138 THE GAME BREEDER 



A WEST VIRGINIA GAME PRESERVE. 



IMr. J. A. Viquesney, who sent us the following account of the big game reserve for 

 West Virginia, is the state forest, fish and game warden for that state. He is one of the 

 most capable state game officers and is fully aware that private industry must be encouraged 

 and not prevented by legislation. — Editor.] 



Wilderness embracing over 50,000 of "West Virginia was one of those who 



acres in the counties of Pocahontas and saw in the movement the carrying out of 



Randolph is to be converted into the a plan he had himself long had in mind, 



greatest game preserve in the United Pennsylvanians interested in the old 



States. club formed by Colonel Edwards in- 



A deal has been closed by which J. eluded E. J. Allen, H. J. Bailey, J. M. 



A. Viquesney, State Forest, Fish and Bell, the Mellons and other prominent 



Game Warden of Belington, and H. M. Fittsburghers ; H. S. Brunot, of Greens- 



Lockridge, of Huntersville, president burg; C. C. Chalfant, Eta; Dr. H. C. 



and vice-president, respectively, of the Daly, Gibsonton, and many others. 



Allegheny Sportsman's Association, have Among the New Yorkers interested 



purchased from Colonel William Sey- are W. Hartley, of Ilion; F. S. Caldwell, 



mour Edwards of Coalburgh and Char- George Innes, Jr., Charles M. Pratt, 



leston, a lease on this tract which will H. Phipps, Jr., of New York City, 



extend over a period of thirty years. The Ohioans included D. J. Sinclair 



Colonel Edwards was the founder of and C. H. Steele of Steubenville ; Henry 



the Cheat Mountain Club, the purpose H. and John T. Stambaugh of Youngs- 



of which was to make the wilderness a town; Rw Bentley, Lowellville; J. G. 



private preserve with its products en- Battelle, Columbus. 



joyed by the club membership. He en- The West Virginians included John 

 listed a large number of persons in this T. McGraw, Grafton; Henry G. Davis, 

 movement, but because of failing health Elkins; J. J. Holloway and R. C. Dal- 

 was unable to continue to carry out his zell, Wheeling; W. G. Brown, King- 

 original project, although he has estab- wood. 



lished a mammoth fish hatchery on the T. Wallis Blackistone, of Baltimore; 



property and made many other expen- W. R. Gorby of Detroit; Harold Pierce 



sive improvements. of Philadelphia; Alex Reynolds, San 



The property under lease is that of Diego, Cal. ; J. S. Schoonmaker, Plain- 



the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Co. field, N. J., were among the others. 



It was purchased in 1899 from the This mammoth preserve commences 



Dewings, pioneer purchasers of Kalama- at the very top of the Cheat mountain 



zoo, Mich. The price paid was $585,000. range on the; west and takes in the Val- 



The timber wanted by the company has ley of Shaver, a fork of the Cheat River, 



all been cut and no further effort will across to the summit of the back Alle- 



be made to remove timber from the tract ghenies or Shavers Mountains, as they 



until a new growth has grown sufficient- are commonly called, on the east. On 



ly. In the meantime the property will the northwest it is bounded by what is 



be the habitat of wild game, of which known as the old Fish Hawk trail, and 



bears, deer and turkeys now abound, continues up the Cheat River a distance 



This game will be given protection out of nearly fifty miles to Elk Mountain, 



of seasons and will be made to afford It has long been known as a hunting 



sport for the lessees and their friends and fishing grounds and is so marked 



in certain seasons. and denominated in Bradley's Atlas of 



When Colonel Edwards first ob- the World, 



tained the lease, he associated with him The Cheat River flows through this 



prominent men from all over the coun- preserve a distance of about fifty miles, 



try. The late Senator Steven B. Elkins while the Greenbrier River on the east 



