ai -:------ "■ 



You Owe it to Your Children 



and your grandchildren and your interest in 

 the history of this country to act immedi- 

 ately upon this suggestion and not only write 

 the letters yourselves but, whenever it is pos- 

 sible, personally see your representatives and 

 urge this measure upon their attention. 



We have assurances from the members of 

 Congress that if the public really wants the 

 buffalo preserved by the government that 

 there will not be the slightest difficulty in 

 having the bill passed. 



We are constantly getting letters from peo- 

 ple all over the country, giving us sugges- 

 tions as to 



How to run this Magazine 



and we are not ignoring these correspond- 

 ents' ideas, and if any of them find that some 

 pet plan of their own is not being adopted by 

 Recreation, it is because there are more let- 

 ters from other people who did not want the 

 changes made which this correspondent had 

 asked for in his letter. 



It is our earnest aim to make this maga- 

 zine the most popular, readable and indis- 

 pensable publication for out-door people 

 printed in America, and we are going to do it. 



We take this opportunity of thanking those 

 whose interest has impelled them to write 

 to us, and to give us the advantage of their 

 experience and thought upon this matter. 

 Keep in mind that this is not a magazine for 

 the sole benefit of the parties who are print- 

 ing it, but a magazine for the people, by the 

 people and of the people, and one where 

 every honest subscriber will be heard and 

 receive attention. 



Hands Around the Fire. 



There is yet another way in which the 

 readers of the magazine can make it more 

 valuable, and greatly assist Mr. Beard in his 

 pleasant task of editing it. 



You, who live next to the great heart of 

 Nature, perhaps little realize how refreshing 

 is a whiff from forest or plain, to the man 

 whose spirit is with you, though his body is 

 chained to a desk. Since he cannot enjoy the 

 freedom of your life, the best he may hope 

 for is that you shall tell him of your sports 

 and pleasures. When he ensconces himself 

 in an easy chair, either on the piazza or in 

 his den, it is not fine writing, nor Addison- 

 ian English that he is hungering for, but a 

 plain, straightforward yarn, from the man 

 who is doing the things he would give his 

 eyes to be doing, and living the life that he 

 himself hopes to lead again, even though 

 but for brief periods and at long intervals. 



Send in the stories of your hunts and your 

 fishing trips to Recreation. Let's make it a 

 diary of the doings of the members of our 

 big family — a family of sportsmen and open- 

 air men and women. Of course, the better 

 written the stories, the better we like them 



—as a working day, even in New York City, 

 is but twelve hours long — but sometimes the 

 man who has most to say that is worth read- 

 ing is not much of a fist at writing; and in 

 such cases we are only too glad to have an 

 opportunity of putting on the polishing 

 touches. 



Just note what Colonel David Crockett 

 said in the Introduction to the little narra- 

 tive of his life, published in 1834: 



"On the subject of my style, it is bad 

 enough, in all conscience, to please critics, if 

 that is what they are after. . . . But I do 

 not know of anything in my book to be crit- 

 icised on by honorable men. Is it my spell- 

 ing? — that's not my trade. Is it my gram- 

 mar? I hadn't time to learn it, and make no 

 pretensions to it. Is it on the order and ar- 

 rangement of my book? — / never wrote one 

 before, and never read very many; and, of 

 course, know mighty little about them. Will 

 it be on the authorship of the book? — This, I 

 claim, and I'll hang on to it like a wax plas- 

 ter." 



Send in your stories and if your outfit in- 

 cludes a camera, don't forget to send in all 

 the good snap shots you can. and, see that 

 they are printed on glossy paper. 



The Editor intends this magazine to be 

 redolent of The Outdoors, and the only way 

 to make it so, is to fill it brimful of hearty, 

 truthful papers from the pens of men who 

 have heard the call of the Red Gods and 

 obeyed it. 



The Scotch proverb says, "A stout heart 

 to a stiff brae," and perhaps there is nothing 

 that assists more materially in giving this 

 stout heart than a few cordial words of en- 

 couragement. We have no wish to throw 

 bouquets at ourselves, yet, we must confess 

 that letters such as the following are very 

 much appreciated. c 



My dear Mr. Beard: 



I write to congratulate Recreation. I 

 think it might not be inappropriate to say 

 'The New Recreation,' as the late issues 

 would warrant such an appellation. 



There are many capable editors of many 

 creditable magazines in America and else- 

 where, but if I were asked to name, to th& 

 best of my knowledge, the man most adapted 

 by character, sentiment, habits and educa- 

 tion, to conduct editorially a high-grade mag- 

 azine for sportsmen and devotees to nature, 

 I would name "Dan Beard." 



You have long understood and loved ani- 

 mals, and, I believe, best of all, you have un- 

 derstood that branch of the animal kingdom 

 classified as the ie genus homo." You have 

 realized our kinship to the lower forms and 

 have stood as courageously for their protec- 

 tion and welfare as you have for the welfare 

 of man, and have given voice to your con- 

 victions. All who know you will be glad you 

 have acquired another medium of expression, 

 through which you may reach the public ear. 



