370 



RECREA TION. 



cured and prepared beforehand, and the 

 work of getting this evidence in proper 

 shape was always much harder than ob- 

 taining the conviction. 



It strikes me that nothing would be 

 easier than for a competent man to take 2 

 witnesses, avail themselves of the use of 

 Mr. Witmer's house, which is so freely 

 and kindly offered, and wait there until 

 the violation occurs; then the culprits can 

 be caught red-handed, and I will guarantee 

 there is no court which would dare to ac- 

 quit in such a case. 



I offer you my services free in any mat- 

 ter which may be brought to me in this 

 way. If your protector thinks he has a 

 case against anybody, let him come to me 

 with his evidence and witnesses, and if I 

 deem his case is faulty I will point out to 

 him where and just how to strengthen it, 

 if possible. If he will then obey my orders 

 in regard to getting the evidence you may 

 have any lawyer whom you may choose try 

 the case and you will get conviction. I 

 do not myself, in any event, believe in 

 bringing actions which are not substan- 

 tially founded, but I do not consider that 

 it is any excuse for your protectors to de- 

 cline to investigate a case like the one Mr. 

 Witmer has now twice presented on the 

 ground that convictions are hard to ob- 

 tain. Yours truly. 



Thomas Cary Welch. 



Albany, N. Y., Dec. 28th, 1899. 

 Mr. T. C. Welch, 



Buffalo, N. Y. 

 Dear Sir: — I am willing to admit that 

 the acts of ex-Protector Pomeroy in pros- 

 ecuting violators of the game law were 

 quite successful during the early part of 

 his term of office; but as he crowded mat- 

 ters too closely* and went into technical 

 violations too deeply, the courts and all 

 concerned, except a few who were prod- 

 ding him on, became disgusted; the result 

 of which is that the present protector or 

 an angel from above could not prosecute 

 successfully. Asst. Chief Protector M. C. 

 Worts is in Buffalo for a few days, and 

 will undoubtedly call on you. 

 Very truly yours, 



J. W. Pond. 



Chief Protector. 



Buffalo, Dec. 28th, 1899. 

 Mr. C. F. Witmer. 



Williamsville, N. Y. 



Dear Sir: — I enclose herewith copies 

 of correspondence in regard to your mat- 

 ter, which I think will prove interesting. 



I agree with you that there is altogether 

 too much politics in this business. How- 

 ever, I think we have the Department on 

 the run now. and possibly they will feel 



it incumbent 'on themselves to do some- 

 thing. Yours truly, 



Thomas Cary Welch. 



Williamsville, N. Y., March 21, 1900. 

 Mr. T. C. Welch, Atty., 

 Buffalo, N. Y. 



Dear Sir:— Your letter to Governor 

 Roosevelt seems to have stirred up the 

 officers, for soon after that I had a call 

 from Mr. Harmony, of Lockport, but did 

 not see him. as I was away from home 

 After that Mr. M. C. Worts, of Oswego, 

 called. He said he had arrested some men 

 for illegal fishing, about a mile above the 

 Mang farm; that they complained that 

 they should be prosecuted while the Mangs 

 were fishing all the time. 



The tenant on my farm tells me 

 the game wardens of Black Rock come 

 down and help the Mangs at seining. 

 There are so many of the Mangs and they 

 are always on the watch, so it is difficult 

 to catch them. I believe the only way 

 in which a permanent stop could be 

 put to their seining would be to employ 2 

 or 3 private detectives to keep steady 

 watch for a week or 2. Mr. Worts gave 

 me a copy of the game laws. On page 40 

 I. find this: "In the waters of the Niagara 

 river during the- months of November. 

 December, January and March it shall be 

 lawful to take all fish excepting black bass 

 and muskalonge with a seine, providing 

 that permission so to do has been first ob- 

 tained from the Commissioners of Fish- 

 eries, Game and Forests, and fish taken 

 contrary to the provisions of this section 

 shall not be knowingly possessed." \ 



So it seems the fishing privileges are 

 to be farmed out by the Commissioners! 

 Yours truly. 



C. F. Witmer. 



And so Mang and Perry are still at it, 

 without let or hindrance. Oh, what an 

 easy Pond! — Editor. 



* Waa he dismissed tor being too severe on law 



breakers'/ — Ed. 



MR. BLACK DESERTS A GOOD CAUSE. 



I have thought the matter over care- 

 fully, and have decided not to renew my 

 subscription to Recreation, at least this 

 year. I suppose von think you are doing 

 a good work, and perhaps you are; but I 

 think a milder way would have effected a 

 great deal more good. 



You could have done a great deal for 

 the sportsmen if you had gone at your 

 roasts in a milder way. Perhaps your sub- 

 scription list is growing as fast as you ex- 

 pect, but it certainly would have grown 

 faster if you had been more conservative. 

 F. D. Black. Hastings, Mich. 



ANSWER. 



Where I get one letter complaining of 

 my crusade against the game hogs. I get 

 at least 100 which endorse it in unqualified 



