88 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Feb. 3, 1900. 
In^ Wesci Virginia. 
Editor Forest an J Stream: 
Since the publication of my article in your valued 
paper, I have discovered that our Legislature did not give 
our State game warden the poM'er to appoint deputies, and 
he has been appointing assistant game wardens where he 
thinks they are needed. We need deputy game wardens 
in all counties where there are any violations of game and 
fish laws, and I hope that our next Legislature will 
remedy this by passing a bill giving this power to our 
State game warden, but I am personally not in fayor of 
giving him a salary, as I think he ought to get his pay 
out of the fines coming from the prosecuting of cases by 
him or his assistants. That is the law for West Virginia 
as it stands to-day. The game warden is to get twelve 
hundred dollars of the fines so collected, and over the 
amount of twelve hundred is to have twenty ijer cent, of 
all other fines collected by or through him or his 
assistants. 
I notice from some of j^our contributors* articles, a 
tendency to disbelieve any contributor as to the best 
hunting place or as to the reports of game killed in one 
section of country. If any gentleman doubts as to my 
report of over eighty deer being killed within a radius 
of eight miles of Romney, I will, if he will pay the 
notarys' fees, send him a sworn statement from thirty 
reliable men of this section as to the truth of my state- 
ment. 
We have had a comparative open winter here so far, 
and the chances look bright for our next season. The 
cross tie men begin their rafting down the river with the 
spring rise, and I look for a repeatal of their disgraceful 
catching of bass like they did last year. However, as 
your scribe lias been appointed assistant game warden by 
the Hon. Frank Lively, of Hinton, W. Va., who is our 
State game warden, I do not think they will get off as 
easy as they did last spring. 
In a short article in your paper I noticed some remarks 
about game in Indian Territory. I spent the spring and 
summer of 1898 in the Creek nation, and made a few ob- 
servations there myself on the game. I found a great 
many quail and quite a lot of prairie chickens and some 
few deer and a scattered flock or so of wild turkeys. It 
would undoubtedly be a sportsman's paradise if the 
market-hunter and trapper was not in evidence there. 
But within a mile of a gentleman's ranch on which I 
stayed lived a man who shot the cock prairie chicken in 
August while the hen was on its nest, and shot and 
trapped quail all the year round for the cold storage busi- 
ness in St. Louis. In fact, he made his entire living that 
way, and there were many others who lived as he did. 
While I was in Lincoln county, Oklahoma, I saw black 
bass caught in a seine in a tributary of the Cimarron 
River. They were of the same species we have in the 
South Branch of the Potomac. Possibly my letter is 
growing too long^ J. B. Brady. 
Farmers and Sportsmen. 
Michigan City, Ind.—Editor Forest and Stream: In 
your issue of Jan. 13 a correspondent in Cleveland, O., 
writes a dolorous plaint about the troubles of poachers 
("sportsmen," he calls them) in Medina and Lake coun- 
ties, east of Cleveland, and complains that farmers, in- 
stead of warning off traspassers and allowing them to 
leave without putting them to any further annoyance, 
actually hasten for a constable and have them arrested. 
It seems there is a law in Ohio which provides for a 
fine of $5 for trespassing and $20 for hunting with fer- 
rets upon any farm without the consent of the owner, 
but your correspondent intimates that the wail of the 
poachers may be heard in Columbus, and thus bring 
relief from those whom he characterizes as "cold-blooded 
farmers, justices of the peace and constables." Here the 
writer develops an unconscious humor and intimates 
that it may come in the shape of a bill which will de- 
fine the rights of sportsmen when on other peoples' prop- 
erty. 
It is evident that the farmers of Ohio, as elsewhere, 
are waking up and at last realizing that it they wish their 
rights respected they must treat the people who steal 
their game as they would those who plunder their chicken 
coops or melon patches, making them pay the penalty 
of their misdeeds. 
Warnings that no hunting is allowed, if nothing more 
IS done, soon cease to be regarded. It comes to be un- 
derstood among the gentry to whom these notices are 
given that Bill Smith, Jim Jones and John Johnson, your 
correspondent's supposititious farmers, will only oVder 
you off his place, so they take their chances of the owner 
being away from home or on some distant part of the 
farm. If he hears them he must stop his work and walk 
half a mile through the fields to tell them what they 
know perfectly well— that they are violating the law by 
shooting on his farm without permission. 
