Nov. 6, 1909.] 
741 
Stream Pollution. 
Three reasons why stream pollution must be 
curtailed are given in the Bulletin of the New 
York State Department of Health, as follows: 
Among the many objections to the pollution 
of our natural watercourses there are three that 
stand out most prominently and which in fact 
embrace all the reasons advanced for prevent¬ 
ing defilement of our lakes and rivers. 
I. The Protection of Public Health.—When 
the subject of stream pollution was first given 
serious attention, the conditions attending the 
use of watercourses differed materially from 
those obtaining at present, and it was the 
necessity of preventing nuisances in streams and 
not that of preserving the public health which 
constituted the first reason advanced for requir¬ 
ing the purification of domestic sewage and 
manufacturing wastes. Under present-day con¬ 
ditions, however, the principal justification for 
the campaign that is being universally waged 
against the discharge of crude'• sewage and 
wastes into streams is the need of protecting 
the public health. Not all municipalities may 
secure public water supplies from springs and 
mountain streams flowing from uninhabited 
regions and so, beyond doubt, the danger to 
public health resulting from the unrestricted 
pollution of streams is the most important rea¬ 
son on both moral and economic grounds for 
demanding the purification of sewage. 
II. The Prevention of Public Nuisances.— 
Next in importance as a reason for requiring 
the treatment of sewage and wastes is the 
necessity of preventing public nuisances. Putre¬ 
factive conditions and other objectionable ef¬ 
fects are set up in streams which have re¬ 
ceived organic matter and other wastes in 
excess of the capacity of the streams to prop- 
erly digest or dilute the amount of sewage and 
wastes that has been discharged in its crude 
state into the streams. As stated above, the 
conditions of nuisance thus brought about called 
forth the first demands that were made for the 
treatment of sewage and wastes. 
The objections to public nuisances of this 
character are based principally on esthetic 
grounds, but the control and suppression of 
such general unsanitary and objectionable con¬ 
ditions, as well as supervision over the purity 
of public water supplies, is properly placed with 
the public health authorities. 
III. The Safeguarding of Riparian Rights.— 
Of all the effects of stream pollution, the one 
that is most quickly appreciated and most 
vigorously objected to its the impairment of 
the value of riparian rights. 
In general it may be said that the greatest 
damage to riparian rights and the most widely 
felt interference with the use of streams for 
manufacturing and agricultural purposes arises 
from the discharge of untreated industrial 
wastes rather than from the discharge of do¬ 
mestic sewage. 
Moreover, while the methods of treating do¬ 
mestic sewage are no longer in the experi¬ 
mental stage, the same cannot be said of the 
methods of treating manufacturing refuse. This 
is true principally because of the fact that ex¬ 
perimentation and research in evolving pro¬ 
cesses for treating industrial wastes has been 
carried out almost solely along utilization lines 
rather than with the object of providing means 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
for reducing and rendering unobjectionable such 
wastes before their discharge. From an eco¬ 
nomic standpoint this tendency is commendable, 
but in view of the fact that great damage is 
done to streams by the discharge of such wastes, 
greater attention should be given to providing 
means for their reduction, even though no use¬ 
ful by-products will result from the processes. 
Considerable interest is rightly centered of 
late on the conservation of the natural resources 
of the country, and the fact should not be lost 
sight of that pure water is the greatest source 
of health and that health is the first wealth. 
MR. WATT AND HIS RECORD TROUT. 
Mr. Waft’s Record Trout. 
The half-tone cut printed on this page is from 
a photograph of James Watt, of San Francisco, 
ex-president of the California Anglers’ Associa¬ 
tion and an Sj^-pound Loch Leven trout, which 
is the largest one that has so far been taken. 
It was caught by him in Lake Tahoe, Logan’s 
Flats, Glen Brook, on July 11 last. 
Illinois Bait-Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., Oct. 27.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The general averages for the season 
just closed are as stated below, completed scores 
only being given. The degree buttons will be 
ready for presentation at the December dinner. 
1 he conditions under which the season’s con¬ 
tests were held were as follows: 
PROFICIENCY AWARDS. 
Four degrees for proficiency in bait-casting 
and four degrees for proficiency in fly-casting. 
BAIT-CASTING DEGREES. 
First—To each member who shall, in one sea¬ 
son, make a general average of 95 per cent, in 
both the half-ounce accuracy and the quarter- 
ounce accuracy bait-casting events of this club, 
a degree of amateur bait-caster and a button. 
Second—Ninety-seven per cent., a degree of 
expert bait-caster and a button. 
