466 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Oct. ii, 1913. 
Methods” for a complete history of the observa¬ 
tions made by the Weather Bureau in substantia¬ 
tion of this theory. 
The U. S. Weather Bureau even goes fur¬ 
ther and points out the smoke trails through 
the valley and shows just how the particles of 
sulphur are carried promiscuously through the 
entire Salt Lake Valley. Quoting from its 
articles it says: “Careful observations have 
shown that the smelter smoke is blown against 
every foot of mountain surface on all sides of 
the basin like Salt Lake Valley practically every¬ 
day, and a record of the U. S. Weather Bureau 
shows that usually there are no more than three 
days a month when the smelter smoke is not 
mixed over all parts of the valley daily, and as 
thoroughly as mixing in a bowl.” It further 
says: “The sulphur dioxide gases rendered so 
abundant in our atmosphere by the smelters 
coming in contact with the moisture particles in¬ 
stantly form sulphuric acid," and in conclusion 
he says: “The smelter fumes continue the dep¬ 
redations throughout the farming community of 
the valley, being caused especially by the Murray 
Plant, but partially by the muzzled Midvale 
smelter, and while the damage is less to crops 
and live stock than formerly, when arsenic-pro¬ 
ducing ores were handled more abundantly, and 
while prompt settlement is usually made with 
the individual for most of the damage to crops 
and domestic animals, there is no compensation 
granted for the loss to the public for the valley 
shade trees. The trouble is said to be caused by 
the sulphuric acid deposited on fruit, which is 
sold in the local market and is reported by some 
as being the probable cause of certain stomach 
and intestinal disorders, and perhaps more im¬ 
portant, the damage to wildfowl and game birds.” 
The Weather Bureau estimates that ores 
running from 1 to as high as 45 per cent, sulphur 
is smelted in these valley smelters, and that of 
the solid matter thrown out consisting of carbon, 
sulphurous mineral matter, etc., twenty-two 
pounds of solids to the acre have been meas¬ 
ured. 
Farmers in the vicinity- of these smelters 
cannot sell hay brought to market because of 
the untoward effect upon the critter eating it. 
You will now ask why the disease is more 
prevalent in summer and autumn than at other 
times, simply because in the fall, winter and 
spring, when there are so many storms, there 
is so much moisture in the air that the amount 
of sulphuric acid formed is so thoroughly and 
overwhelmingly diluted that it is too weak to 
cause any trouble, whereas in the summer with 
no moisture in the air, and 300 tons of sulphur 
thrown from one stack daily, it falls on the vege¬ 
tation and ground in such quantities (ultimately 
reaching the duck preserves), that when the first 
rain thereafter occurs, sulphuric acid in such 
great quantities is thrown into the stream that 
every fowl and bird feeding in those waters is 
stricken. On my own initiative I concluded to 
make some chemical analyses of the Jordan River 
water, and thus far I am able to secure an acid 
reaction in every test that I have made. I am 
not an expert chemist and cannot make a quan¬ 
titative analysis. I can. however, make a qualita¬ 
tive analysis to the extent of showing an acid 
reaction in this stream, and with forty or fifty 
thousand ducks feeding in and drinking this 
water, and their little bodies serving as filters, 
many of them get enough of this chemical irri¬ 
tant—whatever it may be—to produce this sick¬ 
ness, and if our great and glorious government 
will only incorporate in the Weeks-McLean bill 
a proviso which will prevent all trade waste 
from polluting streams frequented by our wild 
game, this condition will soon disappear. 
The duck alone is not the only one suscepti¬ 
ble to the influence of this smoke and fog. How 
often do we find in our profession the frail and 
delicate man, woman or child with that char¬ 
acteristic cough through the winter months, 
which they cannot throw off, and it won’t be 
long until the public generally awakens to this 
nuisance and demand relief for their physical 
welfare. 
I am assailed on all sides for advancing this 
theory, but the clinical picture looks so reason¬ 
able to me that I cannot at the present time see 
anything which would justify a reasonable 
doubt. One says it is the sewer, another stag¬ 
nant water, another something else, but what 
are they doing to prove their theory? I don't 
make my statements dogmatic, and am open to 
reason at all times, and if anyone can prove that 
I am wrong, I take my hat off to him and accept 
his theory, but up to the present time no one 
else will do anything but talk; therefore, to start 
interest in this thing and to work it out to a 
satisfactory end, I submit the above. 
NOW, WHAT IS THE REMEDY? 
