Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1915-02-05
MORE ABOUT THE
FISH HATCHERlES

MORE ABOUT THE
FISH HATcHERIES
Mr.. Editor:-As l have read
Mr.. Crosno's article in your val
liable paper and also Mr.. Dix
on's, If you will kindly give me
space in your columns l would
like to write a few facts.
AS have lived on Big Elk a
little while-only about 43 years
Il am pretty well posted on
what has happened in that
length of time in this neck o the
woods. In the first place l
haven't known Mr.. Crosno all
my life but l have known him
ever since I have been on Big
Elk and l think his heart is in
the right place, aud as for start
ing to be a kicker on any of our
industries in Lincoln county l
think he would be the last man
to do that.
Mr.. Dixon starts off by it
seeming to him that the salmon
hatcheries are beyond the exper-
mental stage. That may be
very true in places where they
take what they can handle and
there are plenty left to go on to
their natural spawning grounds.
Mr.. Dixon goes on to say that
Mr.. Crosno has been misin-
formed as to the work done at
this hatchery. when they
abandoned the hatchery last
year and the gate was lowered
so that all fish could go up Big
Elk" That was all right, too,
as last Summer was the first
time since that dam was put
there, unless the water got high
enough sothe fish could run over
it or a hole had been torn in it,
that there has been any little
salmon in the creeks up here,
and it was very easy to know
that something had happened
as there were plenty of salmon
on all the rifles a year ago last
Fall and last Summer every still
water hole in the creeks were
working with little salmon.
Mr.. Dixon says some people
think that because they see 6
lot Of salmon below the dam tha
they are never allowed to gt
above. Now, we all know pos
itively that they haven't beel
allowed to come up Big Elk thi
Winter for there haven't beel
, any seen in the creeks and
l there are any below they mus
: be there yet or else have die
r and been washed back on tn
2 tide to the briny deep.
n Hatcheries may turn. out 8
2 per cent but / think that the
e are SO tame when turned OIL
8 that they are preyed on fully 8
n bad as In their natural element
n Now, I do not think Mr.. Di1
i on had better insist on Mr.. Crol
e no coming up Big Elk to dig II
= salmon eggs unless ne has SON
e planted for they would be 6
n scarce as diamonds unless the
'. were planted by some one.
e think If Mr.. Dixon will jul
O think back a little when the fisl
e ing boats used to line up alon
n the wharves with their boa
x loaded with salmon and wei
v shipping them on the railroa
r and supplying the cannery tn;
O used to be, he would wond'
It what is the cause. Could 1t |
e possible that the employment
e five or six men is It? Ho
d would it be to drop back a whi
o and try the old way and prote
the salmon in the creeks, mai
= ing a fineable offense to take
,e salmon out unless actual
r needed for food, and there wou
re be very few taken after thu
ID come into the fresh water, and
,e think the salmon trout wou
follow in the same old wa
Of Our natural spawning groun
up Big Elk run up into hundre
of miles and 1t makes us Ion
some not to see the SALINE