eb. 9, 1895. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ii.lt 
and easily destroyed. It would not forbid the destruction of 
the eggs aud nests of snipe, rail and other birds. The new bill 
omitted the prima facie clause iu the trespass, feature, and laid 
no penality therein, and provided for too large pay for the 
warden and this was not done contingent upon a fund raised 
by licensing the gun, but was left to stand, an amount of over 
§7,000, to be paid its poorer deputies, each year, no matter 
what the license Axed. The "dangerous weapon clause," 
to stop rifle shootiug on open waters, was not germane to the 
purposes of the bill. 
Mr. Mott pointed out that section 13 of the' bill permitted the 
sale of game for three mouths, but that nowhere in the entire 
bill was there a word said about prohibiting the sale of game, 
at any season whatever! This covert clause,' he showed, would 
leave the State practically without a law to control the mar- 
kets. The bill further covered only Illinois game, and did not 
forbid the selling of game killed outside the State, Further- 
more, while the penalty for illegal killing of game was raised, 
the fine for illegal selling of game was put at $10, ridiculously 
low. The bill as framed would permit the trapping and netting 
of wild turkeys iu Illinois. 
The Blow bill would seem to be stringent on the exportation 
of game, bat iu fact it was too stringent. It had just such a 
clause as had bee i shown iu Kansas to be unconstitutional, an 
interefering with inter-state commerce. Decisions kindred to 
this were of record for Indiana, Maine, New Jersey. The old 
law was far better. The Blow bill opened too wide a gate also 
for sportsmen to carry game out of the State. 
With these few trifling exceptions, Mr. Mott said in speaking 
of the report, such as opening the selling season the year round, 
abolishing the old game law, making the business of the game 
dealer easier and not harder, and throwing open the gate for 
destruction of all the game of Illinois, the Blow bill now before 
the committee, was a pretty good bill. For South Water street 
it was a very good bill. Mr. Mott thought the bill had been 
drawn by a very clumsy or a very skillful lawyer, he would 
not say which. He would not impugn the motives of Mr. 
Blow, who had shown himself a very active, efficient warden, 
at out-of-the-city work. Ild thought Mr. Blow might be sin- 
cere, but his place was at executive labors, not legislative, if 
che criterion was to be the bill now in hand. 
This then, was the bill which, if passed, would wipe out the 
old law, the only fault of which was its weak executive clauses, 
but which, secti on by section, almost through ics entire length, 
had been tried, aud proved, and passed upon by the Supreme 
Court of Illinois and found good law for the sportsmen. This, 
too, was the bill which had unwittingly been indorsed by the 
committee of the association, and which even uow was intro- 
ducd by the State Warden iu spite of the request of the Presi- 
dent of the Association not to do so. 
Mr. Baird's Plain Speech. 
Mr. Baird was asked to speak, and did so with plainness and 
frankness. 
"I do not hesitate to say that the question of orotection in 
Illinois is in more danger than it ever was," said he, "and we 
will have hard work to save the day now. I say plainly that if 
this Blow bill was not framed by South Water street, it at least 
was revised or approved by their lawyers, and of this I have 
proof." 
Mr. Baird was at supper in a Chicago restaurant and chanced 
to meet Mr. Cooper, a lawyer friend. 
"I see you're going to have a new game law," said Mr. 
Cooper. 
"What law?" said Mr. Baird. 
"Well, a South Water street client brought one to me and I 
examined it." 
"Was it a good one?" 
"Good enough for South Water street," Mr. Cooper said. 
"Which one was it?" 
"The one they call the Blow bill, I think," said Mr. Cooper. 
There was a sigh of astonishment at this, but Mr. Baird said 
that he made no charge connecting Mr. Blow and the South 
Water street men, aud did not charge Mr. Blow with inten- 
tionally getting up any bill to suit South Water street. All he 
knew was that it did suit South Water street and that South 
Water street wanted it passed. Still another friend, a mem- 
ber of the Legislature, had told him that a South Water street 
man had told him that the Blow bill was one the South Water 
street dealers wanted to see passed, and "were raising a little 
pot to help it along." 
Mr. Baird said that this Blow bill would throw Illinois wide 
open for the killing and selling of her game, and would help 
destroy all the game of other States shipping game here to 
Chicago. It gave a sop to the warden in shape of a good salary, 
and in return gave the game market open doors the year round, 
by means of the pi'ecious trick which had been pointed out. 
Mr. Baird said the railroads favored this bill, because the3 r 
wanted to serve game on dining cars. He had had a tip to that 
effect. Moreover, he had been told that Gov. Altgeld would 
sign no other law but this one. Gov. Altgeld was known 
openly to believe that game should be sold "the same as butter 
and eggs." 
