Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-31
New Fish Hatchery to FURNISH 4aJO00yO00 Fry
Next Year for PLANTING I'm Montana Streams
nNE OF THE GREATEST assets

W 10 the Outu0OT lie u CtlLla IL hAlo
northern Montana was the com
pletion, during the summer of OF
a state fish hatchery at Giant Springs,
near Great Falls. This institution
already has produced a million trout
fry and it is estimated that it will
furnish between three and four mil
lion fry for the streams around here
during 1928.
The hatchery itself, which is the
first state institution of any kind to be
erected in Great Falls, was completed
July ]. Four rearing ponds, each
about 6 to 10 feet wide and 100 feet
long, are now being constructed in a
gulch near the hatchery. A dam also
is being built between the ponds so
that two species of fish may be kept
at the same time. A cottage to be
used as living quarters for the care,
taker at the hatchery viii be erected
next year, according to the state game
warden.
Though the hatchery was estab-
lished here as a result of the activities
of W. r. Wilcoxson, president of the
Great Falls Rod & Gun club, and
l.. e. Jones, secretary of the Great
Falls Commercial club, started in the
fall Of 1921, one of the pioneers OF the
movement was r. S. Skinner, who, as
secretary of the Commercial club in
1913, emphasized the Importance OF
such an institution in his annual re-
port that year. He regarded the
hatchery as one of the city's best as
sets because of the added stimulus
that would be given to tourist travel
if the motorists were assured that the
streams in this section We're fully
stocked.
Power Company Donates $500
Formal announcement of the state
fish and game commissions intention
of erecting a fish hatchery here was
made at a dinner given January Is
by the Commercial club in honor of
c. a. Jakways, state game warden,
and T. A. NARROW, chairman of the
state fish and game commission. 1t
was pointed out at that time that the
hatchery, which would cost at least
s. 5000, was made possible by a gift OF
$1,000 by the Montana Power com
pany and a donation by them of power
to operate an electrically driven pump
to raise water from springs for use
in the hatchery.
Bids for construction were adver-
tised for, same to be submitted to the
| commission by March 25. AT a meet
ing of the commission in Livingston
on April s.. the contract was awarded
to the Theisen Construction company
of this city. The Thiesen ~company's
bid. which was for $4,000. covered only
the labor of construction, the plans and
specifications for the building having
been drawn by Frank Scotch, super
intendent of construction for the Mon
tana Power company, and all the
hatchery apparatus. aquar1a ana neat
ing paraphernalia being purchased by
the state purchasing agent and IN
stalled by the fish and game commis-
sion.
/ The hatchery is 43 feet by 41A feet
and is one story in height with steel
trussed roof. 1t has II windows and
three doors. The building contains 10
Matching troughs. each 1872 feet by
9 feet 9 inches in size. The aquarium
room is u by u feet and the aquarla,
in which varieties of fish of the state
will be exhibited, have been installed.
Copper Shingles Used.
The office room is 9iax10h feet in
size. There also is a storeroom and a
toilet within the building. A porch
| has been built across the front of the
hatchery.
The floors and foundation Of the
building were made of concrete and the
outside walls are of hard burned brick,
obtained from the Anaconda c~ompany's
Great Falls brick plant. The roof is of
copper shingles and likewise is the
product of a Great Falls institution.
On the south side of the hatchery a
water tank of Oregon fir slaves. -
feet in diameter and Is feet in height.
rooted with copper shingles, has been
erected. This tank has a capacity of
1880 gallons and is used to supply
water to the aquaria and the Matching
troughs. 1t is filled with water pumped
from the Giant Springs by electric
pumps.
According to W. r. Wilcoxson. pres
ident of the Great Falls Rod and Gun
club. there are 1896 miles of fishing
streams all within a days trip from