98 Tzventy-sevcnfh Aiiiuial Meeting 



a favorite casting" spot, and on account of reasons better 

 known to himself and his fair companions, he has yet failed to 

 land a single bass. Broken rods line the banks; tangled lines are 

 in the branches of the trees. xA.s a remedy, Mr. O'Brien proposes 

 to "propagate a bass that will bite at worms and hook them- 

 selves," as illustrated in his paper before this Society to-day. 



To the fish culturist belongs the honor of adding to the natural 

 and artificial lakes and streams of the East the many species of 

 trout from the Western waters, adding Ijeauty and profit and 

 pleasure to man. it remains for the fish culturist to suggest, and 

 follow the suggestion by active work, the necessary remedies 

 for increasing our fish food supply. The Government looks to 

 educated, experienced men to handle successfully our navy. It 

 must look to the educated, experienced fish culturist to solve the 

 problems of how to increase our fish supply. The statute books 

 of our States are crowded with laws which no one understands, 

 least of all the men wdio made them, and which for obvious reas- 

 ons, the Fish Connnissioners, are powerless to enforce. 



In 1903 the patriotic and public-spirited people of the great 

 State of Ohio will appropriately celebrate the centennial anniver- 

 sary of the admission of that State into the American Union. It 

 is their purpose to make an exposition of the wonderful develop- 

 ment of Ohio in financial, industrial, commercial and social lines. 

 Taking time by the forelock, which is the habit we have in Ohio, 

 the General Assembly, at its last session, enacted such legislation 

 as seemed necessary to carry out the expressed will of the people 

 that Ohio's centennial anniversary be duly commemorated. In 

 their wisdom, the members of the General Assembly selected the 

 rapidly-growing city of Toledo as t]ie most desirable site for such 

 an exposition as might naturally be expected from such a State 

 as Ohio. Ohio was carved out of the old Northwest Territory, 

 and Toledo, resting on a magnificent harbor a few miles from the 

 extreme southwestern end of Lake Erie, is the most central point, 

 geographically, of that territory. We have, too, easy access to all 

 parts of the country by way of our splendid network of railways. 

 On this occasion it should not seem strange if I obey the natural 

 and ungovernable instincts of the true fisherman and extend to 

 this Society, the individual members, and all fish culturists and 

 friends here assembled, a most cordial invitation to prepare them- 

 selves for a display worthy of our Association. And on behalf of 

 the hospitable people of Ohio let me include in this invitation the 

 good people of the entire great West, whom we would be, indeed, 

 delighted to have with us. In the light of the past deeds of our 