The truth is, there is no legitimate use for one shotgun 
out of fifty owned m our towns; they are nearly all used 
either m killing game which the owner of the land would 
protect if he could, or else in slaughtering harmless small 
birds, which are 'protected" so far as a statute which no- 
body pays any attention to can protect them. The major- 
ity of shotgun ownsrs do not possess an acre of land 
and never expect to go through the formality of obtain- 
ing a shooting privilege from some one who does They 
swarm m the country for amusement and expect to 
trarnp over a man's farm, kill the game he is reservinc. 
for himself, or his friends, or which will make it possible 
for him to sell the shooting privileges, and if discovered 
they raise a wail because they are arrested instead of 
being only warned off. 
There should be a gun license costing about $5 per 
year tor shotguns, and no one should be allowed to use 
such a gun off his own premises, except at trapshootino- 
or some such harmless competition. Farmers should 
unite m a determined effort to stop any shooting without 
a written permit from the owner or occupier. 
There is plenty of room for ten times the small game 
we now have without any detriment to the farming in- 
terests; and if each land owner would work for its pro 
tection there would hardly be a twentv-acre tract without 
Its covey of quail, or a piece of woodland without a k\v 
partridges and squirrels. 
If this is done farmers will find to their surprise that 
their farms are producing a new crop without cost to 
themselves and that men from town are willing to pay 
liberally for the privilege of harvesting it. 
The theaters in the cities are filled night after night 
with people who pay from $1 to $2 for an evening's 
amusement, and many city men would gladly pay more 
for a day's shooting where there was assurance of game 
enough to afford sport — or the full value of the birds for 
the privilege of killing them himself. 
I rejoice at each additional "no shooting" sign, and 
hope soon to see every farm protected. To illustrate 
how the idea is growing in the West, I inclose a notice 
from an Indiana paper, signed by eighty-four farmers in 
one township in De Kalb; county, who unite to stop 
shooting on their lands. Lexden. 
The notice inclosed by our correspondent is from the 
Auburn (Ind.) Courier, and reads: 
We. the undersigned citizens of Richland township, 
De Kalb county. State of Indiana, do hereby warn the 
public against hunting or shooting on the premises of 
.said undersigned parties. Any person or persons found 
violating the warning herein contained, wijl be prose- 
cuted according to the law. 
Cecil County, Md., Jan. 23.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: A number of farmers, myself among the num- 
ber, propose to form an association for the better pro- 
tection of the game and birds on our farms, and to con- 
trol the lawless element that seems >beiit on a hunt of 
extermination. 
Would you kindly advise us where we can get a copy 
of constitution and by-laws suitable for such association? 
Of course, it is not likely we can find one that would suit 
us in every particular, but it would afford us the ground- 
work upon which to build. 
Our purpose is to prosecute trespassers, as an asso- 
ciation, no matter on which member's property they may 
be found, the expense of said prosecution to be paid 
from a general fund contributed by all the members. 
Very truly yours, 
John R. Allen. 
Connecticut Association of Farmers and Sports- 
men fof the Protection of Game and Fish. 
Constitution aud by-laws of the Connecticut Association o£ 
Parmers and Sportsmen lor the protection of Game and Fish, 
Hartford, Conn.: 
CONSTITUTION. 
The name of this Association shall be the Connecticut Asso- 
ciation of Farmers and Sportsmen for the Protection of Uanie 
and Fish. 
The objects of tliis Association shall be: 
First— To protect game and fish within this State to the reason- 
able, legitimate and equal benefit and use of those legally en- 
titled thereto for the purpose of food and enjoyment, sport and 
recreation, and in that behalf to promote the due and speedy 
enforcement of all laws relating to such urotection. 
Second— To protect the farmers against those persons who 
mutilate stock, tear down fences or walls and do shooting or fi.sh- 
mg on Sundaj'. 
Third— To prevent all violations possible of such laws as relate 
to fish and game within the State. 
Fourth— To make and prefer information against violators of 
such laws, aud to detect, prosecute and bring to justice all 
offenders against such laws, and punish them according to law 
and supervise such prosecution. 
Also, to use and exercise careful supervision and observance 
of all matter relating or pertaining to the subject matter above 
referred to. 
The te.-i-itory over which the Association will exercise super- 
vi.'ion and influence shall be the State of Connecticut. 
Each member is bound and obligated to obey and observe and 
not knowingly violate any of the game or fish laws in force 
within this State, nor permit it to be done by another if he can 
prevent it. 
