American Fisheries Society. 99 



washed by these waters. A large fleet pHes between these har- 

 bors, carrying greater riches of food and minerals than any other 

 lakes or seas in the world. Nature has lavished her most beau- 

 trful scenery on some of the shores and manifests herself in the 

 famous water-falls in her most imposing grandeur. Lake Su- 

 perior is a little larger than Lake Victoria Nyanza, and is there- 

 fore the largest fresh water lake in the world. 



Mr. Vodel, of the Western Society of Engineers, has well 

 said: "That the catchment basins of about one-half the globe 

 center in the territory of these great lakes and the half of these 

 areas are fresh pure water, the purest in the world." We are 

 obliged to admit these facts ; then if admitted, what are the possi- 

 bilities for fish production? Illimitable! 



For every dollar invested, either by the national government 

 or the state commissions, there are probabilities of large returns; 

 and when in the coming years these fish commissions shall 

 extend a hand to assist the men to whom of all others comes a 

 knowledge of the resorts of these deep water fishes, the spawning 

 grounds, the feeding grounds; the very nature of the food laying 

 along the reefs on which these fish feed, and whose daily avoca- 

 tion brings to their eyes the bottoms of these lakes, from these 

 men information valuable to those engaged in producing the 

 millions of fish fry to be returned to these waters, will be readily 

 secured and assistance extended. 



Let the state commissions, or the United States commissions, 

 accord to these men the courtesy that belongs to manhood, the 

 respectful consideration one man owes to another, a recognition 

 of right and justice; let a showing of sympathy be extended to 

 them instead of all law; let some encouragement be shown by an 

 appeal to that side of humanity that melts under the genial sun- 

 shines of a brotherhood of common interests, and these fish com- 

 missions will have no more effective assistants nor earnest helpers 

 than these same fishermen. 



Give them laws under which all men can live, and they will 

 respect and obey law, and if a few hundred of dollars are 

 expended in effective education in the manner suggested; then 

 along these lake lines will come a body of men, who from their 

 crude instrumentalities yet dogged perseverence will assist to re- 

 stock these lakes with the very fish that should prove a greater 

 inducement to intelligent fishing, and a mine of wealth richer by 

 far than the glittering quartz along the boundary line of Minne- 

 sota, and perpetuate a fish that serves as the daintiest tid-bit that 



