FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 
IN DEFENSE OF DR. HARRISON. 
Deer River, Itasca Co., Minn. 
Editor RECREATION: 
I have read the article headed “Game 
Hog Harrison,” signed by M. P. Austin, 
M. D., of Minneapolis. Have shown it 
to Dr. George E. Harrison and he pro- 
nounces it false in all particulars. Al- 
though he has been an ardent sportsman 
for years and has spent 6 summers on the 
Big Fork, he has never killed 16 moose 
in all that time and certainly not in a 
period of 4 months, as Austin avers. He 
knows ex-Game Commissioner S. F. Ful- 
lerton only casually, and in his official 
capacity. Mr. Fullerton never ‘“‘warned”’ 
Dr. H. with a view to preventing the ac- 
quiring of evidence against him. He never 
dined with Mr. Fullerton, and Mr. F. 
never connived, as is alleged, at the vio- 
lation of the game law by Dr. H. or Dr. 
H. believes by any one else, as Mr. Ful- 
lerton, he says, is an honorable man. I 
have known Dr. H. for years. He has 
hunted and fished in many countries, hav- 
ing twice circumnavigated the globe, and 
if the world contained only such con- 
scientious sportsmen as he, there would be 
no need of game laws. I have been with 
him on the Big Fork since May to and 
during this time, in efforts to photo- 
graph moose and other game, we have 
seen 36 moose. This without the firing 
Of al conx sand all within 27 -\umlesnlon 
the doctor’scamp. Letthisfact be contrast- 
ed with the fact that when the doctor first 
came to the Big Fork 6 years ago he 
hunted faithfully 42 days without seeing a 
moose. Now we see them daily, almost 
from camp, and Mrs. Harrison, who al- 
\4ys accompanies her husband, has seen 
106 moose when out alone with her maid. 
This plentifulness of moose is due directly 
to the efficiency of the administration un- 
der Mr. Fullerton, to the kindly love the 
doctor has for Nature and her children, 
and to the hearty cooperation of the few 
settlers along the river. It is well known 
in this: country that Dr El: \declines: to 
kill any game at any time not needed for 
food; and then makes the greatest distinc- 
tion as to age and sex. I have known 
the doctor to fish in a virgin lake for 
hours, and, of a very large catch of bass, 
kill only those that were hooked through 
the gills. Although a good shot, he has 
never killed more than 24 ducks in one 
day, when it would have been an easy 
matter to kill 4 tirnes the number. We all 
know the fellow that furnished the ‘“‘facts” 
for Dr. Austin’s article—one Art Hoosier, 
366 
who was dismissed from Dr. H.’s employ 
and who is known to be unreliable. He 
avers that he sold to -Dr.~ Austin the 6 
deer Austin claims he killed. If this be 
true (though those who know Hoosier 
would not believe his oath) Dr. Austin is 
in fact a game hog; for it will be conceded, 
even by the non-sportsman, that the man- 
who encourages killing game for the mar- 
ket is the worst game hog. 
While it is true the blue print showed 
Dr. H. sitting on a moose, the man who 
gave it to Austin knew the doctor did not 
kill it. ve 
H. G: Haigh, Reading, Mass: 
I sent this letter to- Dr... Austin and 
wrote him as follows: 
I enclose herewith letter from Mr. H. 
G. Haigh, which explains itself. If you 
have wronged Dr. Harrison in this mat- 
ter, will you not kindly write a letter 
which I may publish in RECREATION, 
making amends to him? If, on the con- 
trary, you have evidence to prove the 
statements in your former letter please 
advise me accordingly. 
To which Dr. Austin replies thus: 
I have received your letter enclosing 
one from Mr. H. G. Haigh, I have noth- 
ing to retract, for I believe all-I wrote 
was the truth. My information was not 
all from one source. Since I wrote you 
I have learned that Dr. Harrison was 
arrested and fined last year for killing 
game out of season. Have written to a 
gentleman in Grand Rapids, Minn., for 
the facts. The man who told this was in 
Deer River at the time and I have every 
reason to believe he told the truth; but 
will have it verified. ; 
M. P. Austin, Minneapolis, Minn. 
A gentleman in Minnesota who knows 
Dr. Harrison’s record writes as follows: 
As to Dr. Harrison’s exploits up here, 
unless he is sorely belied, he needs jail- 
ing as badly as any man in the West, and 
that is saying a great deal.. So far as I can 
learn, he has as yet escaped the law. I 
am told he was tried for illegal game 
killing in ’94 and got off. I know he was 
arrested in the fall of ’97, bound over 
to the grand jury, indicted by that body 
in January, ’98, and for some reason the 
indictment was nolled by the prosecuting 
attorney, J. R. Donohue, in ’99. He said, 
I understand, the evidence was not strong 
enough to convict—which, it may not 
have been. I know nothing about that; 
but a poor devil is serving a jail sentence 
now for the same offense, who was con- 


