Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-08-04
GREEN LAKE HATCHERY.
supt. Race Retires After Quarter of
Century at Station.

Century at Station.
Edward Il. Race, for thirty years
connected with the Bureau OF Fish
cries, and for twenty-five and one
half years superintendent of the gov
eminent fish h atchery at Green Lake,
retires under the Sterling Lehlback
bill for the retirement of employees
in the classified civil service" APP
proved by President Wilson May 22
last, when it became a law. Mr..
Race will leave soon for his home in
East Boothbay.
The Green Lake hatchery was
about three years old when Mr.. Race
assumed charge. and during this
short period five different superin-
tendents had been in charge.
The late Senator Eugene Hale be-
came interested In Mr.. Race, and had
him detailed from Washington to
Green Lake. During the four and
one-half years which Mr.. Race de-
voted to the investigation of the
| coastal and inland fisheries of the
United States, with headquarters at
Washington, he became deeply inter-
ested in the propagation of food
fishes, and had an opportunity to
familiarize himself with the propaga-
ton of various species. He spent
several weeks at the government
hatchery at Wytheville, Va, to learn
the habits of the rainbow trout, and
at state hatchery in New York to
learn about the propagation of smelts
for stocking lakes and ponds where
there is scarcity of natural food
He therefore came to Green Lake
well equipped to carry on the work.
He reluctantly, however, accepted
the position for more than one year,
as the hatchery had not been a sue
cess, and he had previously been as
sured the superintendency of a hatch
cry then under construction.
Mr.. Race was at Mobile, Ala, when
ordered North. Upon his arrival at
Washington, Senator Hale informed
him that he wanted him to go to
Green Lake with the understanding
OF making that his permanent work,
instead of remaining only one year:
that he would make 1t possible to
build up the plant, and would render
every assistance possible to make his
stay pleasant one. Mr.. Race says
that during the remaining life of
been more kind and considerate for
the welfare of a son.
Through the interest taken by Sem
ator Hale, the plant increased from a
primitive structure to one of the
largest and best-equipped in the
United States, and the output from
100000 to 100000. When the
Boothbay Harbor hatchery was estab-
lished, Mr.. Race was offered the po-
sition of superintendent, and also
other stations in the bureau, but no
inducements changed his promise to
Senator Hale to remain at Green
Lake.
Since the death of Senator Hale,
his son, Senator Frederick Hale,
Congressman John A. Peters and Col.
F. H. Parkhurst of Bangor have TAX
en- great interest in the welfare of
the station. The hatchery at Grand
Lake Stream is operated as an auxil-
larry to the Green Lake station.
Mr.. Race did his first work for the
government under the direction of
the present commissioner of fisheries,
Hon. H. NJ. Smith. and the friendship
then established has ripened as the
years have passed. Mr.. Race is a
native of Boothbay. and was extern
sively engaged in the bank and shore
fisheries in the early eighties. He
was chairman of the board of select
men of his town for several years,
postmaster at East Boothbay for
fourteen years, and representative
from Boothbay in the legislature in
1889.