288 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



IN MEMORY OF F. W. VAN SICKLEN 

 (1855-1934) 



F. W. Van Sicklen, Fish and Game Commissioner from June 25, 

 1907 to November 3, 1910, died suddenly in San Francisco on March 6, 

 1934 of heart failure, folhnvinj; a minor operation. 



Van Sicklen, a native of Vermont State, moved to California wlicn 

 he was 24 years of age and settled in Alameda, where he resided until 

 1910, after which date he made his home in San Francisco, Avhere he 

 had been prominent in business for many years. 



Former Commissioner Van Sicklen was. throuj^hout life, an ardent 

 sportsman and conservationist. He pursued his favorate recreations, 

 hunting and fishing, over the entire State and engaged in them up 

 to a short time preceding his demise. 



During his regime, Van Sicklen was highly influential in bringing 

 about several important accomplishments on the part of the Commission. 

 Noteworthy among these were the establishment in 1908 of the first 

 State Game Farm, at Ilayward, Alameda County; the im])ortation from 

 Illinois and planting in this State in the same year of a carload of 

 fresh water fishes (crappie, blue-gilled sunfish and yellow perch) ; 

 transplanting many rainbow and golden trout in the southern Sierra 

 in 1909 and 1910;* the purchase in 1908 of the first fish distributing 

 car ; and the establishment in the years 1908 and 1909 of branch offices 

 in Los Angeles and in Fresno, which greatly facilitated the dispatch 

 of the Commission 's business in these centers. 



While serving as Commissioner, Van Sicklen gave unstintingly of 

 his time and sound counsel, and since his resignation in 1910 he alwaj^s 

 continued to have a keen interest in the Commission's activities. His 

 passing is a matter of sincere regret to a number of older Division 

 employees who worked under him and to a host of friends among 

 California sportsmen. — James Moffitt, May 3, 1934. 



MORE TULE ELK PLANTED IN OWENS VALLEY 



The transfer of the Yosemite elk into Owens Valley has previously 

 been reported in this magazine (see California Fish and Game, Vol. 20, 

 1934, pp. 37-51) and now I believe all those who are interested in 

 wild life would like to know of the progress of this magnificent herd 

 of Tule elk. 



The Yosemite herd arrived in Owens Valley on October 11 of last 

 year and, although they were penned up in a small paddock for about 

 ten days, they were given their freedom on October 20, 1933. For the 

 first month I visited these animals on an average of twice a week and 

 soon had some of them eating apples out of my hands. 



We had one old bull who had apparently been struck across the 

 nose whom we called "Roman Nose" or "Geronimo." To game 

 wardens Carl J. Walters and Eugene Walker this bull stood out with 

 a great deal of prominence, as shortly after he was released he left the 

 herd and was always found from a half mile to a mile from the rest 

 of the animals. 



It soon became apparent that the whole community was very much 

 interested in the welfare of these elk. for scores of people visited the 

 pasture where they were released and in which they stayed for nearly 



