FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



ALASKA NOTES. 



Skaguay, Alaska. 



Editor Recreation: I am writing this 

 letter in Alaska, on a winter day, yet am 

 sitting in my cabin, without a coat or vest. 

 The door is open and there is no fire in 

 the stove. My partners, without coats, are 

 finishing the last of our 3 houses for their 

 families to occupy, in a few days. Such is 

 life in Alaska. Only 10 miles up the trail, 

 men are wading in snow to their knees; 

 and 10 miles farther on, they can hardly 

 find their way at all. The snow is always 

 blowing so hard they cannot see 10 feet in 

 front of them. This is the summit you 

 hear so much about. 



I have just returned from the shore, 

 where the " City of Seattle " is anchored. 

 She has brought up her largest cargo of 

 freight, and 150 passengers; also 100 head 

 of cattle for the Dalton trail. I am almost 

 sure the party who owns them will bring 

 them back to this trail; for that has been 

 the experience of several others. To show 

 you how near some of the Eastern papers 

 come to getting correct news from this 

 country, I will cite a clipping my mother 

 sent me, saying a Mr. Thorp, of Seattle, 

 had started from that city, 3 months ago, 

 with a bunch of cattle; had reached Daw- 

 son City and that he had just returned with 

 $180,000. The fact is Mr. Thorp left Seat- 

 tle about 3 months ago, and after losing a 

 large number of cattle, on the Dalton trail, 

 brought what was left here. I saw him 

 to-day, and he has never yet seen Dawson 

 City. 



Men are busy working on the tramway, 

 and I have just seen the engineer who is 

 making a wagon road to the lake. He says 

 it will be pushed right through. When it is 

 finished, this will be the most direct route 

 to the Klondike. Building is still going 

 on, at a most astonishing rate, and would 

 even be greater if there was more lumber 

 here. The Canadian mounted police have 

 had almost all their outfit packed over to 

 the lake. It cost them about 60 cents a 

 pound. 



We are arranging with a gentleman in 

 Seattle to furnish guides to the lakes, and 

 have a dozen other irons in the fire. I am 

 unable to say now if I will go in, in' the 

 early spring, or not. At present I am tied 

 up here, and could not get away without 

 losing- money. Am on the ground floor 

 here, but am anxious to get into the gold 

 district among the first, as everyone who 

 comes out brings plenty of gold. They all 

 tell the same story — plenty of gold and lit- 

 tle grub. 



There is a Mr. Acker here, who has been 

 on the Yukon 8 years, hunting and trap- 

 ping. His wife has been with him all this 



time. She dresses in men's clothes, and 

 hunts as well as he does. She has gone 

 East now, but may come out later on. 

 Next spring he is going in for gold. Mr. 

 Acker, like everyone else, sounds the 

 praises of the 30-30 rifle. I have a 30-30 

 Marlin and some 6 grain cartridges, for 

 small game and target practice. 



I have not had a chance to hunt big 

 game yet, though I have been out several 

 times, for a day. There are plenty of 

 goats, porcupines, and bears within a few 

 miles. There are a number of bears feed- 

 ing on the dead horses, all along the trail. 

 Have seen several bear skins brought in. 

 Have also seen plenty of goat skins, and 

 we have all the fish we want, here. Trout 

 and salmon can be shot or speared, in 

 nearly all the streams. Moose, caribou and 

 wolves are plentiful along the Yukon. 



Our newsdealers sold 12 copies of No- 

 vember Recreation in a few hours, at 2 

 bits a copy. I always have a copy on my 

 counter, in my rifle gallery. 



Harry L. Suydam. 



CAN A STATE DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NON- 

 RESIDENTS ? 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



Editor Recreation: As the Constitution 

 of the United States guarantees to each 

 and every one of its citizens equal rights in 

 all the states, how can a state pass and en- 

 force a law which discriminates against the 

 citizens of other states? For instance, a 

 state passes a law prohibiting citizens of 

 other states from hunting or fishing there- 

 in. Or, a state passes a law licensing a 

 resident to hunt, on paying a specified 

 license fee, and for the same privilege non- 

 residents are required to pay 50 times as 

 much. 



If you think proper to answer the fore- 

 going, through the columns of the king of 

 sportsmen's journals, Recreation, I shall 

 be pleased to have you do so. 



C. H. Trotter. 



I referred this question to the Hon. John 

 S. Wise, 44 Broad St., New York, one of 

 the best authorities in the United States on 

 game and fish laws, who submits the fol- 

 lowing opinion: 



No one has any property in game, until 

 game is captured (2 Kent, 416 et seq.). 



To hunt and kill game is a privilege 

 granted by the state. The ownership, as 

 well as the right to destroy game, is held 

 by the sovereign authority of the state, in 

 trust for all the people of the state. The 

 question of individual enjoyment is one of 

 public policy, and not of private right 

 (Manger v. People, 97 111. 320). 



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