The Book of the Fair - Chapter 17



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Chapter the Seventeenth:
Fisheries and Pisciculture

Far back to pilgrim days can be traced the origin of our domestic 
fisheries, for by them was saved from starvation the infant colony at 
Plymouth, and by their proceeds were supported the first public schools 
established on New England shores. Some two years before the Mayflower 
bore westward the fathers of the republic, a company of Puritans, 
returning from their sojourn in the Netherlands, besought King James for 
permission to found an American colony. "What profit might arise," 
inquired his majesty. "Fishing," was the answer, in a single world. "So 
God have my soul, 'tis an honest trade: 'twas the apostles' own calling." 
Such was the monarch's decision, and so the permission was granted. 

Except for despatching a ship in 1624 to establish a fishing station at 
Cape Ann, the Plymouth colony took no active part in the earlier 
development of American fisheries. This station they abandoned after a 
single season, and, as is related, their vessels, "well laden, went 
joyfully home together, ye master of ye larger ship towing ye lesser ship 
at his sterne, all ye way overbound." Meanwhile had been shipped from that 
point, in the previous year, the first cargo of fish for European markets. 
Thenceforth the industry grew apace, until, at the outbreak of the 
revolutionary war, there were more than 500 fishing craft belonging to 
Massachusetts ports alone, their total catch being valued at $750,000. 
Then came further troubles, followed by the war of 1812, and almost from 
that date until the settlement of the Bering sea controversy, progress has 
been retarded by foreign complications and injudicious legislation. Many a 
time has the remark been made that "our fishermen are always bringing 
trouble on the government." Rather should it be said that the government 
is ever bringing trouble on our fishermen. But notwithstanding all 
obstacles, the yield of fisheries has attained to mammoth proportions, and 
now for the first time in the annals of international expositions, this 
industry, with all its adjuncts, finds adequate representation in a home 
of its own. 

In the Fisheries division of the Fair are included many branches, in 
addition to such as relate to the quest and capture of animals and plants 
whose home is in the water, entirely or in part. In the official 
classification are included fish and other forms of aquatic life; sea 
fishing and angling; fresh water fishing and angling; the products of the 
fisheries and their manipulation, and fish culture. In addition to the 
United States are represented nearly all nationalities among whom fishing 
is a prominent industry, from New Brunswick to New South Wales, the 
harvest of sea, river, and lake, "gathered," as has been said, "in 
wasteful fashion from a crop that is neither sown nor tended," amounting 
annually to more than 2,000,000 tons, and affording direct employment to 
at least 1,000,000 men and 200,000 vessels. In the United States the take 
of fish exceeds 250,000 tons a year, of which about one-fourth comes from 
the waters of the great lakes, with a large production from Atlantic and 
Pacific grounds, while the what and seal fisheries still produce largely, 
though with a steadily diminishing yield. As to the fisheries of other 
lands, brief mention will be made in connection with their exhibits in 
this department. 

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Facing in front an arm of the lagoon by which it is separated from the 
government building, and with one of its polygonal annexes bordered by a 
miniature estuary opening into the lake, the Fisheries pavilion raises its 
clear-cut outlines against the sky. In the fantastic design of this 
edifice, or rather group of edifices, we have somewhat of a relief from 
the architectural classicism of its environment. By his brethren of the 
craft, this composition, with its opulence of decorative features, 
conceived by Henry Ives Cobb, has been pronounced "an architectural poem." 
However this may be, it is certain that Mr. Cobb has given us a structure 
admirably suited to its several purposes, one that, in treatment, not only 
departs from the conventional style of its neighbors, but, as with the 
Horticultural hall, is of itself an illustration of the uses for which is 
was built. 

In the main edifice, devoted to fisheries in general, to pisciculture and 
scientific investigation, we have a rectangular structure of no special 
order of architecture, though based on the southern Romanesque, in length 
365 feet, with a width between the entrances of 242 feet, and between the 
outside walls of about two-thirds of the latter space. Through the centre 
runs a spacious hall, 280 by 80 feet, lighted by clear-story windows, and 
around which is a continuous aisle, occupying the remainder of the floor 
space. Above are galleries, also encircling the entire structure, and 
increasing its exhibiting space to a total of 60,000 square feet. To give 
accent to its low, long curtain walls, the roofs, of glazed Spanish tile, 
were so constructed as to slope sharply to a central ridge. Surmounting 
them is a circular tower, over the centre of the nave, in diameter co-
equal with its width, and around which are turrets, with staircases 
leading to the gallery and to an exterior balcony. Above the tower is a 
clear-story stage, also flanked by turrets, and above all, rising to a 
height of 150 feet, is a conical roof, capped with a belvedere, around the 
base of which is still another gallery. At the principal entrances, in the 
centre of the main facades, are pavilions projecting from the outside 
walls, adorned with sculpture work and statuary typical of the fisherman's 
craft. In the entire structure, with its double row of columns, their 
capitals depicting in endless group all forms of life contained in sea or 
river, we have rather a playful delicacy than such grandeur of design as 
some might deem in keeping with its proportions. In this and other points 
the Fisheries buildings differ essentially from most of their neighbors; 
but with a difference to which none but the most captious of critics will 
take exception. 

In preparing his decorative scheme, the architect has produced some four-
score models of columnar ornamentation, each of different and yet of 
conventional pattern. If in many of them there is found a strong element 
of the ludicrous and grotesque, it is only in keeping with the playfulness 
of design, and by no means detracts from the merits of composition. Rather 
does it serve, as one of his confreres remarks, "to make it 

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joyous and festive, without loss of dignity, grace, and fitness." Perhaps 
in none of the Exposition buildings have their artificers displayed a more 
striking originality of treatment, and that without treading on the 
dangerous ground of inventing new forms of architectural expression. 

East of the principal edifice, in the direction of the lake, is the 
aquarium building, connected with it, as is the one devoted to angling 
exhibits, by a curved projecting corridor, so that the Fisheries hall 
appears to set back from its two flanking pavilions. The latter are of 
octagonal shape and somewhat similar design, the one containing the 
aquaria with clear-story windows and glass-roofed circular aisles in 
concentric arcs, surrounding and connected by arcades with a central 
rotunda, where, from the crevices of moss-covered rocks, rise jets of 
water in miniature fountains descending in spray to the basin below. Here 
is a choice collection of aquatic plants, and of goldfish and other 
ornamental specimens. In the salt and fresh-water aquaria, which are ten 
in number, are displayed nearly all the known varieties that people sea or 
river. As to the dimensions of these aquaria, it need only be said that 
their capacity ranges from 7,000 to 27,000 gallons, and with a total of 
140,000 gallons, apart from reservoirs and water circulation. 

Southward, the main facade of the Fisheries hall faces toward the 
Government building, in the northern end of which are the exhibits of the 
United States fish commission, thus grouping in one display all the 
wonders of the great deep, and including river fisheries, pisciculture, 
and other branches presently to be mentioned. While at several of our 
great world's fairs there have been similar collections on a smaller 
scale, they have for the most part been scattered among other departments, 
and therefore wanting in unity and expression. Here, in accordance with 
the clause in the congressional act which provides for an exhibition of 
"the products of soil, mine, and sea," is for the first time afforded an 
ample and continuous illustration of aquatic industry and science. Nor is 
there any good reason why this industry, aptly termed the mother of 
commerce, and in many countries a prominent source of wealth, should not 
be fully represented at the Columbian Exposition. Still more appropriate 
would appear the emphasis given to this division, when it is remembered 
that fishing was one of the favorite pursuits of the native races of 
America, and that to their conquerors the pearl fisheries of the Isthmus 
were prizes coveted more eagerly than gold itself. 

In the department of Fisheries is not only displayed in complete and 
interesting form their present condition, whether from a scientific or 
commercial point of view, but in a series of object lessons is portrayed 
their history for at least four centuries of the past. Almost side by side 
are the primitive apparatus of the savage, and the most approved 
appliances and methods evolved by many cycles of scientific progress. Here 
also are the laws and regulations, the reports and statistics, pertaining 
to fisheries. As to the fish themselves, there are few species that are 
not her represented, from the minnow to monsters of the deep, with river 
and shell fish of every kind, and with fish-eating birds, mounted on 
frames or preserved in alcohol. Of fish and fish stories described on 
canvas there is no lack, many of them depictured by artists of more than 
national repute. 

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In the angling department is a long array of rods, reels, tackle, and 
other appliances, showing the progress made in its various branches, and 
such as of itself forms a history of the pursuit which Walton ranked among 
the liberal arts. Of flies there are several exhibits, among the most 
interesting of which is the process of their manufacture by men and women 
actually at work on these delicate fabrics. Other kinds of artificial bait 
are also displayed in great variety; and near them is a collection of all 
such articles as pertain to the angler's outfit, while on the banks of the 
lagoon, in close proximity, are fishermen's camps, constructed of logs of 
canvas. 

The centre of attraction is the exhibit of live fish in the aquarium 
building, where in tanks arranged in concentric circles is the largest 
collection of sea and fresh-water specimens in the world, except for the 
one contained in the Brighton aquaria on the southern coast of England. 
This was contributed by the United States fish commission, whose object 
was to present the best possible picture of fish-life, especially of the 
interior waters of America, and at the same time to illustrate the 
operations of the commission. While seeking to make it of educational 
value, everything has been done to show the different species in the most 
attractive form. That this is one of the most popular departments of the 
Exposition is attested by the crowds which daily inspect the many odd-
looking specimens brought from ocean's depths and inland streams. To young 
and old it has proved a delight, and is studied by thousands who have 
never been within sight of ocean, and to whom the stories of the great 
deep are as the marvels of tradition. 

The first point of interest is the pool in the centre with its gold fish 
and other bright hued specimens. The groups of stalactites from which a 
supply of fresh water is constantly dripping into the basin are in 
tasteful design. Here also are numerous specimens of rock, marine 
vegetation, and mounds of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants. Between the 
central basin and the circles of tanks are passage-ways six feet in width, 
the tanks numbering 50 in all, of which about two-thirds contain the fresh-
water species to the right of the southern portal. They vary in length 
from six to 50 feet, with a total glass frontage of nearly 600 feet, and 
with 3,000 square feet of surface. Their decorations resemble those where 
the gold-fish are domiciled, with miniature mountains and caves made of a 
lime-like substance, called calcareous tufa, from the springs near Toledo, 
Ohio, while vegetable matter grottoes and reefs, a dark cement has been 
used, and the holes and corners are filled with dark earth, in which 
aquatic plants are deposited. 