Fifth— To use all consistent efforts to detect violation of such 
laws and report to the officers of the Association, or to the 
public authorities in that behalf, all violations of such laws coming 
to his knowledge or information, to the end that tlie offenders 
may be prosecuted and brought to justice. 
BY-LAWS. 
The corporate management and business affairs of the Con- 
necticut Association of Farmers and Sportsmen for the Pro- 
tection of Game and Fish shall be under and according to the 
follo\ving by-laws, niles and regulations: 
Article 1.— The office of this Association shall be at the city 
of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. 
Article 2.— The officers of the Association shall be a president, 
vice-president, secretary and treasurer, and a board of directors 
to be composed of eight directors and the president. There may 
be such e.Kccutive or other committees as the Association may 
see lit to apponU. 
Article 3,— An annual meeting* of members to elect officers 
nnd transact other business shall be held on the 
in each year at — or at the office of 
the A.ssociation, if there be one other than the 
provided by the board of directors. 
Notice of the annual meetings to be given by the secretary 
to all members who have paid dues for the year preceding the 
meeting, by mailing notice thereof to each member two days 
prior to the meeting. Such notice may likewise be gi-ven by the 
president or vice-president. Notice may be also published in one 
or mere papers it expedient. Special meetings of members may 
be called by resolution of the board of directors or upon re- 
quest of five members m the same manner as annual meetings, 
and have tlie same power except to elect directors 
Article 4.— A quorum to transact business at an annual meet- 
ing or special meeting shall be composed of not less than five 
members present in person with at least three other persons 
or represented by proxy. If by proxy, to be filed by the sccretarv 
ot the meeting. 
Article 5.— The constitution or by-laws shall not be changed or 
arnended except at an annual or at a special meeting of members 
called for that purpose. To constitute a quorum to vote upon 
a change of the constitution, not less than eight members shall 
be personally present, and at least ten others represented in 
person or by proxy. No change or amendment of the constitution 
or by-laws shall be voted upon at such a meeting unless such 
proposed change or amendments shall theretofore have been 
adopted or recommended by the board of five directors or iu 
which at least six directors shall concur ' 
Article 6.— The president and eight directors chosen at annual 
elec ion shall hold their othces till the next annual meeting and 
until their successor.? are chosen and qualify, or until a qilorum 
ot the newly elected board of directors shall qualify t " u i 
Article 7.-It shall be the duty of the president to preside 
over the meetings of the board of directors. t^ic^iuc 
He shall also preside at the annual and special meetings of the 
Association. Any annual or special meeting of members, mav 
m their discretion, choose a chairman of such meeting in which 
case the chairman so chosen shaU preside thereat 
Article 8.-The dues which shaU constitute membership shall 
be the sum of $1 from each member for each year, and is payable 
to the secretary at the annual meeting and shall be for the vear 
then ensuing Each ?1 paid by any person shall be deemed a 
membership for the current year; and each membership shall be 
entitled to one vote at annual or special meeting. Any nerson 
may hold one or more memberships. Any farmer in the Statp 
can have one membership free antl is entitled to a vote on th^ 
same. • 
Article 9 — The board of directors or their authorized committee 
may offer a reward not eKceeding $50 at any one time for in- 
formation leading to the detection and successful prosecution ot 
■iiolations of the game or fish laws aad appoint sueh ageatB ser- 
ants or detectives as may seem necessary or expedient in better 
carrying out the objects of the Association, in enforcing the 
game and fish laws. They may also define and limit the powers 
and duties of such agents, servants or detectives, within the 
scope and object of the Association, and for their compensation. 
Article 10. — The secretary shall have custody of the books, 
records and papers of the Association. Shall keep books of 
accounts of its affairs, and minutes of all the proceedings ot the 
board of directors and of the annual and special meetings, which 
at reasonable times shall be open to inspection of the members; 
and shall at all times be under the direction and control ot the 
board of directors. 
Article 11. — The treasurer shall have charge of all the moneys 
belonging to the Association, which shall be deposited in a 
Hartford bank, subject only to draft signed by the treasurer. 
The b-easurer shall pay all bills when properly approved by the 
president and secretary and submit a report thereof when called 
upon to do so. He shall also keep accurate accounts with all 
the members, and at the end of his term of office surrender all 
books, papers, funds and vouchers to his successor. 
