CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS. 77 



interests of that commission. In that way we should do away with 

 a great deal of taking of lobsters by people who do not belong 

 in our particular territory; and the summer tourist who wishes to 

 take lobsters for a few weeks could not do so unless he secured a 

 license. Better still, we would know whom to watch. 



Another idea is, that the suggestions made here should not be 

 lost sight of; we want to put them into permanent form, in laws. 

 Professor Herrick has told me more in a short hour about the lob- 

 ster than I ever knew, and his ideas embody some very useful 

 suggestions, which should be embodied into laws. 



I want to say one word for the hardy fishermen, who in the 

 dampness, fog and rain, secure a living along our rocky coast. 

 They are a worthy set of people. I was impressed more particu- 

 larly with this fact half a dozen years ago. One 4th of July I 

 wanted a half bushel of lobsters to celebrate with, and I spoke to 

 an old lobsterman. He said if I would come down at about 5 

 o'clock in the morning I could have what he got. I got up early, 

 and it was a pretty raw, dismal day. I put a flask in my pocket 

 filled with what is sometimes called " bait ; " in this case it was 

 whiskey. I felt almost like trying it myself, it was so cold and 

 damp. When I got to the shore I saw the fisherman coming in, 

 covered with his oilskins. He was cold and wet, and I pitied him. 

 He was suffering, and I knew it. He stepped out into about two 

 feet of water and pulled his boat up. I said to him, " Nathan, I 

 have brought you a little nip, — do you think you could be induced 

 to try it ? " A smile of reminiscence and of anticipation broke 

 over his rugged countenance. He took the flask and gave me the 

 silver stopper. He at once applied the flask to his anatomy. I 

 have stood on the bridge at Niagara when the water came over the 

 falls; I have stood on the banlcs of the Ammonusuc in a spring 

 flood; but these two instances were not a circumstance to the 

 instance which confronted me at this time. This gentleman was 

 a conscientious and thorough man, and when he bails out a boat 

 he bails it out dry. In due time he returned the flask, being an 

 honest man. His comment was that " the stuff did not ketch holt 

 as sharply as the kind he was in the habit of using generally." 



Me. James Donahue of Eockiand, Me., Commissioner of Sea 

 AND Shore Fisheries. 

 There are a few things that I wish to call to your attention, 

 after the reading of these most excellent papers. The lobster fishing 

 is a very important part of our business. To begin with, I wish to 

 ask what we shall do to help this lobster industry? That is a 