Mr. Baird said South Water street had broken faith with the 
Illinois Association plainly enough. He was in favor of pro- 
hibiting the sale of game absolutely and altogether in Illinois 
now, and to declare war on the street which favored this bill. 
But he did not attempt to disguise the fact that the situation at 
Springfield was serious, and that something should be done at 
once. It made no difference whether the bill was the product 
of ignorance or of craft, and he would not say whether a 
clumsy hand or that of a mighty shrewd lawyer had framed it. 
In any event it was extremely dangerous, and should be fought 
at once. He intended to go to Springfield and fight it, no mat- 
ter what' the committee did. 
For and Against. 
There was a distinct ripple of surprised interest at Mr. 
Baird's remarks, and much whispered and open comment. The 
representative of a Chicago sporting newspaper, which has long 
since commioted itself neck and crop to the" Blow bill, got up to 
refute any allegation of duplicity against Warden Blow. The 
latter had printed the bill four months ago, in the Chicago 
papers, and had invited comment from sportsmen on it, and 
had 503 letters of approbation of said bill now in his inside 
pocket. This should be proof that Mr. Blow's intentions were 
perfectly open and honest. The reprasentative of the Chicago 
paper thought you didn't need to publish a sale of game specifi- 
cally, as would be inferred from the clause allowing only 
a short selling season. 
Mr. Baird — "The Supreme Court of Illinois doesn't infer any- 
thing." 
The newspaper man further thought game should be sold 
some of the time, else how could he ever get to eat quail. 
A member — sotto voce, "That's so; he couldn't hit 'em. 
The representative of the Chicago paper thought Mr. Blow 
the best warden we have ever had. It was Mr. Blow's theory 
not to work in South Water street, but to get outside the city 
and arrest the killers of the illegal game. Mr. Blow had more 
convictions to his credit than all other wardens. It was wrong 
to attribute any ill motive to Mr. Blow, To go back on this 
bid would be a wrangle among the forces of sportsmen on the 
eve of battle. 
It was pointed out bv Mr. Mott and others that there was no 
wish to be unjust to Mr. Blow or to ascribe anything to him 
without proof. It was not a question of Mr. Blow, but a ques- 
tion of this bill. What should be done about it? 
Mr. Wilcox, of the committee, moved to disapprove of the 
Blow bill and to request the law committee to draft a few slight 
amendments to the old game law. The motion was carried. Then 
Mr. Price moved to clear the record by a formal vote of recon- 
sideration of the action of the committee at its last meeting. 
Mr. Wilcox, iu still another motion, which was carried, moved 
to formally withdraw the approval of the commitee from the 
Blow bUl. 
Word from the Warden. 
. At this step of the proceedings a letter was~prorluced from 
Warden Blow himself, explaining something of the reasons 
why he was not present at the meeting. The reading of the 
letter caused surprise. It was as follows: 
Springfield, 111., Jan. 30.— Officers a "d Members. Illinois State 
Sportsmen's Association: Having this day received forwarded 
mail, requesting me to attend a meeting to be held at the Sherman 
House, Friday afternoon, February 1, I regret, very much not 
being able to attend. Having in the meantime been informed the 
Object of the above meeting, 1 will say it does not surprise me to 
learn the object of said meeting. Having come in contact with a 
good number of the above members, I have always found them as 
being opposed to anything anyone else suggested outside of a so- 
called sportsman. Any change in the game law must be for the 
sportsman and no one else. Of course, the present proposed law 
was published, and at the same time suggestions were called for 
upon the subject. 1 have in my possession over .500 letters from 
all over the State, and from them I drew my conclusions. Not a 
word from this so-called sportsman's association did I receive 
until the bill was corrected, the expense of which I paid, outside 
of that contributed by H. H. Fahnestock, $13, aud O. Kern, $30. 
The said bill cost considerable over that. But what surprises me 
is that at this date those agitators .put iu their appearance. I 
would suggest that the above association get up a bill to suit their 
interest, and not lose any time over mine, as. I shall let the in- 
telligence of the General Assembly decide which is best for the 
people. 
