June 3, 1892.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



819 



RAID ON ACOLD STORAGE WAREHOUSE 



On the afternoon of May 25, between the hours of three 

 and seven, Game Protector Robert Brown, Jr. effected 

 what is the largest and most important recent seizure of 

 illegal game made in this country. It has long been an 

 open secret that game of various kinds was kept through 

 the close season in the cold storage warehouses of this city, 

 but it has hitherto been extremely difficult to get suffi- 

 cient evidence that the law was being violated to warrant 

 a search and action. 



On Wednesday last, however, Protector Brown appeared 

 before Judge Duffy of the Tombs Police Court, with con- 

 vincing evidence that a quantity of game was stored in 

 the cold rooms of the New York Refrigerating Ware- 

 house Co., contrary to the provisions of the law, and he 

 was granted a search warrant. 



Accompanied by Roundsman James Campbell, of the 

 First District Police Court Squad, he went to the Forest 

 and Stream office for one of the staff of that paper to go 

 with him to identify the game. Mr. J. B. Buruham, of 

 Forest and Stream, and Protector Brown at once pro- 

 ceeded to the warehouse, which is situated at 107 Murray 

 street. Wm, H. Place, the manager of the concern, was 

 found within, and the warrant read to him, together with 

 Section 247 of the State Game and Fish Law, under the 

 provisions of which the warrant was granted, and which 

 reads as follows: 



Any justice of the p^ace, police justice, county judge, judge of 

 any city court, or magistrate having criminal jurisdiction, upon 

 receiving proof of probable cause for believing in the conceal- 

 ment of any game or fish taken or possessed contrary to the pro- 

 visions of this chapter, shall if sue his search warrant and cause a 

 search to be made in any place, and to that end may cause any 

 building or enclosure to tie entered and may cause any apart- 

 ment, chest, box, looker, crate, basket or package to be broken 

 open and the contents examined. 



Mr. Place was much taken aback by the warrant, and 

 requested time to confer with the company, which was 

 refused. He also requested that the search be deferred 

 till the following day, which was, of course, out of the 

 question, and finally he flatly refused to permit the 

 search, saying that he believed the law to be unconsti- 

 tutional. Seeing that civility had ceased to be a virtue, 

 and that valuable time was being wasted, it was decided 

 to proceed to execute the warrant without Mr. Place's 

 assistance, and despite his further protestations the 

 search was begun. 



The warehouse is a four-story building, and on three 

 of the floors, at least, are the cold storage compartments. 

 On the first floor are rooms Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and on the 

 second floor are rooms from 5 to 9 inclusive. It was 

 decided to try those on the second floor first, as the evi- 

 dence of their illegal contents was a little more certain. 



Protector Brown led the way up the stairs, and as he 

 gained the second floor said to Mr. Place, who had fol- 

 lowed: 



"You can help us a good deal if you will show us rooms 

 6 and 7." Mr. Place seeing that further resistance was 

 useless, opened a massive wooden door, and taking in bis 

 hand a lantern led the way into a low passageway. 

 Opening out of this to the left were the rooms numbered 

 from 5 to 9. 



The moment the door swung back on its hinges a cold 

 blast of air swept out and mingled with the summer 

 temperature of the outer air. The Forest and Stream 

 man had brought along his overcoat, but neither 

 Protector Brown nor Roundsman Campbell was so pro- 

 tected. All shivered involuntarily. The manager of the 

 company led the way a few steps down the passage, hav- 

 ing first carefully closed the door that guarded its 

 entrance, and stopped before the second door, which bore 

 the number 6. He opened this and Protector Brown at 

 once entered, followed by the Forest and Stream repre- 

 sentative. The room was filled to within a few feet of 

 the ceiling with boxes and barrels securely closed. Around 

 the sides were ranged perpendicularly metal cylinders 

 containing the freezing mixture and coated with an inch 

 of hoar-frost. These cylinders were placed side by side, 

 and looked very much like the log supports with which 

 the tunnels in coal mines are sheathed. The atmosphere 

 was pervaded with a faint suggestive odor, and was cold 

 as death itself. 



Protector Brown, with characteristic energy, at once 

 set to work to find some of the illegal game which he 

 knew to be stored somewhere among the multitudinous 

 parcels that the room contained. Mr. Place, watching 

 him with ill-concealed animosity, remarked that he 

 wouldn't stay in that place for $50. 



"Well, we'll stay in here until hell freezes," retorted 

 Protector Brown with epigrammatic force. 



