106 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



tJ'EB. 26, 1891. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, Feb. 18.— Mr. Henry J. Thayer, of the com- 

 mittee on acclimatization of the Massachusetts Fish 

 and Game Protective Association, being anxious to 

 seciu-e some wild turkeys for Massachusetts, was anxious 

 to learn the whereabouts of Eev, Geo. E. Gordon, late 

 co-owner of the Koshkonong herd of wild turkeys. Mr. 

 Gordon could not be reached at Fort Atkinson, Wis , his 

 late address, nor could Mr. W. Y. Wentworth, ^tate 

 game warden, who lives at Fort Atkinson , tell where Mr. 

 Gordon now is. Mr. Wentworth in his letter, however, 

 states that Messrs, Peck Bros., of Chicago, owners of 

 Koshkonong Place, own also the herd of turkeys. These 

 gentlemen would hardly care to sell any of the birds for 

 profit, but might do so in a movement like this, as they 

 are public-minded men and sportsmen. 



Mr, Wentworth says that Blackhawk ckib house has 

 had some improvements of late. He adds that the Wis- 

 consin Leglislature will perhaps abolish the law prohibit- 

 ing spring shooting. This is very largely the fault of 

 Illinois and more especially of Chicago, and it is too bad. 

 Mr. TJ. G, Huff, of Detroit, writes under date of Feb, 16: 

 "I have been on a skating trip around Lake St. Clair. 

 Saw thousands of ducks and heard the big guns talking 

 to them. The French fishermen were fishing through 

 the 'haice' with seines. It is a shame the way they do 

 on the Flats. I believe boating and yachting will have a 

 boom on the Flats this spring. We are trying to have a 

 post-office established there, I carried a Kodak on my 

 skating trip and hope to have some interesting prints," 



A cliaractei'istically jDleasant and quiet little house 

 party was given by English Lake Club last Saturday and 

 a number went down to take part in the festivities. Mr, 

 Abner Price, who largely projected and pushed the en- 

 tertainment, is to be congratulated on its success. Cum- 

 berland Club also is about to have a winter meeting, and 

 has issued the following manifesto: 



Chicago, Feb. 16.— The Board of Managers have decided to give 

 an entertainment at the club house, on Feb. 31 and 32, for the 

 benefit of the new superintendent. Live bird and inanimate tar- 

 get shootine' (sweepstakes) will be the order of the day. You are 

 cordially requested to lend your presence and bring your friends, 

 as it is desired to make this meeting a substantial one. Respect- 

 fully, H. Vy. Loved ay, I. B. Sanborn, L. Hansen, Board of Mana- 

 gers. W. L. Shepard, Secretary. 



Grand Calumet Heights Club is still in trouble about 

 its site, its grounds being claimed by a land company 

 operating south of Chicago. The following call is issued : 



Chicago, Feb. 16.— En accordance with the constitution and by- 

 laws of cluD, I am requested by the undersigned members to call 

 a special meeting of rhe club on Monday, Feb. 33, at 8 o'clock P. 

 M., at Grand Pacific Hotel, for the purpose of taking definite 

 action as to thfi acceptance or rejection of the proposition as sug- 

 gested in circular report of committee, dated .Jan. 31, 1801; also To 

 accept any resignations that may be offered, and to take definite 

 action on any and all businers that may come before the meet- 

 ing. (Signe'i) Alex. C. Young, Wm. Penny, S. E. Young, G. H. 

 Carlson, John Critobell, James Pittaway, Wm. L, Pierce, G. W. 

 Lauierback, .lohn Wain, F. R. Bissell. The presence of every 

 member is requested. — Geo. E. Marshall, Secretary. 



Feb. £0.—The legislative committee of the Illinois State 

 Sportsmen's Association met yesterday afternoon at the 

 Offices of chairman Wolfred N. Low, Chamber of Com- 

 merce Building, to talk over matters pertaining to the 

 proposed work at Springfield. There were present 

 Messrs. Low, Organ, Nicholls and Pierce of the associa- 

 tion. Dr. Ba,rtlett of the Fish Commission, Messrs. Baird 

 and Bortree for Fox Elver, Messrs. Bond and Barney for 

 South Water street game market. Discussion really 

 hinged on two points, that of putting game jjrotection in 

 the hands of the Fish Commission, and that of effecting 

 an alliance with the game dealers of Chicago. 



