ftAran, 9, 1904. 
iil 1886, only 400 of this herd remained. It is undoubt- 
edly a fact that a similar catastrophe awaits the animals 
of Alaska, if, from any rnisapprehension of the facts, the 
true interests of the natives are disregarded, and the 
game animals slaughtered without restriction. 
In closing, we wish to thank you for your courtesy in 
addressing us through Mr. La Farge, and to say that 
we thoroughly appreciate the generous instinct which 
prompted you to intervene on behalf of the native Alas- 
kans, and we do not wish you to suppose that we are 
actuated by any sentimental regards for game as such, 
but we honestly believe that the maintenance of the 
present law is for the true and permanent interest of 
the natives. Very respectfully, 
(Signed) W. Austin Wadsworth. 
(Signed) Madison Grant, President. 
Secretary. 
Hotel Belleclaire, New York, March 11. 
Mr. MaMson Grant, Secretary of the New York Zoo- 
logical Society, 11 Wall Street, New York City.\ 
My Dear Mr. Grant— In answer to your niquines m 
reference to the killing of game in Alaska and especially 
that part of the killing in which the native element takes 
a part, I can only cite some of the things that have come 
under my personal observation. • • u 
In considering the native element m connection with 
the killing of game, we must divide them into two 
classes, the coast people and the inland people. 
The inland people are practically out of the question 
when considering laws for the protection of game, for 
the reason that there are but few places where the law 
could reach them. The largest white population and the 
largest native population is on or near the coast, and, 
vnfortunatelv, in a country characterized with so much 
coast line as Alaska", a very considerable of the animal 
life is in reach of the coast. Especially is this true of 
south-eastern Alaska and western Alaska. 
The deer are the principal game of south-eastern 
Alaska, and while there is one condition there that favors 
their perpetuation indefinitely, there are others that help 
very extensively toward their extermination. 
The first instance is in the character of the country 
that furnishes them everywhere during most seasons 
with the best of cover--but in the second, we might 
safely say that ninety per cent, of the country inhabited 
by the deer in south-eastern Alaska slopes from the 
rugged mountain ridges toward the sea. When the 
snows begin to pile up in the fall of the year the deer 
travel toward the lower levels and the sea, and the result 
is that eventually seventy-five per cent, of them, if not 
more are in the neighborhood of the coast and an easy 
prey 'to every class of hunter. At such time of year, 
when there was no law to protect these animals, the 
natives slaughtered them by the thousands, merely for 
the skins, which usually sold anywhere from fifteen to 
thirty-five cents each. It is safe to say that not more 
than ten per cent, of the flesh of these animals taken 
at such times was consumed. The coast natives are a 
fish eating people— their favorite food is abundant and 
more easily procured than the flesh of animals and for 
that reason they do not depend on the deer for food, 
but if left to their own inclinations, would slaughter it 
for the most insignificant profit. A thing again that js 
not necessary to their support, for their support comes 
almost solely through the capture of furs and as laborers 
at the salmon fisheries. 
The trade in deer skins in south-eastern Alaska grew 
to enormous proportions in the last ten years, and it 
allowed to continue in the same way for another ten 
years would very nearly exterminate the deer. 
We must not forget that an Indian would rather hunt 
all day for a deer skin that would bring him twerity 
cents than to do ordinary labor for one dollar and fifty 
cents, and in this particular character becomes a greater 
enemy to the life of the game than the av-.rage white 
This I am confident of— there is not one-half the num- 
ber of deer in Alaska to-day that there were ten years 
^^Another feature that has to do with the preservation 
of game animals in Alaska is that of the settlements, 
mostly mining. It is of no avail to prohibit white men 
from killing game for the market and to permit natives 
to kill what they like, when they like, for they not 
only take advantage of this to market great quantities 
of game, but white men take advantage of such_ a law 
by putting themselves behind the natives, and m this 
way speculate through the slaughter of game 
During a visit to Hattie Camp, thirty miles west of 
Fort Wrangel in the fall of 1902, I found that the people 
developing the mines there were using about ten deer 
a week and they told me that that was about the average 
the year through. These people, as well as the people 
o* all other mining camps in south-eastern Alaska, could 
get beef on short notice from Seattle, but they used the 
deer because it was cheaper. 