In the fresh water sections are all the species inhabiting the great 
lakes, rivers, and their tributaries throughout the United States. Here 
are beautiful specimens of lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, carp, 
tench, pike, black bass, many kinds of suckers, cat-fish, dog-fish gars, 
and minnows. Of goldfish, the most attractive are the Chinese variety, 
with fan-like transparent tail, while the most handsome tank is that which 
contains the golden ide, of the carp family, indigenous to European 
rivers. In an aquarium 70 feet long by 12 in width are shown the largest 
specimens of the Mississippi basin and the great lakes, as the sturgeon, 
pickerel, cat-fish, white-fish, and bass. From inland waters are also the 
shovel-fish, lake herring, buffalo-fish, perch, and others. Then there are 
separate tanks for all fish indigenous to the Atlantic slope east of the 
Alleghany mountains. Here are in full splendor every species of edible and 

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commercial fish, with almost all the curious and hideous specimens in the 
waters of the United States, as well as a vast number of foreign species. 
There are the von behr from Germany, and the Lochleven trout from 
Scotland, as well as rainbow trout from California, black spotted trout 
from the Rocky mountains, and brook trout from every mountain stream in 
the republic. The different varieties of carp occupy a separate tank; and 
in this collection a most interesting fish to naturalists is the spoon-
bill, or paddle-fish, the only species of the genus, and the only genus of 
the family polyodontidae in the world, and one that has never before been 
successfully preserved in an aquarium. In addition to aquatic plants, the 
fresh water tanks are well supplied with all kinds of water life, old logs 
being planted across the crevices, not only for the benefit of the fish, 
but to give to the surroundings a realistic appearance. The special design 
has been to make the environment in all cases correspond as far as 
possible with the habitat of the occupant, both as to fresh-water and 
marine exhibits. 

The marine collection has been gathered from great distances, ranging from 
Atlantic to Pacific shores. Three classes are represented; food, 
ornamental, and monster fishes. Tongued cod, spotted croker, pompano, 
tautag, sheeps-head, toad fish, sea robins, sharks, skate, porgies, and 
mummichogs are among the specimens of every important species known to 
science. Divers have searched the ocean for the rare forms of plant life 
which adorn the tanks, growing as in their native beds. Resting placidly 
on rocks and sands are crabs, lobsters, turtles, sea anemones, terrapins, 
snakes, and other invertebrates. Elsewhere are shrimps, snails, whelks; 
and there is a collection of such varieties as the sea-horse, trunk-fish, 
and puff-fish, the last the most repulsive in all the marine aquaria, 
covered with sharp spikes similar to the porcupine-fish. A peculiar 
specimen is the so-called nursing fish, with a wavy appendage several feet 
in width. 

The fresh water specimens are supplied with filtered water, kept at a 
temperature to suit their natural habits. The salt water is conducted in 
rubber tubes to a filter placed in the cellar and containing stones, 
gravel, and sand as in nature, and is then run off into a cistern with a 
capacity of about 60,000 gallons. A duplicate set of pumps operated by 
electric dynamos drives the water into a reservoir at the top of the 
building, whence it flows back into aquaria. The stream carries enough air 
with it to aerate the water and enable the fish to breathe. Another method 
of aerating is by aquatic plants, which are continually giving off oxygen, 
and absorbing the 

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carbonic gas generated by respiration. The fish are well fed, and thrive 
better than could be expected, crowded as they are in cruel fashion within 
the narrowest of space, in a collection that appears to be needlessly 
duplicated. 

In the main Fisheries building we will begin with one of its smallest and 
yet most interesting exhibits. This is contained in a small glass case 
near the southern entrance, and consists of a collection of shells, 
fashioned by a Memphis contributor into pansies, bouquets, bracelets, and 
other fantastic forms. Thence extends along the main floor and the 
southern gallery, the largest display of nets, seines, and twines that has 
ever been brought together. This is by the American Net and Twine company 
of Boston, in the centre of whose enclosure is a pavilion containing an 
infinite variety of specimens. A portion of the enclosure is covered with 
a net of ample proportions, beneath which is a miniature pound net, 
resembling in pattern such as are used on the great lakes, and a large 
assortment of gill netting. Spanish cast netting, herring nets, trawls, 
and sundry other articles are suspended here and there with decorative 
effect, and there is a labyrinth of net-work comprising the English style 
of cat nets, models of weirs used in New England, salmon weirs, with fish 
traps of all description. The entire space is draped with cod hauling 
seines as used on the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts, and in the rear is 
an oil painting of a fisherman in the act of hauling in his net. There are 
also shown by this firm purse seines, and their method of operation, all 
styles of gill nets, traps, and nets used in the great lakes, models of 
floating traps, mackerel poaches, and in a word a complete collection of 
apparatus for the capture of nearly every kind of marine and fresh water 
fish. 

Adjoining the net and twine display, is an exhibit of oyster pails, patent 
oyster rakes, and similar articles. Another firm has an exhibit of 
scaling, washing, and weighing machines, and among other contrivances one 
for shaping, stamping, and weighing fish balls. Near by a Boston lobster 
firm shows an exact reproduction of a well-smack used for transporting 
lobsters to market. Through a flat glass casing, made to resemble the 
surface of the ocean, can be seen the bottom of the boat resting on what 
appears to be the bed of the sea. The vessel is supplied with windlass, 
wheel, blocks, and all other appliances for receiving, storing, and 
transhipping its cargo to the cars, which are lying alongside ready to 
receive their freight. On the opposite side of the aisle is a collection 
of sturgeon sounds, described as the "air, or swimming bladder of the 
sturgeon, skinned and dried, with neither taste nor smell, and therefore 
the purest article for jellies and other culinary purposes." 

In this vicinity is the exhibit of the Boston firm of John R. Neal and 
company, in which are models of fishing vessels, and a large collection of 
traps, implements, seines and smaller nets, with a section of a mackerel 
seine side by side with illustrations of mackerel catching. There is also 
a large array of pictures illustrating the deep-sea fisheries of New 
England, with everything that pertains to the catching and curing of 
haddock, and the capture of cod and mackerel, including the position of 
the nets in the water, back of which are bunches of sea-weed and other 
marine specimens. Large maps show the principal lighthouses 

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from Cape Ann to Cape Cod, and from the latter point to Newfoundland the 
fishing-banks are distinctly located. Colored photographs reproduce the 
experiences of a fishing trip, and in graphic art are delineated the 
privations and hardships of the fisherman. Schooners are depicted amid the 
wintry seas of the north Atlantic, or lying in port with spars and rigging 
covered with ice, and with frost-stiffened sails that cannot be lowered. 

So also are portrayed other phases of this great New England industry, in 
which are directly employed some 50,000 men and nearly half that number of 
boats and larger vessels, the value of the catch being not far short of 
$20,000,000 a year. In Boston markets alone were landed in 1892 more than 
35,000 tons of fresh fish, haddock forming the greater part of the supply, 
and next, in the order named, cod, hake, pollock, and halibut. There were 
also 35 cargoes of frozen herring, while from points between Cape Cod and 
Nova Scotia were forwarded by steamer and railroad 5,000 tons of bream, 
flounder, smelt, mackerel, shad, blue-fish, salmon, and other varieties. 
In the first two months of 1893 the fishing craft of Boston harbor made 1,
300 trips with an average take of 15,000 pounds to the trip, this average 
falling far below the normal returns, for the winter was one of unusual 
severity. 

In the southeastern part of the gallery the firm above mentioned has 
another collection of photographs, some of them representing famous craft 
among the fishing fleet, and in the centre of its enclosure, the front of 
which is draped with netting, is a fine specimen of photographic art, its 
theme representing the United States steamer Atlantic saluting the 
president. While only a private display, the exhibits of this firm present 
a vivid and faithful picture of New England and especially of 
Massachusetts fisheries in comprehensive and interesting form. 

While as a state Massachusetts has no place in the Fisheries department, 
Gloucester, the harbor of Cape Ann and one of the largest centres of this 
industry in the United States, is worthily represented, as befits this 
ancient New England town. Founded in 1623, abandoned a year or two later, 
and permanently established in 1633, its colonists, inured from boyhood to 
hardship and privation, quickly overcame the disadvantages of their bleak 
environment. In the earlier portion of the following century it had taken 
the lead as a fishing port, building a fleet of vessels, among them the 
first schooner that ever sailed the seas, the story of which is thus 
related in Babson's History of Gloucester. "Captain Andrew Johnson," he 
says, "had built in 1713 a vessel which he had masted and rigged in a 
peculiar manner, the same as the schooners of the present day. When 
launched, the peculiar skipping motion she made as she glided into the 
water from the stocks caused on of the bystanders to exclaim, 'O how she 
scoons!' Robinson instantly replied, as he dashed a bottle of rum against 
her bows, 'a scooner let her be.' Since that time the same class of 
vessels have been called schooners." In 1879, about which time the Cape 
Ann fisheries gave forth their maximum yield, there were about 900 vessels 
employed, with more than 5,000 men, the catch for that year amounting to 
35,000 tons. 

In the Gloucester section, adjoining the rotunda of the Fisheries 
building, is everything that pertains to the fisheries which she controls, 
from the colonial era to the year in which we live. A large portion of her 
space is occupied by a harbor scene, representing a fleet of fishing 
vessels built between 1775 and 1893, among them the Chebabaco, launched in 
1775, the Handliner, in 1840, the Pinkey, in 1810, and two English craft 
whose history dates from 1623, while of those of modern build there are 
many famous specimens. 

The section is arranged in the form of an octagon, each face of which, 
except the one in the water, is surrounded by an arch, and over the 
enclosure thus formed is a canopy of nets and seines. The object of the 
exhibit is to show the chief industries of Gloucester in pleasing and 
instructive form, and to illustrate her progress as a fishing port during 
nearly three centuries of growth. Here is represented in miniature the 
primitive wharf of colonial days, with the old-time flake or platform, 
fashioned of sticks and supported by stanchions, on which 

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the cod were dried. Near by is the modern wharf, where the men are at work 
spreading the fish and packing them for market. All the most recent 
methods for handling fish are shown in contrast with those of the past. At 
the head of the wharf, or near it, are spacious fish, smoke, and salt 
houses; and by way of contrast as to methods of cleaning vessels is an 
ancient craft, carefully scrubbed and painted, near to a handsome George's 
bank schooner mounted on a ship railway, the scrubbing and painting 
performed by modern processes. 

