106 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
tAxJG. 9, 1002. 
some one say, How in the world do you make that out? 
It is now conceded, I believe, among the nations, since 
our recent war with Spain, and in the Philippine Islands, 
that our soldiers, sailors and generals are the best upon 
the globe, and that our comiiion soldiers, both regular and 
volunteer, have the instincts of generalship so strongly in 
them, that, it is said, if all the superior officers of a 
command were to be Idlled in action their places would 
be competently filled from the ranks. How is this? 
there must be some reason for it. It is true that we have 
good military, training schools, but perhaps no better than 
some other nations have ; then there must be some other 
reason for it ; and who may say that these qualities of 
bravery and independence in such high degree have not 
been inherited from the fathers of our country who had to 
guard continually against the savage native inhabijiants 
of the land, and be prepared at all times with rifle in 
hand to defend themselves against savage wild animals 
while establishing their frontier homes in the wilderness? 
This frontier wilderness life, as we all know, necessitated 
a continued familiarity with the rifle as a means of defense, 
and for killing the wild game — which was found in such 
profusion everywhere — and used as part of their daily 
subsistence. The rifle was their constant companion Avhile 
in the woods, and hung with the powder horn and bullet 
pouch on a convenient antler rack perhaps over the fire- 
place, where it could be instantly reached in case of a 
surprise, when at home, and the constant handling of the 
weapon brought the wonderful perfection in shooting that 
we read of as being done by Davey Crockett and other 
worthies at shooting matches. And we haA',e shooting 
matches yet, at which Davey's shooting would have to 
take a back seat, but this is due perhaps to the superiority 
of rifles and ammunition now in use. May > we not then 
safely presume that the superiority of our soldiers and 
generals is due largely to the opportunities for field sports 
that have existed in the past in the hunting of wild game, 
and which develops a ira-tural aptitude in the use of the 
rifle and gun? And if this be so, .should not every pos- 
sible effort be made to preserve our wild game for the 
purpose of giving our young men practical field oppor- 
tunities to. perfect themselves in the use of the rifle and 
gim and the exercise of considerable generalship neces- 
sary in the successful still-hunt and capture of all of 
cur wild game animals, insted of permitting them to be 
killed by market-hunters. Taking this view of the matter, it 
would seem that the general Government would be justi- 
fied in making a national law prohibiting the farther de- 
struction of our large game animals, at least for market 
and sale. 
WHAT FISH AND GAME MEAN TO A STATE. 
BY F. W. SCOTT, STATE GAME AND FISH WARDEN OF MONTANA. 
Few people realize that the fish and game of a State are 
one of its most attractive natural resources ; they seem to 
think, and especially in the West where they have been 
in the habit of killing whenever they so desired, and at all 
times of the year, that the fish and game are of no ma- 
terial consequence other than to be killed whenever found. 
They have been so accustomed to paying no attention to 
the game laws, that as soon as these laws are passed and 
enforced, these people rise up and exclaim that these 
laws are for a lot of sports and dudes that live in the 
cities, and are enacted for no other purpose than to pre- 
serve the game for these people to come from the towns 
and cities each year to hunt and fish. They claim that the 
fish and game belong to everybody, and that it ought to 
be killed whenever they see fit to do so; that the laws 
for the protection of fish and game are oppressive, and 
that the expense attached to their enforcement is a need- 
less and useless tax upon the State and the people. These 
arguments of course come from people who are either un- 
friendly to the protection of game or who have not studied 
the question. 
