32'^' EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Fish Propagating Company, was incorporated for this purpose, with Mr. 

 John Adair, jr., as president, Joseph G-. Megler, secretary, and Henry 

 , treasurer. Tlie capital stock was i>kiced at $30,000 in 000 shares. 



At the request of the officers of this company, warmly indorsed by 

 Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, I instructed Mr. Li\ingston Stone to an- 

 ticipate the time of his usual \asit to the McCloud River, and to i)roceed 

 to the Columbia for the purpose of starting the enterprise. Accord- 

 ingly, he reached Portland on the 11th of June, and had a consultation 

 with the directors of the company. A visit by Mr. Stone, the year 

 before, for a similar purpose, resulted in his choice of the Clackamas as 

 the most suitable si)ot ; but as this was not at the time satisfactory to 

 the company, five weeks were spent in carefully examining all the local- 

 ities along the river. It was found, however, that some objection applied 

 to every other possible station. Thus the waters of the des Chntes, 

 though abounding in salmon, could not be prepared for hatching ])ur- 

 poses. Others had no fish, and others still were too distant and inacces- 

 sible. The Indian troubles prevented any recourse to the nearer waters 

 of the Salmon River, or to the tributaries of the TJi>per Columbia. 



One objection to the Clackamas was that fish found there were not 

 believed to be the genuine Chenook salmon, but on finding that this 

 was a mistake, and that the desired variety was actually the fish occur- 

 ring there, it was finally concluded to fix upon the Clackamas, and Mr. 

 Stone was authorized, on the 5th of July, by the treasurer to select it 

 as the location. He accordingly located the hatching-station on the 

 south bank of the Clackamas, just above the mouth of Clear Creek. The 

 plans having been completed, their execution was placed in the hands of 

 Mr. Waldo Hubbard, an employe of the Fish Commission, who carried 

 them out with great promi)tness and etficiency, and, although encounter- 

 ing some unexpected difficulties, the hatching-house was fiuished with a 

 cajjacity for a million eggs. 



Various obstacles presented themselves from time to time, but finally 

 200,000 eggs were secured and placed in tem])orary boxes. Unfortu- 

 nately, howe\'er, a sudden rise in the river carried away the rack across 

 the Clackamas, the Indian trap used for a corral to confine the fish, and 

 finally the eggs placed in the boxes. Vigorous eflbrts, however, suc- 

 ceeded in retrieving this disaster in part, but it was not until the 25th 

 day of September that everything was completed and in working order. 



Other preparations, however, had to be made for the purpose of ])ro- 

 tecting the buildings and ajjparatus from the sudden rise of the river; 

 and for this a large boom was built which it is hoped will answer the 

 purjiose. 



The total luimber of young salmon hatched out during the season was 

 about one million, a portion of the eggs having been transferred from 

 the IVlcCloud River. 



Mr. Stone found that the number of nets stretched across the river 

 constituted a very great imj)edunent to the ascent of the fish, making 



