THE TROUT INDUSTRY.
Sen. Griffith of Danby Has Made a Large Addition to His Fish Hatchery and Lumber Industry.
(Special to the Free Press.)
Montpelier, Dec. 1.—Senator S. L. Griffith of Danby, a member of the Legislature of 1898, has just completed the purchase of a very valuable piece of property in Groton, Vt. The J. R. Darling mill, one of the largest in eastern Vermont together with 2700 acres of timber land, and about $3000 worth of personal property used in operating the property have been’ transferred to him and he is now managing the property. The price has not been made public.
On this property there is estimated to be from five to eight million feet of spruce timber and as Senator Griffith is already one of the largest, if not the largest, manufacturers of spruce lumber in Vermont, it is safe to say that the lumber business in Groton will not grow dull for a time at least, as the force of men already employed and the mill are capable of produce in 3,000,000 feet of lumber annually.
But it is not the lumber business alone that Senator Griffith had his eye on. When the mill was built a dam was put in which formed a pond 38 acres in extent. This has proved to be one of the best places in the State for the production of trout and good judges say there are from three to , five tons of wild trout already in the pond. It has already been used by the government for propagating fish. A small building has been erected there by the government where they strip the trout and another building where the eggs are kept until they are “eyed” when they are sent to the St. Johnsbury hatchery. The securing of fish here for stripping trout is an easy matter. Two small streams empty into these ponds up which the trout run at spawning time and before they come back traps are put in and then the trout are easily caught with nets.
This is without doubt the best place for the cultivation of trout to be found in Vermont. Senator Griffith acknowledges himself that it is better than his fish hatchery at Danby and it will be remembered that experts call that the largest trout hatchery in the world. So knowing that Senator Griffith never goes into a business except to make it the greatest success possible it will be seen that the development of this property for fish culture will be an event of much importance Groton and vicinity.