WEALTH ON WINGS 



apply to this interstate wealth the doctrine of inter- 

 state commerce. Meantime the wealth itself had 

 well-nigh disappeared. 



The wild game of America helped to settle Amer- 

 ica. In the times when it was hardest for a fron- 

 tiersman to make a living, the wild game helped him 

 out. The rifle went with ax and plow across this 

 continent, and it was the rifle that helped the ax 

 and plow in the earlier days of adversity. At first 

 the Americans valued only the large game; but in 

 time they began to use wildfowl as food, then as a 

 means of sport. Later they began to use them as 

 articles of commerce. 



For two entire generations we have sought to 

 put over on the American public the impossible doc- 

 trine that a man can reap indefinitely without sow- 

 ing at all. We treated our wildfowl as we would a 

 mine, not as we would a farm ; on the basis of amor- 

 tization and not of renewal. The man in the city 

 felt that he was an American citizen, and had as 

 good a right as anyone to eat wildfowl if he had the 

 price to pay for it. 



There sprang up a large class of professional 

 gamekillers who encouraged him in that belief 

 They kept on reaping, but no one sowed. We did 

 our best to increase our poultry supply, our supply 

 of beef and mutton and pork ; but, even when we did 



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