FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



IN DEFENSE OF DOCTOR HARRISON. 



I have read the article in Recreation 

 attacking Dr. George E. Harrison and am 

 glad of an opportunity of expressing an 

 opinion which may tend to clear him from 

 the accusations made against him. My 

 brother and I made an extended canoe 

 trip on the Big Fork river, in Itasca coun- 

 ty, Minn. We were without a guide, were 

 unacquainted with the country, and on 

 making inquiries among the settlers were 

 recommended to call on Dr. Harrison. 

 Although unknown to him, we were re- 

 ceived in a most courteous and hospitable 

 manner at his camp. At his invitation we 

 pitched our tent near his lodge and re- 

 mained there about a week, spending the 

 time hunting and fishing with the Doctor; 

 and I have never met a truer sportsman 

 than he. 



I have never known of his killing more 

 game than was required for food. If every 

 so-called sportsman were as true a gentle- 

 man and sportsman as Dr. Harrison is 

 there would be no necessity for game 

 laws. 



Edwin H. Steedman, St. Louis, Mo. 



I take pleasure in endorsing all my 

 brother has said. 



George T. Steedman. 



In August, '99, I visited Minnesota and 

 by pure accident found myself about 

 dusk one evening at Dr. Harrison's camp. 

 He invited me and my friend to spend 

 the night with him, and after that insisted 

 on our remaining with him during our 

 stay in the State. 



From the knowledge I have of him and 

 his surroundings I consider any story 

 which has been circulated about his 

 slaughtering game a falsehood. I found 

 Dr. Harrison more of a student and writer 

 than a lover of killing game. He is a posi- 

 tive man and one whom I imagine has 

 made enemies in his neighborhood; but 

 in 2 weeks' paddling through Itasca coun- 

 ty he is the only true gentleman sports- 

 man I found. 



George A. Keeler, Indianapolis, Ind. 



I visited Dr. Harrison's camp in the 

 fall of 1897, and it has never been my pleas- 

 ure to meet a more charming man or a 

 more ardent lover of sport and recreation 

 in its higher form than Dr. Harrison. 

 Never have I met any sportsman who 

 would, in my opinion, do more than he to- 

 ward the increase and maintenance of big 

 game around his camp. 



I have heard him express his opinion 

 many times against the slaughter of game, 

 and have heard him say he would never 



kill or allow to be killed any game that 

 could not be used. I have never seen him 

 kill game of any kind out of season, and I 

 have never heard any man say he had 

 seen him do so. 



R. L. Ettenger, Indianapolis, Ind. 



I visited Dr. George E. Harrison's camp 

 last year, but from the fact that I was 

 there in midsummer had no opportunity 

 to judge of Dr. Harrison's bearing as a 

 sportsman. 



From what he has said on the subject, 

 at various tines in camp, I should think 

 he would be the last man to do anything 

 that would lessen the abundance of game 

 in the Northwest. 



Chas. S. Millard, Indianapolis, Ind. 



I have no knowledge of Doctor Harri- 

 son as a sportsman, but from what I know 

 of him I should not expect him to be a 

 party to the slaughtering of game. 



Chas. S. Fee, St. Paul, Minn. 



I learn that Dr. George E. Harrison has 

 been accused of slaughtering game in 

 Itasca county, Minn., and I write to say 

 he does not do so. He is a citizen of this 

 county, has a claim of 160 acres with a 

 house on it, and I live within 3 miles of 

 him. He is a gentleman in every sense of 

 the word. Even when hunting ducks Dr. 

 Harnson does not shoot them on the 

 water, but shoots them altogether on the 

 wing. 



I am sorry that any such report should 

 have reached you, and am sure the man 

 who thus accuses Mr. Harrison does not 

 know him. 



I will have 2 men sign this who are also 

 neighbors of his. 



E. O. Waller, 

 Noah Fletcher, 

 Wm. J. Qui arg. 



Deer River. Mima. 



283 



SEND IN YOUR SUGGESTIONS. 

 I have been a reader of Recreation the 

 past 3 years, and, like others, think it the 

 best magazine published, for the money. 

 There is one subject, however, I have 

 never seen discussed in its pages, and one 

 which I should think ought to be, as it 

 would probably give much information to 

 narties who intend to go on hunting trips. 

 That is, camping and camp cooking. I 

 do not refer to people who go from the 

 city abundantly provided with canned 

 goods, bedding, gasoline stove, a barrel of 

 gasoline, with 2 or 3 cooks, and other 

 servants. I do not call that camping out. 

 I call that a genera! moving. What I 



