Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

MAXINKUCKEE ASSOCIATION., 1901 report  



The Executive Committee Makes the Following Report of the Association During the Fourth Year of the Association’s Work.

Excellent success has followed the effort to preserve order and property at the lake. Much of the credit of this is due to Mr. L. C. Wiseman the Patrolman, who by his kindly yet firm insistance upon the well ordering of the community, has gained the good will of all.

Mr. Wiseman has been very attentive to the wants of the community and has kept himself in touch with all the good work in progress. This is the first full year of service for the patrolman and the committee feel that they can recommend both the work and officer for continuance.

The work of the Board of Health of the Association has borne good fruitage. Advisory regulations: for cleanliness and the care of refuse matter have been posted wherever they could be left in the homes of members, making timely suggestion as to the best management for the much vexed problem of garbage various kinds. We at this meeting a consultation with Dr. Eley, Secretary of the Marshall County Board of Health, who has some further suggestions in this direction. To your committee some of these regulations seem too stringent where new improvements are made obligatory displacing those already constructed well kept and in good condition. While recommending that the members of the Association should give their hearty co-operation to the effort of the county Board of Health, the committee submit to the Association and to Dr. Eley, whether it is expedient that the Association should be used for a literal and strict enforcement of the law as laid down by the state and county boards? Cleanliness and good health are advisable for all and obediance to the law is the duty of all good citizens, but to the committee it has seemed that stringent regulations should best come from the bodv having power to enforce them and for the Board of Health the - committee feel that patience and gradual introduction of their ideas would be to the interest of that department.

The committee on steamers, yachts and piers have not yet accomplished the suggestions of a year ago. Patient advance in the direction of safety on steamers and improvement in the way of landings is desirable. The steamer service is admirable and too much can not be, said of the courtesy and attention of Captains Knapp and Crook in their management, but the best ordered efforts in their department will be aided by government regulation and control Certificates of boiler inspection for instance would aid the vessels by giving assurance of safety to the timid and sensitive and security to all not otherwise obtainable. The committee on amusements, yachts and regettas recommend to the offering of a cup or pennant by the association as a prize for a regetta to be held this season some time in August.

As an attraction to the lake this is desirable and is earnestly recommended by the committee

The fish life of the lake is promised a re-enforcement by the United States Government in a new plant of black bass in considerable quantities within the next sixty days- This plant is made through the effort of Dr. B. W. Everman, at whose suggestion application therefor was made by the Association and arrangements have now been made for the reception of the fish at the lake by a committee of the Association whenever they shall arrive. The work of Dr. Everman and his associates at the lake can not be too highly commended. It was evidently a labor of love both in scientific and local way, and all members of the association should endeavor to preserve the . benefits of Dr. Everman’s work as long as may be. This may be done by encouraging obedience to the laws of the state by example and teaching.

It is wise to preserve the fishing grounds so that all may use them in reason. The abuse of the fishing grounds by unlawful fishing, or by the use of wasteful means should be discouraged by all good citizens, not only the sportsman but the house holder who seeks food for his family or seeks to make it easy to catch at the proper time when fish are good for food, and this can all be done by refraining from fishing in the spawning season by the use of such tackle as the law recommends. Dynamite, spears and nets destroy more than they catch, and it is not good for the community to destroy that which may grow into wealth for all.

Dr. Everman’s work at other places than Maxinkuckee is shown by his report upon the Porto Rican Fish and Fisheries, a copy of which is at this meeting for examination. This book shows the record of Dr. Everman in the Porto Rican waters and is beautifully illustrated with plates showing the fish and fisheries of this new portion of our country. Dr. Everman is this season engaged in investigating the Hawaian waters, a letter from him dated at Honolulu received during the present summer being in the hands of this committee. Dr. Everman says that the investigations of his assistant Mr. Clark at Maxinkuckee during the last winter upon the comparative results of winter fishing and summer fishing will be one subject in their report upon the Maxinkuckee work which will soon appear. This report ought to be read by all our members and all the people interested in the lake. Our committee feel that the Association owes much to Dr. Everman and his courteous assistants, and they suggest that a message of good will and gratitude be sent him from this meeting.

The work on the roads about the lake is beginning to manifest results. The road committee with the kindly assistance of Mr. A. N. Bogardus the new trustee, Mr. Geo. Peeples, Peter Spangler, Capt. Morris, Mr Frank Lamson. Mr. F. T. Hatch Superintendent of the Vandalia R. R. Co., and E. H. Tripp the contractor of the Company, and the generous co-operation of the authorities of Culver City and of the residents about the lake have brought about the making of more than a mile of new gravel road, Mr. Harvey Norris and his neighbors on the south-east shore having built 120 rods by volunteer work alone, and the Culver authoritieshaving built from the town southwardly to the outlet of the lake toward the Arlington Hotel. More of this work is promised the present season and it is recommended that, members leave with Mr. L. C. Wiseman the Patrolman, or Mr. A. N. Bogardus the Trustee of the township, or with some member of the road committee authority to apply the road tax to building roads in the neighborhood of the tax payer about the lake.

The United States has under investigation a Rural Free Delivery route which would encircle the lake and serve the country lying east of the lake for some distance to meet the route from Argos which would seem to be of permanent benefit to the community.

A remonstrance from the residents of the village of Maxinkuckee has delayed the establishment of this route, but your committee understand that the people on the route generally desire it and it will probably be established.

There is some talk also of a delivery by steamboat on the lake at the landings and piers, but as this would only be for the summer season and would be limited to those who dwell, on the. lake shore, it would seem to be less desirable for the community in general than the Free Rural Route which would reach all the people within a scope of several miles. If, however, by reason of the remonstrance the Rural Route should fail it is possible that a steamboat delivery at this, as has been at other resort may be supplied.

The improvement roads is an essential condition of the establishment of this mail route, but aside from such uses, the advertisement of the lake and added value to all property adjacent makes it advisable to build good roads as soon as practicable. Some of the township officers, notably Mr. Bogardus the new Trustee, are co-operating in this work. All do not seem to read their duty that way, and your committee trust, that a change of heart will appear in the lives of such before very long, or that otherwise providence and the voters of the township will cause their removal from their present place of obstruction to speres of usefulness elsewhere.

We earnestly recommend the increase of membership by every reasonable method. If the whole community would co-operate in the work of this association it would result in much good.

Advertisement of the lake and its beauties, the building up of its physical surroundings, the planting and protection of fish, the care of public health and an occasional entertainment by way of regetta carnivals or like, are causes worthy of the best citizens in the community, and we ask all to unite with us.

We ought to have one hundred members from Culver and the country around it. The committee trust that a larger membership will shortly be ours. The officers of the association embraced in Executive Committe, take this method of expressing their gratitude to the membership and to the public officers, and the good people of Union township for their uniform kindness in helping to forward the work of the association.

This work could not always be pleasant, and there have been occurrences which all doubtless regret. The committee suggest that a new crop of officers selected from the membership, would avoid any past differences in the Association's work and would increase the interest of the association generally. We hope for the future and ask the aid of the members for their successors in the work projected and new plans to be made. Your committee respectfully submits this report.

W . T. Wilson, Ed Morris, J . C. Capron, A N. Bogardus H. M. Speyer, J. G. Mueller, Executive Com.

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