Col. Bond, the game dealer, moved a formal resolution 

 which should bind the committee to favor such change 

 in the present law as would make the fish wardens "fish 

 and game wardens," the Fish Commission to have control; 

 these wardens to have power to search and seize on sight 

 without warrant (as the fish, wardens now have); the law 

 on prairie chickens to be changed from Sept. 1.5 to Sept. 

 1; English sparrows to be exempt from the present pro- 

 tection, 



Mr. Pierce said it was very possible Dr. Bartlett might 

 not wish to take up this joint work. Dr. Bartlett had a 

 national and more than national reputation as a Fish 

 Commissioner. He might not like to be asked to share 

 that reputation in new and different work. 



Dr. Bartlett spoke at some length, and with a display 

 of tact and wisdom that certainly did him credit. He 

 was in a trying position and knew it, yet he fairly con- 

 cealed this fact from those present, and eventually evaded 

 a responsibility which the State Sportsmen's Association 

 should never have sought to put uj)on him. 



"It isn't a t[uestion of more money for more work," 

 said Dr. Bartlett. "It isn't a question of salary. I don't 

 believe in salaries for this work, for that brings in the 

 poUtical place-seeking again. I haven't done any work 

 for the money there was in it, I assure you. I have for 

 years stood all kinds of abuse. Not a week goes by but 

 my wife is disturbed by letters threatening me. I have 

 been the best cursed man in Illinois, and that on both 

 sides. Now, gentlemen, I am getting to a time of Ufe 

 when, if you please, I do not want any superfluous and 

 additional damning for what I do or don't do. I feel that 

 I should not like to shoulder the responsibility of i^rotect- 

 ing game also. 1 could not do it perfectly, and I do not 

 want the blame of doing it imperfectly. If we had a 

 regular appropriation for that purpose it would be a little 

 different, but our fish appropriation is only $3,000 as it is. 

 Understand me, I am in perfect sympathy with your 

 work. If you want to use our wardens as wardens for 

 game also, I am perfectly willing, and I hope you will 

 get your law passed which will give them, as game 

 wardens, the police powers they have as fish wardens. 

 But about the control of those wardens, and the responsi- 

 bilities for their failures — please don't ask me to take 

 that up. You would far better have a head of your own 

 to do that. Suppose you let the Fish Commission ap- 

 point such a head, and let him take charge of the 

 wardens' game work. We could do that, and still relieve 

 the Fish Commission from the inevitable kicks and 

 curses." 



Mr. Nicholls then spoke in a way for which he should 

 be complimented highly, for he showed consideration as 

 well as discretion, neither of which qualities has been 

 abundant in this unwise effort to cinch the Fish Commis- 

 sion in to do the State Sportsmen's Association's work 

 which it itself has never done. Mr. Nicholls said, '-We 

 would not wish to raise a finger to force you into this 

 joint work. Dr. Bartlett. Your free assent would be the 

 only thing we cared for, and if jou do not go in for it in 



that way, we would not want ycJti toiatee iip the work at 

 all." 



Dr. Bartlett— "You all know I am in sympathy with 

 game protection also, but my work has been all fish. 

 Now, up to within two years ago I could do nothing even 

 at that. I owe much of my success to the noble and un- 

 selfish practical assistance of the Fox Eiver Fish Associa- 

 tion. Those men have helped me actually and practically. 

 They have given me time and money. Now we have got 

 results to show. If you ever get results to show in game 

 work, it will have to be thorough just such local help. 

 You will have to put your shoulders to the wheel, even if 

 you get a little muddy." 



Mr, Nicholls said the idea was not to weaken the Com- 

 mission, but to strengthen it; unless that, then nothing. 

 He thought we could have unjiaid game wardens. 



