
FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 279 
HALL’S NEIGHBORS CALL HIM DOWN. 
I saw in January RECREATION, page 43, 
an article by E. E. Hall, and as I have 
just returned home from a 60 mile trip 
over the country I’ had an opportunity to 
talk with a number of settlers in this part 
of Stevens county. Among others was 
ex-County Commissioner Robert Foun- 
tain. He spoke of Hall’s article and said 
it was false all through. Of course I know 
there is not a word of truth in his article 
from beginning to end. As to Hall’s stand- 
ing in his own neighborhood I refer you 
to Hon. Joseph Fountain, ex-county com- 
missioner; Joseph Parker and George 
Tiger, of Usk, Wash.,and J. B. Thomas, of 
Colville, ex-county surveyor. With regard 
to the Mongolian pheasants; I live within 
2 miles of Hall’s place, but -have never 
known of his trying to raise any. His 
nearest neighbor, M. E. Schmaus, told me 
he had never seen a pheasant on Hall’s 
place. As to men killing 100 to 200 deer 
apiece during the winter, for their hides, 
it is all a lie, and when Hall hits the 4oo 
mark, it is too unreasonable to comment 
on. 
His bear story, when reduced to fact, 
is simply this: Two trappers by the name 
of Klitz and Livingston, did kill the 3 
bear and gave Hall some of the meat. 
That is the way he “got” them. Hall was 
elected constable in Ione precinct in ’96, 
but instead of protecting the game, he took 
a man in with him by the name of Mc- 
Keen; last fall they killed over 27 deer. 
Hoping and trusting you will not think 
I am taking too much liberty in your 
personal affairs, as I assure you I have 
only the friendliest feeling for RECREATION 
_and the noble work it is doing. 
S. beck: Usk, Wash. 
HERE IS THE LETTER REFERRED TO. 
We tried to raise some Mongolian pheasants, 2 
years ago, and failed. This year we tried it again, 
with better success, after reading the article on the sub- 
jectin Recreation, There is any quantity of game in- 
this region, I killed 2 deer within 50 yards of the 
house. They seemed determined to destroy my garden. 
Unless our Legislature prohibits the sale of hides or 
buckskin, deer will soon be exterminated, There are 
men here who kill from roo to 200 apiece during the 
winter. One man, 3 years ago, killed 400 for their 
hides, leaving the carcasses for the wolves. I had the 
good fortune to kill 3 bears recently, Anyone looking 
for the best hunting and fishing ground in the country, 
should come here, Take the Great Northern R. R. to 
Newport, Idaho, and then steamer to this place. 
E, E. Hall, Ione, Wash. 
I wrote several people in the vicinity of 
Usk, asking for the facts regarding the 
killing of deer, as reported by Mr. Hall, 
One of these men replied as follows; 
I am of the opinion that the statements 
of Mr. Hall in January RECREATION are 
false in every particular, or I might say 
exaggerated. He is considered a very un- 
reliable man in this section, and his let- 
ter was probably written to boom his 
ranch, which he is trying to make a tour- 
ists’ resort. As to poisoning deer I do 
not believe that. It is unreasonable. State- 
ments made by Elmer E. Hall, here where 
he is well known, would be taken with a 
considerable amount of salt. 
E. M., Usk, Wash. 
Another of Hall’s writes 
thus: 
Yours from May 8th at hand. 
‘Mr.’ Hall’s- statements. are all un- 
frie. i ain sa mnershbor of his: and 
know he never tried to raise Mongolian 
pheasants. As to the men in the vicinity 
of Ione killing deer for their hides, that 
is all untrue. If any one killed deer for 
their hides it must have been Hall, for he 
is the only man who ever sold any hides 
here, since I came to this country. Last 
fall Mr. Hall took out 2 bunches of deer 
hides (I don’t know how many in a 
bunch) and at the same time told the dep- — 
uty sheriff there were 6 men in this 
neighborhood that make a living by kill- 
ing deer for their hides. The deputy 
wrote me asking if there was any truth in 
Mr. Hall’s report. I don’t know who the 
6 men are, though I have a good idea. 
Mr. Hall never killed a bear in this coun- 
try. Harry Livingston and Fred Klitz 
killed 3 bears. About the same time Mr. 
Hall came along the road and Mr. Klitz 
gave him some meat. Mr. Hall took it 
home and told every one he met that he 
had killed 3 bears. He told me, and I 
did not know any better until Mr. Klitz 
told me the truth. 
As to the poisoning of deer, I know 
what Hall told me. He said he was going 
to poison some deer to kill coyotes with. 
How many he killed I don’t know: but 
later in the spring, I and my partner found 
the carcasses of 2 deer and near by the 
carcasses of 3 coyotes. That was on Mr. 
Hall’s hunting ground. 
I don’t want to do Mr. Hall any harm, 
neighbors 
but I want to let people know the truth. 
I believe more deer are killed on Mr. 
Hall’s place by his people than elsewhere 
in the whole neighborhood. Last fall Mr. 
Hall had a man on his ranch who took out 
between 20 and 4o deer and I saw Mr. Hall 
shipping some dried venison, in dry goods 
boxes. He marked it ‘‘merchandise.” He. 
like any other evildoer, puts the blame 
on innocent parties. 
You may publish this or not, as you like, 
for I have written nothing but the truth. 
L, J. C., Usk, Wash. 
