310 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 7, 1889. 



The law conferring ttie appointment of fish wardens to the 

 county commissioners was also enacted at our last (1889) Legis- 

 latnrez 



"Chapter CCVTT. Section 1. The county commissioners of each 

 county shall appoint one person in such county as fish waTd>n, 

 who shall Uold his office two years from the date of his appoint- 

 ment, and shall have the same powers as oilier officers to arrest 

 for the violation of any law relating to fish. S?id fish warden 

 may deputize any other person to assist in detecting aud arrest- 

 ing' any person who mav be violating any law relating to fish. 

 * * * Sec. 2. The fish warden or bis deputy shall have free 

 access at all reasonable hours to search, any basket, bag, vehicle, 

 or any other place where fish are placed, keot, or carried, for the 

 purpose of examining into any suspected violation of the fish law. 

 Sec. 3. Paid fish warden or his deputies shall be paid the same 

 fee allowed to errand jurors in criminal cases, and shall al«o have 

 half of any penalty recovered and paid into the treasury for any 

 offense detected by them." , _. * 



Fish wardens were formerly appointed by the 1< iSh Commission- 

 ers, two or more for each town, but rarely were they ever heard 

 of in connection with prosecuting fish law violators. 



Referring to Section 2 of the last quoted law. you will see that 

 if we find a party fishing on a trout stream in the close season, we 

 can search his basket. Before, Mr. Violator could snap bis fin- 

 gers at an officer. Section 2 in this case, is the spinal column of 

 the fish laws. As the name and fish wardens receive no pay (but 

 in some cases part of the fines), it behooves every true sportsman 

 and also true angler 1o aid them in every possible way. 



Let me assure your readers that each and every one of the above 

 named gentlemen are ready and willins; 10 do their duty, and we 

 are ready to help them. A. C. Connrss, President, 



Connecticut Association of Farmers and Sportsmen 

 for the Protection of Game and Fish. 



Hartfoed, Conn., Mov. 4. 



The Ideal Mfg. Co., of New Haven, Conn., are out with a tool 

 for reloading shells for the LT. M. C. Co.'s new .38 lone: center- fire 

 cartridges, which have lately been adopted by the Government. 

 These cartridges, beine inside lubricated, will undoubtedly take 

 the place of the old .38 long center-fire outside lubricated cart- 

 ridges. The new shell is about B 32 in. longer than the old, and the 

 cannelures of the new bullet holding the lubricating material 

 are inserted below the muzzle of the shell, which is crimped upon 

 its leaving the cartridge when loaded the same length over all as 

 the old, makine; a clean inside lubricated cartridge that can be 

 used in any arm that, now uses the old .38 long central-fire. The 

 users of the new ,2Seal. rifle will be pleased to learn that they can 

 get Ideal tools for the .25-20-87 cartridges, also special molds for 

 same caliber that cast bullets weighing respectively 77 and 67grs. 



"That reminds me." 

 S85. * 



AS Forest and Stream says, "That reminds me" of a 

 little incident that occurred that I think worth re- 

 peating. While strolling around Denver one evening, I 

 passed a restaurant, in front of which were standing sev- 

 eral people, and among them two "sons of the Emerald 

 Isle," looking at some fine lobsters that lay in the win- 

 dow. One said to the other, "And do they raise them 

 things here?" "Yes," replied the other, "they grow 

 them up here in the mountains." The reply being so 

 forcible, I stopped and found it made in good faith; so I 

 put it down among my collection of "Western Yarns," 

 and tried to imagine what the future of Colorado might 

 be. T. A. T. 



Dutchess County, 1ST. Y. 



\m mjd $ivqr fishing. 



ASSOCIATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 



IN JULY, 1883, the writer of this, while en route to the 

 St. Lawrence River, took the steamer Island Belle at 

 Cape Vincent, for Clayton. In passing down the river, 

 the steamer put in at Milieu's Bay, about sis miles below 

 Cape Vincent, where it was not' accustomed to si op, but 

 which landed there that afternoon on account of some 

 passengers of unusual importance. In coming out of the 

 bay, passing close to the New York State shore, there 

 were seen along the surface of the water, large numbers 

 of black objects forming lines in various directions. One 

 of the deck hands was asked what they were, and he re- 

 plied that they were net buoys. It took but a second to 

 see that the water in that immediate vicinity was filled 

 with nets, and that the river, which is not there very 

 wide between the New York State shore and Wolfe Island', 

 was almost entirely blocked with nets. The shore was 

 marked by some large, heavy bushes just opposite the net 

 buoys. On the arrival of the Island Belle at Clayton, a 

 conference of some of the leading Thousand Island tour- 

 ists was called at the Hubbard House, and the fact of the 

 existence of these nets, which were believed to be illegal, 

 was fully discussed. 