Scatter mining camps and settlements of this nature 
all through a country as they are now scattered through- 
out the coast country of Alaska and give them liberties 
in the consumption of game and they will soon destroy 
it and the native, if allowed, will prove an important 
element in its destruction, for the reason that he prefers 
to hunt rather than do ordinary labor, even though his 
pay is very much less. While in western Alaska last 
summer, a Mr. Peter Larsen, of Unga, told me that the 
fall before he and his Indian brother-in-law killed 
caribou until they had secured thirty fine heads, which 
they took to San Francisco and sold at a good profit. 
My experience teaches that the securing of these thirty 
marketable heads meant the killing of not less than one 
hundred animals, and the Indian brother-in-law was the 
screen behind which this scene was enacted. 
The natives and the white men married to natives 
and who, when pressed, can use the natives as a screen, 
supply the Appolla mines at Unga with caribou meat the 
year round, and will continue to do so as long as any 
special permit is granted the natives. The present law 
does not permit of white men going to sea for the pur- 
pose of hunting sea otter, that are now very nearly 
extinct, but the native is allowed to hunt and the white 
man manages to use him and get the profit. 
The natives of Bellkofsky kill caribou the year round 
and ship them to Unalaska to market 
Natives on the Bering Sea coast of the Alaska penin- 
sula kill caribou by the hundreds,, merely for the hides, 
which they sell to the traders for a most insignificant 
consideration. 
In the summer of 1902 one native killed near Chugathik 
bay. Cook Inlet, about twenty-five head of moose for 
the purpose of selling the meat to the Aurora Mining 
Co., and a very unfortunate feature of this killing was 
that the lazy Indian would not usually bring out more 
than a quarter or a half of an animal when killed, for 
the reason that to bring out a whole animal is rather 
more work than a native cares to perform at one time. 
During the summer of 1903 several placer mines, oper- 
ating with from forty to sixty men each, at the head of 
Cook Inlet, were supplied largely with moose meat taken 
by the native hunters, and the steamer Tyonic, that 
plied Cook Inlet, fed its crew and passengers all summer 
very largely on moose meat supplied by natives. If 
the natives of Alaska were dependent upon the game for 
food it would be heartless to deprive them of it, but it 
is a positive fact that the coast natives do not, and any 
legislation in their behalf as concerns the kiUing of game 
at once becomes a legislation in behalf of the sorriest lot 
'of white wretches that inhabit that country, and means 
eventually the extermination of the game, and that, too, 
almost before people generally realize what is taking 
place. There were ten caribou on the Alaska peninsula 
fifteen years ago to every one that can be found there 
to-day. Less than ten years ago hunters would take not 
released. In one section a little hole is made througli 
which the birds can leave one by one and go where 
they like. In other cases the birds are taken, a dozen 
or so at a time, out to the leased lands and there turned 
loose. 
Yet another experiment is being made on the poultry 
farm, where sections have been arranged, screened at 
the sides^ and top with fine wire, water running through 
each section and in each a breeding house being provided, 
as well as screens for the further shelter of the birds. 
Half of this place is devoted to Mongolian pheasants 
and the other half to partridges. George C. Chase, the 
poulterer, appears to be very confident that he will suc- 
ceed in rearing both pheasants and partridges in this 
way. The pheasants are to be used quite largely in 
stocking both the Pinehurst estate and the leased lands. 
If Mr. Tufts can get 50,000 acres around his estate in 
a block then this raising of pheasants will be a great 
success, no doubt, as the country seems to be pretty 
well suited to them. But the land is now held "em 
bloc," as there are here and there among his leased 
properties lands which the owners refuse to allow to^ 
pass from their control. This is rather awkward, but 
perhaps may be overcome. However, Mr. Tufts is going; 
to try the pheasant-raising anyhow, and the experiment 
on so large a scale in North Carolina will be watched; 
with interest. This is the first season that hunting has 
gone on regularly at Pinehurst, and considering the open^ 
country and the relative scarcity of the birds, the bags. 
THE QUAIL YARDS AT PINEHURST. 
less than two hundred skins of the big brown or Mer- 
riam's bears in one spring on Muller bay with but little 
effort. Ten skins is a big production to-day. 
Ten years ago a single hunter would take in a short 
spring's hunt on Stephana Flats on the Alaska penin- 
sula, north of the Shumagin group of islands, forty or 
fifty skins of the Merriam's bears, and there are not 
enough bears there to-day to entice even a single hunter 
who would be satisfied with a couple of skins. 
