150 
As will be seen from the table on this page, the number of men 
engaged in fishing in the State of Illinois increased 42 per cent. between 
1894 and 1899 (five years) and 86 per cent. between 1899 and 1908 (nine 
years), and the value of the fisheries equipment increased 20 per cent. 
during the first period and 194 per cent. during the second. The value of 
the fisheries product, on the other hand, increased 157 per cent. and 151 
per cent. during these two periods, respectively. We have no separate 
data for the J/linois River for 1894 or 1899, but in 1908 more than half 
the fisheries of the state and nearly two-thirds of the capital employed 
in fishing were on that stream. 
STATISTICS OF FISHERIES IN ILLINOIS, 1894-1908 * 
PERCENTAGES OF INCREASE OR DECREASE 
Between Between 
1894 and 1899 1899 and 1908 
Per cent. | Per cent. | Percent. | Per cent. 
increase | decrease | increase | decrease 
Men employed (numbers)........... BDI Sle 2 thatch 86 
Equipment (values)................ Ons ellen: aachats ileus 194 
Fisheries products (pounds)........ DEC villeye owavace Seton 151 
Blache PASS ti aie 3c Ain setae asta tera SON Aisa ate aiees eee 322 
Buttalo-fishiien ao stoetelisnraseie hie | ta eae ee Bhi Rete mil aie aesrie3 AFF 29 
(OER AURIS Rin oi BRAS Bye cle a eich Fe Arne RODD ss eye Ine ek 119 
Gat RSTn crs iei sy csierayraig eh Uiethave tees ehahiors Kora hoe poll ceed espera tse 19 30 
Crappiesi. iissiras tinct et eeen he eaatieen 112 Ree eta Ga 260 
Sheepshead's see 7 SUCRE rene Alea carel| ee ien aes 45 9 
1 Of) CP ay UP PAS RS 8 een Sate Ce a ae ete 34 6 
Paddle-fishyc ities ov eo ina ce ABIL tek ks ees aCe 106 
PIG s 3,5 }e see ay yhieg aid, ees eared neL ANAL eae acid aca eenetawannce nie aes kf en 38 
DCULSCON. Hi sic rdoolecs oralebsiava.e eisai (SSR an rend 5 13 
Suckers soit c cutee eaersnmce stare heorehe oll Mrvalet ote ate 38 8.5 
Sunfishes):) eee eee Hak oe aero BO Peay a dee ee 216 
Wiall-eyedipilkket428 shee Spe eae ee ies G2a st iit seve ges 52 
White, yellow, and rock bass......... G6; < ) ladaitienss eis Bera Sees 92 
IRON CHG A eietios elec eines eakereee BON a invanseerence cian 1040 
All native fishes...................- AOE caine catego eer| eeneteteteeancont. 11 
Bottom feeders)}..228 cents ee ae ee alana cacaelek =f IDO OR Wales et me Abie 7 
* In 1908, 57 per cent. (2,500) of the fishermen of the state and nearly two- 
thirds ($551,000) of the capital employed, were on the Illinois River. 
+ Mostly from Lake Michigan district. 
A comparison of the percentages of increase and decrease in the two 
periods covered by the above table, one of five years and the other of 
nine, shows that the average rate of increase per annum in number of 
men was a little greater in the second period than in the first, and that 
of equipment was more than five times as great; but that, nevertheless, 
