THE UNWELCOME GUEST 



639 



who constitute the family of 

 American Forestry readers 

 there are probably few if any 

 thoughtless ones who over- 

 step outdoor etiquette at any 

 time. For where true love of 

 nature is present in a person 

 he will be a clean camper and 

 a good sport on the trail or 

 trip. But any of you may 

 have friends and acquaint- 

 ances who are not so well 

 bred when under the sky. 

 You may know of some one 

 who steps over the line of 

 propriety of the outdoors or 

 there may be some time when 

 you see another otherwise 

 good citizen committing the 

 petty crime of leaving a dirty 

 camp. This article is the re- 

 sult of a long summer seeing 

 this petty vandalism and un- 

 conscious violation of camp 



and trail social customs and is directed to all people who 

 go afield so if they do not violate any rules themselves 

 they may become militant against the ones who are 

 spoiling the opportunities for the real sportsman. 

 Not a month since a rancher was discussing the fact 



A STOP FOR LUNCH 



Being a good camper is easy if one thinks of the other fellow. 

 This visitor will leave a clean camp, and the fellow before him 

 thought of the next man when he carefully laid aside tht tepee 

 poles seen in the background. 



A FINE, CLEAN CAMP ON THE EDGE OF THE RIVER 



This is a close-up of a fisherman's camp near Windy Gap. A clean camp is a pleasant place 

 to live and is not difficult to maintain. 



that in a certain valley where trout abound in willow- 

 shaded streams every farm has a sign on the gates and 

 many fences telling people to keep out. Two years ago 

 this valley welcomed all fishermen. They were guests. 

 They came and did not act as guests but as petty con- 

 querors and the farmers who really ruled their own 

 farms then as now, today resist invasion. 



If fishermen are barred from entering on these farms 

 in pursuit of the hard-fighting rainbow it is their own 

 fault. This rancher told of people who had come to his 

 place and without asking leave camped on the front 

 lawn and when leaving neglected to take with them sun- 

 dry tin cans and papers which they had strewn over the 

 grassy yard. Another party romped merrily in a hay 

 field never thinking that in so doing they were causing 

 a loss in hay and money to the farmer. Other campers 

 had helped themselves to hay from stacks near the road 

 to make beds. Each act in itself may have been thought- 

 less on the part of the actor, but the aggregate of all 

 has caused these farmers of the valley to despise tour- 

 ist visitors that two years ago were welcomed. So now 

 signs on gate and fence warn these visitors against tres- 

 passing. 



These acts enumerated are some of the more flagrant 

 and one will readily think that any person with any good 

 grace at all would not wilfully commit them. But they 

 have all happened in this one small valley and the tour- 

 ist has worn out his welcome. 



Did you ever see a person go through a gate and leave 

 it open? A small thing in itself to shut that gate when 

 passing through. I am sure you have noticed some one 

 do this little act or you may be guilty yourself. Maybe 

 the only time you ever committed this breach of good 

 outdoor practice by leaving a gate open it took the 