But the most striking feature is a mast-head 40 feet high, the top-mast 
rising from the side of the section next the dome, and on the cross-tree a 
fisherman scanning the waters for a shoal of mackerel. In front of the 
arch facing the central fountain is the inscription "Gloucester, Mass., U. 
S." and on the capitals of the pillars which support it, the figures 1623 
and 1893. On these pillars are statistics as to the cost, trips, catch, 
casualties, and other incidents relating to the fishing fleets, showing 
the amount of ice used, and fish and fish products distributed. In large 
photographs are depicted fishing scenes, the more pleasing phases in the 
lives of fishermen's families, and the buildings and environment of 
Gloucester. 

In the background of the exhibit are pyramids of boxes, barrels, and kits; 
canned fish in many forms, with fish in blocks, bricks, and tablets; 
smoking herring, mackerel, and pickled herring. There are also numerous 
devices for storing fish, with lines, nets, seines, trawls, buoys, and 
signals. Then comes a large assortment of fishermen's clothes, with 
tarpaulins, rowlocks, anchors of various sizes, patent windlasses, ice-
crushers, fish-hooks, fish-knives, and, in a word, everything that 
pertains to fishing craft. An old American flag, with 27 stars, used on a 
fishing vessel threescore years ago, a large assortment of shells, sea-
weeds, and curiosities gathered from ocean's depths complete this 
interesting collection. 

A Gloucester firm has an exhibit adjoining the one described, including a 
large assortment of the products of its establishment, as glue 
preparations in barrels, cans, boxes, and jars, with papers, tags, and 
envelopes, so arranged as to demonstrate the adhesive qualities of fish 
glue. Elsewhere in its section leather is glued together, and pieces of 
wood are fastened to iron. There is also a display of fish mucilage, of 
guano made from salt fish, and of bone waste and ground fish-bones for 
fertilizing purposes. 

Fronting on the central nave in the southeastern section of the building 
is another exhibit by a Gloucester firm, consisting of fish glues and 
articles made therefrom. In the centre of its court is a pyramid of liquid 
glue in jars, bottles, and cases. In show-cases containing hats and shoes 
are indicated some of the uses to which this material can be put, and in 
one of the corners a large bell weighing over a ton is suspended in mid-
air as a test of its tenacity. There are also wagon axles with the steel 
and iron joined by glue instead of by nails or bolts, and a large cannon 
is so suspended as to illustrate its adhesive qualities when applied to 
wood and leather. In a collection of fish skins are shown the special 
grades from which the glue is extracted. 

In the northern gallery is an interesting collection from the whaling port 
of New Bedford, which, through its board of trade, sent to the World's 
Fair many curious specimens connected with that pursuit, from the 
apparatus used for capture to the process of oil refining. Here are shown 
among other articles, the old toggle iron, 

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Pierce bom-gun, lance-gun, English gun harpoon, blubber gaff, hooks, 
ladles, and knives, with samples of whale oil and soap. On the walls are 
displayed in graphic art the perils of a whaler's life, and the whaling 
vessels and wharves of New Bedford, the former of old-time and modern 
architecture, including the Progress, now lying off the convent of La 
Rabida. There are also models of whaling vessels and the signals used at 
sea, groups of sperm-whale jaws, a large walrus head, an assortment of 
whalebone, and specimens of Arctic animals. To demonstrate the process of 
rendering oil, there are placed in the centre of one of the sections a 
large blubber tank, oil coolers, and a try kettle, as used on the deck of 
a whaler. Over the front of this court hangs an immense blubber hook, 
grasping a pair of whale jaws, and hanging from the gallery, suspended 
over the main floor, is a whaling boat completely equipped. 

Maine has a small exhibit adjacent to the rotunda, the principal purpose 
of which is to represent her marine and fresh water species. On the walls 
are mackerel, chub, haddock, striped bass, sand-shark, codfish, herring, 
lobster, and other varieties, including such rare specimens as the tautog 
and lump-sucker. In the centre of the group is a handsome painting of a 
salmon, and a collection of shells from the sea coast graces the front 
portion of the enclosure, while to the right is an aerating pump, the 
invention of one of the state commissioners. Adjoining this section is a 
display of canned goods by a Portland firm, consisting of clams, lobsters, 
and other shell-fish in tins and bottles grouped in pyramidal form. 

The state collection of Rhode Island occupies a liberal space in the 
Fisheries building, appearing to excellent advantage in the southern half 
of the central nave. Of the oysters taken from New England beds, valued at 
about $1,500,000 a year, a large proportion comes from that state, and 
another source of wealth is her manhaden fisheries, a species of the 
herring genus. Both industries are fully illustrated, everything that 
relates to the quest, capture, and preparation of fish for market being 
here displayed in models and graphic art. Among the former is one of the 
fishing steamer George W. Humphrey, showing remarkable fidelity of detail 
and nicety of workmanship. Every particle of the vessel's equipment is 
reproduced, even to the rope which lowers the net, while down in the hold, 
carefully rolled away in tiny boats, are the finely knitted seines. From 
the mast is displayed the name of the steamer on a miniature flag, and 
near by is a model of the Seven Brothers on a less elaborate scale. Other 
models are those of a strike-boat and a catboat rigged and equipped for 
service in the scallop trade. In photographic form are represented many 
phases of the Rhode Island fisheries. In some of them are men setting, 
pursing, and gathering in the seines; in others are steamers towing heavy 
working boats, and there are sunset scenes on the water, with lighthouses 
in the distance, from paintings by eminent artists. Here also are shown 
the dwellings of the more prosperous fishermen of Tiverton, and in large, 
handsome paintings are grouped the choicest of specimens from stream and 
ocean. Fronting on the nave is a famous boat, the story of which is told 
in the following inscription: "Presented to Ida Lewis, the heroine of 
Newport, Rhode Island, for her daring and successful efforts in saving 
human life in Newport harbor." 

In a large case is shown an improved scup-trap and a model of a purse-
seine, for capturing minnows, the former a remarkable contrivance. In 
consists in part of a long leader, with poles and netting, the fish coming 
alongside and around the leader, and finally landing in an enclosure 
called the kitchen. Should 

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they swim ahead, the netting of another compartment is encountered, to 
which there is access through a square hole in the centre of the wall of 
netting which bulges in toward the kitchen. A large portion of the fish 
enter through the hole, thus reaching what is termed the parlor, and are 
thence transferred to the boat. To interpret the meaning of this device, 
small models of fish in metal are arranged in shoals, some having the 
appearance of swimming outside the leader, and others following them into 
the meshes of the trap. Near by is a miniature semblance of an old-
fashioned trap, such as was in use half a century ago. Of hooks, rods, 
reels, nets, and tackle there is a large and varied exhibit, with a 
complete collection of oyster dredges, old and new, baskets, pots, rakes, 
measures, shovels, and other apparatus, showing how these fish are caught 
and handled. Tools for handling clams, spears for capturing lobsters, eel 
lanterns, sorting-boards, and luring nets are also among the minor 
features of the display. 

The state of New York is not represented in the Fisheries building, but 
the space assigned to her, east of Maine's collection is occupied by 
several of her metropolitan firms. The most elaborate display is that of 
Max Ams, in which are demonstrated the most improved methods of preparing 
and packing fish for market. In the centre of the court is a rowboat 
filled with mounted sturgeon from the Delaware river, to the right of 
which is a large assortment of caviare, Russian sardines, anchovies, and 
other fish, in cans and barrels. One side of the enclosure is banked with 
a variety of canned goods; another group consists of pickled lobsters, 
herrings, shrimps, American caviare, sturgeon oil, isinglass, and sturgeon 
fertilizers. In rear of this section is a pyramid of potted and bottled 
fish goods ready for exportation, and on one of the partition walls are 
depictured the fishing grounds of Bayside, New Jersey. 

Adjoining this section are the exhibits of other New York firms, whose 
individual collections include sardines and Columbia river salmon in cans, 
and glues from the skins of cod and cusk, with apparatus for testing glues 
and a device for determining the adhesive quality of fish cement, the 
latter a recent invention. Other firms have a joint display of caviare, 
Russian sardine jam, Berliner roll herring, spiced sea-trout, and a large 
variety of other saltwater fish in cans, kegs, and jars ready for market. 
There is also a special exhibit of barreled, boxed, and canned mackerel, 
and around this enclosure are views of sardine canning factories, showing 
the process of cleaning, salting, packing, and the manufacture of cans and 
other articles. 

To North Carolina a large and prominent section was awarded in the 
northern division of the Fisheries building; and here is a display well 
worthy of a state which in this as in other industries ranks among the 
foremost of the southern sisterhood. In her river and sea fisheries 
several thousand men are employed, and several hundred vessels, the yield 
of the former averaging from 12,000 to 15,000 tons a year, and of the 
latter, including oysters, more than half as much. Since the depletion of 
the Chesapeake oyster grounds, the North Carolina beds have gone far to 
supply the deficiency; the public interests are here carefully guarded, a 
commissioner, appointed for the purpose, frequently visiting the beds and 
capturing or driving away intruders, while armed patrolmen are constantly 
on the alert. In flavor, size, and shape, the oysters differ widely, a 
favorite species coming from the New river grounds, though others are 
largely in demand, and as is claimed are not inferior in quality. 

Page 521

From grounds that cover many millions of acres, North Carolina sends 
numerous specimens of oysters and oyster shells, the latter freely 
distributed along the flooring of her court. From North river and Harper's 
ferry are collections of planted oysters, and from Beaufort one of little-
neck clams. Here also is shown the diamond-backed terrapin, a delicacy 
much in demand, and of such value as to be artificially cultivated and 
protected by legislation. In the centre is a rush camp, such as serve for 
the homes of fishermen, shaded by palmettos as samples of forest growth. 
In photographs is reproduced a wide range of southern scenery, and there 
are many illustrations of the various phases of a fisherman's career. 

One of the choicest collections of mounted fish and aquatic fowl in the 
Fisheries building is contained in cases at the eastern end of the court. 
This includes numerous specimens of the canvas-back duck from the famous 
duck regions of Carrituck sound, with the heron, bittern, Canadian goose, 
and a cluster of grouse. The animal list is larger, comprising squirrels, 
minks, musk-rats, skunks, beavers, and large bull-frogs. In one of the 
cases are migratory fish, and in another fish of great economic value, as 
the herring, roe, and shad, with the gar, red-drum, manhaden, and other 
specimens prized for their fertilizing properties, while views of the 
guano factories show the process of its manufacture. 