It is simple enough. Require the smelters 
to recover the sulphur from the gases and smoke 
emitted from their stacks. To do so will re¬ 
quire probably legal force, and if every sports¬ 
man in the country will take action in the matter, 
we should be able to get the United States 
Government to incorporate in the new Weeks- 
McLean game laws a provision covering all 
flagrant abuses such as this. We lose five mil¬ 
lion waterfowl yearly in LTah from the above 
cause. How about it, boys? 
Now, to summarize: 
The L T . S. Government has eliminated the 
contagious feature of the disease. 
We prove the existence of a chemical irri¬ 
tant by changing the environment of the birds. 
We prove the existence of sulphurous acid 
in the water by actual chemical test. 
We produce the disease experimentally by 
feeding a mixture containing sulphuric acid. 
Everyone knows the effect of sulphur taken 
internally. 
The Weather Bureau proves our statement, 
tracing the cause to the smelters. 
We concur with the findings at Washington 
as to its non-contagious character. 
It is an infection due to a chemical irritant 
in the water inhabited by these birds pure and 
simple. 
P. S.—The malady is upon us again this 
year and about as bad as ever. 
Minnesota, admitted into statehood in 1857, 
is a vast agricultural empire occupying a central 
position on the American continent. It covers 
a distance of 485 miles from north to south and 
354 miles from east to west, containing an area 
of 51,749,120 acres of land, of which 3,508,119 
acres are taken up by the 10,000 picturesque 
lakes which have made the State famous for its 
fishing and hunting and for its summer resorts. 
Death of Major Lacey. 
Major John F. Lacey, one of the foremost 
American workers for conservation, died at his 
home in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Sept. 29, at the age 
of 72. Thus has passed away a prominent figure 
in game protection, a worker of extraordinary 
enthusiasm and energy, and one who was chiefly 
responsible for several important game protec¬ 
tive acts now in force. 
Major Lacey served as representative in 
Congress for 16 years, from 1889 to 1891, and 
from 1893 to 1907. During this time he was 
connected with many measures relating to con¬ 
servation. It is largely due to his energy that 
the act of May 7, 1894, protecting birds and ani¬ 
mals in the Yellowstone National Park, was 
passed. He took advantage of the interest 
awakened by the capture red-handed of the 
buffalo butcher, Howell, by Captain (now Gen¬ 
eral) George S. Anderson, and pushed this long 
needed bill through Congress. In 1900 he in¬ 
troduced and carried through the so-called Lacey 
Act, regulating interstate commerce in game; 
in 1902 he introduced the Alaska game law; in 
1905 the act creating the Wichita Game Refuge 
in Oklahoma, and the appropriation for the 
herd of buffalo in the Yellowstone Park, and in 
1906 the National Monuments Act, and the law 
protecting birds on bird reservations. 
During his chairmanship of the House 
Committee on Public Lands, in 1904, the original 
bill for the protection of migratory birds was 
introduced by Hon. George Shiras, 3d, and Mr. 
Lacey became much interested in it. After re¬ 
tirement from Congress, he continued tO' study 
the subject, and proposed certain amendments in 
a bill introduced in the House by Hon. John 
W. Weeks, May 28, 1909, which is sometimes 
known as the Lacy Modification of the Migra¬ 
tory Bird Bill. 
After his retirement to private life, he con¬ 
tinued to interest himself in game legislation 
and was active in helping forward various im¬ 
portant measures. He assisted in codifying 
the penal laws in 1909, and in the work of secur¬ 
ing an increase in the appropriation for the 
maintenance of the buffalo herd in the Yellow¬ 
stone Park. 
This year he was appointed a member of 
the Advisory Board to consider the protection 
of migratory birds, and had his health per¬ 
mitted would have been an effective member. 
He was from first to last an earnest advocate 
of wild life conservation!, a singularly effective 
worker in this field, and what he had done led 
to his being often referred to as The Father of 
Federal Game Legislation. 
Unhappily, he did not live long enough to 
learn of the triumph of the effort to protect 
migratory birds or of the passage of the plumage 
clause in the tariff bill, but he may well have 
looked back with enormous satisfaction on the 
contributions he had niade to game protection, 
the value of which the public will properly esti¬ 
mate. Mr. Lacey’s name is attached to one or 
more of the most important protection measures 
that have ever been passed by Congress, and his 
name and work will long be remembered by all 
interested in this subject. 
It is said that 90.000,000 broom handles are 
used annually in the United States; one for each 
man. woman and child. 