I learn your great object is that the hotels, commission men and 
railroads are detrimental to your so-called association, except 
when any of your members waut a pass to go hunting or fishing: 
they are in hue then. 1 would like the above association to toil 
me what objects Illinois law-makers have in protecting game in 
Canada, or Montana, Dakota or other States where game comes 
from? Is it so that when these so-called sportsmen go there they 
will find plenty of game to kill because they pay no attention to 
their own Sta te, or is it to drive a legitimate business from the 
State of Illinois to some other State? Show me one case which the 
above association has .prosecuted for killing game out of season, 
or the game wardens under their direction. 1 say not one. They 
have always directed their persecutions at innocent parties, such 
as commission men, hotels or restaurant keepers. Does that 
protect the game? I say no. You must make laws for Illinois and 
have your wardens go out in the field ana keep the game alive 
and not shout after it is dead. What interest has Illinois in the 
game of other States, that it should make laws of that kind? is it 
not a discouraging fact that this association only meets once a 
year, and what do they meet for? My personal experience is, they 
meet to talk over trap shooting, proper charges of shells, handi- 
caps, etc., from 8:15 P. M., until 11:5:0 P. M., forgetting altogether 
that they were incorporated for the protection of game and fish, 
and had not .the chairman called their attention to the above 
facts, they would never inquire about game. At your last meeting 
I was called upon to make my report, which I did, and of which I 
am not ashamed. They were more than surprised to find I had 
been out in the State and tried to stop the illegal killing of game 
at the root, where the evil exists. They encored my methods and 
passed a resolution to reimburse me for my shortage. Now, did 
I get it? Yes, I got it from eight or twenty-six or thirty clubs up 
to this date. The above was ordered June last. Now, this is what 
this so-called' association amounts to. I would respectfully sug- 
gest that you call it the Illinois Trap Shooting Association. It 
would be more fitting, for the support you give the game in com- 
parison to the making up of purses to shoot pigeons, to give it the 
above title. 1 helieve in enacting laws for the whole people of the 
State, and not for the few. Yours truly, 
C. H. BLOW, Game Warden. 
This direct sap in the face of the IUlinois State Sportsmen's 
Association created comment very unfavorable to Warden 
Blow. It was considered an intentional affront, and will prob- 
ably be treated as such. President Shephard, in his gentle 
way, expressed surprise. Unofficial}^ he said later, that no 
more club assessments would ever be collected for Mr. Blow. 
Chairman Organ jocularly referred to the measure as the 
" Blow-South- Water-street- American-Field-Bill." Mr, Baird 
said: "I openly call this the 'South Water street bill.' " Mr. 
Baird was appointed a member of the law committee on the 
spot by President Shephard in place of Mr. Low, deceased. 
Mr. Baird declined the honor, and said he would rather fight 
the bill alone and not as connected with any body of sports- 
men. Mr. Bortree and others spoke briefly on the subject of a 
gun license or gun tax as an amendment. Mr. Blow's remarks 
on "driving a legitimate business from the State, " were not 
well received, and it seemed the sentiment of the majority of 
those present that it would be a good thing for the sportsmen if 
the Chicago market was closed forever, aud it was strange the 
warden did not think so too. 
Such are the facts at present, and Forest and Stream is con- 
cerned with the facts only and not with any inferences. It is 
true beyond doubt that a split has been made in the ranks of 
Chicago sportsmanship at just the wrong time. What the 
result will be depends on the freaks of legislative action at 
Springfield. This bill may be pushed forward rapidly and 
become dangerous. In any event, it is not the sportsmen's bill, 
no matter whether or not it is called the sportsmen's bill.- The 
sportsmen have repudiated it, and no sincere sportsman can 
wish to see it passed as it stands now. 
An Unlucky Newspaper. 
One singular outcome of this dangerous entanglement is the 
interesting journalistic position in which the Chicago sporting 
newspaper above referred to now finds itself. It once more 
learns, or should learn, the danger of partisanship. It has 
strenuosly supported this Blow bill, and .has publicly called it 
good, possibly for. titilative reasons of a dorsal location. Now, 
if this bill does not pass, this paper must see its measure die at 
the hands of the sportsmen of the city, and State. If the bill 
does pass, the unfortunate journal must reflect that it did all it 
could to abolish the game laws of Illinois, and deliver its sports- 
manship over to the hands of the spoiler. This is the same 
Chicago paper which is the parent of the absurd ten gauge trap 
rules, and the same paper which did all it could to kill the 
World's Fair shoot. It now is doing all it can to kill the 
Illinois State Association and the game laws and the game of 
Illinois, all this latter through an inadvertence as serious as 
actual intent. In a time so hazardous as this the Illinois State 
Sportsmen's Association needs even the small assistances, and 
behind it and its able lawyers, there should be the support of 
every sportsmen's journal without reference to personal or 
partisan motives. The thing to do is to Kill this Blow bill, and 
kill it quick, to hold on to the old law, and offer for it no 
sweeping amendments, but only such modest ones as may have 
a chance at Springfield. We do not want to come out of this 
with no law left at all. 