Col. Bond said South Water street would raise money 

 enough to pay its own wardens. Mr. Low said he thought 

 South Water street ought to do that, and not brag about 

 it either. The dealers sold game and took money in for 

 it. It was ju'=it the other way with the sportsmen. It 

 cost them |5 for every bird they killed, Mr. Low favored 

 the joint work of fish and game protection for com- 

 promise reasons mainly. There was far better chance 

 for an appropriation so. Mr, Low spoke with his usual 

 moderation and good judgment. He said he was not in 

 favor of too broad a resolution or too radical an attempt 

 at change. He thought that on compromise meaem-es 

 purely, and for the sake of the lower part of the State, 

 where the chicken season by climate was earlier, the 

 grouse season might go to Sept. 1 instead of Sept. 15. He 

 would like to see quail open Oct, 15 instead of Oct. 1, 

 Col. Bond agreed that even Nov. 1 would be better on 

 quail, and said that he would agxee to Nov. 1, only he 

 didn't think it wise to tinker too much with the present 

 law. 



The formal resolution was now put, the points as 

 amended making the Fish Commission not responsible for 

 game protection, but only for the appointment of a head 

 game warden, the local wardens having police powers 

 both in fish and game. The grouse season to be Sept. 1. 

 This resolution was carried, but on motion of Mr. Bortree 

 was reconsidered and again opejied up to discussion of 

 the chicken date. Mr. Bortree then moved to retain the 

 date of Sept. 15 in the resolution. There was very long 

 talk over this, and Mr. Bortree and Mr. Baird made very 

 able speeches in support of Sept. 15. They were for the 

 bird and not for the man. It was agreed by all present 

 that Sept. 15 would save more of the birds, but some 

 thought the best interests of game legislation required a 

 compromise, and so sorrowfully clung to Sept. 1. When 

 the matter came to vote it was a tie between Sept. 1 and 

 Sept. 15. Mr. Low, as chairman, cast the deciding vote 

 for Sept. 1, saying as he did so that it was purely for com- 

 promise reasons and he was aori-y it was so. 



During the discussion the two righteous gentlemen from 

 South Water street didn't exactly get up and rear and 

 pitch in their struggle to have the date kept at Sept. 15. 

 Col. Bond reiterated his old foolishness that no illegal Illi- 

 nois chickens had come into the market this past season. 

 Mr. Organ said, with faint sarcasm, that he was aware 

 that no such thing as an Illinois chicken had been seen on 

 the street since the law was passed making it illegal to 

 sell Illinois chickens at all. Mj-. Barnett, the other Daniel 

 from South Water, also had seen no Illinois chickens. 

 Now, these two South Water street dealers make a plain 

 citizen tired. They are either ignorant or uncandid, of 

 course the former. That being so, they are certainly not 

 hustlers at their pretty trade. If they want chapter and 

 page about some prairie chickens that were shipped last 

 f aU from along the J. & S. E. road in Illinois, before Sept. 

 15 and before Sept. 1, I think it no rash promise to say 

 I can get them, and plenty more for them. 



And now came the grand issue. Now came the time 

 when something could really be done to save our game. 

 Now came the chance to begin a work, to take the first 

 step toward a purpose whose influence would in time 

 have spread to other cities, and the chance for Col. Bond 

 and his ally, Mr. Barnett, to put themselves on record as 

 men and not as game dealers, to make for themselves a 

 reputation which in a week would ring from one side of 

 this country to the other, and start men in Boston and 

 New York markets thinking who had never before looked 

 above a page of mallard shipments. In short, the time 

 was come to test the sincerity of the game dealers of 

 Chicago in their professions of a desire to unite with the 

 sportsmen in the effort to preserve the game of this 

 country, now almost faded away, and that chiefly 

 through the agency of these same dealers. We may as 

 well make it brief. The dealers stuck to their colors. 

 They showed themselves first game dealers, and after 

 that dealers in game. God bless them and bring them 

 plenty of these pennies that they love, these noble, sym- 

 pathetic, unselfish and self-denying gentlemen of South 

 Water street! 



