Casting Digital Nets

Stringent Fish Law

In the general discussion which has been going over the game law as passed at the recent session of the legislature, the fact that a new law was passed in connection with the taking of fish from the streams and ponds of the state has been overlooked. A new fish law was adopted and it is in force at the present time, as it carried the emergency clause. The new law makes a number of changes and the fishermen of the state should familiarize themselves with its provisions, The new law is as follows:

Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to kill or take in any of the permanent waters of the state for any purpose, any trout or food fish at and time by the use of any poisonous or deleterious or stupefying drug, or by the use of any explosive substance, or by the erection of any wier, dam, or other artificial obstruction, or by the use of any net, seine, trap, spear, or device whatever, except by hook and line; provided, that it shall be unlawful to take or kill with a spear at any time any carp, suckers, or buffalo fish. And it shall be unlawful for any person to empty or allow to be emptied, place or allow to be placed any sawdust or manure or refuse matter of any kind into the waters of this state containing trout or food fish or deposit the same within such distance that it may be carried into such waters by natural causes, or to keep, place or maintain in any of the streams of this state any seine or trap of any kind.

Section 2. It shall be unlawful to kill, take, or have in possession any trout during the months of October, November, December, January February and March, or either of said months in any year, and to kill, take or have in possession any bass, shad, crappies, pike or pickerel during the months of November. December, January, February, March and April, or either of said months in any year, and the posession of said trout, bass, shad, crappies, pike or pickerel by any person during said months shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of the provisions of this section, and the burden shall be upon the defendant to prove that fish in his posession were taken outside the state. It shall be unlawful to sell, or offer for sale at any tune any trout, bass, shad, crappies pike or pickerel, taken or killed in any of the waters of this state or to ship or trnasport them out of this state. It shall be unlawful for any express company or any other carrier to receive, ship or transport any of the fish aforesaid taken or killed in any of the public waters of this state. It shall be unlawful to kill or destroy or have in posession for any purpose whatsoever, except for cultivation or dissemination, at any time, any trout, bass, shad, crappies, pike or pickerel less than six inches in length.

Provided, that in counties containing any natural lake exceeding in area three square miles, the county commissioners of said counties may and they are hereby empowered to permit the seining, spearing, taking or having in posession of pickerel and any fish other than game fish or food fish as herein defined, under such rules and regulations as they may at any regular meeting prescribe.

Section 3. Any person or persons or officers or servants of any corporation convicted of violating any of the provisions of sections one or two of this act shall be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offence offense.

Section 4. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

Section 5. An emergency is here-by declared to exist, and this act shall be in force from any time after its passage and approval.

Approved February 26, 1909.

Royal Neighbors Organize

Through the efforts of Mrs. L. Larkin of Geddes, a local lodge of Royal Neighbors of America has been organized here with a membership of twenty members. The new lodge promises to be very successful, judging from the interest displayed at the meeting held Friday evening. The officers are: Oracle, Mrs. Dr. Langley; Vice Oracle, Mrs. W.B. Gilreath; Recorder, Mrs. Wm. Lester; Chancelor, Mrs. M. Qualey; Receiver, Mrs. G.S. Warren; Marshal, Mrs. C.D. Gilreath; Inner Sentinel, Mrs. T.E. Connelly; Outer Sentinel, Mrs. G.S. Warren; Past Oracle, Mrs. E.O. Bird; Managers, Mrs. C.D. Gilreath, Mrs. J.H. Bundy and Mrs. Rosa Scot. A number of ladies from Geddes were in attendance.