Among samples of food fish are the Spanish mackerel, pompano, black-bass, 
and mullet, with caviare prepared from the roe of the sturgeon for foreign 
export, and the fish of which isinglass is made. At the northern entrance 
are the jaws of the shark, and near the main portal is the head of a large 
spear-fish from the state museum, near which are harpoons for the capture 
of whales. Elsewhere are clam rakes and tongs, boat anchors and hooks, 
sound pulleys, and nets of many descriptions, with an Albermarle seine 2,
500 yards in length, here reproduced in miniature. On charts are outlined 
the principal fishing and oyster grounds, with statistics as to the 
various branches of North Carolina fisheries. 

Among the special exhibits in the Fisheries department may be mentioned a 
Louisiana alligator, twelve feet long, and the largest of two sent alive 
to the Fair as a contribution from that state. The change of temperature 
proved fatal to both, and the one on view was stuffed and mounted for 
exhibition on account of its enormous size. 

Illinois is mainly represented by a Chicago packing firm, whose space, 
adjoining the northern portal, is indicated by a series of pillars, 
supported by oars, above which is a drapery of flags and net-work. Life-
buoys extend along the entire front, and over the entrance is the head of 
a deer, decorated with bunting. Within is a large pyramid of canned 
oysters, with pillars of canned goods at the corners rising to the 
ceiling, and a base of oyster shells. Elsewhere are shrimps, salmon, and 
oysters in cans, shells from the Azores, finger-sponges, star-fish, sea 
corn, and egg cases of the sea-whelk or winkle. To illustrate the effect 
on wood of the toredo, or boring worm, an old tackle block is shown 
perforated with holes. 

In this collection is a lobster weighing more than twenty-three pounds, 
the largest thus far recorded. A model of a dory shows the type of vessel 
used for lobster capture along the New England coast, other models 
representing a crate for holding lobsters while boiling, a modern lobster 
trap, and a floating car for keeping the fish alive while on their way to 
market. The different modes of shipping bulk oysters are demonstrated in a 
collection of cans, barrels, and pails of recent pattern, and there are 
photographs and paintings of scenes among the canneries, with fishing-
boats and a 

Page 523

large wharf at Astoria, Oregon. By way of decoration are the heads of 
buffalo, elk, and a reindeer on the further side of the court; in one of 
the corners is a small white baby seal. In the northern aisle of the 
gallery is another group of canned goods, including anchovies, lobsters, 
herring, and salmon. 

Minnesota's state exhibit, in the northeast corner of the building, 
consists of mounted specimens of fish and fish-eating birds, with maps, 
drawings, and photographs, showing the distribution and development of 
species, and matters pertaining to inland fisheries. The principal 
specimens are of the wall-eyed pike, red-horse sucker, big-mouth sunfish, 
black buffalo, yellow perch, silver cat-fish, and spoon-billed sturgeon, 
while among birds are the cormorant, blue heron, black-tailed gadwit, 
bittern, upland plover, willow ptarmigan, and many varieties of grouse and 
ducks, the latter including the black mallard and great northern diver. 

Around the cases containing these specimens are reproduced in photographic 
form the fish streams of Minnesota, the camp life of fishermen in early 
days, and phases of Indian life and habits. The state hatchery at 
Willowbrook, and the hatchery of the United States fish commission at 
Duluth, are given due prominence, as also are the commissioners. In the 
piscicultural department are drawings illustrating the various stages in 
the development of pike and perch. Above the collection of birds and fish 
is a large canoe, in which are seated two life-sized Indians, one guiding 
the boat and the other in the act of spearing a fish. 

Fronting on the central transverse nave is California's small but choice 
display, consisting mainly of colored casts of her various food fishes. 
Among them are specimens of the king-salmon, orange rock-fish, white sea-
bass, Sacramento pike, starry flounder, grass rock-fish, the scombridea, 
with such rare and peculiar species as the cabrilla, speckled scorpine, 
Spanish flag, and others; and as representing the entire coast, the jew-
fish, pesca, vermiglia, stripped bass, and a large mounted sturgeon. The 
members of these groups differ widely in size, shape, and color, giving to 
the entire collection a unique and novel appearance. 

At the eastern end of the main building is the exhibit of the high school 
of San Diego county, California, in whose show-cases is a carefully 
selected assortment of star-fish, corals, sea-moss, pearl and other 
shells, with many beautiful articles made therefrom. Near these are groups 
of crabs, horned toads, abalones, sharks' jaws, sharks' eggs, and the ear-
drum of a whale. In another division, extending the entire length of the 
space, is a great variety of fish-eating birds, as the curlew, butter-
ball, American white pelican, and road runner. There is also a large 
collection of San Diego fish, both mounted and dried, including the 
salmon, white-fish, rock-cod, croaker, black-perch, and blue-fish. The 
leopard shark and devil fish are here on exposition, and there are many 
fancy articles skillfully fashioned of scales, shells, and sea-weed, with 
other rare articles scattered so liberally throughout the exhibit as 
almost to give to it the appearance of ocean's bed. A large picture of San 
Diego and the surrounding country, showing Coronado beach, National city, 
the table lands of Mexico, and the snow-capped mountains of Cuyamaca, 

Page 524

serves as a background covering the surface of the partition wall. 

Oregon's display consists mainly of canned salmon, in the form of 
pyramids, the joint exhibit of the leading packing houses of Astoria. A 
model of a salmon boat, fully equipped, and a patent scoop, or salmon 
wheel, show the method of capturing salmon on the Columbia river. Finely 
preserved specimens of salmon are here, as also are clams, red trout, 
porgies, and blue-back bass. A case of pheasants and a picture of Mount 
Hood in the background form pleasing additions to the display. There is 
also a picture showing an Astoria fishing fleet returning from the grounds 
with a heavy catch near to which is a fur-seal, weighing over 1,200 
pounds. To Oregon was assigned an additional section in the east gallery, 
where was placed an assortment of canned salmon and fish packed in various 
forms. 

Above Washington's enclosure, adjacent to Oregon, was suspended the 
skeleton of a whale, its jaws forming an archway at the entrance of the 
court. The exhibit consists largely of canned goods, including salmon, 
sturgeon, crabs, and lobsters. Of fish destroying birds, the eagle, 
whistling swan, and North American bittern are the largest and most 
voracious specimens. In well preserved specimens are also the wolf-fish, 
salmon, dolly-varden fish, trout, squid, and other river and ocean 
species. Oysters, native and acclimatized, mussels, clams, of the short-
neck, razor-back, and mammoth varieties are well represented. There are 
likewise shrimps, cockles, and a large collection of mounted fish, as 
white sturgeon, star-fish, chinook, blue-perch, flounder, rock-cod, white-
perch, sculpin, and salmon in every form. 

In the centre of the court are models of fishing-boats, including one with 
its outfit occupied by the Makah and other Indians who captured the 
Exposition whale, together with the relics and fishing implements of 
various Indian tribes. A mixed collection includes shells, barnacles, sea-
weeds, and other ocean products, with harpoons and various implements made 
of bones and skins, while poised erect at the rear of the enclosure, with 
a fish in its mouth, is a large sea-lion from the Columbia river, whose 
scenery and fishing industries are reproduced in photographic form. 

Salmon taken from the Columbia river form the mainstay of the Oregon and 
Washington fisheries, and were introduced into foreign markets long before 
canneries were established by American citizens. From about 21,000 cases 
in 1869, the pack increased to 629,000 cases in 1883, when the maximum 
yield was reached, the catch thenceforth diminishing with the rapid 
depletion of the fisheries. Meanwhile the export trade, beginning with 30,
000 cases in 1871, rose to 479,000 cases in 1876, realizing more than $2,
500,000. Of Alaska, though not represented at the Fair, it may here be 
stated that her canneries bid fair to rival those of the Columbia, their 
output showing a steady gain, and gradually finding favor among eastern 
and European communities. 

Among foreign exhibitors Norway occupies a large and prominent section on 
the northwestern floor of the 

Page 525

Fisheries building, where is well represented an industry in which one-
fifth of the population is directly employed or interested, one that 
yields a large portion of the food supply, and with a considerable surplus 
for export. Here sea-fishing is conducted almost entirely off the coast, 
and in open boats, owned for the most part by the fishermen themselves. At 
the Lofoden grounds, in the far northwest, the largest of Norwegian 
fisheries, 30,000 men assemble, with 7,000 or 8,000 boats, and of their 
cabins, built among a group of islands within the Arctic circle, a 
specimen in Norway's court serves as the office of this department. Though 
here, as elsewhere, storms prevail for about one-half of the season, the 
catch in fine weather is phenomenal, the take of cod being estimated at 56,
000,000 a year. Herring and mackerel, of which there are several species, 
are next in economic value, and among others the salmon, whale, and seal 
fisheries swell the total exportation of fish and fish products to $12,000,
000 a year. 

In front of the Norwegian court is a series of pillars, adorned with 
flags, and between them a drapery of netting, with net-buoys and other 
objects of interest. At the entrance is an arch formed of boat-oars 
tastefully decorated, with the word "Norway" conspicuously displayed, and 
above it the crown of Norway resting upon the royal coat of arms. The 
court is in two sections, divided by the northern aisle, each section 
being in several compartments. To the left of the entrance is the 
fisherman's cabin referred to, a red colored structure, with small windows 
and a cosy fireplace. The exhibits cover the entire fisheries of Norway, 
and especially to deep-water fishermen, are of surpassing interest. 
Everything relating thereto is arranged in artistic forms, both as to 
fish, appliances used for their capture, and all the various used to which 
the product is applied. In the foreground is an historical collection of 
models of fishing craft, beginning with the staunch, unwieldy boats used 
by Norsemen many centuries before the Columbian era. All are of full size, 
completely equipped, and show every known device for catching fish. Among 
the models of modern craft are whaling, cod, and herring boats, manned and 
with every kind of apparatus used in localities ranging from the whale and 
seal fisheries of the north to the mackerel grounds of the southern 
peninsula. There is also a model of a whaling steamer, on the upper deck 
of which is a miniature cannon, with bomb-harpoon and a complete equipment 
for catching the bottle-nose whale. Here also is a model of an improved 
fog-horn, differing from all other in that the air is pumped into one side 
of a square box, from which on becoming surcharged it escapes through a 
horn on the other side, with a sound that can be heard for a distance of 
several miles. 