The Hon. H. E. Morse, a leading lawyer of northern 

 New York residing at Clayton, and who is the present 

 collector of the port, was sent for, and after careful con- 

 sideration it was decided that the nets were clearly illegal, 

 and that any one had a right to raise and destroy them. 

 It should be remarked here that no one among the resi- 

 dents and the property owners upon the river, or among 

 the regular -visitors at the hotels at that time, seemed to 

 have any idea what the law was in regard to net-fishing. 

 Mr. Morse advised us, however, that no nets of any kind 

 were legal which could by their construction catch or kill 

 game fish. 



Acting on this information a steamer was chartered the 

 same evening, and we left Clayton about 12 o'clock with 

 five St. Lawrence anglers and a half dozen oarsmen. Mr. 

 G. M. Skinner, the trolling spoon manufacturer, was one 

 of the party and one of the hardest workers. Proceeding 

 up the river some eleven miles the dark mass of bushes 

 was discovered, and from that time until daylight the 

 people who were on board were occupied in pulling and 

 securing the trap nets, and in throwing back into the 

 river the live fish which were found in them. It was 

 one of the dirtiest pieces of work the members of the ex- 

 pedition had ever been engaged in. The tar of the nets 

 ruined every suit of clothes, and the individual members 

 of the party were a sight to behold when davlight made 

 them visible. Soon after daylight tired nature asserted 

 itself, and the work, although entirely incomplete, was 

 stopped. Proceeding to Clayton the nets were hauled to 

 a vacant lot in the rear of the village. It was estimated 

 that fully a ton of game fish were liberated during the 

 night. The fish consisted largely of black bass, with a good 

 many wall-eyed pike and other fish. During the next 

 evening the nets were publicly burned. It created much 

 excitement on the river at the time, and many threats of 

 retaliation were made, but no one ever received any in- 

 injury from it. For the remainder of the vear 1883 very 

 few nets were placed in the river. 



After the tourist season was over a circular was sent 

 out to many of the well known tourists of the river, call- 

 ing attention to the necessity of organizing an assocation 

 for the protection of the river, and a meeting was called, 

 to be held at the office of Mr. W. W. Byington, in 

 Albany, for the purpose of effecting such an organiza- 

 tion. This meeting was held on the 26tb day of October, 

 1883, and a committee was appointed to draft a constitu- 

 tion and by-laws, and another committee to name per- 

 manent officers. A subsequent meeting was held on the 

 9th day of November and apermannent organization was 

 completed, the late John J. Flanagan being made presi- 

 dent, with other officers, all of whom were well known 

 anglers. At this meeting the constitution and by laws 

 were adopted, and a large number of members elected. 

 So earnest was the belief in the importance of the work, 

 and of the necessity for active and organized effort, that 

 a further meeting was called, to be held iuUtica on the 

 11th of March, 1884. At this meeting there were present 

 Thousand Island tourists and anglers from all parts of the 

 State— in fact, from all parts of the country— many of 

 them coming hundreds of miles to attend the meeting. 

 The genereL situation in regard to the protection of the 

 river was fully discussed at this meeting, and the work- 

 ing plan of the Association mapped out. Assurances 

 were given the officers from every quarter, that help in 

 the way of money and influence would be given them to 

 any extent which might be asked. 



As a result of this meeting the Association secured a 

 redisricting of the State, and shortly afterward, on their 

 recommendation, a State game protector was appointed 

 by Governor Cleveland for the district covering the river. 

 The officers of the Association at once set about work by 

 securing the cooperation of many of the residents along 

 the river, asking them to inform them of the first appear- 

 ance of nets in the river. In the early spring season, 

 after the breaking up of the ice, a number of the officers 

 visited the river and with a steamer patrolled the whole 

 river, seeking information in every direction about the 

 persons who would be likely to violate the law, and tak- 

 ing steps to prevent them from using their nets. King 

 ston was visited, and the authorities there conferred wilh 

 with reference to the use of nets on the Canadian side of 

 the river, and everything was done that could be done to 

 prevent the putting of nets in the river. 



In the summer of 1884 the most constant vigilance was 

 used by the anglers, and net- fishers had but little chance. 

 The first regular meeting of the Association was held at 

 Clayton, Aug. 5, 1884. The work of the Association was 

 recounted and further plans made. The officers were 

 generally reelected, except that a much larger executive 

 committee was made, and it was decided also to secure 

 the passage of bills making more clear the laws in regard 

 to having in possession black bass during the close sea- 

 son, and also in reference to seizing nets upon shore. 

 These bills were passed as recommended the following 

 winter From that time to this the Anglers' Association 

 of the St. Lawrence River, with its membership averag- 

 ing about 300, has been one of the most active fish and 

 game protective associations ever known in the world. 



