FROM THE GAME RANGES. 



PROTECT THE GAME. 



I have no desire, whatever, to make 

 any one feel uncomfortable, yet I fear 

 certain Indian agents will feel so when 

 they read the following correspondence. 

 I am anxious that the Indians, as well as 

 white men, should be prevented from 

 slaughtering game, in the close season, 

 and from killing it, at any time, for the 

 skins. This is my object in collecting 

 and printing this testimony. 



A great deal of evidence has come to 

 me bearing on the question as to whether 

 the Indian Department has been as 

 vigilant as it should be in trying to pre- 

 vent this unlawful slaughter. In Janu- 

 ary Recreation some correspondence 

 was printed in which the Secretary of 

 the Interior and the Commissioner of 

 Indian Affairs claimed that the Indians 

 were not allowed to hunt, off their reser- 

 vations, at any time, and that strenuous 

 efforts were being and would be made 

 to prevent it. The following corre- 

 spondence proves that such efforts have 

 not heretofore been successful. It is 

 earnestly hoped that the officers and 

 employes of the department will be more 

 vigilant in future. 



From Captain Van Orsdale. 



United States Indian Service. 

 Fort Hall Indian Agency, Ross Fork, Idaho. 



August 27, 1894. 

 Ira Dodge, Deputy Sheriff, Cora, Wyo. 



Dear Sir: — Replying to your communication 

 of the 22d, would say that I have just inter- 

 viewed a man from Jackson's Hole in regard to 

 the presence there, or in that vicinity, of Fort 

 Hall Indians and he informs me that there are 

 none there. 



Fort Hall Indians do not hunt in that section. 

 Probably you refer to Wind river or Lemhi 

 Indians. Respectfully, 



J. T. Van Orsdale, 

 Captain U. S. A., Acting Agent. 



From the Governor of Wyoming. 



Executive Office, Cheyenne, Wyo. 



W. A. Richards, Governor. 



February 12th, 1895. 

 Editor Recreation : 



I am informed that you are collecting data in 

 regard to the depredations committed by Indians 

 on game, in the western part of the state of 

 Wyoming. I have a personal knowledge of the 

 fact that, beginning in the spring and extending 

 through the entire summer, and until the snows 

 of winter drive them away, large numbers of 

 Indians come into Wyoming, from Idaho and 



Montana, for the express purpose of slaughtering 

 game for the hides. For several successive 

 years, while surveyor-general of this state, I 

 visited the country lying along Green and Snake 

 rivers, in the extreme western part of the state, 

 and on every visit saw Indians engaged in this 

 nefarious business. 



The legislature are very much interested in 

 this subject, and in my message delivered to 

 them at the beginning of the session I alluded to 

 it. I send you a copy of the message with this 

 paragraph marked. I am in full sympathy with 

 you in [this matter, and will contribute to the 

 success of the movement in every way in my 

 power. Very truly yours, 



Wm. A. Richards. 



From the Governor's Message. 



It is suggested that our game and fish laws 

 should be amended, but it is not possible to pre- 

 vent the wanton destruction of large game by 

 Indians, by the enactment of a statute, unless 

 special provision is made for its enforcement. 

 More large game is killed by Indians in Wyoming, 

 for the hides alone, every year, than by our citi- 

 zens for food purposes. The Indians committing 

 these violations of law mostly come from other 

 states, notably from Idaho. Their depredations 

 are not always confined to game, but cattle are 

 frequently killed. When a remonstrance has 

 been sent to the agent, his reply has been to 

 arrest the Indians if they violated the law. As 

 the offences are committed remote from the set- 

 tlements it has been found impracticable to do 

 this. 



From Various Settlers in Jackson's Hole, 

 Wyoming. 



We, the undersigned, residents and taxpayers, 

 do solemnly swear that we have resided in the 

 Upper Green river country for several years, 

 carrying on the occupations of ranching, stock- 

 raising and such other pursuits as are conducive 

 to an honest livelihood ; fts" ,; 



That we are conversant with the invasions 

 and depredations of the several Indian tribes 

 from reservations adjacent thereto, many having 

 passes from their respective agents, and we do 

 affirm that the country lying between the 42d 

 and 44th parallels, in Uintah and the western 

 part of Fremont counties, Wyoming, is annually 

 invaded by these bands, and that they engage in 

 the slaughter of game during the entire summer 

 season for their hides. 



And we do solemnly state that we have assisted 

 in the arrest of such Indians who had in their 

 possession green, domestic calf skins which had 

 been shot in the body. 



We do further affirm that the great number of 

 game animals which they kill can only be esti- 

 mated by the thousands, and that it is a very 

 common occurrence to find female elk, deer, and 

 antelope with their young cut from their abdo- 

 mens (such young being a favorite dish among 

 Indians) and the carcass left to be devoured by 

 beasts of prey, or to decay ; 



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