The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 79

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II > Part 79

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ditions-an abundant supply of cold water and plenty of food-are thus seen to exist for the maintenance and growth of trout, as well as other fish, and so abundant and palatable is the food, and so excellent the water, that among gourmands the trout of Long Island rank as the first of their species. During the early history of the Island, these streams were free to all who wished to cast their lines in such pleasant places, and the fish themselves were somewhat favored in be- ing allowed, for the most part, free access to the sea; but later the best fishing was in the neighborhood of private or semi-private streams, or ponds formed by damming the streams, and thus enclosing or caging a large or small number of fish. These fish were thus prevented, to a certain extent, from escaping, and were maintained in the ponds by transplanting from outside waters and by natural breeding. The fishing in these localities was confined either to the owners of the adja- cent property, who, in most cases, were also the owners of the ponds or streams, or a certain sum was demanded for the privilege of trying one's skill in enticing the wily prey from its quiet abode. Some of these pre- serves, and the streams flowing from them into the sea -and which, in most, if not all, cases could not be guarded against the fly or worm of whomsoever wished to fish them-have in the past attained almost world- wide celebrity; and few of our old-time veterans of the rod but feel the anglers' thrill, and fight again their piscatorial battles, when Snedecor's and Carman's, or the ponds near Patchogue, Moriches and Smithtown are mentioned. But those days of sport soon passed away. Trout are among the very first of our fishes to disappear before the advance of civilization. This is due to two facts: first, they are a very desirable table fish, and are accordingly much sought after by every man or boy who can wield either a split bamboo, a wire snood, or the proverbial pole and line, with a bent pin at the end, as instrument of capture; and, secondly, the clearing up of the land destroys their lurking places, transforming the dark, deep holes, or pools,

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

through which the water is wont to flow with a quiet swirl, into mud holes ; the rippling water reaches into bare sand-bars, and lets the full glare of day in upon the hitherto semi-secret recesses of the pathway of the brooklet. From these causes the ponds and streams gradually lost their attractions for the angler, until after Messrs. Remy and Gehin, of France, in 1849, and Messrs. Garlick and Ackley, of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1853, had demonstrated the prac- ticability of propagating the trout by artificial means, and thus maintaining by human aid the supply which the fish themselves, unassisted, could not do. Under natural conditions, about five per cent. of eggs as laid by the parent fishes may bring forth young fish, and this is oftentimes a large percentage; but by the new method it was found to be possible to hatch from the ova, taken by hand from the fishes themselves and impregnated artificially, as high as 40 to 50 per cent. of young; and by feeding these artificially-bred young- sters with proper kinds of food, and keeping them in large and carefully constructed ponds, it was possible to raise a goodly share of them to maturity.

A new era seemed thus to open to the lovers of the trout. Ponds which had become depleted by over- fishing were again brought into service, and new ponds were formed all over the country. Long Island was inoculated from end to end with the new doctrines of * "ponds' rights," and "rights to trout;" Brooklyn, Ros- lyn, Foster's Meadows, Oyster Bay, Cold Spring, Smithtown, Sag Harbor, Brook Haven, Patchogue, Islip, Babylon, Freeport, and Hempstead, each had their hatcheries and preserves, and furnished grand and beautiful specimens of the toothsome favorite; and probably the largest trout ever taken on Long Island, belongs to this period of trout enthusiasm. It was taken in Smithtown river about 1869, and weighed six pounds. But for successful trout raising, there must be something more than money with which to build ponds, and cold water to fill them; and with rare ex- ception, the ponds instituted during the time of the trouting fever, caused by brilliant illusions as to the great profits which must necessarily accrue from arti- ficial trout breeding, were abandoned, because, as they were managed, it was found that, from a market point of view, they could not be made to pay, and most of those who went into the undertaking had no other end in view than the dollars and cents to be gained by the venture, and, being ignorant of the prac- tical details of this kind of culture, of course did not gather any great harvest.

There was no difficulty in hatching the fish and in raising them, but it cost more in the majority of cases to get them into condition for market than they brought when there. This was due largely to a lack of the right kind of experience and a close study of natural methods of growth in connection with the par- ticular localities where the propagation was undertaken.