Along the wall of this section are plaster casts of Norwegian fishes, 
including the hake, ling, flounder, lemon-sole, herring, shad, plaice, 
turbot, whiting, mackerel, polar red-fish, lump-sucker, eel, gray gurnard, 
and many other varieties. In boxes, cans, and kegs is an assortment of 
fish in marketable forms, and on the centre of the wall is a large oil 
painting, the theme of which is a gale off the northwest coast of Norway. 

In another section, separated by a long row of pillars reaching from 
ground floor to gallery ceiling, is a valuable collection of specimen 
products of Norway fisheries, displaying in separate jars, first the fish, 
then the oil, scrap, and bones, the two last also in the form of 
fertilizers. 

Page 526

Meal made of fish is among the collection, and around the pillars are 
piles of bloaters, mackerel, herring, anchovies, cod, and so forth. In 
tiers, one above another, rising to the roof, are samples of dried and 
pickled fish, and dried backbones of cod; and in other groups are barreled 
and canned fish, and the salted roe of the cod and mackerel. In addition 
to the products of the whale and seal, are isinglass, oils for medicinal 
purposes, boiled cod, preserved fish, meat, and game, and potted omelets 
and roes. A fine display of cod liver oil comes from Lofoden and other 
fishing centres. The Modums fishing association displays its piscicultural 
apparatus, and a large collection of skin and oil clothing shows how 
fishermen dress in various localities along the coast. An instructive 
exhibit is from the Exposition committee at Bergen, with various well 
developed specimens contained in bottles, by the side of which are the 
results of a careful analysis, showing among other items the percentage of 
potash, water, and lime contained therein. The same association shows the 
salted skin of a Greenland whale, a tanned wolf's skin, seal skins dressed 
with alum, and a reindeer's skin with head and horns attached. 

North of the aisle which divides the court the remainder of the exhibits 
are arranged in convenient groups along the walls, the canned goods 
including stock-fish, preserved shredded fish, and preparations of jellies 
and sauces, with monster cases from every noted fish mart in Norway. In 
other subdivision, enclosed by screens and railings, are the exhibits of 
the Bergen committee, which has still another collection of fish products, 
in more than fifty varieties, with improved fishing implements, anglers' 
outfits, nets for catching every kind of fish on the coast, buoys and 
beacons, gaffs, sinkers, seines, weirs, lobster and eel traps. There is 
also a patent winch, a contrivance for hauling in cod and herring nets, 
and one that can be used for hoisting sails and masts. In another case is 
a large variety of lines, and near by a whale harpoon, with cannon and 
shells. A third group consists of artificial bait; and there is an 
interesting collection of hooks, dating from the year 1797. 

The exhibit of aquatic birds by the Bergen committee includes the eider 
duck, of which there are many specimens, the yellow-legged gull, the 
diver, cormorant, guillemot, and ouzel, while the effect is greatly 
enhanced by beautiful quilts made of eider down. A large polar bear, in 
the act of catching a seal, forms the central figure of the section. 
Photographs and sketches, giving a panoramic view of the coast, show the 
various fisheries and harbors, and Norwegian game fish are freely 
illustrated. On statistical charts are represented in colored circles the 
amount and value of the catch at each station from 1866 to 1890, with 
other data relating 

Page 527

to the fisheries. Here also a private firm has samples of cod-livers in 
various stages of growth, and near it are various grades of cod-liver oil, 
with models of refining apparatus and a cod-fishing boat, and photographs 
illustrating these industries. 

By the Bergen committee is also displayed a collection of shells, sea-
weeds sponges, corals, and marine curiosities. Models of fish curing and 
canning establishments, show the processes of drying, salting, smoking, 
trimming, and cooking, while appliances for preserving fish during 
transportation are also reproduced in models. By the fishery association 
of Modums is exhibited a model of a fish-hatching apparatus, with vessels 
for catching the roe and fry in different stages of development, and 
breeding and rearing establishments for oysters and other shell-fish. 
Arund the walls are pen and ink drawings of fishing scenes in northern 
waters, and a large painting of Arctic scenery, with icebergs, and a party 
of hunters on ice-floes in the act of spearing seals. 

Page 528

In the gallery, the first two sections on the north side are occupied by 
an exhibit of Norwegian seines, nets, lines, and a large assortment of 
dried fish. The sections along the west end contain numerous implements 
for fishing, and appliances for handling and transporting fish to market, 
with floats, buoys, sinkers, and other apparatus. The entire enclosure is 
draped with netting, copiously decorated with flags and emblems, and 
across the entrance is the national coat of arms. 

Great Britain has a small but choice display adjoining the western 
entrance of the Fisheries building. To the right of the enclosure is a 
Scotch exhibit of salmon flies in a handsome gilt case, and another 
Scotchman illustrates in diagram form the method of electric communication 
with fishing fleets at sea. The latter shows first the electric signal 
cabin ashore, and then the submarine cable, extending from shore to within 
a convenient distance of the fishing grounds, where it is moored to a 
terminal buoy. There are also beacon buoys, carrying metal flags to 
indicate the course, and at both ends are electric bells. A novel feature 
is that the cable can be picked up by means of a grappling hook, and 
messages sent ashore from any point. Near by are plans and diagrams of ice 
houses, models of railway cars for conveying fish to market, and of the 
boxes in which they are packed. Another series of diagrams show a 
fisherman's portable bothy, adapted to the herring grounds on the coast of 
Scotland. The structure is built of undressed wood, and rests on a mound 
of rock; its roof is of corrugated iron, and its floor of earth, 
ventilation being from above. Other designs by the same exhibitor are in 
the form of permanent dwellings for fishermen. 

From a prominent fish-curing establishment of Scotland is an exhibit of 
finnan haddies, sun-dried cod, saith and ling, cured fish and barreled 
herrings, the last also displayed by a Glasgow firm. A London house has a 
large collection of India rubber goods, as waders, fishing trousers, 
boots, overalls, and various articles pertaining to the outfit of sporting 
fishermen. London has also an elaborate assortment of hooks, from those 
which catch the shark to such as are used for the capture of minnows; 
together with an assortment of flies, needles, prongs, and lines. Decoys, 
as worms, toads, reptiles, and butterflies are arranged in various forms, 
and a number of gold medals show the exhibitor's standing at previous 
expositions. Still another English firm has a collection of hooks for both 
sea and river use, and adapted to the fisheries of every land. 

Occupying nearly one third of the British space is a model of the 
Baltimore fishery school, in the county of Cork, Ireland, the special 
contribution of Baroness Burdett-Coutts, who was one of the founders of 
the 

Page 529

school, and formally opened it in 1887. Here is shown how the pupils 
taught all the arts relating to fishing and fish curing, with their 
dormitories, classrooms, and net-making and mounting rooms. The special 
object is to explain what is being done to revive the fishing industry in 
a district where it had become almost extinct. The model is twenty feet 
square, and stands for Ireland's part in the fisheries exhibit of Great 
Britain. 

While not wanting in attractive features, the British display affords no 
adequate representation of an industry in which England far outstrips all 
other countries in the world. From the fishing ports of the United Kingdom 
more than 400,000 tons of fish a year are conveyed inland by rail, and 
including shell-fish the value of the annual catch is not far short of $40,
000,000. Yet even this enormous yield does not suffice for home 
consumption, imports of fish amounting to nearly $15,000,000 a year, 
against $8,000,000 or $10,000,000 of exports. The number of men employed 
is almost as large as the standing army of Great Britain, probably 
exceeding 125,000, with 30,000 registered boats, the Scotch contributing 
the larger proportion; for the fisheries of Scotland produce almost as 
abundantly as those of England, though with a smaller relative value. 

No less remarkable is the yield of Canadian fisheries, estimated for 1892 
at $20,000,000, or one half of the British production, though the 
population of the kingdom is more than seven-fold that of the dominion. 
Cod ranks first in commercial value, with a take for that season worth $4,
000,000, and next are salmon, worth $2,500,000; herring and lobsters, each 
$2,000,000, and mackerel, $1,500,000. In these and other fisheries are 
employed about 65,000 men, with more than 30,000 boats and 1,200 larger 
craft, while of nets and seines there are several million fathoms. 

The fisheries of Canada are among the richest and most extensive in the 
world, reaching, on the Atlantic coast, from the strait of Belle Isle to 
the bay of Fundy, and together with British Columbian shores affording 12,
000 miles of ocean seaboard. Add to this the inland waters of teh great 
lakes, of Manitoba and the Northwest territories, with rivers and streams 
abounding in fish in many portions of the dominion, and we have a source 
of wealth, as yet but partially developed, second only to her agricultural 
resources. Herring, mackerel, and smelt are captured in immense quantities 
along the seaboard of the maritime provinces; British Columbia yields, in 
addition to other varieties, 2,500,000 a year of salmon, and the inland 
waters of the dominion team with white-fish, trout, sturgeon, bass, and 
pickerel, the take of the first along exceeding 23,000,000 pounds. Oysters 
are found in abundance in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward 
Island, and the lobster canning industry, beginning in 1869 with a 
production worth $15,000, had increased by 1881 to its maximum value of $3,
000,000, with more than 600 canneries still in operation. Protected by 
laws that are rigidly enforced with the aid of armed cruisers and a large 
force of officials, the Canadian fisheries are in no danger of depletion, 
while in the several provinces thirteen hatcheries increase the natural 
reproduction, 140,000,000 fry, mainly of salmon, salmon-trout, white-fish, 
and lobsters being planted in the single year of 1892. 

A large trophy in the southwestern section of the Fisheries building marks 
the starting point of Canada's exhibit, where around a lofty octagonal 
pagoda are arranged in tiers the various products of ocean, river, and 
lake. Seines of all sizes and of finished workmanship are abundantly 
displayed, and above all is the figure of a tall Canadian fisherman. The 
groups are classed in five divisions, one for each of the provinces, 
occupying a total space of 7,000 square feet, and forming as a collective 
exhibit one of the strongest features in the department. 

