July 29, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
181 
Condition of Sullivan County Trout 
Streams. 
New York City, July 17. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In your issue of Saturday, June 24, 
you published an article from a Sullivan county 
correspondent in relation to the great mortality 
among the trout of the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, 
etc. 
The writer took the matter up with the Hon. 
James W. Fleming, Forest, Fish and Game Com¬ 
missioner of the State of New York and later 
on received the following letter from Dr. Tarle- 
ton H. Bean, Fish Culturist, in regard to the 
matter. J. C. Anderson. 
Copy of Dr. Bean’s report to the commis¬ 
sioner : 
On July 10 in accordance with your instruc¬ 
tions I visited the Beaverkill and Wiilowemoc 
streams in the vicinity of Roscoe, Beaverkill and 
Craig-e-Claire to learn the conditions of trout 
life and to collect the facts as far as possible 
about the recent mortality. 
To begin with, the state of both streams was 
far better than it was a few years ago when Mr. 
Burnham and I made a joint investigation into 
the damage caused by waste from the acid fac¬ 
tories of the Hazel and Spring Brook Chemical 
Companies. No refuse of any kind is found on 
the exposed rocks and little visible material ex¬ 
cept empty tin cans are in the streams. There 
is some drainage into the waters from houses, 
but this is not now affecting the trout as far 
as I can see. The only dead fish seen by me 
were one large brook trout, several suckers and 
one minnow. The trout was rotten and the 
cause of death could not be determined. 
When the mortality was at its height two 
brook trout were sent to the Albany office from 
Livingston Manor, Sullivan county, and after 
careful examination for marks of external dis¬ 
eases they were forwarded to Dr. Edwin Linton, 
one of the most eminent authorities on fish para¬ 
sites for investigation of possible internal in¬ 
juries. Neither of us could discover anything 
sufficient to cause death, and the natural infer¬ 
ence is that the mortality was due either to 
poison or to some unfavorable natural condi¬ 
tions. 
There is good reason to believe that chemical 
wastes had little or nothing to do with the death 
of the fish in this case. Dead trout were found 
far above the factories in greater numbers than 
at Roscoe. The trout were reported to have 
collapsed suddenly even when trying to take the 
fly, and their actions indicated suffocation rather 
than poisoning. I am strongly inclined to be¬ 
lieve that the heat and drouth had more to do 
with the mortality of trout, suckers, chubs, min¬ 
nows, etc., than anything else. 
If a cause of poisoning be needed to complete 
the history of the mortality perhaps it may be 
found in the extensive use of lime on low 
meadows whose surface drainage flows into the 
streams during freshets. A big freshet in June 
of this year may have been the means of killing 
many fish, for it corresponds with the maximum 
of the losses reported. 
As to waste from acid factories there is no 
doubt that it will destroy fish if allowed to es¬ 
cape into the streams. Spring Brook is said to 
be at present deserted by trout because of such 
pollution. In the vicinity of Cooks Falls I have 
personally secured evidence of the destruction of 
trout by such means. But as far as the recent 
trout mortality in the Beaverkill, Willowemoc 
and Mongaup are concerned we ought to con¬ 
sider first of all the natural conditions of the 
year 1911 unfavorable to trout life, namely lower 
water and high temperature before anything else 
as factors in the destruction. 
The newspaper reports were much exaggerated 
and this is unfortunate because the influence of 
the press for good or bad is very powerful. If 
more careful investigations were made by com¬ 
petent reporters, it would be better for the pub¬ 
lic welfare. Interviews with persons deeply in¬ 
terested in the improvement of the fishing con¬ 
vinced me that the number of dead trout was 
not very large. Jay Davidson, of Beaverkill, 
thought it had reached 1,000; Joseph Cameron, 
of Craig-e-Claire, estimated the number seen by 
him at 50. B. F. Hardenburgh, of Roscoe, saw 
about twenty-five dead brown trout in the Beaver¬ 
kill. Louis Rhead found three or four near 
Roscoe, and Wm. Keener confirms the same 
statement. None of the trout seen by these ob¬ 
servers showed a trace of disease of any kind 
except one taken by Mr. Rhead, and in this one 
the suppurating wound may have been caused 
by some sharp weapon like a spear or the beak 
of a heron. 
The posting of certain portions of the stream 
by private owners after the waters were stocked 
by the State has caused great bitterness of feel¬ 
ing on the part of people who have before en¬ 
joyed fishing privileges, and will doubtless lead 
sooner or later to a series of suits to recover 
rights claimed by the public. The commission 
has done a great deal to restock the streams re¬ 
ferred to and the young trout sent to applicants 
at Roscoe and elsewhere are reported to be 
thriving. 
