372 



RECREATION, 



duke owning vast estates and wide game 

 preserves. He asked his friends to oc- 

 cupy his "shooting box," and promised 

 them plenty of good sport. These prom- 

 ises were all carried out. The party ar- 

 rived at the designated place set forth 

 by McCain in his circular, with costly 

 equipments and no less than 21 thorough- 

 bred dogs. They had their sport all right, 

 but they never dreamed of the sorry fate 

 that awaited them at Mauch Chunk when 

 they had completed their shooting. 



There were vigilant men in Carbon 

 county who were members of the Sports- 

 men's Club. They had got wind of the 

 predatory raid that had been made by the 

 New York pothunters, and they deter- 

 mined to make an example of them. It 

 will be recalled that the McCain party 

 packed their game in trunks. They knew 

 they were infringing on a law of Pennsyl- 

 vania which forbids the shipment of any 

 game out of the State which was killed in 

 it. Hence their adoption of a trick to de- 

 ceive any official who might be on the 

 watch for them. The trunks were brought 

 into requisition as a blind. Mr. McCain 

 and his swell guests were overwhelmed 

 with surprise when all their trunks, those 

 packed with game as well as those filled 

 with equipments, were seized at Mauch 

 Chunk and very properly confiscated. It is 

 said the value of a half dozen fowling 

 pieces that fell into the hands of the law 

 officers was put at $1,500. The McCain 

 party protested, but to no avail. This whole 

 outfit, together with most of the game they 

 had slaughtered, had passed from their pos- 

 session forever. 



Nor is this the end of it. The Sports- 

 men's clubs throughout the entire State 

 are united in the determination to bring 

 McCain and some others before the courts 

 of Pennsylvania. Money is being con- 

 tributed to engage the best lawyers in 

 the Commonwealth to prosecute the pot- 

 hunters and thus advertise to the world at 

 large that such work must stop. 



The sportsmen hereabout say game is 

 plentiful, but would be more so if hunters 

 were compelled to obey the laws. It is cer- 

 tain that Mr. McCain and his friends will 

 be prosecuted to the limit, as they deserve, 

 and will be punished accordingly. This 

 result will have a salutary effect on other 

 offenders and will, in consequence, enhance 

 the value of Pennsylvania's magnificent 

 hunting fields. — Exchange. 



In reply to yours of yesterday relative 

 to arrest of parties attempting to carry 

 game out of this State: I not only secured 

 the game mentioned, but the trunks of the 

 entire party, 5 in number, with 5 guns, 

 an extra set of barrels, all their hunting 

 clothes, etc. Yesterday I secured judg- 



ment against the party at Mauch Chunk in 

 the amount of $100 each or $500 total. 

 Section 6 of the Act of 1897, page 26, is 

 well worth reading and covers the ground 

 thoroughly. The word "whoever" means 

 each individual, and I propose to push 

 Mr. McCain, of Stevensville, for allowing 

 and aiding in this attempt, the men having 

 stopped at his house 2 weeks and the game 

 being packed there. This is the third lot 

 they packed during that time, 2 of which 

 they succeeded in getting out of the State. 

 Joseph Kalbfus, Secretary, 

 Board of Game Commissioners. 

 Harrisburg, Pa. 



The parties whose baggage was seized 

 at Mauch Chunk are Thomas Oakley, J. Q. 

 Bourne, F. Herroder, John and William 

 Thurston, all of Mt Vernon, N. Y. I am 

 just in receipt of a letter from Mt. Vernon 

 to the effect that the Thurstons run a 

 market there, and that this same party 

 make a practice of annually clearing the 

 woods of as many States as possible. One 

 of these men told Mr. James H. Worden, 

 who is one of our Game Commissioners, 

 that they had been in 2 other States before 

 coming into Pennsylvania, and expected 

 to go to Tennessee immediately on their 

 return to New York. 



Joseph Kalbfus, 

 Secy, of Game Commission 



Harrisburg, Pa. 



AS TO CARIBOU. 



Editor Recreation: 



St. John's, N. F. 



Your letter at hand, with L. A. S. litera- 

 ture. I have been fighting the battle of 

 game protection nearly alone for a num- 

 ber of years, both in season and out of 

 season, but it has been hard work, as our 

 market hunters are poor men and only 

 live from hand to mouth; but each one has 

 a vote and that makes it hard to get the 

 lawmakers to see game protection in any 

 other light than as the voter sees it. I agree 

 with you that 2 bull caribou is ample for 

 any man, but most of your American 

 sportsmen who visit us think 5 are not 

 enough. Some of them, however, only shoot 

 2 or 3 and are satisfied. I often have to kill 

 more caribou than I wish, for on some of 

 my prospecting trips, in the uninhabited 

 parts of the Island, I have often had to 

 depend on my gun for food, it being im- 

 possible to carry enough in with us. 



I have bought a kodak, and shall have 

 many chances of snap shots at live game, 

 as I go this summer to visit our mining 

 claim. Had I taken one last year I could 

 have taken my time and had a fine pic- 

 ture of 48 caribou within 100 yards and in- 

 side an angle of 50°. 



