EDITOR'S CORNER. 



A FEARLESS GAME WARDEN. 



In April last, Deputy Game Warden 

 Brewster, of Grand Rapids, Mich., seized 

 and confiscated 224 deer skins and 21 

 beaver skins at Sault Ste Marie. War- 

 rants were issued for the owner of the 

 warehouse where the skins were found 

 and for several men who were charged 

 with having killed the game. Some of 

 these men have been tried, convicted and 

 punished, and actions against others are 

 pending. 



While Mr. Brewster was looking up the 

 evidence in this case he found 51 deer 

 carcasses within a small area in Chippewa 

 county. In view of the vigorous and effec- 

 tive work which has been carried on by 

 the Michigan State game warden and his 

 deputies for several years past it is inter- 

 esting to guess what would be done in 

 Michigan if there were no such men as 

 Morse and Brewster in office. The latter 

 has made himself so exceedingly unpopular 

 among the enemies of game protection that 

 they induced the Legislature at its last 

 session to enact a law abolishing the office 

 of chief deputy game warden ; but in re- 

 sponse to vigorous protests from thousands 

 of sportsmen Governor Bliss vetoed the 

 bill. Mr. Brewster is still in the saddle 

 and I trust he may be retained there until 

 the last game hog in Michigan shall be 

 rounded up and put behind the bars. 



BIRDS NEED MORE FRIENDS. 



Recreation and the L. A. S., aided by the 

 Audubon societies and certain influential 

 journals, have nearly abolished millinery 

 traffic in the skins and plumage of song 

 and insectivorous birds in this country. In 

 Europe, however, the infamous business 

 still goes on without hinderance. Last 

 year there were 6 auctions of feathers and 

 bird skins in London, at which 1,688 pack- 

 ages of feathers were sold. Each package 

 weighed about 30 ounces, making a total of 

 50,640 ounces, and it is estimated that 4 

 birds were required to furnish each ounce 

 of plumes, or other feathers. These sales 

 therefore represent the slaughter of 202,560 

 birds, and all for the purpose of decorating 

 the headgear of vain, thoughtless, soulless 

 women. The birds are collected in vari- 

 ous parts of the world, and no doubt many 

 of them in the Southern- United States, the 

 plumage being smuggled out under false 

 labels. 



There is yet a great deal of important 

 work to be done by the friends of the birds, 

 even in this country, before the slaughter 

 can be entirely stopped. We are making 

 progress every day, but we need the co- 

 operation and the financial support of 



thousands of other men and women in our 

 work. 



Chris. McLain, his son and 3 other men 

 were spearing fish in a lake near Frank- 

 fort, Mich., one night in April last, when 

 game warden B. B. Spafford, of Cadillac, 

 raided them and ordered them to surrender. 

 McLain attacked Spafford- with a spear and 

 pinned him to the earth, when Spafford 

 drew his revolver and shot McLain dead. 

 Darkness prevented the identification of the 

 men who were with McLain, but it is safe 

 to say they will do no more spearing, for a 

 while, at least. Spafford was arrested, but 

 when the facts became known he was 

 promptly released. He should now be pro- 

 moted as a reward for his efficiency. 



Another dynamiter has got what he de- 

 serves. This time it was Edward Vande- 

 venter, of Mound City, Mo. He had been 

 dynamiting fish in Big lake, 7 miles from 

 that city, for some time past and selling 

 them in the market. March 23rd, while he 

 was handling dynamite, a cartridge ex- 

 ploded prematurely. Both his arms were 

 blown off and both eyes put out. He died 

 a few hours later. It is some satisfaction 

 to know that occasionally these infamous 

 wretches gets a dose of their own medi* 

 cine. 



Geo. Phinney, of Sutherland, Iowa, was 

 arrested by a State game warden some 

 weeks ago on the charge of violating the 

 game law, and 42 prairie chickens were 

 found in his possession. I have always 

 supposed that game law violators belonged 

 to the genus Swinus, but it seems this one 

 belongs to the Phinney tribe. Hereafter, 

 George will no doubt be glad to eat do- 

 mestic chickens, and let the wild ones 

 alone, at least in close season. 



C. G. Eberline, of Wells, Minn., was shot 

 and killed while in his boat, some weeks 

 ago, by a fish pirate who nets fish in sea- 

 son and out of season regardless of laws. 

 It seems he imagined that Mr. Eberline had 

 been instrumental in putting the officers of 

 the law on his trail, and took that method 

 of wreaking vengeance on his alleged ac- 

 cuser. Fortunately the man who did the 

 shooting was arrested and is now in jail 

 awaiting trial for murder. 



Geo. H. England, of Holyoke, Mass., 

 was arrested some weeks ago for having 

 killed 3 ruffed grouse in violation of law. 

 He was taken before Justice Strickland, 

 who fined him $20 and costs. Probably 

 England did not feel so big as his name 

 after settling with the court. 



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