The party was provided with candles, and fortunately 

 bo, for at this juncture Mr. Place withdrew with his lan- 

 tern. He was about to close the outside door on those 

 present in the interest of the game law, when Brown 

 observed him and hastily directed Campbell to prevent 

 the maneuver. The thought of being locked up in the 

 dark vaults of the warehouse and slowly congealed was 

 not very pleasant, and after that Roundsman Campbell 

 kept guard at the door while the two others continued 

 the search. 



Protector Brown had the numbers of the several pack- 

 ages that he knew to contain game, but it was no easy 

 job to find them. Piled up in a room about 12x20ft. 

 were hundreds of boxes and barrels of all shapes and 

 sizes, as well as hampers, frozen joints of beef and large 

 fish, stiff as so much wood. In the search the back part 

 of the room was finally reached, and here a green paper 

 box was seen, from which peeped some suspicious feath- 

 ers. It was secured, and on the lid the words "English 

 Pheasant'* were deciphered, written in lead pencil. It 

 wasn't an English pheasant, however, but as subse- 

 quently identified by the Forest and Stream men, a fine 

 specimen of the ruffed grouse and commonly known as 

 partridge. The next minute a box was found bearing 

 one of Protector Brown's significant numbers, and it 

 was carried with some difficulty to the front.of the room 

 and then to the outer air. 



In the meantime Roundsman Campbell had secured a 

 hatchet and in a jiffy the box was opened. Half a hun- 

 dred large game birds fell out, which were at once 

 identified as prairie chickens, and the first great step of 

 the work had been brought to a successful conclusion. 



After the birds had been carefully counted and a 

 couple taken as samples, they were returned to the box, 

 which was then marked and carried back to the room 

 where it had originally been found. 



Room 7 was next examined and yielded a plentiful re- 

 turn. Box — , marked very plainly "501bs. Philadelphia 



Broilers," by some strange process of transmutation was 

 found to contain 122 quail. Box — added the mute evi- 

 dence of 96 more Bob Whites. 



These birds were all frozen stiff. They had evidently 

 been packed when still warm, and as each box was 

 opened came out in one solid mass like a mould of frozen 

 cream. When they were broken apart and counted they 

 could never be returned to the same box from which 

 they came as they occupied twice the original space. It 

 was useless to stand on the top of the box to try to pack 

 them. There was no give to their frozen bodies, they 

 were no more elastic than so many stones. 



The next important find was in room 8. Here lot — 

 gave interesting results. This lot was composed of eleven 

 boxes, all bearing on the outside the stamp of the Armour 

 Packing Co., of Kansas City. Of course they were 

 second-hand boxes, but being of the same kind and having 

 the same number made it certain that they came from 

 the same consignor. These boxes contained on an aver- 

 age four dozen quail apiece — the lot yielding a total of 

 499. 



The quail were neatly wrapped in paraffine or wrap- 

 ping paper, and were skillfully drawn. Evidently it was 

 an A No. 1 lot. 



At this stage a white cat took the place that the mana- 

 ger of the warehouse had spasmodically occupied, and 

 eyed the quail greedily. She was not allowed to close 

 her jaws on any of the juicy morsels that had met their 

 death months — or perhaps years — before, as they had now 

 become the property of the State and were not to be trifled 

 with. 



"I'd rather somebody else had got this job than me," 

 mournfully remarked Roundsman Campbell, as he tried 

 to balance the 499th quail on top of its bulging receptacle. 

 Whereupon Protector Brown encouragingly remarked, 

 "The Lord'll reward you." 



The only venison seized was found in room 2, hidden 

 away in the back part. Only one saddle was taken. 

 There was plenty more there, but it took too much valu- 

 able time to move it and birds at $25 apiece were more 

 valuable. In Room 3 three lots of woodcock were seized. 



In all 1,074 birds were taken. This includes 717 quail, 

 173 ruffed grouse, 140 woodcock, and 44 prairie chickens. 



The violators of the law will be proceeded against by 

 civil instead of criminal law, as conviction under the 

 former is thought to be the most certain. 



The fine, according to the game law in force is $25 for 

 each violation. If this were inforced in each one of the 

 1075 violations of which evidence has been secured, the 

 New York Refrigerating Warehouse Co. would be in- 

 debted to the State the round sum of $27,000. 



"PODGERS'S" COMMENTARIES. 



Yotjr reference to the discovery of the fossil remains 

 in Kansas of a prehistoric deer 15ft. high, furnishes me 

 a.text for a "preach" on the subject of the wild ambition 

 on the part of every sportsman to kill a deer or at least 

 every man owning a gun. 