I bird—Ninety-eight per cent., quarter-ounce 
accuracy, a degree of master bait-caster and a 
button. 
Fourth—Ninety-nine per cent., a degree of 
artist and a button. 
FLY-CASTING DEGREES. 
First—To each member who shall, in one sea¬ 
son, make a general average of 95 per cent, in 
both the accuracy and the delicacy and accuracy 
fly-casting events of this club, there shall be 
awarded a degree of amateur fly-caster and a 
button. 
Second—Ninety-seven per cent., a degree of 
expert fly-caster and a button. 
Third—Ninety-eight and a half per cent., a 
degree of master fly-caster and a button. 
Fourth—Ninety-nine and a half per cent., a 
degree of artist and a button. 
HIGH SCORE AWARDS. 
To the member making the highest general 
average for the season in both the half-ounce 
accuracy and the quarter-ounce accuracy bait¬ 
casting events, a button similar in design to the 
bait-casting degree button, but having a blue 
field and a blue border. 
Highest general average in both the accuracy 
and delicacy and accuracy fly, a button similar 
in design to the fly-casting degree button, but 
having a blue field and a blue border. 
Highest general average in both the half-ounce 
and quarter-ounce distance bait events, a token 
of suitable design. 
Highest general average in both the distance 
fly and salmon fly events, a token of suitable 
design. 
To any member making a perfect score in 
either of the bait or fly events for accuracy or 
delicacy, a suitable trophy. 
The results: 
Bait events: 
14-ounce bounce. General 
w. 
H, 
Ball. 
Bait. 
Bait. 
Average. 
. 98.78 
98.72 
98.75 
A. 
D. 
Whitby. 
. 98.60 
98.42 
9S.51 
W. 
T. 
Jamison. 
. 9S.56 
9S.32 
98.45 
j. 
E. 
Amman. 
. 98.36 
9S.26 
98.31 
s. 
L. 
B. 
Cramer. 
. 98.62 
97.82 
98.22 
E. 
De Garmo.. 
. 98.72 
97.50 
98.11 
N. 
C. 
Heston. 
. 98.10 
97.92 
9S.01 
E. 
T. 
Pierson. 
. 97.76 
9S.14 
97.95 
T. 
M. 
Ranney. 
. 97.30 
9S.10 
97.70 
vv. 
VV. McFarlin... 
. 97.80 
97.56 
97.68 
H. 
E. 
Rice. 
. 97.88 
97.06 
97.47 
E. 
H. 
Mathews.... 
. 97.10 
97.82 
97.46 
F. 
W. 
Heminghous. 
. 97.74 
97.14 
97.44 
G. 
H. 
Asper. 
. 96.40 
96.16 
96.28 
General Averages, 
Distance 
Baits 
L. 
E. 
De Garmo.. 
%-ounce. 
^4-ounce. 
.173 11-20 
109 1-15 
A. 
D. 
Whitby. 
.142 
6-20 
129 2-15 
w. 
J. 
Tamison. 
83 2-5 
Fly events, accuracy: 
Accuracy Delicacy 
Fly. Fly. 
L. E. De Garmo..99 25-60 97 83-120 
W. J. Jamison... 98 47-60 96 25-60 
W. H. Ball. 99 4-15 95 47-60 
I. E. Amman_ 98 58-60 94 48-60 
Fly events, distance: 
• Dist. Fly. 
L. E. De Garmo.. 8614 
W. H. Ball. 93% 
J. E. Amman. 77% 
W. J. Jamison.73 
H. E. Rice.72 
Degree. 
Master 
Master 
Master 
Master 
Master 
Master 
Master 
Expert 
Expert 
Expert 
Expert 
Expert 
Expert 
Proficiency 
Av.-—F eet. 
141 33-60 
135 56-60 
123 27-40 
General 
Average. 
98 33-60 
97 36-60 
97 31-60 
96 51-60 
Degree. 
Master 
Expert 
Expert 
Proficiency 
Salmon Fly. Av.—Ft. 
112% 99% 
95 94% 
93% 85% 
96% 84% 
89 80% 
high score awards. 
14 and %oz. Accuracy Bait—W. H. Ball, 98.75%. 
% and !4oz. Distance Bait—I,. E. De Garmo. 141 33-60ft. 
Accuracy, Delicacy and Accuracy Fly—L. E. De 
Garmo, 98 33-60ft. 
Distance Fly and Salmon Fly—L. E. De Garmo, 99%ft. 
H. F. Bennett, Sec’y. 
