The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-09-26
Silver Dam Will
Be Opened for Fish

The Fredericktown Democrat News
of last week denominates the decision
of State Game and Fish Warden Tim
Birmingham to open Silver Dam, in
Madison county, as an attempt at
'wanton destruction. That paper
further states:
"Local people are anything but
pleased at the attitude Of Mr.. Bir-
mingham. He apparently ignored the
fact that the owner of the dam, Mr..
Handlan, has already gone to consid-
erable expense to construct fish lad
der to meet the requirements of the
law as interpreted by a former State
official. He also failed to make any
extensive inquiries among the people
of Silver Mine vicinity and fishermen
and others from here. dozens of whom
will testify to having seen fish pass
over the dam. He also apparently ig-
nores the tremendous loss that will be
entailed to the owners of the property
and those who have it leased for min
ing purposes"
The Times will state, for the bene-
fit of the writer of the article appear
ing in the Democrat-News, (for which
Bro. Ferguson must stand responsible
even though he probably did not write
it, that if the owner of Silver Dam
!, las been put to any expense in con-
structing fish ladder, such money was
| fritted away, as there is no fish lad
der about the dam, An alleged "fsh
ladder" was inspected by Mr.. Birming-
ham and party, sort of crevice cut
| in the rocks on the east bank of the
river, into which the largest fish
could not mount, unless the river was
at high tide, and then it would per-
haps be fated to pound itself to death
on the rocks and never be permitted
to reach its home again.
As to making inquiries, Mr.. Bir-
mingham did that too, not on par
ticularly extensive scale, however,
but sufficient to learn that fishermen
and others" there have acquired a
habit of catching the poor deluded fish
on the lower side of the dam, which Of
ten accumulate there in vast numbers
in looking for possible passage of
the dam, in gunny sacks. The fish
following their natural instinct to go
toward the hcadwaters, especially for
spawning, will take desperate chances,
and are therefore led into blind pas
sage under the dam, the upward end
of which is closed, though considerable
water passes through. When the de-
| luded fish attempt to turn back they
are taken captive in gunny sacks.
The information obtained was that a
number of Fredericktown "sportsmen"
have become quite expert fishermen
with that kind of bait.
We could go on, and tell several
other stories of things the Birming-
ham party were told goes on at the
dam and thereabouts. But what's the
use. Pennington wants no trouble
with Fredericktown. We are neigh
bors, so let's be friends. And above
all, let's be fair. Let's be fair with
one another, and also let's be fair to
the fish, which are constantly becom-
ing more and more important in hu-
man affairs. By artificial means the
streams can soon be. practically de-
populated of fish, while if left un-
trammeled in their natural condition,
they will multiply and propagate, and
furnish both food and pleasure for
humankind
1t is true that if fish were permitted
to pass Silver Dam that fishing on the
upper st. Francis river would be very
materially improved, to the great sat
isfaction of sportsmen in this and
other counties. Is there anything un-
lawful in that? But while the supply
of fish would be increasing in the up
per end of the river, through natural
spawning towards the rivers source,
is it difficult to understand that the
waters of the lower end would also
be more abundantly supplied with
fish? Human artifces invariably
succumb when they conflict with nat
ural laws. And finally, The Times
will say that nothing was further
from Mr.. Birmingham's intention than
the destruction of Silver Dam, even
though it is not now, and apparently
has not for years past, been serving
any useful purpose. Therefore he has
determined to make only ten or fif-
teen foot opening through the dam on
the eastern end. This is his right, du-
ty and privilege as the efficient Game
and Fish Warden of the State of Mis-
souri,.