Mr. Low put the ball in motion by a suggestion for a 

 motion. Mr. Baird moved that the season for legal sale 

 of game be shortened from Feb. 1 to Jan. 1, thus cutting 

 off only twenty days from the selling season, ten days of 

 grace to be alloAved to get rid of game on hand at close of 

 season. Col. Bond was on his feet at once, 



"You wouldn't save a bird by doing that," he said. 

 "Boston markets would get the game we didn't get. We 

 cannot support a measure which leaves us at the mercy 

 of the big open markets east of us," 



It was urged that the Iowa and other seasons closed 

 Jan, 1, and it was shown that the trapping of chickens, 

 whereby most of them are killed, takes place in the cold 

 and snowbound month of January, when the birds are 

 driven to the corn. It was pointed out that Chicago, 

 always in the lead in commercial activity, ought to be in 

 the lead in pure progress ol humanity, and ought to set 

 the example of shortening the continuous temptations of 

 the oi)en selling season. It was pointed out to them 

 that the Missouri associations would at once go to 

 work to make the St. Louis market date close 

 Jan. 1, and it was half promised that the Massa- 

 chusetts Fish and Game Association, on the strong 

 appeal of Illinois, would at least set to work and agitate 

 the matter for a date of Jan. 1 in Boston. It was insisted 

 that a stand ought to be made, a first step taken, and that 

 now was the time. I wish I could have space to give the 

 speeches some of these men made. They were eloquent, 

 temperate, full of argument unanswerable, full of en- 

 treaty and almost of beseeching. It was urged again and 

 again that this was no selfish movement for the benefit of 

 a few sportsmen, but a measure for the benefit of the 



people, moreover, for the sake of the game itself, and bo 

 a ma.tter of common right and justice. It was shown that 

 if this infamous Chicago market was kept open all the 

 winter, the State of Wisconsin would repeal her present 

 lavvs, now found broken all the time through fault of 

 Chicago, and throw the bars wide open for the destruction 

 of game. Arguments of conclusive validity, eloquence of 

 no mean sort, pleading of men who could not so plead if 

 they were selfish— all was in vain. Col. E, Bond and 

 George Washington Barnett were not to be moved, and 

 they stuck to Feb. 1, and the pennies. The resolution, of 

 course, was passed. Col. Bond withheld his vote, Mr, 

 Barnett voted against it. But it means that South 

 Water street will not jom on Jan, 1, "We will see you 

 at Springfield about that," said Col, E, $. Bond grimly. 



The plain fact is, the Chicago game dealers claimed 

 they had conceded enough without conceding to Jan, 1, 

 but in reality they conceded nothing but an extension of 

 the killing season two weeks, which is a concession in 

 their om' n favor. The dealers have a law that suits them. 

 They will stick to it. Their interests will govern them, 

 not their sense of right. It is true that without the sup- 

 port of South Water street, the Illinois State Sportsmen's 

 Association can do very little. In the past I have taken 

 pleasure in laughing at the pretensions of the association 

 at game protection, and have stood for the dealers' side, 

 doing all possible in a small way to get the dealers a re- 

 spectful and fair hearing in this matter. I am ready to 

 say that thus far it has been fairness lost, and courtesy 

 thrown away. There is not any real alliance, and there 

 can never be, so long as the "concessions" of the dealers 

 are concessions only in their own favor. The game must 

 go. 



The few noble men who represented the State Sports- 

 men's Association at this meeting, the very flower of that 

 body as they are, must feel a strange sense of rebuff and 

 discom-agement to-day. They have very little behind 

 them. They do not represent a very large class in their 

 unselfishness and enthusiasm. They are really but very 

 little more than so many earnest individuals, with small 

 backing but their own honesty and sense of right. They 

 must know that they can do little and that their meeting 

 means really not so very much. But all honor to their 

 pluck and good heart to them. They never before now 

 have been so earnest and never so near success. The 

 time is not ripe, but slowly ripening. All over the country 

 there is spreading one of those slow, dull-motioned waves 

 of popular conviction. The people are just beginning to 

 see that the game is going and that it must be protected. 

