
FISH AND FISHING 123 
This is certainly a remarkable document 
for a state officer to issue. Ordinarily it 
is understood that the duty of a com- 
missioner of fisheries is to propagate and 
protect the fishes in so far as possible; 
but Mr. Patty seems desirous of doing 
everything possible to aid in cleaning out 
the lakes and rivers of his state. He is 
said to be sending this circular broadcast 
all over the state. This would indicate 
that he wants every man in the state to 
buy a seine at once and then take out a $1 
license: for the privilege of using it 5 
years. He even advises his constituents 
to organize clubs to work these seines. He 
seems to fear that if a seine belongs only 
to one man he may not use it as much as 
it should be used, and he wants the farm- 
ers and others in each neighborhood to 
club together and keep the nets moving. 
If the granger legislature of Indiana is 
desirous of having the last fish in the 
state caught and killed they have certainly 
found the right man to further their 
wishes. 
The way to make a bad law obnoxious 
ito enforce it.. f hope. the, true 
sportsmen of Indiana will see during the 
present summer what a gigantic fish hog 
scheme this seine law is, and that as soon 
as the next legislature convenes they will 
have it repealed. 

HE CHANGES HIS TACTICS. 
Mr. W. B. Kniskern, G. P. A. of the C. 
& N. W. Ry., has for several years been 
collecting from his agents in Wisconsin 
and Michigan, reports of all the big 
catches of fish made in the waters ad- 
jacent to his lines. These reports have 
been sent to the sportsmen’s papers and 
through the mails to possible tourists. 
On May 22d last I wrote Mr. Kniskern as 
follows: 
I beg to again call your attention to 
what I consider the unfavorable advertis- 
ing you are giving your line by sending 
out reports of the work of fish hogs. This 
is not simply my designation of the men 
who catch 3 or 4 times as many fish in a 
day as they should. Ut miS acer. 11 
common use by all decent sportsmen, as 
expressing their opinion of this class of 
fishermen. 
For instance, you state in a bulletin 
dated May 16th that John-Carley caught 
51 brook trout on May 14th. This is at 
least twice as many trout as any man 
should take in a day. I have had one or 2 
bulletins from you within the past 2 
weeks mentioning even larger catches 
than this. 
The sending out of such reports of big 
catches, and having them published in 
various periodicals, flatters these men. 
They get copies of the publications con- 
taining the reports and show them to 
their friends. This encourages the hog- 
gish instincts of not only the men who 
do the fishing, but of others as well; and 
that tends to deplete the waters along 
your line of the fish supply which they 
should contain for many years to come. 
I do not mean to tell you how to run 
your business. I simply caution you, as 
a friend of yours, and as a friend of fish 
and game protection. 
To which Mr. Kniskern replies as fol- 
lows: 
Chicago, May 30, 1899. 
We are heartily in accord with the 
views expressed in your letter, and have 
instructed our advertising department to 
eliminate any such information from our 
notices in future. We will co-operate 
with you in every way consistent, on the 
lines you have inaugurated in bringing 
about these desirable results. 
Yours truly, 
W. B. Kniskern, G. P. and T. A. 
And thus the gospel is being spread, 
day by day. It is gratifying to know that 
many of the great railway lines are be- | 
coming so deeply interested in the work 
of fish and game protection. 

SOME SALMON FACTS. 
Is the enclosed regarding salmon true? 
Are land-locked salmon affected in the 
same way? 
W. S. Foote & Co., Lowell, Mass. 
W. F. Hubbard, in the Oregonian says.: 
** The time required for asalmon to arrive at matur- 
ity is about 3 years. During this time the salmon do 
not visit fresh water, but remain in the ocean until the 
app EAs of the spawning season, or the development 
of the organs of reproduction urge them to seek fresh 
water. 
‘When a salmon has once entered a river it never 
returns to the ocean, but continues its journey up the 
stream as far as possible before it becomes necessary 
to seek a place to spawn. 
‘‘The salmon that first enter a river in the spring are 
the ones that ascend the farthest up the streams and 
reach the headwaters before it is necessary for them to 
stop tospawn. These salmon are the first to spawn, 
which is accomplished by them at the headwaters of 
the longest streams. 
‘““All species of salmon deteriorate rapidly as the 
spawning season approaches, and as they eat nothing 
while in the fresh water they are consequently very 
poor when the spawning season begins. The act of 
spawning is very exhausting, and in its performance 
the fish becomes much frayed and mutilated. The fins 
and especially the tail are often worn to the bone. 
After spawning the fish hover about the spawning 
grounds a short time but soon drift off and die.”’ 
Replying to the above the Hon. Geo. 
M. Bowers, U. .S. Fish Commissioner, 
says: 
The statements made by Mr.- Hubbard 
are true so far as we know, with the ex- 
ception of the first, in which he says the 
time required for a salmon to arrive at 
