396 



RECREATION. 



There had never been a conviction for 

 a violation of game laws in that county, 

 and I was told I could not secure one. 1 

 had circulated, at my own expense, a 

 pamphlet containing a synopsis of the game 

 laws, and offered a reward for informa- 

 tion which would lead to conviction. I 

 carried on • that work without the aid or 

 assistance of any other officers. I happened 

 .to be county attorney at that time and in 

 a position where I could prosecute. The 

 great problem was how to secure the evi- 

 dence. I selected 2 men, secured ample 

 evidence, and convicted them before a jury. 



The result was immediate. I had to 

 combat an oft repeated assertion that the 

 game and fish laws could not be enforced. 

 I insisted that they could be. Then I had 

 to contend with the larger element that is 

 in every community, the men who say that 

 the game and fish laws are not made to be 

 enforced. I could not hope to change sen- 

 timent by a single conviction. A number 

 of other convictions followed. In 8 years 

 I do not undertake to say how many con- 

 victions I had made, but I had completely 

 discouraged those fellows from violating 

 the game and fish laws in that county. 



Mind you, this work was undertaken 

 without any assistance ; but public sentiment 

 finally began to come my way. The farm- 

 ers noticed that it was not their boys who 

 were singled out for prosecution, but that 

 they were let alone. They began to real- 

 ize that there was just as much reason for 

 the enforcement of a game law as of any 

 other law on our statute books. The farm- 

 er's boy is not the only factor in the de- 

 struction of the game in our State. He 

 seldom hunts off his father's land. We 

 had with us after a time a strong element 

 who would rather see the game law ob- 

 served than otherwise, and this sentiment 

 has been growing until now the number of 

 convictions is decreasing each year. We 

 have only had one conviction this year in 

 our county, and on that case the sentence 

 was suspended because the man had really 

 not intended to violate the law. There 

 have been few violations of the game laws 

 in our county, and for the last 3 years it 

 has been impossible for any man to go 

 through the country in close season with 

 a gun and dog without the fact coming 

 to my attention within 24 hours. 



In the earlier stages of our work we 

 could simply get insinuations, but could 

 not get positive or direct information. In 

 those days it was difficult to trace rumors 

 and facts. To-day we find little difficulty 

 in getting the names and proof of the cir- 

 cumstances because the people realize that 

 they are on the popular side of the ques- 

 tion. 



I apprehend there are many gentlemen 

 here who realize, as I do ? that 15 years 



ago there was scarcely a newspaper in the 

 country which would stand back of a game 

 warden in his effort to enforce game laws. 



In speaking of game protection, I in- 

 clude all harmless birds. We use the words 

 game protection in the broader sense so 

 as to include all animal and bird life which 

 it is desirable to preserve. Sentiment in 

 our State was aroused by the good work 

 done by the League of American Sports- 

 men. When this good work that Mr. 

 Shields has been doing, and the League has 

 been doing for so many years, came to be 

 recognized, about 3 years ago, a friend of 

 mine, who made Recreation a part of his 

 Gospel teaching and study, came to me and 

 said Mr. Shields ought to have our help 

 in that work, and suggested that we join 

 the League. We sent in our applications, 

 and at once a number of other men wanted 

 to join. We sent for blanks and, mean- 

 time, I wrote out some on the typewriter. 

 The result was that in a short time we had 

 136 members in our State. We had the 

 ministers of the Gospel and some 56 school 

 teachers in as honorary members, and to- 

 day they are zealously working up senti- 

 ment in favor of game, song bird and fish 

 protection. I went to one of the bankers 

 in our county and he said, 



"I am not a hunter, but you are inter- 

 ested in protecting the song birds and I 

 will contribute at any time to aid in such 

 a worthy cause." 



Another man did not care anything 

 about quail, but he did enjoy fishing, and 

 was anxious and willing to do what he 

 could to secure proper observance of the 

 law, so he joined. 



There is something in this great move- 

 ment that appeals to every man, woman 

 and child who has any humanity in his 

 makeup. If you tell a man that it is the 

 duty of every citizen to secure protection 

 to the harmless birds and game, explain 

 to him the importance of the preservation 

 of this game and of the song birds, and 

 show him that their protection is essential 

 in order to make life worth living, you can 

 interest him, not only on the practical side 

 but on sentimental grounds, and he be- 

 comes a strong advocate of the cause. 



There is no reason why this great work 

 should not be' carried on until it becomes 

 practically unanimous. As our friend from 

 Massachusetts said, 'you can not judge of 

 the League work by the numerical strength 

 in a State division.' 



When a little girl goes home from 

 school where her attention has been called 

 to our work, and where her eyes have been 

 opened to the importance of protecting 

 these innocent, harmless and useful animals 

 and birds ; when she calls the attention 

 of her mother and her brother and her 

 father to it, the benefits and influence of this 