Each year the annual meeting has been one of enthusi- 

 asm, one of congratulation over the work of the previous 

 year, and of planning as to the best methods for the 

 future. Mr. Flanagan remained president of the Associ 

 ation until his death, which occurred at Utica, N. Y., in 

 February, 1888. A special meeting of the executive 

 committee was held at the Brunswick Hotel, in New 

 York, soon after, and Mr. W. W. Byington was elected 

 president, and was again elected president at the annual 

 meeting of the same year. At the annual meeting of the. 

 Association in 1889, Mr. Byington declined re election, 

 and Mr. H. H. Warner, of Rochester, was made presi- 

 dent, which position he afterward accepted with an en- 

 thusiastic letter in regard to the protection of the river, 

 and Mr. W. H. Thompson, of Alexandria Bay, was for the 

 third time elected secretary. 



During the six years which the Association has been in 

 active existence, there has been intense enthusiasm on the 

 part of its officers and its members. Each one has b en 

 willing at all times to do everything that it was possible 

 to do to protect the river from net-fishers. It has not 

 always been easy work, and at many times there has 

 been great doubt as to what course should be pursued. 



In 1887 the State game protector destroyed a large 

 number of nets in the upper portion of the river and its 

 adjacent waters, and the net-fishers, through a Water- 

 town lawyer, brought suit for damages, with the p'ea 

 that the law which prohibited the destruction of nets 

 was unconstitutional, and to the astonishment of the 

 anglers and the friends of the river, Judge Williams of 

 Watertown sustained the plea, and declared the law un- 

 constitutional, and judgemnt was entered against the 

 protector for the value of the nets and damage?. The 

 protector, at the time of the destruction of the nets, was 

 acting under a request of the Jefferson County Society 

 for the Protection of Fish and Game, a valuable and 

 plucky organization located at Watertown, with Dr. E. 

 L. Sargeant president. The Anglers' Association promptly 

 assured them that they would stand by them in the ques- 

 tion of expense. The case was appealed to the General 

 Term, and there Judge Williams's decLion was reversed. 

 It has now been carried to the Court of Appeals by the 

 net fishers themselves, where the legality oi the law will 

 be finally decided. 



In the fall of 1888, the Association employed Mr. E. W. 

 Rankin, of Albany, N, Y., to draft a bill which should 

 cover all the points in regard to the protection of the 

 game fish in the river, with special reference to its con- 

 stitutionality as well as to its practical value. The bill 

 was prepared with the greatest care, Mr. Rankin being 

 greatly assisted by Judge George L. Ingiaham, of New 

 York, and was submitted to the Legislature of 1888 for 

 passage. It was supposed the bill would pass readily 

 enough, but it was neglected until too late to make a de- 

 termined effort of value, and it therefore failed of pass- 

 age. The bill will be again submitted at the coming ses- 

 sion of the Legislature, and it is believed it will be passed. 

 If it is passed, it will then be certain that the days of net- 

 fishing are over in the St. Lawrence River. It provides 

 for such punishments for the violation of the law that 

 it is believed net fishers will not even try to use their nest. 



The work of the Anglers' Association may be summed 

 up in a few words. A constant and untiring fight has 

 been kept up to prevent nets from being used in the river; 

 the State Game Protector has been advised and aided; an 

 assistant in the pay of the Anglers' Association has con- 

 stantly been on duty; every officer has taken a personal 



interest in the work; nets in large numbers and of great 

 value have been destroyed from time to time. The laws 

 have been changed and improved, and every person now 

 knows what the law is, and what their rights are under 

 the law, and nothing has been left undone to protect the 

 river which enthusiasm and wisdom could suggest. The 

 great improvement in the fishing in the river, which each 

 year becomes better, attests the result of the work per- 

 formed by the Association. It was clearly in proof that 

 many tons of game fish were annually taken from the 

 river by net-fishers, prior to the organization of the Asso- 

 ciation. 



At the time of the organization of the Association in 

 1888, the property in the vicinity of the river was nearly 

 at a standstill in prices. It is well-known that the hotels 

 were scarcely half filled. Islands unpeopled by their 

 owners were numerous, and the travel by rail was 

 meagre. It was difficult for the angler at times to secure 

 enough fish for his islanel dinner, and boxes of fish sent 

 home to friends were small and infrequent. As a sum- 

 mering place and a watering place, the river seemed 

 doomed, and this doom was the result of net-fishers; but 

 this has all been changed in the six years which have 

 succeeded. Several new and large hotels have been 

 erected. Nearly every island has a handsome cottage, 

 and the travel by rail has been very greatly increased. 

