154 



RECREA TION. 



preceded it. Among the evidences of this 

 fact, I may cite the following titles of ar- 

 ticles to appear in that issue: " Our Visi- 

 tor's Bear Story," E. L. Kellogg; " An 

 Elk Hunt," J. B. Jennett (Old Silver Tip) ; 

 "A Night's Bassing," F. L. Davis; "Tur- 

 key Shooting," J. W. Prather, and other 

 stories of equal interest. 



The departments will be as large and as 

 rich in information as usual. 



Two of the game hogs whom I have 

 roasted, in recent issues of Recreation, 

 have threatened me with libel suits. I hope 

 these critters will go ahead and bring their 

 suits. It would be interesting to know 

 whether or not a hog has any rights under 

 the laws of New York, or of other states. 

 If so, it would be a novelty to see a biped 

 swine in court. However this may be, 

 there are plenty of lawyers who are look- 

 ing for business and who would, no doubt, 

 be glad to take the cases of the aforesaid 

 grunters. v 



The index to Vol. VII. is now complete 

 and ready for mailing. If you have not 

 received a copy, let me know and I will 

 send you one. 



The constant drop of water wears away the 



hardest stone; 

 The constant gnaw of Towser masticates 



the toughest bone; 

 The constant wooing lover carries off the 



blushing maid; 

 The constant advertiser is the one who 



gets the trade. 



Professor D. Lange, of the Central 

 High School, St. Paul, writes, " Let us 

 have more hunting with the camera and 

 less with the rifle." 



This is a noble sentiment and one which 

 I am glad to see gr6wing, daily, through- 

 out the country. 



Will some lover of dogs tell me how to 

 teach a collie dog, 6 months old, some 

 tricks? I believe there are many tricks, 

 and methods of teaching same, which are 

 not found in any books, and which can be 

 had in no other way. I would be greatly 

 obliged to any one who would communi- 

 cate with me, direct. 



Paul J. Lee, Huntington, W. Va. 



" You are still wearing bird-wings in 

 your hat, Nancy." 



" Yes; I didn't want to be the first wom- 

 an to act superior to the rest of the sex." 



With hauteur my neighbor now speeds — 

 My lawn mower's high on the shelf; 



For if a snow shovel he needs. 



He knows he can make one himself. 



1 THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN 

 SPORTSMEN. 



I am heartily in favor of a League of 

 American Sportsmen, and the idea meets 

 the approval of every sportsman I have 

 spoken to on the subject. All true sports- 

 men are in favor of anything looking to- 

 ward the protection of the remnant of our 

 game. Now that Recreation has taken 

 hold of the matter, the League is an as- 

 sured fact. My confidence in that maga- 

 zine is unbounded, and I want to see these 

 two planks nailed fast, right in the centre 

 of the platform: " Stop the sale of game," 

 and " Penitentiary the game and fish 

 hogs." 



I have confidence in the good common 

 sense of the American people, when they 

 can be made to think. They are beginning 

 to think now. The market shooter and 

 the swine must go. I have some respect 

 for the market hunter, but none whatever 

 for the hog. I know men (swine) who call 

 themselves sportsmen, and who would be, 

 or would pretend to be, insulted if asked 

 to sell some of their unreasonable bag or 

 catch. Yet these same sportsmen (?) both 

 steal and rob. They shoot and fish, in sea- 

 son and out of season, regardless of the 

 rights of others and of the state at large. 

 They openly rob during the open season, 

 and stealthily rob in the closed season. 



Yet in Northwest Missouri, and prob- 

 ably in most other sections, it is the market 

 shooters that kill most of the game. I 

 know 3 market hunters, living in a neigh- 

 boring town, who, according to their own 

 statements, killed, in one year, nearly 3,000 

 ducks, 500 quails, 100 . prairie chickens, 

 1,000 plover, 300 squirrels and about 100 

 head of miscellaneous game — 5,000 head in 

 all. Of the genuine sportsmen living in 

 the same town, of whom there are about a 

 dozen, the combined bags, for the same 

 year, would not exceed 300 head of game. 



What is a reasonable bag? Well, for this 

 locality 10 to 12 ducks, 6 to 8 quails, 5 to 7 

 squirrels, 3 to 5 prairie chickens, 15 to 20 

 plover, 5 to 8 black bass, or 25 crappies. 



But to return to the L. A. S. ; Recrea- 

 tion shall be its official organ. Who can 

 doubt the influence of the League for the 

 protection of game, with such a journal 

 read by all its members? I suggest an ap- 

 propriate emblem or pin to be worn by its 

 members, not because it will be a secret 

 society, but because it will not be a secret 

 society. 



Success to the L. A. S. and, above all, 

 success to Recreation. 



U. W. Gallaher, Rock Port, Mo. 



I have read, with deep interest, the let- 

 ters published in Recreation, in favor of 

 a League of American Sportsmen. Am 

 glad the proposition has met with so much 



