The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean., 1917-08-16
RELATIVE TO FISH
HATCHER|ES

IHIUIIlN)lO|
Relative to conditions at our state
fish hatchery at Fish Lake, the Bisbee
Gazette editor, who recently visited
the place and made some investigt-
tions has the following to say:
Exchanges bring the news that a
second State Fish Hatchery is going
to be built somewhere in Bottineau
county. Perhaps the second hatchery
has now become a crying need in our
state to hatch and distribute steel
head trout or some other kind of fish
that no one ever catches, or perhaps it
is needed to give political jobs to some
deserving war horse. Judging the fu-
ture by the past the latter reason is
perhaps the most potent. The Gazette
man recently visited the State Fish
hatchery at Fish Lake and from the
standpoint of things pictorial, the es-
tablishment seems on the way to de-
cay. On the whole there seems now
to be an air of neglect prevailing the
entire establishment. We saw large
80 foot fish net lying besides the road
partly spread oat and partly rolled up.
The net must have cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000 and it seemed real
ly too bad to see it lying on the ground
prey to the elements and to preda-
tory mice and such like. We tried to
cross over to the little island which
formerly was kept so neat and trim,
but when we stepped on the bridge it
began to shudder and groan and
seemed ready to fall. We didn't cross.
We noticed an abundance Of fertil-
izing material all about, and wondered
whether the state was experimenting
along the lines Of soil conservation or
whether the hatchery grounds was
simply used as a pasture for someone's
COWS.
We tried to get peep into the little
Office building, but it was locked up.
Perhaps the custodian, if any there is,
was afraid some stray COW would hook
the rings off the phone.
During our stroll about the place we
met an old resident of the lake and he
volunteered the information that this
was a poor season for fish in many
ways, first the most of the spawn and
young fish had died for want of food
or neglect, second that state institu-
tions do not prosper when exploited
for salary only.
It takes a man at the head Of an
institution of this kind that takes a
real interest in this work, one who
does it for love of it and not only for
the sake of the salary he draws.-so
spoke the native and we agreed.
About the only things about this
state institution that is pleasing to the
eve and point Of real interest is the
Museum which former Commissioner
Main, with untiring labor had built
and furnished with nearly 200 spec
linens of North Dakota game birds
and fish. The collection is really in
teresting and valuable from several
viewpoints. To us it was a real de-
monstration of what can and will be
done when the worker does his work
not so much for the dollars it brings
but rather from real and abiding in
terest in the same. And then too, we
thought of the short comings of oul
political system which permitted the
shifting and replacing of public ser
wants regardless of their merit or fit
ness for the position, just to make
room for some political favorite. II
seems that the powers that be, have al
|least some conception of the eternal
fitness of things, for they have re
tained Main temporarily to finish and
further beautify the Museum and ev.
lerything connected with it. We tried
Ito interview the x-Commissioner, but
he refused to see us in any but a Wis
itors capacity. Personally we have
had our differences with Mr.. Main, but
we will say that we believe that he
was the best man in the state for the
position he held as State Fish Com
missioner and to fire him to make
room for a political favorite was a
shame.
The Gazette has interviewed num-
Der of people who have visited the
hatchery during the summer, some as
late as Sunday, August 5th, and the
consensus Of opinion seems to be that
there is a general appearance of neg
llect about the place that indicates the
absence of a master who was really