 Within a year, two residences have been "erected by 

 Messrs George M. Pullman and H. H. Warner, of very 

 great value and beauty. 



To show the great change which has been made in the 

 fishing of the river, it is only necessary to state that in 

 the year 1881 there was shipped by the tourists to their 

 friends from the two principal points on the river, Alex- 

 andria Bay and Clayton, 344 boxes of fish. Tn the year 

 1888, there were shipped from the same two points, 616 

 boxes. In 1S89, the number of boxes shipped from the 

 two points was 553, and covered a total weight of 35,000 

 lbs. These numbers elo not include the fish shipped from 

 Thousand Island Park, Round Island, Point Vivian, Cen- 

 tral Park, Cape Vincent and several other small points, 

 from none of which were any fish of consequence shipped 

 in 1881 and 1882. It is believed that over 1 ,000 boxes of 

 fish were shipped from the river dnring the present year, 

 and three times as many fish were eaten by tourists as 

 were consumed six years ago. It is perfectly apparent 

 that there were three times as many fish caught by the 

 angler and tonrist in 1889 as were caught in any one of 

 the years immediately preceding the organization of the 

 Anglers' Association. 



During its existence, the Association has constantly 

 been in consultation with the Canadian authorities in re- 

 gard to the protection of the two sides of the river, and 

 has secured much active co-operation. One of the most 

 active members of the Anglers' Association, Mr. H. R. 

 Clarke, of Jersq^ City, has been of very great value in 

 connection with the co-operation of the Canadian author- 

 ities, as well as in securing large numbers of new mem- 

 bers for the Anglers' Association. 



The protection of the river which has been given elur- 

 ing the last six years from friends of the Association, has 

 resulted in a very large increase in the number of game 

 fish. The black bass and the muscallonge are much more 

 frequently caught, and are of much better size and 

 quality than at any time before, except in the early 

 history of the river. The number of pickerel (pike) has 

 increased to an extent which makes it easy for any one 

 to catch them in quantities to suit themselves. The value 

 of the protection extends to the yellow perch, which can 

 now be caught in enormous quantities, and of very great 

 sizes. In fact, there is no fish which has ever been found 

 in the river which cannot now be found in large quan- 

 tities, and which can be caught with great ease" by the 

 angler and tourist. 



But the river needs even more protection than it has 

 ever had. There is now a State game protector watch- 

 ing the river. The Anglers' Association should have at 

 least two men located at different points during the net- 

 ting season. The Association needs membership, not 

 only for money which they pay to the Association, and 

 which is necessary for the expenses in connection with 

 the protection of theiiver, but also for the influence 

 which its membership will bring to bear upon necessary 

 legislation. Very few organizations have ever existed 

 with such enthusiastic members. From the first they 

 have been on the alert for anything which would be of 

 value to the river. It is felt now, more than ever, that 

 greater influence is wanted, and this can be had only by 

 greater membership. 



At the recent annual meeting it was decided to reduce 

 the annual dues from $5 to $ 3, in order that all those who 

 go to the St. Lawrence should become members of the 

 Association anel participate in its work. The payment of 

 $3 a year to tli3 Association, to be used in the protection 

 ofthe river, is a very small sum in comparison with the 

 results obtained. 



The Association appeals now to their old members and 

 to all who have enjoyed the beautiful waters and the 

 pleasant fishing of the St. Lawrence to come to their aid. 

 If the Association is allowed to die through the indiffer- 

 ence and neglect of those who should be its friends, or if 

 it is able to do its work only partially and incompletely 

 for w ant of means and influence, the noble river it designs 

 to protect wili be covered with nets and the angler" be 

 driven from his private fishing grounds. It is no exag- 

 geration to say that nothing stands at present in the way 

 of despoiling the St. Lawrence but this Association. 

 With a large membership to back its efforts, with judi- 

 cious official watching of all legislation that concerns the 

 St. Lawrence, with skillful, prudent, vigilant protectors 

 in their employ patrolling the river, and with necessary 

 means at their commancl to add additional force when- 

 ever neeeled and to protect them if molested, the Anglers' 

 Association will pledge itself to a continuance of its good 

 work. Will not all anglers, from sympathy with a good 

 cause or from personal interest, whose numbers every 

 year are growing larger and who include some of our 

 most influential citizens, unite anel preserve the finest 

 fishing ground in the United States for the use anel pleas- 

 ure of the thousands who enjoy the gentle art? 



W. W. Byington. 



ALBANY, N. Y„ Oct. 30. 



A Large Haddock.— The Gloucester Daily Times has 

 a record of a haeldock bought by William H. Grimes, of 

 Gloucester, from Capt. Nelson, which weighed 23lbs 

 This was caught by one of the shore boats; it is claimed 

 to be the largest on record. 



