XII.-REPORT OF OPERATIONS AT THE UNITED STATES SALMON- 

 HATCHING STATION ON THE M'CLOUD RIVER, CALIFORNIA, 

 IN 1877. 



By Livingston Stone. 



Chaelestown, N. H., April 5, 1878. 

 Hon. Spencer F. Baird : 



Sir: I beg leave to report as follows: When I first reached the Mc- 

 Cloud River this season, on the 6th of June, I found everything on the 

 grounds in good order ; the usual winter's work of getting in wood for 

 the summer, making nets, «&c., had been faithfully attended to by Mr. 

 Myron Green, who had remained in charge during my absence. The 

 high water in the river, however, had carried away the current wheel 

 which raised the water supply for the hatching house, and also the 

 piers on w4iich the wheel rested. In order to avoid a similar calamity 

 this year, I at once adopted the plan of resting the wheel on large flat 

 boats made of plank. This plan was ultimately carried out, and up to 

 the time of the present writing has workeel admirably. Indeed, I have 

 just received a letter from Mr. Green, dated United States Fishery, 

 McCloud River, California, January 14, 1S78, stating that "the boats 

 and wheel were a perfect success." The boats, together with the wheel, 

 rise and fall with the water, so that any rise in the river does not en- 

 danger the wheel or interrupt its working. We gain a double advan- 

 tage from this method, by not only assuring security to the wheel, but 

 also by obtaining a continuous and permanent supply of water for irri- 

 gation, which, as we expect to have a large vegetable garden at the 

 fishery in future, is a matter of no small importance. 



The operations at the fishery in other respects this season were con- 

 ducted very much the same as last year, with the exception that two 

 racks were put across the river to obstruct the salmon instead of one, 

 as usual. To explain why this step was required, it will be necessary 

 to go back two or three years in the history of the fishery. On the 9th 

 of December, 1875, President Grant set aside, by proclamation, a tract 

 of land, including the premises of the McCloud River Fishery, as a 

 United States reservation. For some time previous to this event, a Mr. 

 Leschinsky and son had come over to the McCloud River from Shasta 

 to catch salmon with a seine, and sell them in Shasta and neighboring 

 markets. In consequence of having done this, these fishermen some- 

 how acquired the impression that they had established a title to the 

 land on which the United States Fishery was situated. Consequently, 

 when the United States Fishery premises were made a government 



