THE WAY OF THE WARDEN 
back to the people of Vermont—helping 
them in spite of themselves—one of the 
chief resources of their State, the game and 
fish. 
Some of the experiences of different 
county wardens under Mr. Thomas would 
also make interesting reading. For al- 
though the State votes for game and fish 
protection, there are 
abundant persons 
who openly oppose 
the game wardens 
who are employed to 
enforce the law— 
they are anxious that 
there should be a law 
to stop the other fel- 
low from shooting or 
fishing: to excess, but 
hate the warden most 
fervently if he is 
watchful of them. I 
might tell of the ex- 
tremely difficult work 
these county wardens 
accomplish—for $2 
per day, while they 
work; might cite in- 
stances of their most ~ 
bitter opposition by 
reputed “sports- 
men”; I might tell 
how Justice has been 
tricked time without 
end, how State’s at- 
torneys have deliber- 
ately and flagrantly 
denied the game warden and ‘‘sold him 
out”? after he had worked for months, 
much of the time without pay, to collect 
sufficient evidence to insure a conviction; 
I might tell how the newspapers often, in 
direct opposition to the best interests of the 
people of the State, have denounced. the 
wardens and their work; how these faithful 
workers have been boycotted and dis- 
credited, and still manfully kept on. But 
it would avail them nothing. ‘To tell how 
various offenders wiggled out of the clutches 
of the law would but open up the way for 
others. And anyway, like their Commis- 
sioner, the wardens don’t court the lime- 
light. 
But I have lived with the Vermont game 

HENRY G. THOMAS 
345 
wardens, have slept in their houses and 
tramped the mountains with them, and I 
know them worthy. And what is more, I 
know the true spirit of camaraderie that 
holds them loyal to each other, the spirit 
that has made one warden offer to contrib- 
ute his share to help pay the fine of a 
brother warden who had -been convicted, . 
on a technicality, of 
an infraction of the 
law, In an endeavor 
to get him out of 
office. The illustra- 
tions which accom- 
pany this article are 
published, not to add 
to the notoriety of the 
men pictured, but to 
show the type that 
makes good wardens; 
I am unable to show 
j pictures of three 
others that I should 
like to; these are B. 
M. Newton, of Wind- 
sopoCountyuC. S. 
Parker,. of Orleans 
County: and’ “N.«P. 
Leach, of Franklin 
County. 
Following are ex- 
tracts from letters 
received from these 
eight wardens: 
Yours of the 7th 
inst. at hand. Apropos 
of what we were dis- 
cussing, I enclose you an editorial clipping 
from the local press. Now, what chance 
has a warden to enforce the laws when the 
local press is thus working up sentiment 
against their enforcement? More violations 
are committed on Sunday than all the 
other six days of the week together, and yet 
how could an honest warden go out Sunday 
and arrest an Italian for shooting robins; 
at the same time passing over several cases 
of men hunting and shooting legitimate game 
on Sunday? Again, if we don’t go after them 
on Sunday the law affords no protection. It 
is either Sunday and protection, or no enforce- 
ment of any of the laws with me. But, well 
you know, enforcing the Sunday law against 
public sentiment breeds contempt for all the 
game laws, and the man who dares to attempt 
it is looked upon more in the light of a public 
Vermont’s Commissioner of Tisheries and Game; the father, 
and a lonely apostle, of real fish and game 
protection in the State 
