AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 37 



propagation and distribution tlian by allowing "Xatnro to 

 take its coui-sc." Yet notwiUislanding all the cflicacy tlu're is 

 in modern lisli culture, you cannot perform a miracle 

 with it. The idea that you must protect animals at certain 

 seasons of the year is recognized all OA'er the earth. 



P»ut I missi)oke myself when I said that we had no j>rotec- 

 tive laws in Michigan. We have indeed. Two years ago a 

 man from one of the fishing districts of the State which has 

 been most violent in its opposition to laws protecting fish, 

 presented and had passed a bill to protect mnski*ats! And a 

 bill was introduced at the last session to protect mourning 

 doves I I do not know whether it passed or not. Wai)iti 

 are protected by Michigan laws, but not one man out of ten 

 dozen in Michigan knows what the devil a wapiti is. (Laugh- 

 ter.) There has not been one seen there since the flood, never- 

 theless, they are protected. The State looks after muskrats, 

 mourning doves, and wapiti with the utmost solicitude. The 

 Michigan Legislature adjourned recently, and the most ar- 

 rant ly partisan republican paper we have in the City of Detroit 

 lambasted that Legislature for its inefficiency and for other 

 things, although it was of their political faith, and said that it 

 was ''no good.'' It reminds me of a story I will tell you: 

 Several years ago a man named Neasmith was elected senator 

 fi-oni Oregon by one vote. His friends began to inquire of him 

 about it, and to address him in this fashion: "Now, Neasmith, 

 you are a good fellow, but we wish you would tell us how the 

 deuce you got that vote?" Of course, life began to be a bur- 

 den to Neasmith after a time, but finally he went to Wash- 

 ington to take his seat. Not having that close and intimate 

 acquaintance with the senators in Washington that he had at 

 home, when they began questioning him in Washington on the 

 subject he could not say to them what he felt. But finally in 

 the course of time he was relieved, and so was everybody — the 

 Senate adjourned, and he went home to his constituents. One 

 of the first men he met on his return was the governor of 

 Oregon, and what he said to the governor may well be said of 

 the Legislature of Michigan — although I do not challenge the 

 Legislature of Michigan to the extent my words might seem to 

 im])ly, for there were good men there although the other fel- 

 lows jn-eponderated. Now let me tell the balance of the story. 

 He met the governor, who said, *'Ah. Neasmith; back?" "Yes 

 Oovernor. just came back." "Well. Neasmith. what is the 

 news in Washington?" "Oh. <n-erything is going on nicely 

 down there." ''Neasmith." said the governor, "there is a ques- 

 tion I want to ask you. You were elected senatoi' from Ore- 

 gon, but you were only elected by one vote; now where did 

 you get it?" "Well, Oovernoi'." said Neasmith. "come here. 



