312 



RECREA TION. 



been done during the past year. Mr. Rice 

 has worked like a Trojan and his work has 

 borne much good fruit. 



One of the first and by far the greatest 

 achievements of the League was in secur- 

 ing the repeal of the infamous Section 249, 

 of the Game Laws of New York. Under 

 this law, which I am ashamed to confess 

 was on our statute books for 3 years, game 

 dealers were allowed to sell game all 

 through the year, if they could show that 

 it came from some other State. 



This acted as a serious drain on the 

 game fields of Wisconsin, Michigan and 

 Minnesota especially. Furthermore, un- 

 der its provisions game was constantly 

 being killed in our own State, shipped into 

 the city and sold by unscrupulous dealers, 

 under the pretext that it came from some 

 other city. Under this law a dealer could 

 get a box of ruffed grouse from New 

 Hampshire, for instance, and, under cover 

 of the express receipt for that shipment, 

 could sell 1. 000 grouse that were killed, or 

 even snared, in this State, in violation of 

 law. He could get a carcass of venison, 

 say from Michigan, and under cover of the 

 express receipt thus obtained, he could sell 

 100 carcasses of venison illegally killed in 

 the Adirondacks and smuggled into New 

 York, marked " veal," " mutton," etc. 



Various local gun clubs and game pro- 

 tective associations in this State had re- 

 peatedly, during the 3 years referred to, 

 petitioned the Legislature for the repeal of 

 this Section 249, but had failed to secure 

 it. Before the L. A. S. was 3 months old 

 it sent a delegation to Albany, which fought 

 the game dealers, the hotel men and the 

 express companies to a finish; secured the 

 repeal of Section 249, and induced the Gov- 

 ernor to sign the bill. This one achieve- 

 ment of the League entitles it to the 

 active support and co-operation of every 

 sportsman in the United States and Can- 

 ada, and especially of all in the Western 

 States. 



When the open season for killing deer in 

 this State closed, in November last, I is- 

 sued a circular letter to game dealers, cold 

 storage houses, hotel and restaurant men, 

 calling their attention to this fact and ad- 

 vising them that the League would take 

 measures at once to find out whether these 

 people were observing the law. I person- 

 ally made a tour of the uptown hotels and 

 cafes, ordering in each place a venison 

 steak. I failed to find it except in one in- 

 stance. This was at Delmonico's, 5th Ave- 

 nue and 26th Street. There I secured a veni- 

 son steak, ate a part of it, and brought the 

 rest away with me. Then I wrote Mr. Del- 

 monico, stating the facts, and assuring him 

 that, if he would agree in writing not to 

 again allow game to be served on his tables, 

 in close season, no action would be taken; 

 but warning him that unless he did so 

 promise the League would proceed against 



him. He promptly replied, through his at- 

 torney, as follows: 



Dear Sir: Replying to your letter dated 

 15th inst., to our Mr. C. C. Delmonico, 

 would say: We do not intend to act con- 

 trary to the law, and will see that no repe- 

 tition of the occurrence you refer to takes 

 place in the future. Yours respectfully, 



Delmonico's, 

 J. C. Hull, Atty. 



A few days later Mr. Hull called 011 

 me and assured me that the serving of ven- 

 ison at this house was unintentional and in 

 a measure accidental; that it was due to 

 the fact that the chef at that house is a 

 Frenchman who cannot read English and 

 who is not familiar with our laws. The 

 manager had neglected to instruct him 

 when to take venison off the menu card. 

 Mr. Hull further assured me that if I had 

 gone to either of Delmonico's other houses, 

 at any time after the close of the legal sea- 

 son for selling venison, I could not have 

 obtained it at^any price. He said Mr. Del- 

 monico had only the highest respect for 

 the game laws of the State and that he in- 

 tended to observe them at all times. 



When the legal season for selling grouse, 

 quail and woodcock closed, I made an- 

 other tour of these uptown hotels and 

 restaurants, endeavoring to buy birds of 

 either species. I was unable to do so until 

 I reached the Hotel Fleuret, 5th Avenue 

 and 19th Street. There I succeeded in buy- 

 ing a quail. I ate a portion of it and 

 brought the rest away with me. 



Then I wrote the manager, as I had 

 written Delmonico. The next day I re- 

 ceived a reply from him as follows: 



I have been supplied with certain game 

 birds of late, such as quails, partridges, 

 snipe and woodcock, by dealers who as- 

 sured me such birds were imported; but I 

 have no intention of violating any game 

 law, and I promise you that hereafter no 

 such game shall be served in my house dur- 

 ing the closed season. 



Yours respectfully, 



Leon Fleuret. 



Thus 2 of the most prominent caterers 

 in this city have come into line and I hope 

 to induce all the other hotels and restau- 

 rants to do so in time. It is now in order 

 for the friends of game protection in this 

 city to give these houses their trade in pref- 

 erence to others who are known to be evad- 

 ing or violating the game laws. 



On January 30th I dined at the Holland 

 House, 5th Avenue and 28th Street, and 

 was surprised to find venison announced 

 on the menu card. It was, however, stated 

 thereon that this was imported venison. I 

 ordered a steak, got it, ate a portion of it 

 and brought the rest away with me. Then 