I am a moderate sportsman myself, or a sportsman in a 

 moderate way, and I cannot comprehend this pride in the 

 achievement of the murder of so graceful and harmless an 

 animal, not in moderation and simply for camp food, but 

 wanton slaughter — to see how many can be destroyed, 

 merely to be able to boast of the prowess of the hunter 

 and think it something to their credit. 



I know I shall be called a crank in entering my protest 

 against such indiscriminate slaughter as we constantly 

 read of in the histories and stories of camp life in Forest 

 and Stream, of this beautiful and graceful animal, whose 

 life from its infancy is one constant terror of cruel man- 

 kind. 



I confess to a sympathy for this harmless denizen of 

 the forest, and am proud to say I have never killed a 

 deer, and never fired a gun at one but once, and then as 

 a judgment upon me, the gun burst and came nearer 

 finishing me than the deer. I have walked over them 

 hundreds of times, with my gun upon my shoulder, and 

 have stopped to admire their graceful forms and innocent 

 faces, aa they looked at me in astonishment to find I had 

 no desire to murder them. One reason perhaps, for my 

 sympathy for them, may lie in the fact that I have had 

 them as pets around the house, and have experienced 

 their affections and gentle natures. 



For years I had a pair that were cherished members of 

 the household, they slept on the rug at my bedside, took 

 their breakfast with me, and trotted after me in my ex- 

 cursions in loving companionship, and I am proud to 

 confess I have not the death of one upon my conscience. 

 I know I shall be ridiculed for such mawkish ideas as 

 they will be termed by the average sportsmen, but I shall 

 survive all the ridicule, and never lose an hour's sleep nor 

 a square meal in consequence. 



Those articles in the Forest and Stream in the sev- 

 eral recent numbers on "South African Reptiles at 

 Home," illustrated in the last issue by a cut of a species 

 that has evidently undertaken a job considerably beyond 

 its capacity, are very interesting as long as the subject 

 treats of the uncanny things at a distance; and as long 

 as South Africa has the credit and honor of their main- 

 tenance we won't complain; but just fancy the effect on 

 some reader picking up the Forest and Stream of a 

 morning after having been out with the boys the night 

 previous, as he glances at the cut of the hideous object 

 on page 493. His ejaculation will doubtless be, "Great 

 Scott! Got 'em again, have I." In that connection per- 

 haps you are doing missionary work in the cause of tem- 

 perance. Is there a method in it? 



In a recent number you exhibit a cut of "big horns." 

 Is it a subtle purpose to point out the effects as a moral? 

 inasmuch as snakes come after "horns?" Are you, as the 

 boys say, playing it low down? 



'Better bear the ills we have than fly to those we know 

 not of," should be the motto of the California farmers on 

 the question of introducing the mongoose into the coun- 

 try. "Arefar's" article in the last issue of Forest and 

 Stream is very timely and presents the question in a 

 very serious light, and his quoted evidences of the mis- 

 chievous character of the mongoose should be heeded. 



The gopher, or ground squirrel, is comparatively harm- 

 less and his sin is confinea to marauding on grain fields; 

 but is not that one evil trifling compared to the general 

 destructive characteristics of the mongoose? 



The California farmer has, as I know, very little 

 interest or sympathy with the sportsmen and would be 



glad to "see the quail annihilated, begrudging the poor 

 birds the few grains of wheat they consume; but how 

 would it be if Mr. Mongoose made predatory excursions 

 into bis chicken yard? "What a howl would go up then. 



With all due respect for the popular idea that this 

 world was made especially for'the granger, and all thingB 

 that militate against his sole interest mint be sat upon 

 and abolished, he being the Lord's annointed, I have the 

 temerity to declare it as my firm belief and opinion that 

 a more selfish, illiberal and narrow-minded specimen of 

 mankind than that same class does not exist. 



If he had his way he would burn, sink and destroy 

 every bird and object that pecked a few grains off his 

 fields. 



He never takes into consideration that the Lord gives 

 him the soil, and his prolific crops, and that for every 

 grain he sows he reaps a thousand fold; and the birds are 

 as much a part of the gifts of the Lord as the ground, 

 which was as much intended for their support and ex- 

 istence as his, 



_ I have seen this sweet specimen of all the moral virtues 

 (if you believe the newspapers and accept their own 

 opinions of themselves) sowing grain soaked in strychnine 

 in his grape patch to poison quail and the singing birds 

 that had the audacity to peck at a few grapes. 