A very marked instance of this is to be found in connection with the breeding preserves of the South Side Sportsman's Club, near Islip. The club, during the earlier period of the trout-breeding excitement, ob- tained possession of the old and famous establishment of Snedecor's on the Connetquot river, and after trying for some time, but without much evidences of success, to breed trout in large numbers, they called for as- sistance upon Mr. Seth Green, who had been doing a good deal of work in this direction in the western part of the state, near Rochester. Mr. Green came on and inspected the river and ponds, and told the members what must be done to attain success. He also fur- nished them with a man supposed to be capable of ac- complishing the desired result. But the result was no more satisfactory than before, until Messrs. Benkard, Rowland, Redmond and Clark, as the executive com- mittee of the club, took the matter into their own hands, engaged a new man, who knew very little about fish work, but could and did do just as the committee desired him to, and from that time, which was about the year 1879, the success of the undertaking, from a practical as well as a sporting point of view, has been remarkable. It is, perhaps, the most successful effort of the kind in the annals of trout culture. The club, of which the late Recorder Hackett was a permanent member, now controls, including what it owns, about five thousand (5,000) acres of territory, with from

five to six miles of ponds and streams. The prop- erty includes commodious club-houses, stables, kennels, hatching and breeding houses, and careful attention has been given to the California or Rainbow trout as well as to the eastern variety, and the club finds that, of the two, the Western form, is, if anything, prefera- ble to the Eastern, for both food and sport, since it grows faster, is quite as fine in flavor, and is fully as gamey when subjected to the tantalizing mercies of the angler's delicate tackle.

There are now in the ponds of the club, trout of four and five pounds in weight, which were hatched on the premises from eggs received from the United States Fish Commission four years ago, and so abund- ant has been the supply of fish that some years the club has sent as many as three thousand (3,000) pounds to market. These sales represent the surplus fish over and above those needed to supply the demands of the 100 ardent and enthusiastic fishermen who form the club. The club has also been quite successful in rais- ing the Kennebec and land-locked varieties of the sal- mon, although, as yet, very little time or attention has been given in these directions.

Here, then, is a very striking example of an old and celebrated stream, failing to meet the expectations and requirements under one kind of management, but, under another, yielding rich results. The gentlemen of the executive committee deserve great credit for working out this problem to so satisfactory an ending, and the

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FISH CULTURE ON LONG ISLAND.

Club is to be congratulated on possessing an executive committee competent to show to the world of fish-cul- turists, in so gratifying a manner, what can be accom- plished when good sense, judicious feeding and soft water are combined in the manipulation of trout eggs and the management of the growing fish. Such a com- bination of conditions, when they can be found to- gether, are very desirable in all efforts in fish culture; and, of the three, soft water has more to do with suc- cess in trout propagation than is generally supposed; for, even as "a soft answer turneth away wrath," soft water, other things being conceded, turneth out fish.

Some attention has also been given upon the Island to other species of fish than those belonging to the salmonidæ family. Among these fishes, the black bass has been most prominent, because it undoubtedly ranks next to the trout, among inland fishes, as a game species, and for table use. Most of the bass which have been introduced have been placed in the ponds and lakelets of the centre and eastern end of the Island, and the fish thus transplanted have been left to take care of themselves, since the black bass does not need human interference in its domestic arrangements, as it is one of the comparatively few species of fish that guards its nest and eggs, during the breeding season, against outside intruders; and, accordingly, a much larger percentage of young hatch out than with the trout, which leaves its eggs, after they are deposited, largely, if not entirely, unprotected from the tender mercies of its many enemies. In some, at least, of the cases of the fish thus introduced, the re- sulta have been very satisfactory. In Lake Ronkon- koma, the small-mouthed variety of the black hass was introduced about 1874, and during the past year (1883) great numbers have been taken with hook and line, and much sport has thus heen afforded. Some of the fish thus taken weighed as high as five to eight pounds, and the last-mentioned one (that which weighed eight pounds) is now represented, by its prepared skin, in the Museum of the Long Island Historical Society in Brooklyn.

