THE WAY OF THE WARDEN 351 
sportsman who is not a game hog—fifteen 
birds each day and twenty-five fish, and no 
one can have in possession at any time in 
excess of fifty ducks, geese, brant, or any or 
all of the same combined, or forty-five of the 
upland birds, such as prairie chicken, quail, 
etc. Now, you will see by the laws we have 
that we are on the right track. 
We have in addition to this made a good 
start toward the game wardens system, that 
is, I mean salaried wardens; any other kind 
is a snare and a delusion. We aim to teach the 
wardens that they must enforce the law re- 
gardless of who the party is that violates 
it; whether it be the governor of the State or 
the humblest citizen, all must be treated alike, 
and that is the only way to enforce it. 
We have been trying to divorce politics 
entirely from the work, because, in my esti- 
mation, the moment politics steps in efficiency 
steps out and stays out. I claim that Minne- 
sota’s game and fish are one of the biggest 
assets that the people have to-day. Of course, 
we cannot begin to get every one to believe 
that, but we have ten thousand lakes in our 
State nearly all filled with the choicest fish. 
We have moose and deer in abundance and 
they can never be exterminated with proper 
protection. 
It has been an easy matter always in Minne- 
sota in regard to our fish. We can propagate 
them in our hatchery and keep up the supply, 
but the feathered game question was different. 
I am glad to say, however, that I believe we 
have solved the problem in regard to the 
ring-neck pheasants. We are raising them, 
and while the matter is only.in its infancy, 
I believe they are the coming bird for our 
State. Quail we have in abundance, except in 
some localities where they were drowned out 
last year by wet weather, but we have supplied 
those localities with quail from the South, and 
this year promises to be an exceptionally good 
year for all kind of game in our State. The 
prairie ehickens, of course, as civilization 
- advances, we expect to disappear, but we have 
splendid shooting in our State at present and 
hope to have for years to come, although noth- 
ing like what it was in the old days. 
And as to artificial propagation of fish 
and game for the market, read this from 
Game Warden H. Rief, of Seattle, Wash.: 
Yours of the 7th inst. at hand in reference 
to the marking of trout from private hatch- 
eries. We have decided on a tag something 
after the order of a paper fastener, which is 
to be punched through the fish’s tail when 
it is placed on the market. This tag bears an 
inscription which is registered and can be 
used by no other concern. It stays on the tail 
of the fish until after it is cooked. . 
I quite agree with you that the commercial 
trout industry is far reaching, as this way of 
propagating and raising practically puts a stop 
to the poacher, and we find the sportsmen 
of thisStatemuch in favor of private hatcheries. 
I trust that some day the game situation will 
be treated throughout this way. If Chinese 
pheasants can be raised like chickens, why not 
place them on the market, if they are generally 
tagged so that they can be identified by the 
officials when they are in the ice box or the 
frying pan, as the case may be. A great deal has 
come forth in reference to the propagating 
of Chinese pheasants in captivity. At least 
one concern has purchased some 5,000 acres 
of logged off land for the purpose of raising 
game birds. This has been brought to my 
attention by several of the promoters, who 
brought forth the argument that it will have a 
tendency to stop the marketing of wild game 
and put the poachers out of business, as they 
claim that no restaurant or hotel man will take 
the chances of handling illegal game. 
While we have the greatest game State in 
the Union, our game has been sadly neglected, 
and up to six years ago it was almost a crime 
for a man to speak of game protection, at 
least that was the sentiment, but to-day the 
conditions have changed. Since my first tak- 
ing office as game warden six years ago, I have 
secured something like 600 convictions in 
Kings County alone, as well as a great many 
others in outside counties. 
The Hunter’s License Act at first seemed 
to meet with disapproval, but to-day it is 
fairly well supported. 
Let the people of Vermont, and of every 
other State or Territory in the Union, take 
a saner interest in the work of the game 
warden. Let them not lose sight of the 
fact that the game and fish of the common- 
wealth constitute one of its most important 
assets, and as such they must be properly 
conserved. And to the end that the work 
shall be well administered, let them follow 
the plan of Mr. Thomas and Mr. Fullerton, 
of divorcing politics from game and fish 
protection. Let the way of the game 
warden be made not so hard for him; 
rather let him be encouraged and aided to 
do his work fearlessly and ‘‘with malice 
toward none.” His is not a pleasant nor 
an easy vocation at best, though an honest 
and useful one; let not the honor he de- 
serves be withheld. 