As an advertising medium for the West, the game and 
fish cannot be over-estimated. Most people would con- 
sider one a fit subject for the insane asylum if he put 
forth this argument; but let us stop and consider the 
proposition for a few minutes. There is hardly a capi- 
talist or rich man in the East who does not enjoy the sport 
of fishing and hunting, and who does not look forward 
each year to the pleasures of his hunting trip. He is 
constantly inquiring about the best localities for_ hunting, 
and is looking over the sporting papers at all times and 
noting the sections of the country where the most game 
is to be found. If he is looking for large game, and he 
almost always is, he finds that the West or Northwest 
affords the best opportunities in this line; he finds that al- 
most all species of bear can be found in the Rockies, that 
the lion and cougar are also there, that the noble elk are 
found by the thousands, that the black and white tailed 
and mule deer are plentiful, that on the crags and peaks 
can be found the almost now extinct Rocky Mountain 
sheep; that the Rocky Mountain goat is also found in 
larger numbers than in any other locality in the country; 
that the -stately moose, too, frequents these haunts; that 
most of the animals native of North America are there, 
such as the wolf, both timber and prairie, the coyote, 
lynx, bobcat, fox, swift, martin, otter, beaver, mink, and 
all the others; that the feathered game are more than 
plentiful, the grouse in the high mountains, pheasants 
along the streams, quail and prairie chickens in the 
valleys; that on the lakes and rivers ducks, geese, brant 
and swan are found by the thousands ; aside from its 
grand game resources, the finest trout fishing is to be 
had, almost every little rivulet and mountain stream is 
abundantly stocked with the little speckled mountain trout, 
while in the larger streams and rivers, the three and 
four pounder is to be found with not a few of those 
larger ones which make the angler's heart so glad. After 
finding out these things he naturally considers the West 
for his next hunting trip in the fall, and at last decides 
to come to Montana (using my own State for example). 
When he got to the Crows' Reservation in Montana 
and looked out of the car window, he was more than 
surprised to find that the country was a vast expanse of 
tilled fields, well fenced, with stack after stack of hay 
and grain; he noticed that those working the fields were 
peculiar-looking, and after making inquiry found that 
they were the Crow Indians tilling the soil on their 
reservation, and that all these fields and ranches, grain 
and stock, belonged to these Indians and they had some 
of the finest land in the United States; he also found 
out that instead of these Indians being blood-thirsty and 
wild, they were civilized and industrious, and that on 
their reservation they had good schools and churches, 
comfortable frame and log houses instead of teepees, as 
he had supposed; that they raised their own crops and 
tilled their own soil under the direction of the "boss 
farmer," who is a white man and employed by the Gov- 
ernment; that they owned thousands of fine horses and 
cattle, and were in a very prosperous condition, if not to 
say rich. He was surprised, if not awed, at the revela- 
tion; he could not believe his eyes, and what he had 
heard; could it be possible that all that he had heard of 
this country in the East was false? But he journeyed 
along all eagerness and excitement; he saw from the train 
ft most beautiful country; on each side of the track were 
farms with comfortable houses and fine barns, and stock 
in countless numbers on every hand. In the course of a 
few hours they ran into Billings, and there he saw the 
hustle and bustle everywhere of business and city life, so 
imlike the towns of its size in the East; he saw the 
large flour mill puffing and humming and the line of teams 
hauling away its product; he saw the magnificent brewery 
which would be a credit to a city five or six times its 
size; he saw the great wool depot where hundreds of 
men and teams were working, and out of which last year 
was shipped and handled 14,000,000 pounds of wool; he 
also saw the large department stores and mammoth ware- 
houses, the beautiful business blocks, and residences, 
streets lined with trees, lawns even and green. This was 
his introduction into the wild and uncivilized West; and 
as he continues his journey to Bozeman, a hundred miles 
distant, he sees the same continued li'ne of fine farms and 
the thousands of stock. As he passes the little town of 
Big Timber he finds that they have a woolen mill located 
there, and that this town of only a few hundred inhabi- 
tants has an electric light plant and other modern im- 
provements and two large department stores whose stocks 
will amount to half a million of dollars; this is the out- 
fitting and supply point for the vast stock country sur- 
rounding it. His next stop is at Livingston, where the 
first thing that meets his gaze is the beautiful depot 
of the Northern Pacific Railroad; it is indeed an elegant 
structure, one of the finest in the country, far surpassing 
like structures in most Eastern cities. This, too, is a 
bustling town, and surrounded by an immense amount of 
productive farming country. From here on to his des- 
tination he passes through the Gallatin Valley, one of the 
most fertile and productive spots in the whole world. As 
far as his eye can see, even to the foot oi the majestic 
mountains in the distance, is one vast area of grain 
stubble, where here and there a threshing machine and its 
crew are hard at work. His eyes and mind are .still fixed 
on the scene when the brakeman's call of "The next stop 
will be Bozeman," arouses him. He jumps and hurriedly 
gathers together his effects, at the same time wondering 
what other revelations and surprises are in store for him. 
