136 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the halibut, the females being caught in them, which cnnnot be caught 

 by hand-lines. People complain of the injury to halibut and cod from 

 the set-lines. 



YourSj truly, 



SIMEON F. CHENEY. 



Nashua, New Hampshire, 



February 24, 1871. 

 Dear Sir : Allow me your attention for a few moments. I was a 

 fisherman for several years on the cod- fishing line. You are well aware 

 that ditt'erent kinds of cod use different food. There is the poogie cod, 

 the herring-cod, and the clam-cod. The best, and what has always been 

 relied on, is the poogie-cod, which is fast going out of existence, and the 

 fisheries will eventually be ruined if there is nothing done to prevent it 

 by the Goxernment. They have tried to legislate it in Maine, but, you 

 know, "money makes the mare go," and these oil mill owners have more 

 than fishernjen ; therefore the effort will fail unless the friends of fisher- 

 men take hold of it. It is unnecessary for me to explain how many 

 thousand barrels of this food of the poogie-tish is consumed in a year to 

 make oil of; it is sufficient to know that i^, is destroying ail the food, and 

 with very little recompense. The Government ought to pass an act pro- 

 hibiting the seining of poogies on the coast, especially on Government 

 waters, to make oil or manure of. 



I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, 



WINSLOW P. EAYRS. 



The fish here referred to as the Pogie is the Menhaden, or Moss 

 Bunker, {Brevoortia menhaden.) 



Nashua, Becember 28, 1871. 



Dear Sir : Every other year, Avhen the pohageu or poogies (men- 

 haden) come into the mouths of the rivers, we find thousands of them 

 thrown on shore, dead. There is a great deal of speculation in regard 

 to them, and as to the cause of their death. I think, however, I can solve 

 the mystery. I notice that all the print-works, dye-houses, and facto- 

 ries discharge into the water tons of dyes, poison culch, in fact, everj'thing 

 which ought to be buried, such as copperas and other chemicals. You 

 know what they are, and that they fill the water with poison. Even 

 the card -factory here in this city throws tons every year into the Merri- 

 mac. Fisli being so easily destroyed, I believe that is the reason, and 

 that the prnctice ought to be stopped. I believe that is the reason that 

 salmon, shad, &c., do not come uj) the river as they used to. Is not my 

 idea reasonable? Not only the fish are affected in this way, but the 

 city of Lowell are drinking the water. We may soon know that the 

 I)eoi)le are dying, while the (;ause is not understood. 



The idea that dye-stuff's settle, and the water runs clear, is all bosh, in 

 my estimation. Am I not rightf I think this too important to fish 

 and people not to be looked into. But I know of no one who has even 