Too much credit can not be given Mr. Baird for bringing 
these matters to the attention of the association. At his sugges- 
tion the adjournment was made till 1 P. M. of Feb, 1, at which 
time the law committee will report on proposed amendments to 
the old game law. 
More About the Blow Bill. 
Feb. 2.— The Illinois State Sportsmen's Association prints the 
following comment to-day on the Blow-Americau-Field-Bill, 
which has been sprung on the Legislature at Springfield: 
"We have caused this bill to be carefuly examined by our at- 
torneys, and their report to us shows that it is a document care- 
fully prepared in the interests of the market hunter and the 
commission merchants of Chicago who deal in game We are 
informed that the game dealers have raised a fund to aid in its 
passage, and this alone is sufficient to condemn it. The principal 
objections to the bill are: 
1. It permits the hunter to trespass on the lauds of another with- 
out his consent. True, the law saye = that he capnot, but it omits 
the penalty contained Jn the present law, and with no penalty 
imposed.the provision is worthless. 
2. It gives the game warden power to arrest without warrant at 
pleasure, and does not provide for immediate trial, nor for any 
trial. tf*. 
3. It says when game] may be sold, but does no ^prohibit sale of 
game at any season of the year. * ~*m 
4 The present law prohibits the .sale of. game killed in;lllmois, 
except water fowl. The proposed law omits this provision en- 
tirely. Shall the quad, prairie chicken, wild turkeys,.etc, of this 
State be potted for the Chicago market? 
„ 5. The present law prevents the trapping, netting or snaring ot 
quail, prairie chicken or grouse at any time. This bill allows it in 
the interest of the market hunter and the game dealer. 
6 The proposed law provides for the payment of large salaries 
to the game warden and eight deputies without making the 
payment of such salaries conditional upon a sufficient fund being 
realized from fines, etc. This imposes an additional burden upon 
our taxpayers.. 
Our game must not be_snared, trapped .or netted.and permitted 
to he sold on the Chicago" market, nor our open season extended, 
and this bill must be killed as quickly and surely as its passage 
would kill all our game. 
The situation is .desperate. £.Chicago*'game ^dealers and their 
allies are at Springfield working' for the passage of this bill. 
Its Gullible Gullet. 
The above must be rather hard reading for Mr. Blow, who 
by it would seem to have been deceived by the South Water 
street Philistines, a great, large, big, plenteous lot. It must be 
a trifle hard also for his self-instituted godparent. 
A Protest to the Legislature. 
If the above is not sufficient to show the opinion of the sports- 
men of Chicago about the bill in question, perhaps the follow- 
ing will. It is a protest printed by the Illinois State Sports- 
men's Association to-day. It goes to the Governor and Legis- 
lature of the State signed by many prominent sportsmen. Still 
another private protest against this bill, signed by many lead- 
ing citizens of Chicago who are not sportsmen, will, so I under- 
stand, be forwarded to the Governor, though this has noth- 
ing to do with the protest of the Association, which reads as 
follows: 
To the Honorable the Governor and the Members of the Legisla- 
ture of the State of Illinois: 
Gentlemen: The undersigned, the Illinois State Sportsmen's 
Association, composed of the sportsmen's clubs and sportsmen of 
the State of Illinois, pledged as one of its fundamental principles 
to the protection of game birds and song birds in this State, do 
hereby protest against the passage of the bill known as the "Game 
Warden Bill," recently introduced by Game WardenBlow. This 
bdl, previous to its introduction in the Legislature, was submitted 
to the Executive Committee of this Association in the absence o 
the Law Committee, and this ^committee believing that the bil 
had been drawn in the interest of game protection and was being 
advocated by persons interested in game protection, did not give 
it the close scrutiny which they would otherwise have done,_and 
after a casual perusal of the same approved of it. But about the 
time it was being introduced into the House the attention of the 
President of the Association was called to the fact that the bill 
was a bad one in many respects and ought not to become a law in 
its present form. Whereupon a copy of the same was submitted 
to the attorneys of the Association and at a meeting of the Execu- 
tive Committee of the Association, held at the Sherman House, 
in Chicago, on February 1, 1895, the opinion of the attorneys was 
read and other facts were brought before the committee which 
disclosed to it the fact that the said hid .had been revised by the 
attorneys of the South Water street game dealers and was in the 
interest of game destruction instead of game protection, and was 
being vigorously pushed, by the game dealers of Soulh Water 
street, in Chicago, with the avowed purpose of having it become a 
law. Said bill, if it became a law, would be instrumental in de- 
stroying lall of the game in this State before the meeting of the 
next Legislature, when it might be repealed. Said bid does not 
prohibit.the sale of Illinois or other game. In other words, it allows 
the sale of Illinois and other game everv day in the year. It does 
not prohibit the trapping of game in lUinois at any season of the 
year, thereby adowmg quad, prairie chicken and aU other game 
in Illinois to he trapped at all seasons of and sold at all seasons of 
the year. 
