Fish, Fishing and Fisheries of Pennsylvania. 77 



water only a few hours previous. All lovers of hook-and-line fishing 

 should exert themselves in order to prevent the illegal catching of 

 fish." 



Colonel Fleeharty says: 



In 1882 or 83, it was not a difficult thing for two persons fishing from 

 & boat at the mouth of the harbor, just outside the piers, to load a small 

 boat in a day's fishing. And during the winter months it was not un- 

 usual to see five hundred persons fishing through the ice for these fish, 

 in and about the harbor. At that time their average catch would be 

 about twenty pounds each. During the past winter, taking a concensus 

 of opinion, it is estimated that for sixty five days, there has been fishing 

 on the ice, one hundred and sixty men each day, and the catch would 

 yield five to eight pounds a man; but nearly all perch." 



In 1877 the board of trade and the select and common councils of 

 Erie extended an invitation to the State Fisheries Commission to visit 

 the section, in company with a special committee of the legislature, to 

 make examination of the operations of the fish industries there. 



At that time the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc., bordering 

 upon the lakes, were beginning to pay special attention to the culture of 

 white fish for its commercial value, and were annually making liberal 

 appropriations for artificial hatching. Up to that year Michigan and 

 Wisconsin had hatched 18,000,000 fry, while Ohio was running four ex- 

 perimental stations, and the object of the officials at Erie was to induce 

 the state authorities to establish a hatchery in their city, in order that 

 Pennsylvania might contribute her share to the common benefit. 



The visit was made, but at that time nothing was accomplished. On 

 the 8th of October, 1884, four members of the fish commission again 

 visited Erie for the purpose of consulting with the citizens in regard to 

 ihe establishment of a white fish hatchery at that point. They were 

 warmly welcomed, a meeting of the trade was called and the subject 

 -thoroughly discussed. 



A temporary hatchery was first proposed, the citizens agreeing to 

 pay one-half the expense, but after making careful estimates of the cost 

 and taking into consideration the lateness of the season, the conclusion 

 reached was, that it would be neither advisable or feasible to commence 

 operations at that time. In addition to this, the funds in the hands of 

 the commission were not sufficient to meet that part of the outlay the 

 state would have been required to assume. 



The wiser plan, it was agreed, would be to make application to the 

 legislature for an appropriation of $5,000, to be applied to the erection 

 of such a hatchery as the state should have. This would include the 

 cost of a lot, frame building of adequate size, a complete outfit of hatch- 

 ing jars, cans for the transportation of the fry to the points where they 

 were to be deposited in the lake, and for employes. The assurance was 

 also given that the city of Erie would furnish the needed water supply 

 without cost. 



