1910] FOREST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 59 



Let the word go forth from every printing press and school house in the land 

 that the human race can only be perpetuated on the face of the earth by an 

 organized effort to save our birds. 



PEIVATE GAME PRESERVES 



But little has yet been done toward establishing game preserves, either pub- 

 lic or private, in West Virginia. 



About the year 1887, a large tract of land was leased on Cheat Mountain, 

 and a club organized known as The Sportsmen 's Association of Cheat Moun- 

 tain. A handsome and commodious club house was erected at a beautiful spot 

 along Cheat river, and for more than twenty years this club was visited by 

 the members and invited guests, and the records kept at this club house dis j 

 close the fact that hundreds of deer were killed on this preserve each year 

 and shipped to Pennsylvania and other states, the members of the club being 

 almost exclusively non-residents. It was not necessary at the time this pre- 

 serve w T as established to stock same with game as the mountains were teeming 

 with thousands of bear, deer, wild turkey and all other wild animals and birds 

 native to our state. Had some restriction or limit been placed on the killing 

 and shipping of this game from our state twenty years ago, we would still 

 have an abundance of these wild animals. 



Quite an effort, however, has been made by this association to restock the 

 streams on their preserve with fish. A fish hatchery was built, and has for 

 several years been under the supervision of Franz A. Degler, who is superin- 

 tendent of this club, and who is a recognized authority on fish culture. Thou- 

 sands of trout are placed in Cheat river -each year from this hatchery. 



Within the past year Hon. Wm. Seymour Edwards has become the moving 

 spirit in this organization, and it is understood that in the future he will re- 

 organize same and make an effort to restock the preserve with game and fish. 



The Allegheny Sportsmen's Association was organized and incorporated 

 during the present year, and have already acquired by lease and purchase some 

 25,000 acres of forest land in Pocohontas county, West Virginia, and Bath 

 and Highland counties, Virginia, and have already begun stocking the forests 

 with large and small game and the streams with fish. 



The principal object of this association is to demonstrate the possibility of 

 propagating deer, elk and other large game in West Virginia, with a view of 

 finally restocking the whole state with same. It is also intended to establish 

 a hatchery and game farm on this preserve. The deer and elk that have al- 

 ready been taken there are thriving and doing well. 



Col. Elihue Hutton, of Randolph county, is at present fencing a part of 

 his forest land and will stock it with deer and elk the coming winter. 



Several requests have been received by this office, during the past few 

 months, asking for places where deer could be purchased and it is believed that 

 many small preserves will be established in the near future, and the wooded 

 sections of our state utilized for the raising of deer. The farmer with a 

 ten or twenty acre wood lot could raise sufficient deer each year to furnish meat 

 for a good sized family. 



Private preserves should be started in every county of the state where suf- 

 ficient wooded land can be found, and if properly managed, will furnish a 



