The Fur Animals of Louisiana 441 



II. 



Marsh Island 

 I realized that if the migratory wild life of the Missis- 

 sippi Valley was to be preserved for all time, a much 

 greater area of winter feeding and resting ground must 

 be provided for permanent refuges. 



During the summer of 1911, I quietly got together op- 

 tions on Marsh Island, a long strip of wonderful duck and 

 geese country lying between Vermilion Bay and the Gulf 

 of Mexico, in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. The acquiring of 

 the options to purchase this property required a very large 

 amount of detail work, and occupied almost my entire 

 time from early summer until late fall. First, the numer- 

 ous individuals who owned the property had to be induced 

 to sell their lands, at a price at which I could feel justified 

 in making the attempt to raise the purchase price. Second, 

 the various titles to the different parcels of land had to be 

 perfected. This in itself seemed almost impossible, and but 

 for the able assistance of Mr. John Dymond, Jr., and Mr. 

 A. Giffen Levy, this part of the work would never have 

 been accomplished. Third, to have a proper survey of the 

 property made, as no actual survey had ever been made and 

 the boundary, as afterwards proven, must have been lo- 

 cated by guess. 



By the middle of December, 1911, all troubles had been 

 overcome, and as Mr. C. W. Ward had come South for the 

 winter, I laid my plan for this additional refuge before 

 him, and he at once agreed to join me in putting up the 

 necessary cash to procure an option on this property. 



This being accomplished, and a six months 'option be- 

 ing secured, I left for the North to lay before my many 

 sportsmen friends my plan for acquiring this great tract of 

 land for a permanent wild life refuge. Reaching Chicago 

 on January 8, 1912, in twelve days I secured pledges 

 amounting to $38,000.00, with the promise of considerably 

 more. I then went to New York and at once got in touch 

 with Mr. Wm. T. Hornaday, who was at that time greatly 

 interested in the conservation of our wild life. Mr. Horna- 

 day kindly gave me a letter of introduction to Mr. Robert 

 W. DeForest. On January 25, 1912, by special appoint- 

 ment, I met Mr. Robert W. DeForest and Mr. Henry W. 

 DeForest, and went fully into the advisability of establish- 

 ing this great wild life sanctuary in Louisiana. These gen- 

 tlemen at once thought favorably of the plan and promised 

 to give me their assistance. They brought the matter to the 

 attention of Mrs. Russell Sage, and after numerous con- 

 ferences, and at her request, a thorough investigation of 



