To the Editor of the Gazette: - As a fisherman and one who has admired the beauties of Wingfield park and the Truckee river as it passes through Reno, I am writing this to call your attention and the attention of the public to what I consider a glaring misuse of the river and a practice that must be stopped if the river is to retain its beauty.

Just above the electric light dam contractors are now washing gravel and the silt and silica from the gravel is allowed to run into the river. As a consequence the water is muddy and in time the silica will fill up the beautiful pools and spoil the best fishing stream in the state.

There are few cities in the country where fish can be caught from the waters of a stream as it flows through the city and this, to my mind, is one of the very attractive features of the Truckee river.

I understand the owners of the gravel plant have been requested by the game warden to put in a settling pool to catch the silica and dirt, but so far they have done nothing to check the practice.

This is a question that the various fish and game protective associations could look into and the county commissioners should issue an order at once stopping the use of the river as a dumping ground for the gravel wash.

It is the same as placer mining and a great roar would go up from the entire community if a company started placer-mining above Reno.

JACK BELL
Reno, July 17.