 Each year counts now. Tw^o years more must pass before 

 another Legislatm-e meets, but in that two years there 

 may be and will be a great popular movement on this 

 very matter. Out of their humility let the State Associa- 

 tion and all the gentlemen who met in this committee 

 take heart of grace and try again. They are going to 

 win in the end. The people of Illinois are going to tel I 

 South Water street to shut its dooie. Another two years 

 —Boston, New York and St, Louis standing by in aid 

 thereto, let us hope — and we will get South Water street 

 shut up after Jan. 1. Meantime, let us fm-ther hope, 

 there will duly come shame and repentance to these two 

 men. 



Col. E, S. Bond. 



Mr. George Washington Barnett, 



They didn't do what was Right, E. Hough. 



MR. CORBIN'S DEER. 



THE bill repealing the law against the shooting of live 

 pigeons from traps did not pass the Maine Legis- 

 lature after all. The friends of the repeal made a strong 

 fight, and it looked as though they would carry their 

 point, but the House defeated the repeal measure by a 

 vote of 112 to 15. There was a spirited debate in the 

 House. The bill was strongly attacked by Mr, Hawes, of 

 Deering, He branded trap shooting of live pigeons as on 

 a par with cock fighting and dog fighting, "Why not 

 revive the rat pit? The example to the children in the 

 schools would be bad. The schools had already opposed 

 the bill, through the influence of the Humane Society," 

 He regarded it as an inconsistency for the Legislature to 

 pass a law to teach gentleness and kindness to the lower 

 animals, in the schools, and then to repeal the law against 

 this cruelty in its worst form, 



Mr. Noble, in his remarks in favoi- of the repeal, made 

 a strong point. He said that the Humane Society of 

 Portland had sent out its agents to work up sentiment 

 against the bill. The Society had sent its agents into the 

 schools and to the Bchoolmarms, hoiking that the Legis- 

 lature Avould not vote against the ladies. He could see 

 schoolmarms with eyes suffused with tears signing this 

 remonstrance. Yet they would go into the streets and 

 wear feathers from bluejays, blackbirds, pigeons and all 

 feathered tribes. Out of the fourteen ladies in a car he 

 counted ten wearing parts of birds. He did not know 

 how many ladies in Eepresentative Hall were wearing 

 feathers and birds' wings. [Sensation among the ladies 

 in the galleries.] The next day the Senate defeated the 

 bill by a unanimous vote. 



There is a sensation among the members of the Megan- 

 tic Club, and well there may be. It is understood that 

 TMr. Austin Corbin, of Croydon, N. H., has made a con- 

 tract with guides and hunter in the region of Lake 

 Megantic to deliver him this winter fifty deer alive, and 

 that before the Megantic Club was aware of what was 

 going on twelve had been taken and defivered. Imme- 

 diately Mr. Bishop, president of the club, has taken action 

 to put a stop to the scheme. Correspondence has passed 

 between him and Hon. E. M. Still well, the Maine Game 

 Commissioner, on the subject. Mr. Stillwell's first letter 

 was as follows: 



Bangou, Feb. 3.— My Dear Dr. Bishop: It strikes me that you 

 can assist us in the inclosed matter. It is a most i-asoally 

 scheme. Will you let me hear from yon? Yoitrs, B. M. SirLir 

 WELL, Fish and Game Oommisaioner of Maine. 



The inclosed matter referred to in Mr. Stillwell's letter 

 read as follows; 



Dear Sir; I have been informed that Mr. S. D. Ball and Jas, 

 Parsons have contracted to catch 50 deer alive for Mr. Austin 

 Corbin, of Croydon, N. H. They are going to commence their 

 work as soon as they can run them down on the crust. The snow 

 is from 3}^ to 4ft. deep at Holeh, Me,, and with a good crust the 

 deer have no chance. Have they any right to catch deer and send 

 them out of the State alive in close season? Please let me know 

 at once. Mr. Ball lives at Megantic Lake and Jas. Parsons lives 

 atHoleb. Both of the men arc guides and depend upon sports- 

 men for their living, but it will be a poor living in the future If 

 they go on catching deer. Youra respectfully, L. P. JiiNNK. 