Page 531

The greater part of the Canadian display is from the Marine and Fisheries 
department at Ottawa, whence the dominion government has forwarded many 
valuable specimens, including mounted fish and fish-destroying birds and 
beasts; salted, smoked, and frozen fish; seal, whale, and other fish oils; 
algae, sponges, and crustacea; hooks, seines, nets, and fishing gear of 
all descriptions. In the front section is one of the birch bark canoes of 
the Micmac Indians, of New Brunswick, and near by are the canoe and dug-
out of the British Columbian Indian, in contrast with which is a fishing 
boat from Nova Scotia, with models of other sail and steam boats. The 
Hockins fish-way and a lighthouse, with nine large reflectors, recently 
constructed near Montreal, are also shown in models. The former is unlike 
anything of the kind on exposition, and is best described in the words of 
the official in charge of Canada's exhibit. "It resembles," he says, "a 
hole in the bottom of a dam, with the velocity of the discharge so reduced 
that a fish may go against the current and swim into the pond above. It 
consists of a series of apartments having approximately a level floor, 
with side walls and transverse partitions every four feet of its length, 
from the bottom of the day to above the water line. These apartments are 
connected with one another and with the pond above and the river below the 
dam. The water in the several apartments will be lower step by step from 
inflow to outlet, and flows out of the last aperture under the head of 
about two feet. Fish can easily make their way from the first apartment to 
those above, and it is so built up from the bottom of the pond that the 
ice cannot form under it." In photographs are illustrated fishing episodes 
along the Fraser river, Indian modes of fishing, and the scenic wonders of 
Vancouver island. 

In an adjacent court are cans of Fraser river salmon, with photographs of 
New Brunswick scenery, and of fish hatcheries at Quebec and Halifax, a 
separate group showing the famous Ontario hatchery, with its museum and 
underground chamber. Fishing craft of many types are reproduced in models, 
as also are the vessels used for protective purposes, and a steamer 
forging its way through the ice of subarctic seas. There are specimens of 
the larger fish for which Canada is famous, among them a halibut weighing 
300 pounds, a Greenland shark, and monsters of the deep from the gulf of 
St. Lawrence, including the rare white whale, a ton or more in weight. In 
one of the cases are the sharp-nosed sturgeon, wolf-fish, and a pair of 
baby seals; and among the finest specimens of mounted fish are the quinat 
salmon from British Columbia and the Atlantic salmon from Nova Scotian 
waters, near which are otter, mink, and an Ontario beaver. In mounted 
samples the dominion is especially strong, including the yellow perch, 
salmon-trout, and many varieties of lake suckers from Ontario; sturgeon, 
salmon, and bass from Quebec; shad and sunfish from New 

Page 532

Brunswick; cod from Nova Scotia; buffalo-fish from Winnipeg, and ling, 
rock trout, green cod, and others from British Columbia. Inland waters are 
also represented, as by the cod of the St. Lawrence, the sheepshead of the 
Detroit, the cat-fish of the Red river, and the salmon, trout, and white-
fish of the great lakes. 

In other cases is a choice collection of preserved specimens from every 
quarter of the dominion. Nets, lines, and traps are freely displayed; 
there are assortments of whalebone, of sturgeons' sounds, and of lobsters 
from British Columbia, whose sealing fleets are shown in photographs, and 
among curiosities are an old sealing musket and the tusk of a narwahl from 
the Hudson Bay region. An attractive feature is the collection of shells, 
contributed from all the provinces. From the marquis of Lorne comes an 
assortment of barnacles gathered from the neighborhood of Victoria, and a 
Montreal exhibitor has a display of river crustacea. Among the specimens 
preserved in alcohol are squid, starry roe, horse-mussels, sculpin, and 
lobsters more than two feet long; while of fish in commercial forms there 
are herring, cod, and salmon in cans and barrels. 

Fishing craft and their models are also among the attractions of the 
Canadian courts. In the front section there are, in addition to those 
already mentioned, models of the government vessels which protect the cod 
banks of Newfoundland, and of such as are engaged in those fisheries. By a 
Nova Scotian firm is shown the counterpart of a Newfoundland fishing 
schooner displayed in London at the fisheries exhibition of 1883, and 
afterward purchased by the Prince of Wales. Her sails are set, and on 
every side are groups of fish, with modern implements and gear of every 
kind, in contrast with which is the primitive fishing apparatus of 
Canadian Indians. Of seals there are several specimens facing the central 
nave, and of shell-fish there is no lack, with oysters, clams, crabs, and 
lobsters of remarkable size and quality. Here also is the largest devil-
fish every placed on exposition, and to fish products, as oils and skins, 
is given a conspicuous place. 

The entrance to the principal court is in the form of an archway composed 
of canned fish with bottled goods inside the pillars, and at the top a 
panel formed of fish products. The interior is draped with netting, flags, 
and bunting, and on the columns are the dominion and provincial coats of 
arms. In the southern gallery Canada has also several sections, and here 
agin in scores of cases are numerous specimens of mounted fish and fish-
destroying birds, but without a single duplicate. Fish, fish stories, and 
fishing scenes are likewise portrayed in graphic art. But here the centre 
of attraction is a model of a fishing station, with coast line and piers, 
warehouses, stores, and dwellings, resembling a seaport town in miniature. 
Finally it may be said that the entire exhibit is in all respects worthy 
of the dominion, one on a larger and more comprehensive scale than any 
before attempted, and yet, as is said, with an overflow of specimens 
offered for exposition that would have filled at least one-half of the 
Fisheries building. 

Adjacent on the west to Canada's display is that of a country from which 
she is separated by half the circumference of the globe - the British 
colony of New South Wales. This is also a most interesting feature in the 
Fisheries department; for while less elaborate than that of the dominion, 
the majority of visitors will here for the first time be informed as to 
the vast resources of Australian fisheries. Many of the specimens are 
taken from the waters of Sydney harbor and the grounds adjacent, where are 
some of the most prolific fisheries in the world. Among the principal food 
fish are the schnapper, bream, rock-cod, gar-fish, mullet, mackerel, and 
whiting. The first is a favorite pan fish, with firm, white flesh of 
excellent flavor, and weighing when full grown from six to nine pounds, 
though twenty-pound schnappers are by no means rare. It is found in vast 
shoals along the entire 

Page 533

eastern coast of the southern continent, and is one of the most voracious 
of fish, greedily seizing the bait, and taken by hook and line at all 
seasons of the year. The bream is second in flavor only to the schnapper, 
and by many the gar-fish and the red and black rock-cod are preferred to 
either. Of mullet there are several varieties, the sea mullet resembling 
the Scotch salmon in taste and fibre, and of astonishing fecundity, the 
roe of the female containing more than 2,000,000 eggs. About Christmas 
week - the Australian midsummer - and for several weeks thereafter, the 
expanse of ocean is partly covered by migrating schools of mackerel. The 
whiting has no affinity to the European species, but is of superior 
quality, and when lightly cured and smoked is esteemed as a table 
delicacy. Then there are the coarse grained jew and king-fish, the salmon, 
unworthy of its name, and of which only the roe is eaten, the herring, of 
excellent flavor but little used for food, the perch and flat-head, the 
latter with white, flaky flesh, the flounder and sole; while among 
crustacea the cray-fish is not inferior to the American lobster, and 
oysters and other mollusks abound in every bay and inlet. 

With all this wealth of fisheries it is somewhat remarkable that New South 
Wales imports from abroad more than three fourths of her entire 
consumption, about $200,000 representing the value of fresh fish sold in 
Sydney markets against $650,000 worth of imported fish preserved in 
various forms. This is due mainly to high prices caused by the rapid 
depletion of the grounds within and adjacent to Port Jackson, for as a 
rule the colonial fisherman will not venture more than a mile or two from 
Sydney heads, and experienced sea-going fishermen supplied with modern 
implements are almost unknown in Australian waters. The appliances used 
are the same as did service half a century ago, and the field is still 
restricted to grounds that have been worked for several score of years, a 
seine and meshing-net with a rickety open boat forming the entire outfit. 
There is not a fishing steamer or even a fishing smack in all the 
Australian colonies, and apart from the primitive apparatus, there is no 
provision for deep-sea fishing of any kind. Here in truth is an outlet for 
foreign capital and enterprise, one capable of infinite development and 
offering sure and speedy returns; for while there is no country in the 
world with richer resources in this direction, there is none where these 
resources have been so much neglected and mismanaged. 

To make known the latent wealth of Australian fisheries, their products, 
methods, and results, was the special object of the colonial government of 
New South Wales. To this end are shown several groups of canned goods, and 
of marine and fresh-water fish preserved in alcohol, as schnapper, 
whiting, rock-cod, flounder, gar-fish, flat-head, and an assortment of 
dried fish and fish oils. There is also a large display of pearl and 
oyster shells, some of the latter 

Page 534

clinging to bars of iron as found in ocean's bed, and in another group are 
fish fertilizers and soaps. In cases on either side of the court are 
mounted specimens of fish-eating birds, as the fish-hawk, cormorant, shag, 
large-billed bittern, gray heron, and sea-gull. A careful collection has 
been made of the reptiles of the colonies, and of these there are many 
hundreds preserved in alcohol. Australian smoked fish occupy a large space 
in the rear of the section, near which are cabinets of shells, reptiles, 
and marine fish from the Sydney museum. 

On the left of the court is a small yacht, made of Australian wood, 
equipped as a pleasure craft for amateur fishermen, and near the entrance 
is a model of a twenty-two foot fishing boat. The west wall is covered 
with a series of paintings of marine fish, and at either end are handsome 
photographs of the fish market at Woolloomoolloo, a suburb of Sydney . On 
the east wall are choice paintings of salt-water fish by a prominent 
Australian artist, and at the portal is a trophy in the form of a 
lighthouse, composed of canned goods. Seals disporting on rocks in the 
centre of the court form an attractive group, and colonial flags and 
banners are among the decorative features of the display. 

France occupies but a narrow space in the Fisheries department, between 
the British and Canadian sections. One half of the enclosure is occupied 
by exhibits of canned fish, mainly sardines and anchovies, with 
photographs illustrative of canning and other processes, among them the 
preparation of the olive oil in which the fish are preserved. The 
remainder of the space is largely devoted to the sardine fisheries, one of 
the exhibiting firms constructing pyramids of packed sardines; in the 
background a fishing scene is represented in graphic art. Nets, with a 
single model of a boat and a collection of gold medals, complete the 
private exhibits. From the government is an exposition of the national 
fisheries, with statistics, plans of hatcheries and grounds, and a chart 
showing the annual production of oysters. 

Germany has a small and compact exhibit in the southwestern corner of the 
building, consisting largely of models of fishing craft, fully equipped 
and rigged, and of schooners and steamers used for conveying fish to 
market. One of the groups consists of fish guanos and chemicals, and 
another of fishermen's houses, fish markets, and their appurtenances. 
There are also pounds, traps, apparatus for transporting fish, and maps 
and diagrams showing the coast line of sea fisheries. A Munich firm has a 
large collection of hooks, lines, and spinners, and from Holstein come 
netting, baled rope, seines, corks, oars and prongs, buoys, and a model of 
the cutters used in the North sea. Another firm sends neatly bound volumes 
on the fishing industries of Germany, and there are large photographs of 
German scenery and of factories for the preparation of fish products. 

