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inquiries about the live fish, the fishing boats, and I don’t 
know which has the greater attraction for them. I believe 
all of you realize what an attractive thing a finely rigged 
model is toa boy. I have been surprised at the intelli- 
gence shown by some of the school children in regard to 
these objects. But it is not alone this fact that makes this 
exhibit of consequence tous. This is the first fish expo- 
sition, if I may be permitted to use the term, that has ever 
been held in this country, and it is the first opportunity 
which those engaged in the fisheries and fishculture have 
had to bring to the attention of the millions of our citizens 
the subjects in which they are interested, in such a way as 
to leave a lasting impression. How important that is I 
need not say. I believe there is no person who does not 
fully appreciate it. Many of you have been giving the 
best years of your lives to the work intended to maintain 
the abundance of fish in our streams, and thereby to im- 
prove our fisheries ; but you might be surprised if you re- 
alized how little comparatively is known of this by the 
public at large, and how few of our people who are directly 
dependent for a livelihood appreciate it to its full extent. 
If, therefore, this exhibit of the fisheries, of fish and fish- 
culture at this great World’s Fair tends to improve the 
knowledge of our people in matters relating to these sub- 
jects, then the labor, worry and anxiety which have at- 
tended the assembling of these, collections and the getting 
of them into place will not have been in vain. I hope, 
also, it will be possible for many of our people who are 
engaged in the commercial fisheries to come here and study 
the collections which have been so generously brought to 
this Exposition by the distant countries of the earth. 
Though we have made many advances in fisheries in the 
United States, as in other industries, it certainly is not 
safe for us to assume that we know it all. There may be 
useful lessons to be learned by making a critical examina- 
tion of the objects which have been brought here. I was 
