32 THE BLACK BEAR OF PENNSYLVANIA 



jammed through the Legislature of 1919. If a protec- 

 tive measure for any animal or bird could go through 

 one quarter as fast, we would have all the game needed 

 in Pennsylvania. The 1919 la\v was passed in order to 

 nullify improved dog-law in Potter County, and save 

 the scalps of a legion of worthless underfed canines. 

 At that time, and at other times, unlicensed -dogs were 

 ravaging Potter County sheepfolds, and it was either 

 annihilate the sheep killing mongrels or blame the 

 "slaughter of the innocents" on something else the 

 bears of course, as the wolves had already vanished 

 up the dark road, for the same unholy reason. The 

 bears were officially "blamed," a wise law was abro- 

 gated, and the irresponsible owners of many a mangy 

 cur were exultant. They will do all against the 

 bears during the present session they can. When 

 the unjust charges were brought against the bears in 

 1918 and 1919, the writer was in the Army, but from 

 a distance endeavored to investigate through corre- 

 spondence every alleged case of bears killing sheep. 

 In each community the honest unbiased citizens wrote 

 him the facts he has the letters on file -showing that 

 in no published case were bears the culprits, and in 

 some instances the sheep had been killed and carried 

 off over high fences by human marauders. Copies 

 of these letters were sent to Dr. Kalbfus, who re- 

 plied stating that in order to save any protection for 

 the bears, he would prefer not to enter the fight in 

 their behalf, that half a law was better than none, etc. 

 It was also strange that no account of these "depreda- 



