4 
the greater portion of our supply, later spawning fish did not get 
an opportunity to fully complete their deposit of spawn, cutting off 
to some extent the usual supply, but we found plenty of work to 
do, and thousands more of young fish than we could handle, al- 
though, for reasons given above, not so great a proportion of the 
fish we most desired, viz.: black bass. ‘To illustrate the immense 
quantity of fish that are left in the low, flat places, levee pits, etc., 
from which we derive our supply, we will give one or two in- 
stances, samples of hundreds which occur during the season. 
On August 14th Mr. Leonard Obert, living one and one-half 
miles northeast of La Grange, Mo., came on to our boat and in- 
formed us that on his farm there was quite a large pool of water, 
drying up very fast, which appeared to be full of fish, and that 
they would perish if not taken out very soon. We sent 5S. Kelley 
and gang No. 3 up with boats and seins. They took out from that 
one place 21 bushels of young fish, which would aggregate, if com- 
puted by usual estimate, =20,000 fish, but in pomt of fact would 
not number so many, as the fish had. grown considerably, some being 
quite large size for age. ‘hey were taken to the boats and put into 
the Mississippi River near the Three Chutes. Owing to the extreme 
heat and distance they had to be carried, they could not be used 
for distribution. 
On August 16th gang No. 1 took from a levee pit 8 miles below 
Hannibal in one haul of the seine 8 bushels of young fish, the 
greater proportion being young cat-fish. They were put over the 
levee into the river. So for sixty miles below Quincy exist along 
the levee these shallow holes mude by excavating the earth from 
outside of levee to build or repair the levee. All of them, at some 
seasons of the year, become perfectly dry; all are usually filled in 
early spring with, young fish. 
Considerable fault has been found, at various times, with the 
Commission for taking the young fish from the Mississippi River 
for distribution throughout the State, it being claimed that we were 
robbing one section to benefit another. We desire to reiterate our 
former statement, that in no instance has a fish ever been taken 
from the Mississippi Rwer, or any other, for distribution or any other 
purpose, that would not have either died on account of drying up of 
water or have frozen out if left over winter. On the contrary, the 
Mississippi River is richer by millions of fish of all varieties every 
season than it would be if your Commission did not rescue them. 
But a very small proportion of fish taken are sent out; only the 
better qualities are selected, the residue, as before stated the larger 
part, are put into the river, or adjacent deep water. 
Our distribution has been as general and extended as possible. 
Wherever streams could be readily reached by railroad they have, 
in the main, received their proportion of fish, not always perhaps 
at most desirable points, but in every case where, in the opinion of 
the messenger, they would find a permanent home. 
Our work has so increased and property accumulated, we found 
it necessary to have permanent headquarters, and with that end in 
view built a boat, hull 34 feet in length, 12 feet in width, covered 
with a good substantial cabin, giving us an office 9 feet square in 
