15 



do without salary, can only give supervision, as field work could 

 scarcely be expected of them, so that some such aid is essential to 

 the full success of this work. In the -proper place in this report we 

 have made such recommendations as seem practical to your commis- 

 sioners. 



UlOPOKT OF 



Fisii Wahdkn a. Sitks, Homku. Ii.i,.. 

 Fkhiu'ahy 1, lOO"). 



Koi: Two Vkaks E.ndixu 



Number of arrests, one hundred twentj^-four (124). 



Number of convictions, seventy-eight (78). 



Niimber of persons not convicted, forty-six (40). 



I am unable to g-ive the exact amount of fees paid in as the justice of the 

 peace gave a number of the convicted parties time in which to pay their 

 fines. 



Number of nets taken, three hundred thirty-two (332). 



Number of fish baskets taken and destroyed, one hundred twenty-one (121). 



About l.">0.()0() pounds of fish, illegally caught, tiirned back to the water. 



About 1.200 pounds of fish billed for shipment contrary to the law, taken 

 and distributed to different charitable institutions. 



The above service pei-formed in Champaign, Tazewell, Peoria, Henry, Piatt, 

 Vermilion, Green and Jasper counties. 



A. Sites. 



To Hon. Nat. H. Cohen, President Illinois Commission: 



I herewith submit my report as warden for the year 1904. Also give table 

 showing increase of the industry from 1897 to the present time. 



There has been verj' little illegal fishing during the j'ear; only twice have I 

 been compelled to seize any property. That was during the closed season; 

 on April 21, I took six hoop nets, and on May 12 I took eight more, all of 

 which were turned over to the sheriff of this countj^ (Mason county). We 

 have had more to do with the saving of fish from destruction on account of 

 the extremely high water in the early part of the year which overflowed all 

 of the low land for miles around. When the water receded, it left many 

 thousands in places where they were unable to get out, so under your in- 

 structions July 10. I commenced with seine to take fish from the ponds and 

 lakes that were likel}^ to go dry. and succeeded in saving about one million 

 small fish, principal^' crappie. but some of all kinds except pike and salmon. 

 The fish were taken from the ponds and put in the Illinois river at the 

 nearest point. There seems to be a growing tendency among fishermen to 

 want to help the commission, as thej' realize that only the untiring efforts of 

 the commissioners have been the one thing that has given them the foi-eign 

 market and made the Illinois river the second river in the Tnited States in 

 commercial valtie of its product and first in number of pounds caught. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



Havana, III. E. E. Caldwell, 



Wa nlen . 



Tahulcded Sicdemeni of Fish >^hipp('<J from Peoria, Pekin, Havana, 

 Bath, Brownimj, and Beardstown from 1897 to 1904. 



1897. 



1898. 



1899. 



1900. 



1901. 



1903. 



1904. 



Peoria 



Pekin 



Havana 



Bath 



Browning . .. 

 Beardstown.. 



9.31,400 215.4.34 1,067,800 1,99.5,940' 2,101,940 1,204.321 1,6»>4,.380 1.792,950 



373,000 197, ."0 786.800 204. 690 .567. WH), 



1, .561, 683 1,600,184 1.364,400 l,60.5,19lj 1,7.30,291 



294,300 207,.500 411.500 216..57o' 282. .570 



525,. 50) 1,103,700 645.-100 909,700' 8()9,700 



511,680 1,436,100 1,316,8:30 1,342,100 1,789,600 



")S8,.500 l,322,6lX) 2.. 342, 840 



1.893,820 2,. 522, 000 3,792,394 



146,354 290. SOO 122, .300 



1,240,100 390.240 190.200 



1.672,000 1.672,420 1.284. .321 



4,152,563! 4,760,488 5,592,730' 6.274.291 7,344.7911 6,745.095 7.862,420 9,525.C05 