At Montauk Point, some of the ponds contain white perch, which afford fair fishing; and the German carp has been introduced at various points upon the Island within the past year or two. The especial value of this last-named fish is its rapid growth, and the little care re- quired in its cultivation. It is largely a vegetable feeder, and will live in localities where few other kinds of fish will thrive, such as semi-stagnant ponds, ditches, &c., where there is a moderate depth and little motion in the water, moderate temperature, mud and vegetation. In favorable situations, they have been known to attain to a weight of five or six pounds in one season. Very little interest has been manifested, until within a year or two, in the preservation and increase of the food species of the coast waters. This has been due largely to the fact that most of the fishermen resent any inter-

ference with what they consider their vested rights- the privilege of gathering indiscriminately, and at all seasons, from the vast supplies of the ocean, and liberty to make use of those implements of capture, by means of which they can the most readily circumvent their prey and fill their vessels and pockets.

Many of the men and some intelligent ones, too, claim that, whatever may be the case with the fresh-water species, it is utterly impossible for man, by any means at his disposal, to materially diminish the number of fishes which swarm the ocean. This ques- tion is one which does not admit of hasty generaliza- tion; it requires a vast amount of careful, systematic study before a safe conclusion can be reached. Espe- cially is this true, in view of the fact that certain species, after apparently having been fished out, will suddenly appear in incredible numbers, and it may even happen that, during most of a season, the catch of some particular fish will be so light that the entire time spent in fishing seems thrown away, when suddenly the waters will be actually alive with this particular species, and in a short time the catch will nearly compensate for months of idleness.

But even admitting this to be true, statistics show that it pertains almost entirely to those species which spawn in the open sea, and not to those which come into the bays, inlets and rivers of the country to deposit their ova; and it is very probable that extended statistics would show, and perhaps may be made to do so in the future, that much of the irregularity of the catch, and the consequent irregularity of profit, is due to an actual diminution of the "off-shore " fishes, consequent upon indiscriminate and wasteful fishing. This is the view of some at least of those who advocate the necessity of the artifical propagation of the sea-fishes; and many of the fishermen are forced to admit to-day that they can- not make the money or catch the number of fish they could years ago. Those species, which are of parti- cular interest to the people of Long Island, because quite common in our waters, and hence more especially worthy of careful attention, are the striped bass, the Spanish mackerel, the blue-fish, the cod, the flounder and the oyster.

In the spring of the year, large striped bass, of from 30 to 50 pounds in weight, are caught in the neighbor- hood of Freeport; and, in the fall, specimens are taken off Montauk. Point, weighing sometimes as much as 75 pounds. About 1871, 8,000 pounds of these fish were taken at a single haul at Montauk; and in 1881, 4,000 pounds were taken at a single haul at the same place. In July and August, Spanish mackerel are taken in con- siderable quantities in Gravesend and the Great South Bays. But where formerly five to ten thousand pounds could be taken per day, one hundred pounds per day now in Gravesend, and twenty-five or thirty pounds per day in the Great South Bay, would be a good yield. In the spring, flounders are taken at various points along