It does away with the penalty for trespassing upon the land of 
others, thereby allowing the game destroyer free access upon 
every farm and every piece of ground in Illinois and destroy the 
game thereon without any penalty for so doing. It also provides 
that the Game Warden shall have power to arrest persons on 
sgiht, without a warrant, without making any provision for trial 
or other means of ascertaining whether the person arrested 
is guflty or not. 
It also provides that out of the State Treasury shadbe paid the 
Chief Game Warden a salary of $1,500 a year, and to each of his 
eight deputies a salary of §800 a year, making a total of §7,900 ad- 
ditional burden upon the taxpayers of the State of Illinois, with- 
out any just compensation therefor. 
The bill attempts to provide for a fund by licensing shooters, but 
in its present condition it does not state that the Game Warden is 
to be paid exclusively out of such a fund. It lengthens the season 
for shooting game by adding sixty days to the open season, in the 
interest of those interested in the destruction of game for the 
market. It is a well-known fact that the game animals and birds 
of Illinois are rapidly disappearing, and unless our present laws 
are more strictly enforced our game will soon entirely disappear. 
Our present laws are good in nearly every particular. They have 
been affirmed by our Supreme Court, and the only changes that 
may be necessary to more fully protect the game of this State 
would be to give some few additional powers to the Game War- 
den, and shorten the season ror the sale of game from other States. 
For, as our Supreme Court said in the Magner case, reported in 
97th Illinois, the prohibition of the sale of game from other States 
in this State has a tendency to protect the game of this State. 
Directors: R. B. Organ, Chairman; L. M. Hamline; A.C. Pater- 
son;C. S Wilcox; Adbner Prrce; W. L. Shepard, President. W. J. 
Edbrooke, 1st Vice-Pres't; N. J. Hindert, 2nd Vice-Pres't; H. B. 
Meyers, Sec'y-Treas. 
ILLINOIS STATE SPORTSMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 
It may be seen that the sportsmen are now undeceived, and 
are in earnest in their effort to kill the Blow bill, and to undo 
as far as possible the ill-judged work which has been done in its 
favor. The game laws of this State were never in so critical a 
condition. E. Hough, 
909 Security Building, Chicago, 111. 
Later Chicago. Feb. 3. — In an interview published this 
morning Warden Blow says: 
"I had given the men who have seen fit to criticise the bill 
every opportunity in the world to suggest changes. I sub- 
mitted the bill to them, asked them to read it and criticise or 
approve, saying that I wanted to meet with their approval in 
every move made for the jirotection of game. They read the 
bill and approved it, and now at the last moment they are rais- 
ing a cry that I am inimical to the interests of the game and of 
the sportsman. This is untrue. I have been an active game 
warden. I believe the way to stop the sale of game is to pre- 
vent its being killed. You cannot legislate a dead bird back to 
life. I have traveled all over the State and have faced man 
after man in the field, arrested them for violations of the law 
and had them fined. I have made 483 arrests for violations of 
the law during my short incumbency in the waden's office. 
"I see now that the sale clause inthe bdl which was prepared 
and inti oduced was faulty. Its wording should be revised. I 
go down to Springfield to-morrow night and Monday morning. 
I shall ask to have the change made. The law was passed upom 
by good lawyers and declared all right. I am not to blame for 
the weak clause. It would have been changed long ago if any 
one of those now clamoring bad called specific attention to it, 
I have bad changed already the wording of the clause which 
refers to the trapping of birds. It uow leads so that trapping 
shall be illegal the year through. I will have inserted the 
'possession clause' in the song and plumage bird act, so that a 
guilty man may be punished even though he may not be caught 
in the act of killing. Ad insectivorous birds are now covered 
by the law. The women of the Audubon Society know what 1 
have done to protect the birds. 1 have spent my own money 
and have worked hard for the cause for pure love of it. For 
twenty years we have done nothing for game protection 
through the markets. The work must be done in the field. 
Give me the assistant game wardens I ask and I will protect 
