30 FISH—CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
1871. 1879. 
Poyne Mets ce echt cs 6 Sycx 1:34 Ce etic a. a 281 476 
Gill Be a aE wig sn [= Sa AEN 00's 450 24,599 
atl Vessels ame WOatS....\.. qtr sc..<s . 689 612 
SUCHMINE Se. Ce ok. Ce ee cant’: 30 
In their report the Wisconsin Commissioners say, “ The num- 
ber and variety of nets used for fishing are appalling, and their 
destructive character, supplemented by the spear, are rapidly 
exterminating the whitefish and salmon-trout in Lake Michi- 
gan, Green Bay, and in many of the larger inland lakes.” 
In 1860 Mr. Kalmbach, who is at present a dealer in Green 
Bay, began fishing with the pound net in Bay De Noquet: 
pound nets were at that time a new institution in these waters, 
and in fact his was one of the first trials. He employed two 
pound nets, one eighteen, the other twenty feet deep and twenty- 
eight by thirty feet square. From the roth of October to the 
25th of November, he took from these nets and salted 1,750 
half barrels or 175,000 pounds of No. 1 whitefish, and could he 
have secured assistance, salt, packages, etc., he could more than 
double this amount. Very few fish were smaller than No. i. 
Of late years the pound nets have contained smaller and smaller 
meshes. The Wisconsin Commissioners in their report for 1874 
state, “ At Racine there are four boats in constant use putting 
out and taking up not less than twenty-five miles of gill nets. 
We are told by Mr. Jacob Schenkenbarger, one of our oldest 
and most intelligent fishermen, that with an equal number of 
nets only one-fourth as many fish are caught as were taken four 
years ago.” He further says, “ Late in October, in 1870, I took 
with a set of thirty nets, at one time, 1,980 pounds of dressed 
trout. Four years’ ago, it was common to take from 1,000 to 
1,500 pounds of fish at each trip. Now we never go over 500, 
and not unfrequently go less than 200 pounds. The lake is 
filled with nets, and the fish can hardly escape.” 
In the report of 1875, the Wisconsin Commissioners say, “ At 
Milwaukee there are four steam smacks, and two sailing smacks, 
engaged in fishing. These six smacks have a total of sixty-five 
miles of nets. Each steam smack costs about $7,600. The capi- 
tal invested at that place is not far from $75,000. Kenosha 