The train stops and he alights, and the first object that 
meets his eye is the fine large brewery across from the 
depot; to his right and left are immense grain elevators, in 
the distance the flour mills, and before him stretches 
"Bozeman the beautiful." At this jimcture he is asked if 
his name is Smith, and turning sees a somewhat peculiar 
individual, who wore a slouch white hat, brown overalls, 
blue flannel shirt, canvas coat, and a handkerchief around 
his neck. He was a man about fifty, and his hair and full 
beard were streaked with gray. He assured the man 
that his name was Smith, whereupon that individual in- 
formed him that his name was Pete Jenkins, better known 
as Alkali Pete. Pete helped him on the car with his 
baggage and together they rode up to the hotel. Old 
Pete was anythkig but what he had expected to find him. 
When they arrived at the hotel he found that affair a 
most up-to-date institution. In. the evening Pete came 
to the hotel and together they -walked around the town 
and talked, and he was very much impressed with the old 
guide; he did not have much education, it is true, but 
he was bright and interesting. He found that almost 
everybody knew Pete and respected him; they said "that 
he was an old-timer and was as honest as the day was 
long, and as true as steel." During the few days in which 
they were assembling the necessary articles preparatory to 
starting on the trip, he grew to like the old man better 
each day, and they would sit in the hotel office in the 
evening and talk of the country, and the old man would 
introduce him to the prominent men of the place as they 
would happen in, and in this way he learned of the many 
resources of the country; he found that instead of being 
a barren waste, it was the most productive in the world. 
He hears of tlie barley so famous tha* most of it is ex- 
ported, of soil that produces 50 bushels of wheat, go 
bushels of oats, 400 bushels of potatoes to the acre on non- 
irrigated land. He is told of the wonderful fields of 
alfalfa that are cut three and four times a year. He has 
heard of the mines, and interested in what he has already 
heard, he inquires about them, he learns that the output 
of the minerals of the State for the last two years has 
been $128,000,000. Pie hears of opportunities of invest- 
ment and development. He meets men of highest educa- 
tion, bright, restless, energetic, the most progressive on 
earth, and he decides that as soon as he returns from his 
hunting trip he will look over the State before he returns 
home, which he does, and surprise follows surprise; 
everywhere the same gigantic enterprises; on all sides 
the same great natural resources ready to reward the in- 
vestor a hundred fold; these things appeal strongly to his 
trained sense of sagacity; it is not a fever of speculation 
as in his own part of the country; it is legitimate busi- 
ness enterprise. Before he has started on his return 
journey, some piece of land, a particularly nice bunch of 
cattle or sheep, some mining or milling proposition, an 
opportunity for a mercantile establishment in some grow- 
ing town has interested him to such an extent that he has 
concluded to make an investment. He returns home the 
best possible advertisement that our great commonwealth 
could have. He knows how to interest others, and he 
tells his friends of what he has seen and done, and about 
their false impressions of the West. The following year 
his hunting party consists of five or six of his friends; 
they too become interested — perhaps a company is formed 
and some business enterprise of great value is the result. 
It should not be forgotten that the social attitude of 
these men, brought into the State solely with a view of 
recreation, is entirely different from what it usually is at 
home; there is a comradeship known only to sportsmen, 
the humblest hunter or fisherman is "a hale fellow well 
met," they are friendly and approachable. In the boat or 
camp they are as different from what they are in their 
Eastern offices as day and night. They are in a receptive 
mood and they will listen with interest to the story of a 
prospect, that in their buisiness hours at home would not 
command a single thought. During the quiet hours of 
rest after a successful day's sport, in company of men who 
have located valuable prospects, but are without means to 
develop them, occurs the opportunity of a life time to 
secure the assistance of the capitalist; under no other 
circumstances would or could the two men get so close to- 
gether. We need capital to develop our resources. The 
Eastern man is looking for favorable opportunities for in- 
vestment. The certainty of being rewarded for his long 
journey in quest of game will surely attract him to this 
part of the country, and a knowledge of the actual con- 
ditions will in many cases secure him as a permanent in- 
vestor. In this way the protection of game plays its part 
in the upbuilding of our great Northwest. Millions of 
dollars of Eastern capital have been invested here whose 
owners were- first attracted by the hunting and fishing, 
and nothing should be overlooked that will induce others 
to come and do likewise. 
THE BENEFITS OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN 
THE STATES. 