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

the south coast, although the principal gathering point is at Amagansett, at the eastern end of the island. The Long Island flounder is considered much superior to those from other points, and it has not been uncommon in past years to receive at New York, through the agency of the Long Island Rail Road, ten tons of floun- ders per day. Cod-fish are taken along the entire south coast of the island, from the 1st of November until severe cold weather and storms prevent farther fishing. This is one of our most valuable food-fishes, and off Rockaway as many as twenty tons have been taken in a single day. Blue-fish are spring and summer fishes, and afford great sport in their season, when there are any in the water to be taken. The following synopsis of blue- fish catching in the Great South Bay, is taken from Forest and Stream of August 9, 1883. " 1877-78, fish- ing 7 times, catch 194 fish, average 28 fish each day; 1879, 9 times, catch 470 fish, average 52 each day; 1880, 7 times, catch 267 fish, average 38 each day; 1881, 8 times, catch 56 fish, average 7 each day; 1882, 6 times and no fish." The above records, as will be seen, per- tain more particularly to fish upon the south side of the Island, but some, if not all of these fish, were formerly abundant on the north side of the island; but as a rule they are absent or very scarce there at present. Just what has caused this scarcity, and what are the reasons for the growing rarity and irregu- larity of the fishes all around the island, may be ques- tions which might receive numerous answers, as cer- tainly many causes have been in operation during the past decade or longer, tending in this direction; but there seems to be no question that some effort should be made to remedy the evil. The Commissioners of Fisher- ies of the State, or at least one of them, came to this con- clusion some time ago, and in 1881, Mr. Fred Mather was sent to look over the island for a place which would be suitable for the prosecution of such work as in all likelihood would be required to be done at a sea-side hatchery. Mr. M. reported upon a location at Cold Spring on the north shore of the island, and in 1882, the Commissioners made arrangements to locate a hatching-house there. This has now been in operation, with Mr. Mather as superintendent, since January, 1883, but only very recently has any work been under- taken upon the sea fishes. This work will, however, without doubt, be carried on somewhat extensively this coming season and more vigorously in future years, as arrangements have now been made, whereby salt-water is brought directly from Cold Spring harbor into the hatching-house. Something will also unques- tionably be done in the direction of oyster propagation, since the oysters of Long Island waters form one of our most valuable sources of food supplies; and their exter- mination is merely a question of time, if nothing is done to prevent the waste and protect the extensive oyster beds. Perhaps the only effort ever made on Long Island by a private individual in the direction of the

cultivation of any of the sea fishes, was made last season (1882) by Mr. Donnelly of Gravesend. He canght about 75 small striped bass and placed them in a large pen constructed in one of the streams flowing into Gravesend Bay. For a time, nothing was seen of them; and finally, thinking they had escaped in some manner from the pen, a seine was dragged in the enclosure, and at the first haul some 40 of the bass were taken, when it was found that there had been an average increase in weight of about ¿ of a pound. This was very gratifying to Mr. D., as the fish were very small when they were penned, and it offers an instructive example for others who have the opportunity of caging this fine fish. Very interesting results may be expected if Mr. D. is able to keep them until they are large and old enough to breed.

It may not be out of place to notice here the oc- currence of white-bait along the shores of the Island, and especially at Gravesend Bay. This delicate little titbit was first brought to the attention of the fish-loving public by Mr. E. G. Blackford in 1878, and was served in this country at a special white-bait dinner at the Manhattan Hotel, Coney Island, on May 15th, 1878.

It is now regularly placed on sale at the Fulton Market in New York, during the spring months, and meets with a ready sale.

Fish culture on Long Island can boast thus far of success, only in the direction of the propagation of trout and black bass, with excellent intentions in more ex- tended fields. It is to be hoped that, during the next decade, the most sanguine anticipations for success in these progressive efforts may be more than realized.

EUGENE G. BLACKFORD, New York State Fish Commissioner. -Our times have originated a class of men, limited in num -. ber, peculiar to American enterprise and intelligence. While actively engaged in business pursuits, they have applied a knowledge and experience therein obtained to purposes of the highest public importance. No person stands more prom- inent and more useful in this class than Eugene G. Black- ford, one of the Fish Commissioners of the State of New York, and the leading fish dealer in the city of New York.

First and always a business man, he is also conspicuous for his efforts in scientific and practical pisciculture (or fish- culture). He has applied his intelligence with great compre- hensiveness to the study of fish and their propagation by artificial means; and, at the same time, with rare enterprise, has sought a supply of every variety of wholesome fish- food for the markets and our tables. Scientific men and in- stitutions look to him for information, statistics, and speci- mens, and through his business, he makes the same knowledge of immediate and practical benefit to the people. It is sel- dom that two such relations as this can exist, and when they do, the individual who creates them is certain to be of marked and unusual character.

