3 o8 



RECREATION. 



are being destroyed at an alarming rate 

 by paper makers, and 



Whereas, no good substitute for wood 

 pulp has yet been found for the making of 

 what are known as book and news papers, 

 therefore, 



Resolved, by the League of American 

 Sportsmen, in annual meeting assembled, 

 that we deem it the duty of the Con- 

 gress of the United States to offer a re- 

 ward of at least $200,000 to any person 

 who may discover a good and practical 

 method of making book and news paper 

 from cornstalks, wheat straw, or any other 

 annual vegetable product that can be suc- 

 cessfully grown by farmers. 



This was offered by Mr. F. S. Gleason: 



Whereas, the Commercial Club of the 

 City of Indianapolis has placed at the dis- 

 posal of the League of American Sports- 

 men its assembly rooms for the purpose of 

 holding the annual meeting of said 

 League; therefore, 



Resolved, by the League of American 

 Sportsmen, that its thanks be and are 

 hereby tendered the Commercial Club for 

 the courtesy thus shown, and the Hon. 

 Frank L. Littleton is hereby instructed to 

 convey to the said Commercial Club a copy 

 of this resolution. 



Mr. H. A. Morgan offered the following 

 by request of Mr. W. B. Mershon, of Sagi- 

 naw, Mich., who was unable to attend the 

 convention : 



Whereas, the grayling, one of the gam- 

 iest, most interesting and beautiful fishes 

 in the world, once abundant in many 

 streams in Michigan, is now well nigh ex- 

 tinct; and 



Whereas, enough of these fish still re- 

 main in the Manistee river to again stock 

 that and other streams to repletion, if af- 

 forded proper protection, therefore, 



Resolved, by the League of American 

 Sportsmen, in annual meeting assembled, 

 that we deem it expedient to stop all fish- 

 ing in the Manistee river for a term of 

 years, and that we humbly petition the 

 Governor and the Legislature of the State 

 of Michigan to enact a law at the next ses- 

 sion of the said Legistalure, prohibiting 

 any and all fishing in said Manistee river 

 prior to June 1st, 1907. 



The following message was sent by wire 

 to President Roosevelt at Groton, Mass.: 



Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. nth, 1902. 

 Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President U. S., 

 Groton, Mass. 

 The League of American Sportsmen, in 

 annual meeting assembled, extends its 

 hearty sympathy to you, an honored 

 fellow member, in your present grief, and 

 earnestly hopes your,- son may soon re- 

 cover, 



To which this answer came promptly: 



Groton, Mass., Feb. n, '02. 

 G. 0. Shields, President 



League of American Sportsmen, 

 Indianapolis, Ind. 

 The very kind message of the League of 

 American Sportsmen is warmly appreci- 

 ated by the President. Young Roose- 

 velt's condition tonight is considerably 

 more favorable than at this hour yesterday. 

 Geo. B. Cortelyou, Sec. 



FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 

 PRESIDENT. 



OF THE 



A vast amount of good work has been 

 done by the League during the past year, 

 as will be shown by the reports of the chief 

 wardens made at the annual meeting, 

 which will be printed in the official organ 

 during the spring and summer. 



Among the most important achieve- 

 ments of the year has been the securing of 

 the passage of bills in New Mexico, Arizona, 

 North and South Dakota, Montana, Ne- 

 vada and Idaho, prohibiting the killing of 

 antelope at any time for periods of 5 to 10 

 years. Unfortunately, the Governor of 

 Idaho vetoed our bill, but the Governors 

 of the other 7 States approved them. The 

 antelope is one of the most distinctively 

 American, and one of the most interesting 

 and beautiful of all our wild animals; and 

 the fact that we have stopped the killing 

 of these interesting creatures in 7 States 

 where a few of them still remain, would be 

 glory enough for one year even if we had 

 done nothing else. But this is only one of 

 the great things we have accomplished. 

 We have secured the passage of laws in a 

 dozen different States prohibiting the sale 

 of all kinds of game at all times of the year. 

 We have secured the passage of laws in a 

 number of States prohibiting the exporting 

 of game of all kinds. This would be glory 

 enough if we had done nothing else. But 

 we have done a great deal more. 



League officers and members have 

 caused the arrest of 667 men for violations 

 of the game and fish laws, and the convic- 

 tion of 582. All those convicted have 

 either paid fines or gone to jail to serve 

 them out. In many cases guns, ammuni- 

 tion and camp outfits, found in possession 

 of lawbreakers, have been confiscated and 

 sold, and the proceeds applied to State 

 funds for the enforcement of game and 

 fish laws. 



Within the past year the League has 

 paid 16 rewards of $10 each for convictions 

 secured by its members. The members 

 who secured the other convictions have not 

 claimed rewards. We have distributed 

 at least 2 tons of printed matter prepared 

 in the interest of game, fish and forestry 

 protection. We have sent out 5,000 cloth 

 posters, offering rewards of $10 each for 