Article 12.— Any director or officer convicted bv any court of 
violating the game laws of the State, shall from the time of such 
conviction cease to be such officer, and his office vacant; any mem- 
ber so convicted shall thereafter cease to be a member; and 
any member or officer guilty of violating the game laws, not 
so convicted, shall be removed and expelled therefor, by the 
board of directors after being inform.ed of the charges and leave 
to be heard in defense. Upon such hearing five directors shall 
conciir in the removal by vote taken on the question of guilt. 
Article 13. — The board of directors shall have no power to 
create any debt against the Association or make any expenditure 
beyond what there are funds in the treasury to pay. Nor shall 
they use or apply any funds of the Association to any purpose 
not within the object and scope of the Association, as defined 
by the constitution and by-laws, 
*Subject to call of president. 
New York Legfislaturc. 
Albany, Jan. 29. — When the game code was enacted in 
1892, and the tangless mess of game laws were repealed, 
everybody hoped that the game question would "stay put" 
for awhile. But the many amendments to that code have 
proved very discouraging to all sportsmen. 
And now comes the statutory revision commission with 
a general bill that wipes out the code of 1892, and the 
numerous amendments to it, and, in its place, offers a 
bill "for the protection of the forests, fish and game of 
the State," to be known as Chapter 31 of the general laws. 
It was introduced by Senator Brown, chairman of the 
Senate Committee on Forest, Fish and Game Laws. The 
printed number of the bill was 59, but it has been reprinted 
as number 210 of Senate bills. 
As this bill is the most important one on this subject 
that has been introduced since the code became a law, and 
as it will probably be printed a dozen times before it is 
passed (if it is passed), a brief glance at the occupations 
of the Senate and Assembly committees having it in 
charge may be of interest. 
In the Senate Committee: Brown is a lawyer from 
Watertown; Chaboon is a manufacturer of wood pulp 
from Au Sable Forks; Malby is a lawyer from Ogdens- 
burg; Ford is a lawyer from New York; Davis is a 
grain merchant from Brooklyn ; La Roche is a hardware 
man from Brooklyn^ and Havens is a merchant from 
Centre Moriches. 
In the Asseinbly Committee: Axtell (chairman) is a 
farmer from Barbourville, Delaware county; Hallock is 
an editor from Southold; Davis is a lawyer from New 
York; Doughty is an oyster planter from Inwood, Queens 
county; Beede is a hotel man of Beedes, in Essex county; 
Johnson is a lawyer from Plattsburgh ; Irwin is a 
physician from West Hebron, Washington county; Mar- 
son is a farmer from Whitesboro, Oneida county; Dusin- 
berg is a real estate man from Liberty, Sullivan county; 
Maher is a clerk and O'Connell is a plasterer, both from 
New York ; Holstein is a retired merchant, and Siems is 
an insurance man, both from Brooklyn. 
It may be questioned how much most of these com- 
mitteemen know in regard to the various things that will 
come before them in connection with the new game law. 
Mather. 
Rwxton's Life in the Far West. 
DenveRj Colo., Jan. 26. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I find in your issue of 6th instant that Mr. Kephart, of 
St. Louis, questions the facts stated by me a week or two 
earlier about Geo. Frederick Ruxton's books upon this 
Western country. It is fixed in my mind that I saw some- 
where the statement that a portion of the book "Life in 
the Far West" was prepared for the press after Ruxton's 
death. I have searched for a copy of the book, and 
yesterday succeeded in finding one, published by the 
Harpers in 1859. It contains a lengthy preface, with 
extracts from Ruxton's letters, and mention of his ill- 
ness and death, but not the explanation I hoped to find. A 
reading of the book carries conviction that it was not all 
prepared by the same hand, and hence the belief that 
Ruxton did not live to complete it does not seem unreason- 
able. The very grave mistake about the death of Bill 
Williams therein narrated is evidence to me that it was 
not the mistake of the care-taking Ruxton. Williams 
had not then been long dfead, and the story told in the 
book under consideration is so different from the facts 
that it reads like the fiction of some frontiersman who 
had a very slender foundation upon which to build. 
There was, however, one very serious mistake in my 
former letter, in which I mentioned the United States 
force which Ruxton sought to miss in his journey from 
Mexico to the Rocky Mountain region of the United 
States as General Price's, when it should have been stated 
as General Doniphan's command. Price did not appear 
upon the military carpet until fourteen or fifteen years 
later, and then in a very different war. A hasty and 
careless dictation was responsible for that blunder on my 
part. Wm. N. Byers. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
CALENDAR. 
The Forest and Stream's little calendar 
gfoes wherever asked for. One will come 
to you if you wish it. ^ 