Gcntlemein mid Brother Game Protectors: 
I have been asked by Mr. Scott, the efficient State Game 
Warden of Montana, to prepare something for this meet- 
ing along the lines of "The Benefits of Co-operation Be- 
tween the States," also on the "Need of Legislation, If 
Any." 
"in union there is strength" is an old saying, but it is 
true as gospel when applied to co-operation between States 
in the matter of game protection. We live in a favored 
age, in a time when men — thoughtful men — are paying 
'close attention to game protection. Our prominent men 
are not afraid now to be classed as in hearty accord with 
every move that is for the enforcement of good game 
laws. I am glad to say that at the head stands our 
honored President, Theodore Roosevelt. His very ex- 
ample has strengthened and will help the cause we are 
here to promote. In my own State the men who hold 
prominent positions are with us. Our Attorney-General, 
W. B. Douglas, knows the difference between a rifle and 
a shotgun, and as a legislator in our State house and now 
as Attorney-General, has always been found enthusiastic- 
ally advocating strict game laws and their enforcement 
He is the author of several of the laws v^e have now on 
our statute books in regard to game legislation. So with 
our Governor, Van Sant; in fact, very few of our public 
men of to-day are not in hearty sympathy with our work. 
But to accomplish the best results we must get to- 
gether. Let me call attention to a few examples of the 
benefits of co-operation that this paper has to deal with. 
Take a shipment of game for example. Say it leaves 
Bismarck, N. D., its destination Chicago. There is com- 
plete harmony between the States it will pass through. It 
reaches St. Paul, where it has to be transferred ; there the 
warden is on the look out. It may be shipped as butter, 
household goods, dressed poultry, or a score of other 
devices known to the game dealer may be used; but an 
alert warden notes at once that it looks suspicious, and 
upon investigation finds that it contains game from North 
Dakota, a State that prohibits shipment outside her own 
borders. It is immediately seized and the game warden 
of North Dakota notified, a complete report made, a copy 
of the way bill or_ express receipt, with the man's name 
or number who shipped it, secured; and all the informa- 
tion that he could gather that would be of use to the 
North Dakota authorities is furnished. 
This is a sample, but thousands of cases have actu- 
ally happened under our supervision in Minnesota of a 
similar nature. You all ixnderstand the tricks resorted to_ 
by the game and fish dealers. We have seized shipments 
in milk cans, in egg cases, in butter tubs with a thin 
layer of butter on top, shipped in barrels as potatoes, in 
cars as wood, and they have even shipped it in coffins 
and had a fake certificate purporting to have been issued 
by the Board of Health. I could give a great many in- 
stances of the workings of co-operation that have come 
under my observation in connection with our work in 
Minnesota. I will simply notice a few. 
In 1897 we had a man named Davis, of Detroit, Minn. 
He was a persistent game law violator, and one of the 
vi'orst ever known in Minnesota, and our warden had 
instructions to watch him closely; but with all our vigi- 
lance he managed to smuggle out a lot of game, for he 
was a past master in the business and had been engaged 
in it for years. He was veiy successful in getting his 
game to the Eastern markets, where large prices awaited 
him. We were aware of the fact that he was preparing 
to ship at one time sixteen hundred birds to Boston and 
New York markets, and with our warden watching him 
he managed to get them out of the State and into Fargo. 
N. D. Our warden found it out immediately and wired 
me at St. Paul. I took the first train to Fargo and called 
to my assistance the then State Game Warden, the Hon. 
Geo. E. Bowers. He and I were working in. harmony 
and had rendered each other some assistance before. The 
game was in a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul car, and 
sealed ready to be shipped; on my arrival I made a de- 
mand on the agent, telling him that it Avas Minnesota 
game; he simply gave me the laugh, saying that I might 
have some authority in Minnesota, but in North Dakota 
I was a dead one. Then the practical workings of co- 
operation were put in play. Bowers got a search warrant, 1 
broke open the car, got the game and handed it back to 
me as a representative of Minnesota. We indicted Davis 
on four different counts before the Clay County Grand 
Jury, but through the hostility of the presiding judge to- 
ward all game laws, Davis was fined $40 and costs — a« 
mere farce — but I am satisfied that you gentlemen have 
had similar experiences, and we have got to put up with 
them. We did get the game, however. I am glad to 
say that in Minnesota, occurrences of this kind are very 
rare, as our courts have invariably upheld the game lawK ■ 
and punished offenders to the full extent. 
I 