In Russia, with her vast extent of coast and inland waters, the fisheries 
are of great economic value, far exceeding those of France and Germany, 
neither of which produce as largely as the dominion of Canada. In the 
White sea and on the norther coast of Norway several thousand tons, 
including more than 100,000,000 herring, are captured by Russian 
fishermen. In the sea of Azoff and on the lower Don about 20,000 men are 
employed, with other thousands among the estuaries of rivers discharging 
into the Black sea. But the principal fisheries are on the Caspian and its 
tributaries, those of the Volga and its delta extending over an area of 6,
000 square miles, while from the Ural fish are taken fro 400 miles along 
its stream, the total catch exceeding 200,000 tons, worth at least 15,000,
000 roubles. Within recent years a large station has been established at 
the Seenemorskoi fisheries on one of the mouths of the Volga delta, a 
region before uninhabited, and now supporting a flourishing settlement, 
with steamers, barges, lighters, and hundreds of fishing boats; with 
warehouses, stores, and barracks; schools, libraries, and hospitals, and 
all the adjuncts of a substantial and prosperous community. An average 
season's take if valued at 2,500,000 roubles, the catch consisting mainly 
of herring and dace, but including nearly a score of varieties. 

Page 535

In the Russian section, fronting on the rotunda and central nave, are 
specimens of fish, fishing craft, and apparatus from all the more 
prominent grounds throughout the wide domain of the tzar. From the Caspian 
come models of full rigged vessels, and from the Astrakhan board of trade, 
typical Russian fishing-boats, including such as ply on the Volga, and 
convey the fish to market. There are the fishing garments worn in various 
localities, with appliances for sporting fishermen, and a collection of 
seal-skins and articles made therefrom by the monks of the Solovetzsky 
monastery at Archangel. Then there are numerous devices for catching fish, 
as hooks, nets, and traps, with the machines for making them, and the tin 
fish used for decoys by inland fishermen. 

In rear of the pavilion is a large column of canned goods from a St. 
Petersburg firm, adjacent to which are cases of anchovies and an 
assortment of sturgeon in varied forms, with caviare, isinglass, and other 
industrial products. Of the specimens of fish-oils those from the Caspian 
sea rank first in commercial importance. Diagrams, charts, and maps are 
numerous, showing the location of the principal fishing grounds, and with 
statistical data as to the Ural Cossacks. A scene on the ocean shore, with 
hundreds of fishermen awaiting the signal to start, and a midwinter 
fishing scene on the Ural river are among the choicest photographs in this 
section, above which are suspended the Russian coat of arms and imperial 
crown, flags and netting forming the drapery of the pillars, while from 
the ceiling depends a large open trap-net serving as a canopy for the 
court. 

The Netherlands, with her extensive fisheries, the herring catch of the 
North sea along being valued at several million guilders a year, occupies 
but a narrow space in this department of the Fair. The feature of interest 
is a model of a herring schooner fully equipped, with the Dutch flag at 
the mast, the captain on the bridge, and the men in the act of hauling in 
the net, the vessel floating on a turbulent sea. Around it are samples of 
herring, gill and drift nets, hand-lines, signal-flags, and other fishing 
and nautical apparatus. 

Greece complete the list of European participants, her section in the 
southwest corner of the gallery containing an elaborate collection of 
sponges from prominent Athenian firms. These are of every conceivable 
shape, some resembling articles of wear or household use, others in crude 
form, clinging to pieces of rock and 

Page 536

shell or partially covered with fungi. There are specimens thirty inches 
in diameter, and many of the same width, but almost as thin as the leaf of 
a water lily. In front of the enclosure is the national flag, and above 
the archway are displayed the coat of arms and crown of modern Greece. 

Mexico has a tasteful exhibit adjoining the northern portal of the 
Fisheries building; and nowhere in the department are sea-shells and scale-
work of more beautiful and varied hues. The specimens of fish, while the 
list is not large, are also of wondrous shades of coloring, and some of 
them of most fantastic form. Many are in a preserved state; but there are 
also assortments of dried, canned, and pickled fish, including the turbot 
and shrimp. In cases of steel and glass are sponges from Pacific and 
Atlantic waters, and pearls and fresh-water shells, with articles of bric-
a-brac made therefrom, in contrast with which are the bones and skin of 
the sea-cow. Around the enclosure are fish-traps, nets, oars, gigs, gaffs, 
spears, and fishing-rods. Yucatan's contribution consists of a sea-wolf 
weighing about 1,000 pounds, and in the rear of the pavilions is a sea 
turtle more than five feet in length and as broad as long. 

In a spacious enclosure fronting on the northeastern aisle Japan has 
arranged her exhibits with method and decorative effect. On the outer 
sides of the entranceway where are Japanese masts, with cross-piece of 
oars and drapery of netting, are long tiers of shelving, containing 
specimens of fish in all the forms of preparation peculiar to the 
Japanese. There are numerous samples of canned goods, as salmon, smoked 
herring, oysters, halibut, tai, and a large variety of such delicacies as 
oyster sauce, sea-urchin paste, and sharks' fins prepared for soup. Fish 
scrap is shown in rope-bagging made of the stringy portions of dried 
lobsters. Guano from fish products, dried sea-ears, and soup extracts in 
bottles, boxes, and jars form another group, while blocks of wax from 
whale, sardine, and herring products are some of the materials of which 
Japanese candles are made. To illustrate their methods of sardine fishing 
and preparation for market, a number of pictures are interspersed among 
the exhibits. A collection of large photographs shows Japanese vessels in 
pursuit of the cormorant, and an oyster fishermen's village fashioned of 
bamboo, while the shark, cod, salmon, gold-fish, and many rare oriental 
species are also reproduced in graphic art. 

In one shape or another, nearly all the products of Japanese waters are 
here displayed. Mackerel, white-fish, sardines, plaice, bonita, cod, and 
dolphin are shown in forms prepared for table. In bottles there are well 
preserved specimens of fresh and salt-water fish, including the flying-
fish, gold-fish, ox-tail, and red-scup. In alcohol are the Japanese star-
gazer, black-perch, toad-fish, and carp, while shrimp soup in bottle, 
shrimps boiled in sea-water, abalone made into a relish for breakfast, 
smelts preserved in wine sediment, dried anchovies, and boneless herring, 
are a few of the 

Page 537

luxuries contained in this section. The group of sea and spider crabs is 
worthy of mention, and the lobster without claws is somewhat of a novelty. 
Many articles are also on exposition, as paper made of sea-weed, scrap for 
fertilizing, and herring, sperm, whale, and other oils for various 
purposes. 

In Japan all varieties of sea-weed are utilized, the yellow sea-weed being 
made into isinglass, of which the samples resemble the product of Irish 
moss. From other forms are shown specimens of jellies, salads, and 
gelatine, while from the more valuable grades is made a preparation highly 
prized for soups and extracts. Boneless cuttle-fish, of which there is a 
considerable export, are displayed with the bones at their side in the 
form of a small shot, used by the Japanese for canary shooting. Oyster 
shells of remarkable size, pearl shells in profusion and of beautiful 
tint, and the largest collection of small seashells in the Fisheries 
building are arranged in attractive groups. 

The exhibit illustrating Japanese methods of capturing and preparing fish 
forms the central feature of the court. Here oddly-shaped fishing and 
angling boats are shown in miniature, with nets and outfit to match. 
Different varieties of nets, for herring, salmon, sardines, and tunny-fish 
are side by side with models of pound nets. Here also is a collection of 
curious fish-hooks, bait, flies, and trawls. Resting on a miniature ocean 
is a small fishing-boat, the crew of which are watching a number of decoy 
ducks fastened to their craft and floating on the water. A model of a 
furnace, with apparatus for curing fish, and an assortment of fish knives 
represent Japanese modes of preparing fish for food purposes, while for 
extracting oils and converting the scrap into fertilizing substances, 
there are the old-fashioned hand-press and modern machinery, both in the 
form of models. 

Entering the western annex from the main building, the first exhibit is 
that of the fish commission of Pennsylvania. In the centre of its pavilion 
is a miniature grotto, with a cascade descending into a pool below, and 
beneath the waterfall, a weir showing the method of catching mountain 
trout. In the pool are several fine specimens circling around the rocks 
and river plants, which give to it the appearance of a natural fish-pond. 
Surrounding the grotto are long rows of tanks, in which, swimming in their 
several aquaria, are most of the fish that frequent the waters of the 
state, including the sturgeon, pike, perch, trout, carp, catfish, and gar-
fish. Aquatic birds are freely displayed, and there are photographs and 
models of hatcheries and fish-ways, with modern pisciculture processes in 
actual operation. 

Wisconsin occupies the adjacent section, and here are fully illustrated 
the excellent results attained by the state fish commission. In a series 
of tanks are displayed, among other specimens of native fish, the small-
mouthed black-bass, sun and gold-fish, carp, rainbow-trout, cat-fish, 
bullhead, pike, and sturgeon. Statistics and other data are arranged in 
interesting form, 

Page 539

and aquatic plants artistically grouped add to the realistic appearance of 
the scene. 

Across the aisle adjoining is the Brazilian exhibit, an interesting 
collection of the primitive fishing implements of native tribes, near 
which are the tackle and appliances today in use on the Amazon and other 
fishing streams. From Paria comes a peculiar type of fishing boat, and 
from a botanical museum a collection of canoes made of bark and dug-outs 
hewn from a single log; but the most remarkable among the fishing craft is 
a specimen of such as ply on the waters of Pernambuco harbor and 
neighboring ports. In shape it resembles a raft made of logs, and is 
without compass or rudder, but will safely carry its crew far out to sea, 
or through waters where an ordinary boat would be swamped. Another unique 
exhibit is of the implements with which the ganoidal order of fish are 
caught by spearing them between their angular scales. In one of the cases 
is a collection of sponges, ornamental specimens, canned good, fish-oils, 
and reptiles, some of the last of brilliant hues. 

In the next section are paintings of American game-fish, algae, and other 
forms of sea-life, with some choice paintings of the auk, an aquatic bird 
which has partially become extinct. One of the latter represents the 
bird's egg in life size, and in graphic art are reproduced scenes on and 
around Funk island, off the coast of Newfoundland, where was its breeding 
ground. Here it may be mentioned that, some years ago, Captain Collins, 
chief of the Fisheries department, gathered on this island more skeletons 
and bones of the auk than are possessed by all the museums in the world. 
An oil painting of the well-known fisherman Reuben Wood shows him with rod 
and reel in the act of casting a fly. 