Eugene G. Blackford was born at Morristown, N. J., Aug. 8, 1839. His father, Gilbert L. Blackford, was a carriage builder at that place, and finally removed, with his family, to New York, and entered into other business. Both a grandfather and a great-grandfather of our subject were Baptist ministers, He was an infant when his father re-

Lingue Blackford

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FISH CULTURE ON LONG ISLAND.

moved to New York, and his entire career has been passed in this city and Brooklyn.

At the age of fourteen he went into the office of Captain Asa W. Welden, in South street, who conducted a ship- brokerage business. The old gentleman sought to give Eugene a commercial education, and was much distressed when he accidentally discovered that the youngster kept in a secret place certain materials and appliances for chemical experiments. In fact, Eugene had, even then, a love for science, and especially chemistry, and continued to turn his attention so much in that direction that he was declared by the old captain unfit for a business life, and discharged. About this time Eugene also took some lessons in water- color painting. He was three years and a half in the employ of Captain Welden.

However, he found that, whatever tastes of this nature he might have, he would be obliged to follow some business occupation. He passed several years as a freight clerk, con- nected with the Hartford steamboats, and then served with the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company. After this he was two years with A. T. Stewart, at the great store, corner of Broadway and Chambers street. Mr. Blackford attrib- utes much of his success in business to the training he re- ceived in Mr. Stewart's establishment.

His next employment was as book-keeper for Middleton, Carman & Co., fish dealers in Fulton Market. When he left them he began business for himself in the market, and he has continued it up to this time. He began, rather unexpect- edly to himself, by having a stand offered to him on very favorable terms. He had only one hundred and ten dollars in cash, but he was allowed to pay for the stand at his convenience.

He at once threw his whole energy and tact into the busi- ness. From one stand it has grown to thirteen, doing an immense retail business, under the sole name of Eugene G. Blackford. Opposite the market, in Beekman street, is the firm of Blackford & Co., wholesale fish dealers and commis- sion merchants; at barge 7, foot of West Tenth street, is still another firm-Blackford & Stringham, wholesale and retail dealers in oysters and clams. Blackford & Co. are agents for the Chalker Shad Co., and the Dennison Shad Co., of Saybrook, Conn., and receive a large part of the catch of the Connecticut river. The Blackford Fish Company, E. G. Blackford, treasurer, lease five miles of the shore at Mon- tauk, Long Island, and fish are sent daily to Fulton Market.

For many years the Fulton Market was in a most dilapi- dated condition, from absolute age and decay. Largely through the efforts of Mr. Blackford an appropriation of $180,000 was obtained to rebuild the structure, which is now completed. The building occupies an entire block, and is 206 feet by 171 feet and 161 feet, and in its remodeled form is an imposing building of brick. The building is considered one of the best and cheapest public edifices ever erected in New York.

At the corner of South and Beekman streets, Mr. Black- ford has fitted up the most magnificent series of fish stands, offices, etc., to be seen in the world. The purchase of the right in the stands and fixtures represents an outlay of twenty-two thousand dollars. Entering from the general market, you are struck by a large mirror of plate-glass, occu- pying a window twenty feet high. On each side are win- dows of stained glass, containing numberless handsome de- signs of aquatic flowers, fishes, and amphibious beasts. At convenient places are tanks of glass and Portland marble, containing live brook trout and other choice fish and plants. In some fish-hatching jars are shown young trout, and the rare and strange axolotl from the aquaria of M. Carbonnier, of Paris, though of Mexican parentage.

The stands for the display of fish have marble tops, and are otherwise elaborately finished. All the upper finishing is in hard wood and glass, and the elegant offices, cooling-room, and other apartments are all finished in the same manner. Taste, art and utility have all been applied here, literally " without regard to expense." In such a place as this one sees and appreciates fish as in no other, and it is also one in which you at once conclude that the proprietor is a man of both refined taste and large liberality.

One of the fine towers of the building is also leased by Mr. Blackford, and will be prepared for advanced research in all departments relating to fish. He has one of the best libraries on this subject ever collected, and it will be placed here for the use of all. Models and paintings of rare fish and everything useful for the student of ichthyology, will form parts of the collection.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 79

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345