American Fisheries Society 67 



Cape Vincent, N. Y., Sept. 20, 1910. 

 Mr. Seymour Bower, President American Fisheries Society, Detroit, 

 Mich. 



Dear Mr. Bower : — In response to your letter of recent date, relative 

 to something in the reminiscent line of the early days of fish culture 

 and the American Fisheries Society, I well recall the correspondence 

 that took place between Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, Mr. Livingston 

 Stone, Mr. A. S. Collins and others with my father, Mr. Seth Green, 

 relative to the organization of the Society and other important matters 

 relating to it. I regret that I did not save some of the old letters, as 

 they contained so many historical facts, and would have been of great 

 interest on this occasion. Few of the younger members of this Society 

 are familiar with the difficulties encountered by its founders, and the 

 pioneers in the work of practical fish culture. Among the most serious 

 problems to overcome, was the incredulity of the people and particularly 

 the fishermen with whom it was necessary to come in contact in con- 

 ducting the early experiments. Time will not permit relating many of 

 these experiences, but a few will suffice. In looking over some of the 

 articles written by my father in the early 70's relative to his shad- 

 hatching experience, I take the following excerpt: "I underwent all 

 sorts of annoyances by overgrown boys and grown-up loafers, who 

 broke my experiment boxes and hooted at me. I was obliged to stay, 

 for if I went home it was a failure, no matter what the cause. It is 

 true I had not been used to being hooted at much in Rochester, but I 

 soon got used to it, and not many days were passed in which my ex- 

 pectations were not realized." 



When he had finally perfected his apparatus, and had his boxes filled 

 with shad eggs in the process of incubation, he lay on the banks of 

 the Connecticut River, revolver in hand, watching them. In the gray 

 of the morning he discovered a man wading out to destroy them. He 

 called to him to stop, at the same time leveling his weapon. It had the 

 desired effect. The next day the boxes were filled with fry, and the 

 victory was won. I can well remember talks I had personally with the 

 fishermen on the Hudson River. They told me of the excitement that 

 prevailed when he first made his appearance in the spring of 1868, at 

 Mull's fishery on the upper Hudson, when he announced that he had 

 come to propagate shad artificially, and make them plentiful and cheap. 

 It was soon noised about that a strange man had made his appearance 

 and was talking about doing marvelous and incomprehensible things in 

 the way of hatching shad. They concluded he must be insane, but his 

 earnestness and apparent confidence led them to call a meeting of their 

 wise men, and hold a consultation with him. After the meeting the 

 knowing ones reported that he might possibly be crazy or a fool ; but he 

 evidently knew what he was talking about, and knew more about fish 

 than all the rest of them put together. So it was decided to give this 

 man with unheard of ideas a chance to make a practical demonstration. 

 The result is history. 



