144 



Bird - Lore 



of two letters regarding the Military 

 Reservation of Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, 

 showing the status of the birds there. 



This Association was informed that the 

 Government was to abandon Fort Nio- 

 brara, and we were going to apply to have 

 it made into a bird refuge, but, subse- 

 quently, we were informed that it would 

 be retained by the War Department as a 

 Utilization Depot for the Remount System. 



The object of this letter is to ask your 

 Excellency whether it would not be pos- 

 sible to issue an order to prevent all shoot- 

 ing of birds and game on this Military 

 Reservation, in order that it may become 

 a bird refuge in fact. If it is not within 

 the province of the Chief Executive to do 

 so, will you kindly refer me to the proper 

 officer of the War Department to whom 

 I may take this important matter ? 



The 55,000 acres in question are ad- 

 mirably located for a breeding ground for 

 .game birds that are now fast disappearing, 



and such an order will in no way conflict 

 with the proposed use of the reservation. 

 It is vitally important that as many 

 reservations and harbors of refuge for 

 game birds shall be made while we have 

 any of them left; a few years from now 

 will be too late. 



You are so heartily in sympathy with 

 our work that I do not hesitate to apply 

 to you for help in this special case. 



Very truly yours, 

 William Dutcher, 



President. 



The application was promptly and 

 favorably acted upon by the Chief Execu- 

 tive, as detailed in the following corre- 

 spondence and official notice. 



The White House, Washington 



April 1, 1908. 



My dear Mr. Dutcher:— Referring to 



your letter of recent date, I beg to send 



you for your information the enclosed 



NOTICE! 



OFFICE OF CHIEF QUARTERMASTER, 



DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, U. S. ARMY, 



Omaha, Nebraska. March 5. 1908 



By Order of the President of the United States. 



All persons are hereby prohibited from Shooting, Trapping, Catch- 

 ing, or taking, dead or alive, by any device, on the 



Fort Niobrara Military Reservation in Nebraska, 



any Sharp or Pintail Grouse, Prairie Chicken, Quail (Bob White), Wild 

 Ducks or Geese of any variety; any Woodcock, Snipe, Wilson-Snipe, Jack- 

 snipe, Plover, Curlew, Virginia-rail, King-rail, Sora, Doves, Meadow -larks, 

 Robins, or any birds of any species; any Beaver, Otter, Jack-rabbit, Cotton- 

 tail-rabbit, Grey, Fox or Red squirrels, or any other game or wild animals; 

 or any Fish, of any species. 



THE VIOLATION OF THIS, WILL SUBJECT OFFENDERS TO ARREST 

 AND PROSECUTION IN THE UNITED STATES COURTS. 



d. e. McCarthy, 



Major and Quartermaster, U. S. Army, 

 Chief Quartermaster 