Illinois Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., July 17.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Such of the events scheduled for July 
15 as the weather would permit were cast in 
the following order. Wind southwest, approxi¬ 
mately fifteen miies an hour: 
Accuracy bait, 14-ounce: 
Whitby . 98.0 Spencer . 97.9 
De Garmo . 98.2 Amman . 98.7 
Stanley . 99.8 Asper . 97.0 
Hartley . 98.8 Bauer . 97.9 
Heston . 98.4 Humphreys . 97.6 
Ball . 99.4 Jamison .. 98.5 
Linder . 99.2 Pierson . 99.6 
Hartstall . 98.0 Ranney . 99.0 
On the following day it was impossible to cast 
the quarter-ounce bait, delicacy fly and light 
tackle accuracy dry fly events owing to contrary 
wind. 
The salmon fly event was cast off in the after¬ 
noon with following results: 
Salmon fly event, feet: 
Amman . 113 133 
De Garmo . 140 
Ball . 120 
Heston . 112 100 
The weather Sunday afternoon was clear, 
north wind, approximately fifteen miles an hour. 
You will please note that a new record has 
been established in the quarter-ounce accuracy 
bait and a new club record in the salmon fly 
event, Wm. Stanley with an average of 998—■ 
only two points off—in the quarter-ounce bait 
and L. E. DeGarmo with 140 feet in the salmon 
fly event. 
Particular attention is called to excellence of 
all of the quarter-ounce scores, Pierson with an 
average of 99.6, Ball 99.4, Linder 99.2, etc. 
Team: 
Wm. Stanley . 99.35 
W. H. Ball. 99.28 
E. K. Pierson. 99.10 
Alternates: 
D. R. Linder. 98.33 
R. C. Nicholson_ 98.30 
D. Kernaghan . 98.23 
A. D. Whitby. 98.45 
L. E. De Garmo... 98.43 
W. J. Jamison. 98.18 
N. C. Heston. 98.13 
Next regular event scheduled for Saturday, 
July 29, and the following day. Half-ounce accu- 
1 acy bait, half-ounce distance bait, accuracy fly, 
distance fly. L. V. Tournier, Sec’y. 
Anglers’ Casting Club of Chicago. 
Chicago, Ill., July 17. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: On the 9th conditions were very bad; 
high gusty winds and shifting clouds made it 
bad in both accuracy and distance. Scores: 
Half-ounce accuracy: 
Jamison . 
Regular. Re-entries. 
C. Watt . 
Maloney . 
Campbell . 
Gray . 
.... 
Slocum . 
Hokamp . 
Agnes Nordholm .... 
1. Nordholm .. 
UU • J. 
C. Nordholm . 
.... 
Hartley . 
Ames . 
Woernecke . 
97.9 
Lingenfelter . 
Johnson . 
Kleinfeldt . 
*Perce . 
• • • • 
"Linder . 
98.7 
"Smith . 
Half-ounce long distance: 
C. Watt. 
97.0 
T. Nordholm . 
Jamison . 
Ames . 
JLbUys 
145 Ys 
C. Watt . 
Kleinfeldt . 
Lingenfelter . 
. . . 
Ouarter-ounce accuracy: 
Ames . 
Jamison . 
Hokamp . 
Woernecke . 
Hartley . 
.... 
Gaenzle . 
Rudd . 
C. Watt . 
( ampbell . 
1 . Nordholm . 
Johnson . 
"Linder . 
IN* 
"Visitors. 
99.0 
On the 16th high winds were blowing, first 
one way and then another which made good 
scores in both events hard to get, though some 
t ery creditable scores were made. Jameson’s 
158 feet average for quarter-ounce distance, being 
close to Lingenfelter’s world’s record of 159^ 
feet made June 18. Scores: 
Quarter-ounce long distance: 
Jamison . 
T. Nordholm . 
Kleinfeldt . 
T. Nordholm . 
158 
132% 
134% 
E. M. Town, 
noy s 
11 G 
' 98 % 
Sec’y. 
Elgin Anglers’ Club. 
Elgin, Ill., July 16 . — Editor Forest and Stream: 
The scores of members in the contest on July 16 
are as follows: 
Distance and accuracy. 
F. Eggebrecht. 
C. C. Elliott. 
W. H. Newton . 
A. G. Wampole. 
W. E. Bordeau. 
R. W. Hawthorne. 
R. F. Kadow. 
*Wampole . 
"Bordeau . 
"Kadow . 
"Re-entries. 
J 4 -ounce. %-ounce. 
.. 98.5 98.3 
.. 97.5 96.6 
.. 93.8 95.6 
.. 97.4 97.6 
.. 97.1 97.6 
.. 98.5 96.1 
.. 87.9 93.8 
.. 97.3 97.6 
.. 97.9 97.3 
•• 93.1 84.1 
A very changeable wind, but a beautiful day. 
R. W. Hawthorne, Sec’y. 