I have mingled with almost every element known to 
that north country in almost every section, and I know 
of few places where the protection of animal life has 
not now become one of serious importance. But the 
animal life of that country cannot be protected as long 
as the natives are given special liberties. 
Very sincerely, 
(Signed) Andrew J. Stone. 
Quail Stocking in North Carolina. 
The writer spent a day or two at Pinehurst, largely 
with a view to seeing the hunting facilities at that noted 
resort, and found some very interesting things going 
on. There are 6,000 acres in the estate, and 30,000 acres 
outside are under lease by Mr. Tufts, the sole owner of 
Pinehurst. For some of these leased lands, used as a 
preserve, the owners are paying a fixed rental, while 
in other cases the taxes are paid. Partridges (quail) 
are the principal game. The country is very open, the 
large timber being the long-leaf pine, which in most 
cases has been devoured by the sawmills, while much 
of course has been destroyed by the forest fires, a great 
curse in that section. The country is very rolling, at 
the foot of every sand hill being a thicket pf bay and 
gallberry bushes, through which little streams, very 
clear, run all the year. Partridges have never been 
very abundant in that country, as there is not food 
enough for them; but to remedy this, cornfield peas are 
being planted by the Pinehurst people. Cattle and hogs 
run at large, hence the pea patches have to be fenced 
with wire. At the poultry yard at Pinehurst_ a very 
singular sight was seen, this being 2,000 partridges in 
wire-screened divisions of the poultry yards. On top 
of these divisions is a great canopy of white cloth, so 
that if the birds become frightened and fljr they will 
not injure themselves, the meshes of the_ wire netting 
at the sides being very fine and not injurious to them. 
A photograph, which was very artfully taken, accom- 
panies this article and shows the ground under the 
screens literally covered with partridges. While some 
of these were caught in this State, the greater number 
came from Kansas. The Kansas birds are darker than 
those from North Carolina, but those from both States 
are of about the same size. The birds are now being 
have been fair, though, of course, not half what they 
are in the sections of the State where small grain and 
peas are grown so largely. There isn't any question that 
the cow pea is the very best food for partridges — makes 
bigger birds and fatter ones, and carries them through 
all sorts of weather, since it takes a very deep snow 
to cover two-thirds of the pea vines, and even then with 
a little scratching there is the grain ready for use by the 
partridge (as every North Carolinian knows him), 
Fred A, Olds. 
New York Spring Duck Shooting 
The hearing given by the New York Senate Commit- 
tee on Fish, Forests and Game on the subject of the 
Hubbs bill was held March 23 in the Senate Chamber at 
Albany. 
The opposing factions were not so evenly divided as 
at the hearing one year ago, which preceded the passage 
of the bill abolishing spring shooting. The Senator and 
three Assemblymen from Long Island, Mr. W. K. Post, 
and one or two Long Islanders commercially interested 
m the practice of spring duck shooting, represented those 
in favor of the bill, while among those who opposed there 
was a large delegation from New York city as well as 
from the central and western portions of the State. 
Eight or ten important game protective clubs sent dele- 
gations to the meeting, Mr. W. T. Hornaday, Director of 
the New York Zoological Park, represented the New 
York Zoological Society, and the Boone and Crockett 
Club; Mr. Wm. Dutcher represented the American Or- 
nithologists' Union, the Linnasan and the Audubon So- 
cities; Dr. T. S. Palmer, of the Biological Survey of 
Washington, and Mr. Robert B. Lawrence, formerly 
President of the New York Fish, Forest and Game 
League, were present. 
Mr. Hornaday made the opening address in favor of 
the existing laws, and was followed by Mr. Dutcher. 
An excellent speech was made by Mr. Robert B. Law- 
rence and Dr. Palmer closed the argument, illustrating 
his remarks by a number of tables and diagrams. These 
showed, among other things, that in the Chesapeake Bay 
and in North Carolina, where wildfowl are thought ta 
be very plenty, and where it is claimed they may be shot 
during a _ long open season that, taking out the "rest- 
days" during that season, when shooting is not permitted, 
those States have in one case ten days, and in one nine 
days less shooting than the existing law gives in New 
York. The repeal of the existing law would give New 
York more than double the number of shooting days had 
in Maryland or North Carolina. 
The hearing lasted for over three hours and there was 
an opportunity for everyone to speak his mind. What 
action the committee will take is of course not known, 
but those who listened to the arguments on both sides 
