
committee room in the basement of
the state House. after he had occu-
pied the downtown Office for year,
h<r In on11oofinn Of tho
state Museum that became such a
feature and such an attraction.
Many~of the specimens he begged,
and others he purchased with his own
money. When Hon. P. o. Vickery
served in the Senate he was chair
man of the fish land game committee
and secured an appropriation to en-
large the office, which was done, and
was visited more than any other room
in the State House.
MIR. Carleton was specially anxious
to be able to arrange the specimens
in the large and elegant room in the
new State House set apart for Mu-
scum, but even this cherished desire
is denied him by the Governors fail
IRE to re-appoint him.
Mr. Carleton has been called by
some cold, distant, austere. but that
is a misjudgment; he is genial to a
degree but has been entirely en-
crossed in the duties of his Office, Civ
ing that time and attention to them
that but few do.
In 1895 an amendment to the law
was made and the Office of chairman
of the Commissioners of Inland Fish
cries and Game was created at sal
airy of $4,000 and the use of passes
prohibited.
Mr.. Carleton at that time was
urged to have the law state that the
chairman should be lawyer. by men,
bers of the committee. the fish and
game association. and others, as it was
realized by all that it was as neces-
sary that the chairman of this COM
mission should be a lawyer as it was
for an attorney to be chairman of the
Board of Railroad Commissioners.
Mr.. Carleton declined to recommend
this. stating as his reasons first, that
it might be construed as an effort on
his part to perpetuate himself in Of
flee, and. second. that the need of a
lawyer at the head of the commission
was so apparent that no Governor
would fail to appoint an attorney to
the position when a vacancy. occurred.
Governor Cobb appointed MFR! Carleton
chairman under the new law.
An effort was made to discrcdit Mr.
Carleton and his work. In 1907 joint
special committee was appointed, upon
1.-The request Of Representative Doni-
gan of Bingham. A thorough investi-
cation of the department was had.
and Mr.. Carleton was absolutely vim
dictated. and the management of the
department commended by every
member of the committee-Democrat
/ and Republicans alike. with the ex-
Eception of Mr.. Donigan. who in vio-
lence to all ideas of fair and i'm
(;partial tribunal--he. being the &C
cuser. was appointed a member of the
committee.
|. Mr.. Carleton may be said to have
built up a great and important State
department of inestimable advantage
to the State. Not less than $4,000. GOO
are left within our borders annually
|sby our visitors. a
Mr.. Carleton has had, to meet and
|overcome most bitter opposition. but
not a single law he has been instru-
mental in having passed has ever been