11 



fry placed in the lakes. As stated in a previous report, Illinois 

 has contributed but little towards this work, although commer- 

 cially very largely benefited l)y their protection. To this work the 

 present United States Commissioner of Fisheries, Col. Marshall 

 McDonald, has devoted a largo amount of time and money, and as 

 nearly as possible has undertaken to do the whole of it, by pay- 

 ing the expense of operating the various stations in the several 

 States during the white fish season, beside the regular U. 8. 

 Commission hatching stations at Duluth, Northviile, etc. 



The Commissioner has submitted a proposition to our Board, 

 which, in our opinion, is more than fair, and should be considered 

 promptly and favorably. He has offered to equip, maintain and 

 operate a hatching station for w^hite fish in our State, if the State 

 would furnish the location, water and buildings; and, after the 

 white fish work was completed, the State Commission could have 

 the use of it for such purposes as needed, hatching wall-eyed pike, 

 trout, etc., if desired. And if at any time the work should be 

 abandoned by the U. S. Commission, the outfit would revert to 

 the State Board. With a view to getting this matter in definite 

 shape, we submitted the proposition to the Chicago Park Com- 

 missioners, thinking it possible to find a location for such a sta- 

 tion in Chicago. We were offered all the ground we could use in 

 any of the West Side i^arks, with a probability of a sufficient sup- 

 ply of water for all purposes, free, the question of buildings 

 alone remaining to be considered. We have no doiibt of the util- 

 ity of such an enterprise, as the practical demonstration of the 

 success of artificial production of white fish by the United States 

 and various State commissions has been of such a nature as to 

 admit of no controversy. Mr. A. Booth, of Chicago, has offered 

 the use of his boats and crews, and all aid necessary in procuring 

 the spawn, and depositing it when hatched. We would recom- 

 mend such an expenditure as necessary to complete buildings 

 for this purpose as an essential one, and that the proposition of 

 Col. McDonald be accepted. 



FISHWAYS. 



The hardest problem we have had to solve has been the fishway 

 question, and w^e find this has been true in almost every State in 

 the Union which has a fish commission. The first ilifficulty was 

 to find a proper fishway. It is, and has been, a matter of deep 

 concern among those who have made the habits of fish a study, 

 to find some jjractical method to enable fish to overcome the ob- 

 stacles placed in the way of their efforts to ascend the streams 

 and find their natural spawning grounds. It has been demon- 

 strated beyond any question, that the obstruction of water-courses 

 by dams has done more to decrease the supply of fish than any 

 other one cause. It needs but a casual observation in spring at 

 the first dam on any river, to convince any one of the truth of 

 this assertion; for gathered at base of dam will be found at be- 



