450 



RECREATION. 



stone sooner than the troops. This reser- 

 vation is an ideal game country and I am 

 anxious to do all I can to protect the game. 

 I am trying to impress on the Indians that 

 in hunting they should never kill females. 

 The bucks make good promises and I 

 hope to have good results in this respect. 

 I understand that last fall a small party 

 of white hunters entered the South part of 

 this reservation and killed over ioo deer 

 in one week. I have also learned that one 

 man who formerly lived in this same coun- 

 try, but who is now in the penitentiary, has 

 160 bighorn heads that he intends to mount. 

 I will be glad to have suggestions from 

 you and I assure you I am in harmony 

 with your organization. I should like to 

 become a member of the L. A. S. if pos- 

 sible. 



S. G. Reynolds, Crow Agency, Mont. 



ANSWER. 



It is not only possible but extremely de- 

 sirable for all concerned that you should 

 become a member of the L. A. S. A num- 

 ber of Indian agents are already members 

 of the League and have pledged themselves 

 to co-operate with it, as you have done. 

 No class of men in the country could pos- 

 sibly be of greater service than you gen- 

 tlemen can be, and we need your help. The 

 present generation has seen the buffalo, 

 the noblest of all American wild animals, 

 practically swept out of existence. Also 

 the wild pigeon. The antelope, the elk, 

 the mountain sheep, the goat, the prairie 

 chicken, the wild turkey, the wood duck 

 and the woodcock will follow within a 

 few years unless every possible effort on 

 the part of intelligent men is put forth to 

 save these creatures. The destruction of 

 the buffalo and the wild pigeon is one of 

 the crimes of the 19th century, and I trust 

 no more like it may be charged against the 

 people of the 20th century. If the friends 

 of game protection everywhere would all 

 join the League and co-operate vigorously 

 with it in its work, all of the species last 

 named might be saved indefinitely; but it 

 is only by the rigid enforcement of whole- 

 some game laws everywhere that such a 

 result can be achieved.. — Editor. 



J. E. BARTON DISMISSED. 

 Congratulations are in order over the 

 final outcome of the J. E. Barton case. He 

 was tried last year in Justice H. C. Lillie's 

 court, in Visalia, for illegally having veni- 

 son in his possession in the close season. 

 Mr. Barton was, at the time, foreman of a 

 crew of men who were fencing and improv- 

 ing the General Grant Park, situated in 

 Tulare and Fresno counties. On or about 

 July 20, 1901, one of Barton's crew killed a 

 deer and carried it into the main camp. It 

 was eaten by the crew an4 Mr. Barton took 



occasion at the table to say he would "fire 

 any man in the crew that peached." F. A. 

 Bullard and I, both rangers, heard of the 

 case.. After due investigation we caused 

 warrants of arrest to be issued for both 

 Mr. James Bolton and Barton, charging the 

 first with illegally killing the deer and the 

 latter with illegally having the meat in his 

 possession, as he was foreman with power 

 to employ and discharge the men at his 

 pleasure. Mr. Bolton, on hearing of the 

 warrant, went to the justice's office, and 

 pleaded guilty, paying a fine of $25, but 

 Barton stood trial and the justice discharged 

 him. We were not satisfied with that ac- 

 tion and appealed to the President of the 

 L. A. S., sending him a copy of the evidence 

 taken by the court reporter. This cost us 

 $25 out of our own salaries. In due time, 

 notice was also given to the California Fish 

 Commission of the action taken. This sea- 

 son a new superintendent was sent out to 

 guard both the Sequoia National and the 

 General Grant parks, and Mr. Barton was 

 again employed in his former capacity as 

 foreman. Frequently we heard of his brag- 

 ging about being "in with the push" and 

 that no "damned spy" could work in his 

 camp, nor any man that wore a game war- 

 den's badge. In the meantime the L. 

 A. S. had been at work and all at 

 once Mr. J. E. Barton, of the push, 

 was interviewed by Captain Frank A. 

 Barton, the park superintendent, with the 

 result that Mr. "Push" Barton was summa- 

 rily dismissed and discharged from all park 

 work in California. No greater or better 

 object lesson was ever shown in this section. 

 Now many men are respecting the law ; be- 

 cause the L. A. S.., the Secretary of the 

 Interior, the park superintendent, and some 

 rangers who are not afraid show that the 

 law must be respected. Hurrah for the 

 L. A. S. S. L. N. Ellis, Visalia, Cal. 



MY LAST CHRISTMAS AT HOME. 



For years our families had gathered at 

 the old home for each returning Christ- 

 jnas, and all looked forward to each new 

 anniversary with delightful anticipations. 

 At the last Christmas meeting an incident 

 occurred which seemed to me mysterious, 

 and I present it for the fraternity's con- 

 sideration. 



I was recently returned, honorably dis- 

 charged, from the West Indies, where my 

 regiment had served through the Spanish- 

 American war. I have a hobby. I love to 

 be in the woods with a gun ; not necessarily 

 to shoot, but to be where I can see nature 

 unchanged. Accordingly, I proposed to my 

 elder brother a trip to Mount Dumpling 

 for a ruffed grouse. He readily acceded, 

 and together we sallied forth to the moun- 

 tain, distant ^2 mile. 