If the mongoose would only confine himself to depreda- 

 tions on the granger's farm yard, I say let him in as a 

 judgment for poisoning game and singing birds. He 

 sadly needs Buch disciplining to bring him to a realizing 

 sense of what constitutes his share of the things the Lord 

 intended as much for birds and beasts as for him, even if 

 he is a political power and fancies he is going to rule the 

 world. 



He and his advocates may despise the ridiculous custom 

 of wearing socks, but "Because thou art virtuous shall 

 there be no more cake and ale?" "Go to," and mend thy 

 ways or we will let the mongoose loose upon you. 



Note.— Address all challenges that result from the 

 above expressed opinion to my office. I have hired a 

 fighter for the occasion. 



It is to bs hoped that serious punishment will be meted 

 out to the violators of the game laws in the recent case of 

 the seizure of frozen game. The most embarrassing 

 question is, what shall be done with the stock seized. 

 One newspaper suggests that it be sent to paupers and 

 the gentlemen residing temporarily for their health at 

 Blackwell's Island. I enter my protest against the culti- 

 vation of such epicurean tastes at that public institution, 

 as it might, and probably would, lead to the necessity of 

 continuing the supply, and cause a strike if refused wood- 

 cock diet. 



What a lot of people, as they read of the seizure, will 

 groan in spirit at the thought that all this epicurean food 

 may have to be destroyed, inasmuch as the law makes it 

 a penalty for any person to have game in his possession 

 during the close season, although many an epicure would 

 take the chances of its being proven if he had it once 

 safely in his stomach. He could not be sent to the hos- 

 pital to be surgicalized to discover what he had eaten for 

 his dinner. 



To make the punishment fit the crime why not put the 

 violators of the law in the refrigerators with their game, 

 and keep them there until they were in the same condi- 

 tion? Cold comfort for them, truly, and perhaps a cool 

 proceeding. I have a theory in this question of punish- 

 ment, which is that the teachings of the good book should 

 govern, for does it not say "Do unto others as you would 

 have others do unto you?" (If the editor of Forest and 

 Stream is not sufficiently familiar with the work in 

 question to feel sure of the correctness of the quotation, 

 let him work it up.) So, if a man hits another a whack 

 on the head he should expect a similar one in return, and 

 be generally gets it. If a man steals your watch or your 

 wife somebody should steal his, and so on. The system 

 would save time, trouble and expense, and do away with 

 police courts, lawyers and similar abominations. 



PODGERS, 



REBOUNDING LOCKS. 



Tom's River, N. J. , May 21.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 I just want to say a word in favor of good rebounding 

 locks. I do not think so many accidents are due to 

 them as to careless or ignorant handling of the gun, and 

 the practice that many have of fooling with hammers 

 and triggers. 



To illustrate: I once had my gun roll off a seat in my 

 father's launch (where it had been placed by a friend) 

 and fall directly on both hammers, which were at full 

 cock (another wrong thing on board of a boat). Had the 

 gun gone off, in all probability I would not be here, for 

 the barrels pointed at the naphtha tank and we were on 

 the bay in a heavy sea. The gun was an old Parker 

 12-gauge and her locks are as good as ever. 



Speaking of fooling with the triggers of a loaded gun, 

 recalls a sad accident in which two of my young friends 

 figured. They were out in a small boat reedbird shoot- 

 ing, and one of them, a proverbially careless fellow, in 

 attempting to let down the hammers of his gun, placed 

 thumb on one hammer and finger on the opposite trig- 

 ger, resulting in sending a load of shot from a 10-gauge 

 gun through his companion's leg close to the ankle. 

 Thanks to the skillful surgery of the late Dr. Levis, of 

 Philadelphia, the limb was saved. 



No boy should be turned out to learn to shoot without 

 some good instruction and watching. Early lessons in 

 care will stick to him always after. Broadbill. 



Spring Shooting. 



Geneva, N. Y., May 20.— I w-as told yesterday that a 

 few days ago a so-called sportsman living in "Waterloo, 

 N. Y., went shooting for the unprotected snipe, and on 

 his dog's coming to a point in some cover, flushed and 

 shot a woodcock. My informant received his information 

 from the perpetrator of this offense. And so it will be 

 until sportsmen become united and put a stop to spring 

 Bhooting. — J. G. S. 



Adirondack Notes. 



Philadelphia, N. Y., May 27.— Two golden robins flew 

 against a plate glass window said killed themselves. 

 Several large pickerel have been caught on trolling 

 spoons. A large trout was caught in the Indian River 

 several days ago. Bullheads are being caught on the 

 marsh, a place that is overflowed every spring.— Ray 

 Spears. 



