A NATIONAL GAME PRESERVE IN ALASKA, 



189 



sources of nature, and hand over to our 

 grandchildren a world destitute of wild 

 life. The resources and the beauties of 

 nature are an entailed heritage, which it 

 would be .criminal in us to destroy. 



What is our duty in Alaska? The 

 answer is simple : the logical sequence 

 of existing facts. As if disposed by 

 Nature to make easy the task of preserva- 

 tion, a narrow strip of coastwise territory 

 in Southwestern Alaska, extending from 

 the head of Bristol bay around to Yakutat 

 bay, is to-day a natural park, stocked 

 abundantly with the grandest wild animals 

 now living in North America. This region 

 is the home of the giant moose, caribou, 

 Kadiak bear, white sheep, mountain goat, 

 glacier bear, black bear, ribbon seal, and 

 a host of smaller forms. It is inhabited by 

 a small number of Indians and Aleuts, and 

 a few white traders and hunters. Congress 

 should pass a law creating of this terri- 

 tory a national game preserve and provid- 

 ing for its effective protection and regula- 

 tion, on about the same general lines as 

 the Yellowstone Park. If it is found ad- 

 visable to permit a limited amount of hunt- 

 ing under government license, let the law 

 so provide. The interests of the natives 

 can be conserved, but no Indian that ever 

 trod moccasin or bootleather ever again 

 should be permitted to slaughter big game 

 at will. Their shameful work in Western 

 Alaska should never be repeated in the 

 South. The sale of breech loading fire- 

 arms to natives in that territory should 

 be stopped immediately before it is too 

 late. 



The interior boundary of the game pre- 

 serve which I believe should be created, 

 should, for reasons too numerous to state 

 here, be^as follows : 



Begin at Nushagak, extend along the 

 Nushagak river to its confluence with the 

 Malchatna; thence along that stream to 



where it crosses the 155th meridian of 

 West longitude ; thence in a direct line to 

 latitude 62 degrees, and longitude 152 de- 

 grees, which point is North of Tyonek, and 

 distant therefrom 80 miles ; thence East- 

 ward along the 62d parallel of latitude, to 

 where that parallel crosses the Copper 

 river ; thence to the summit of Mt. St. 

 Elias, and the head of the Northeasterly 

 arm of Yakutat bay. This reservation in- 

 cludes the whole of the Alaska and Kenai 

 peninsulas, Kadiak island and Afognak 

 island, but no other islands. 



There are many reasons why the bound- 

 ary and the areas included in the preserve 

 should be as above, and neither more 

 nor less. It is not claimed, however, 

 that the remainder of Alaska should be 

 left without game laws. Far from it ! 

 But that is another matter. This area is 

 clear cut, easily protected, and as yet well 

 stocked with wild life. It contains all 

 large species found in Alaska except the 

 polar bear. In the preservation of a grand 

 series of North American types, this is the 

 line of least resistance, and the shortest and 

 surest road to a result. It can be made 

 to serve as a great reservoir for animal 

 life, like the Yellowstone Park, forever 

 overflowing and stocking the regions 

 around it. 



A bill providing for a national game pre- 

 serve in Alaska, has been introduced in 

 Congress. This bill provides for reserving 

 the Kenai peninsula, and such other terri- 

 tory as the President *may reserve by procla- 

 mation. If it receives sufficient indorsement 

 from game preservers, it can be passed at 

 this session. All persons who are willing to 

 aid in securing its passage can do so by writ- 

 ing to their congressional representative in 

 behalf of the "Alaska Game Preserve bill," 

 and they are requested also to communicate 

 with me at the New York Zoological Park, 

 stating their views on this subject. 



There is a man at the Pan who advertises 

 artificial legs by walking about on a pair 

 exposed to view from the knee down. The 

 other day a curious and sympathetic old 

 lady investigated this phenomenon. 



"Did you cut off your legs so as to ex- 

 hibit them things ?" she asked. 



The poor fellow assured her that his job 

 wasn't worth so much to him as his own 

 legs would be. Then, after further critical 

 examination, she said, 



"Wa'al, I s'pose the feet are natural. 

 They look so."— Buffalo Commercial. 