Near by a Chicago firm has a display of row and sail boats, with a 
seamless canoe made of a substance called linenoid, and an odd looking 
duck-boat almost as flat as a board, but warranted to "run wherever it is 
a little damp." A firm doing business in Racine, Wisconsin, shows a 
collection of fishing camp apparatus, and an Evanston exhibitor, a 
facsimile of the tent ordered by Lieutenant Perry for his expedition to 
the North pole. A Clayton, New York, establishment occupies a considerable 
space with a St. Lawrence skiff and a number of canoes, row-boats, and 
yawls, one of which cannot be capsized, and, though nor more than twenty-
five feet long and with four-foot beam, weighs, with its ballasting, over 
500 pounds. 

Page 540

By an Ohio and a Michigan firm are exhibited folding boats for amateur 
fishermen. Though dissimilar as to pattern, the general make up of the 
vessels is the same, consisting merely of canvas, with an oil coating 
which renders them impervious to water, drawn over a frame-work, and so 
arranged that the frame can be taken out and the canvas wrapped around it, 
forming a burden which a man can easily carry, the entire equipment 
weighing only fifty pounds. 

Forest and Stream has one of the most attractive exhibits in the annex. It 
consists for the most part of photographs of hunting and fishing scenes, 
forming a collection of prize competitive work from all parts of the 
United States. The largest tarpon ever caught, weighing more than 200 
pounds, is here on exposition, together with the apparatus by which it was 
captured; and by way of decoration are the heads of moose, buffalo, and 
mountain-goat, with gill-nets, rods, lines, and flags arranged in artistic 
forms. In a handsome case are files of the Forest and Stream from 1874 to 
1893, with works on hunting and fishing, fish stories, and other 
interesting matter. Other features are the canoe of the patron saint of 
sportsmen, a model of the yacht Gloriana, and an assortment of Kentucky 
reels, none of them less than fifty years old, contributed by J. A. 
Henshall. A gun taken from a poacher at Yellowstone park by the editor of 
this periodical is one of the curiosities of the display. By the American 
Angler is also exhibited a fine collection of paintings of all the fish 
taken in American waters. 

In the centre of the building are several private collections of rods, 
some with double enamel finish, of reels, tackle, hooks, landing-nets, and 
other articles pertaining to the craft. From Rochester comes an exhibit of 
automatic reels, while a Chicago firm displays its kosmic rods, some of 
them mounted in gold and silver. Another Chicago exhibitor has fishing-
tackle with bell attachment, so that, when the fish bites, the alarm is 
given. By one of the participants are shown several machines in operation, 
manufacturing silk fishing-lines, 576 threads of raw silk being used for 
the making of a single line the thickness of an ordinary thread of 
worsted. In the angling section proper, an article never before on 
exposition is in the form of a flanged, flint-glass tube, in which is 
placed a live minnow for bait, and with a hole in the end to admit the 
water and to keep the fish alive. 

The New England states made a fine display of the various appliances used 
in the fishing industry, including baits, lines, weirs, seines, and pound, 
purse, and gill-nets, the last showing how mackerel, herring, and cod are 
taken. Ohio has stuffed specimens in alcohol of all her principal fish, 
with aquatic birds peculiar to the state, and from the Cincinnati society 
of natural history are specimens of the smaller species, with all manner 
of aquatic insects. In the Missouri section is a complete display of 
indigenous specimens, including pickerel from the streams and lakes, 
striped-bass, German carp, small-mouthed bass from the Black river, paddle-
fish, crappie, silver-bass, black-gilled sun-fish, sheeps-head, black-
buffalo, sturgeon, tench, and cat-fish from the Missouri. 

The Chicago fly-casting club, as a part of their exhibit, have reproduced 
on the shore of the north pond Izaak Walton's fishing cabin as still it 
stands on the banks of the Dove. From a manufacturing 

Page 541

company of Chicago is a display of artificial flying-fish, with the 
process by which they are made, and among other articles, one of the 
finest collections of flies in the western annex. 

World's Fair Miscellany

In the decorative scheme of the Fisheries building there are some daring 
features, showing that the artificer has given rein to his fancy, and yet 
with pleasing effect. For the capital of one of the columns, for instance, 
a lobster-pot suggested a design in which is found nothing inappropriate. 
Over one of the door-ways is a group of sportive frogs, joined hand in 
hand in dance. Elsewhere the purposes of the building are freely suggested 
by its decorative themes. Around one pillar is a procession of sea-horses, 
and others are covered with star-fish, lizards and eels, lobsters, crabs, 
and turtles, with pisciform balustrades, the heads of fish resting against 
the railings, and their tails interlaced below. 

Among individual exhibits not mentioned in the text are a couple of St. 
Lawrence skiffs in the northwest corner of the gallery. These are from a 
Canadian boat firm, and are built of the finest wood, with nickel-plated 
rowlocks and bolts. Across the aisle from California's section is a 
private display of canned goods, as clams, clam bouillon, and sturgeon. In 
the north gallery a Wyoming inventor shows a device for conveying small 
fish alive to market, and near by is a private collection of birds, shells 
of all kinds and colors, corals, fossils, and marine curiosities. 

The collection of Kentucky reels in the Forest and Stream exhibit is of 
special interest, as showing all the improvements made in this direction, 
form more than half a century, in the state where multiplying reels were 
first invented. 

Between the 19th and 22nd of September was held the fishermen's congress, 
with contests among fishermen for which prizes were awarded. After the 
session on the 19th the members dines together and then attended the 
procession of fishermen's boats on the lagoons. In front of this 
procession was a square-rigged whale-boat, followed by small craft 
representing all nationalities, including yawls from the Columbian 
caravels manned by United States marines and Spanish sailors. There were 
Eskimo kyacks, Ceylonese outriggers, Norwegian fishing-boats, lobster 
dories, racing shells, canoes, canvas folding boats, with a water bicycle 
and other craft, forming the most heterogenous collection of vessels ever 
got together. On the 20th there was a fish-boat regatta. The first race 
was between two Eskimos in kyacks; the second between canvas folding 
boats, in which three of the four contestants lost or broke their oars; 
the third was for Indian crews, and the fourth a free-for-all race, won by 
a birch bark canoe. 

On the 21st and 2nd an angling tournament was held, under the auspices of 
the Chicago fly-casting club, open to all the world, with seven events, 
for which as many championship medals were awarded, together with other 
prizes, George W. Strell, president of the club, being appointed executive 
officer. There were 51 entries and the contests were witnessed by a large 
assemblage of sportsmen; for this was probably the greatest event of its 
kind on record. 

The winners were as follows, the events being given in the order of the 
programme: Amateur accuracy fly-casting, H. G. Leavitt of Grand Island, 87 
percent; second, J. E. Isgrigg of Chicago, 83 1/2. Amateur bait-casting 
for distance and accuracy combined, F. B. Davidson of Chicago, average of 
five casts, 106 1/5 feet; second, J. M. Clark, 103 4/5. Export long 
distance fly-casting, R. C. Leonard of New York, 96 1/2 feet; second, P. 
C. Hewitt of New York, 92 feet. Expert accuracy fly-casting, 88 percent; 
second, P. C. Hewitt, 85 2/3. Expert bait-casting for distance and 
accuracy combined, E. E. Wilkinson of Chicago, average of five casts, 134 
1/5 feet; second, R. C. Leonard, 107 2/5. Amateur light rod competition 
for accuracy and delicacy in fly-casting, W. H. Babcock, 103 1/3 percent; 
second, J. E. Isgrigg, 97. Team contest, three men of Chicago vs. three of 
Indianapolis, long distance fly-casting; Chicago, 246 feet; Indianapolis, 
217 feet. 

For several years the mackerel fisheries of New England have shown signs 
of depletion or desertion, due as some have it to the purse seines largely 
used since about 1875, before which date only the larger fish were taken 
by hook and line. Of lobsters the catch was also largely decreasing, 
through want of protection, only some 250,000 cases being canned in 1892, 
against twice that quantity for 1890. Halibut were growing scarcer every 
season, though the deficiency was partially made up from Icelandic 
fisheries, whence more than 700 tons were taken by American craft in 1891, 
notwithstanding legislative prohibition. Herring showed no signs of 
decrease, 24,200,000 of these fish being handled in Boston markets alone. 
Of haddock the largest take recorded was in February, 1891, when a 
schooner caught on the Cape Shore ground 132,000 pounds, besides an equal 
quantity of other fish. 

An acre of good fishing-ground, it has been said, will produce 

Page 542

more food than an acre of the best farming land. This is as true today as 
it was two or three centuries ago; for except in a few varieties there has 
been no very serious diminution in the supply of fish in United States 
waters, and all the species found in pilgrim times exist in abundance 
today. Meanwhile our fish trade has grown to enormous proportions, that of 
Boston, for instance, where the first fish store was opened in 1807, and 
the first fresh fish store in 1835, averaging more than $15,000,000 a 
year. 

During the cod-fishing season at the Lofoden islands, in the months of 
February and March, the average catch is about 30,000,000 of fish, and of 
such importance is this industry that the number taken each day is 
telegraphed to all the principal cities in the kingdom. On a picturesque 
harbor in the heart of these islands is the town of Stamsund, where are 
the cod-liver oil works of Peter Moller, described in Paul B. Du Chaillu's 
Land of the Midnight Sun. By Moller was originated the steam process of 
preparing this oil from fresh, clean, healthy livers, and without 
nauseating smell or taste. When the midnight sun appears in all his 
radiant splendor, illuminating some of the most romantic of Norwegian 
scenery, the islands are visited by thousands of tourists. Here snow-clad 
peaks rise in almost perpendicular lines for thousands of feet above the 
ocean. For most of the year the ravines are filled with snow, and thence 
numberless streams descend in foaming cascades to the fjords below. 

The edible sea-weed mentioned in the Japanese exhibit is dissolved, when 
boiled, into a glue-like liquid, but of palatable flavor. When used for 
soup it is cut into shreds which resemble curls of light, fluffy hair. For 
one purpose or another the Japanese use almost every form of sea product. 
The octopus and squid are eaten, and the toad-fish is prized for its 
medicinal properties, the soup made therefrom being freely used by 
invalids. All these are on exposition in this section.