American Fisheries Society 51 



means least, to havint;- the best treasurer that this or any 

 other Society ever had (applause), we are today, T believe 

 on a surer basis and sounder foundation than we ever were 

 before; and I believe we are going to continue to grow in 

 numbers, strength and influence. 



Gentlemen, if there were any doubt as to my apprecia- 

 tion of the high honor you have conferred, I have only to 

 l)()int to the long roll of able and distinguished men on the 

 list of my predecessors. Referring to only a few who have 

 ]iassed to the great beyond and who have earned a nation- 

 wide reputation by earnestly striving for what we today are 

 striving for, we find in that list the names of Robert B. 

 Roosevelt and Eugene G. Blackford, of New York. Henry 

 L. Ford, of Pennsylvania, Marshall McDonald, of Virginia, 

 and in my judgment, greatest of all, that magnificent man 

 of brains and culture and heart, the noblest Roman of them 

 all. General Bryant, of Wisconsin. (Great applause.) 



In the presence of so many ex-presidents, I would ordi- 

 narily feel some delicacy in referring to any particular one. 

 and would hesitate to do so. but there is one who, by his 

 many years of unpaid and imselfish devotion to the cause 

 of honest, progressive and scientific fish culture, has en- 

 deared himself to every member of this Society. We all 

 know him and know his true worth, and his absence from 

 this meeting is most keenl}' regretted. 1 refer to that 

 grizzled old veteran and grand old man whom we all have 

 learned to love, Hon. Henry T. Root, of Rhode Island. 

 (Great applause.) 



Just one more moment of your time. I want to urge 

 everv single member here to make a special effort to be 

 present at the fortieth anniversary meeting and also to 

 attend as many of the future meetings as possible. Make 

 some personal sacrifice to do so, if necessary, and I want 

 you to come prepared to offer some idea, thought, or sug- 

 gestion that will be helpful to all of the members, and that 

 will contribute to the common fund of fish-cultural know- 

 ledge. We must give and take in this Society; we must be 



