BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 359 



rectly, are parties connected with our State fish commission; if it were 

 not for this we would have shad in small (luantities as far up as the 

 next dam at all events. The cutting otf of this stai)le of food from tens 

 of thousands of j^eople in this section of country could not but be a great 

 loss, and it has been questioned if it was not greater than the benefits 

 derived from the great internal improvements. Some slight improve- 

 ments in the sluice-way of the lower dams and a regular ladder-way in 

 that of the Nanticoke dam: good protective laws, well enforced (with 

 a double-barreled shot gun for Columbia dam); certain days set for 

 fishing along the river, and one good stocking with young shad would, 

 we believe, give us shad in fair quantities all the wq,y up the river. 



We do not believe the expense would be very great, whereas the ben- 

 efits would be incalculable. There is no doubt that the experiment 

 is well worth trying. 



Luzerne County will contribute her share towards the necessary im- 

 provements. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



HAKKISON WRIGHT, 



Chairman of Committee, 



Wilkes Barre, May 27, 1881. 



LETTERS. 



Northumberland, Pa., 3fay 25, 1881. 



Dear Sir : Your communication of 24th instant, touching fisheries 

 in the ]S"orth Branch of the Susquehanna, at hand and contents noted. 

 In reply, I take pleasure in saying that my recollection of the shad 

 fisheries dates back to the year 1820 ; in that year, and the succeeding 

 two or three seasons, I fished at Rockafeller's "fishery near Danville; in 

 our party there were six of us ; we fislied with a seine 150 yards long, 

 and caught somewhere from 3,000 to 4,000 marketable shad, weighing 

 from 3 to pounds. At that time there were eight fisheries between 

 Danville and Line's Island, located as follows : Rockafeller's, just below 

 Danville; next Carr's Island ; next Grant's fishery; next Scott's, near 

 where my residence was ; next Line's Island up])er fishery ; next Smith's 

 fishery ; next Line's Island middle and lower fisheries. At all these 

 points large quantities of shad were caught, and they were sold from 

 12^ cents to 25 cents apiece. I have heard of hauls containing from 

 3,000 to 5,000, and 300 was a very common haul. People came from 12 

 to 15 miles for shad, and paid cash exclusively for them. 



Salmon, rockfish, pike, eels, suckers, and a general variety of fish 

 were caught in addition to shad, and we always had a ready market for 

 them for cash, ^o shad have been taken since the canal was built, and 

 all other fish have sensibly decreased since that time. 



