936 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[June 12, 1909. 
Round About the Crescent City. 
New Orleans, June 5.—Mr. Miller has given out 
a written communication to the press, in which 
he defends the commission in answer to charges 
made by the Caddo Parish Fish and Game As¬ 
sociation. Mr. Miller holds that game be¬ 
longs to the whole people and not to 85,000 
licensed hunters. He states that contrary to all 
expectations the game throughout the State is 
increasing in numbers and in value. Some of 
the wardens report an increa|Se of 25 per cent, 
and some an increase of 75 per cent., and, as the 
law becomes better understood and its pro¬ 
visions are more rigidly enforced, the increase 
is going to be phenomenal. He confidently ex¬ 
pects that under proper measures of conserva¬ 
tion the game animals will practically double 
themselves in numbers every four years. These 
conditions are so unusual that the experience 
of other commissions can not be considered. 
Louisiana stands alone in the vastness of her 
resources and the commission is called upon to 
adjudicate a trust which is not like that in other 
States, where the game is disappearing at a 
great rate, but here it is actually increasing in 
the face of untoward circumstances, and can be 
made to further increase by the adoption of 
scientific methods, 
‘‘The Caddo Association complains that the 
commission is attempting to ‘commercialize’ a 
sport. Just what they mean by that,” said Mr. 
Miller, ‘‘is hard to determine. They probably 
mean, however, that the commission is at¬ 
tempting not only to conserve the game, but to 
make it a source of revenue to the State, and 
it seems to us if these features can be accom¬ 
plished. that a high regard for the best interests 
of the State would dominate all persons. 
‘‘It might be safe to say, however that that 
question will have to be solved by the General 
Assembly, and that the commission can not take 
any action in the matter whatsoever. 
“The next General Assembly will also have 
to determine the ownership of the game. Does 
it belong to the 86,000 sportsmen who pay their 
one dollar license, or does it belong to the 
1,500.000 other residents of the State? 
“If it belongs to, the 86,000 licensed hunters 
the General Assembly must then decree by 
legislative enactment the total prohibition of 
the sale of game. The Caddo sportsmen say 
that they are in favor of this. Such a state¬ 
ment is absolutely unnecessary. Every one 
knows that they are. Every one knows that 
their object is to prevent the sale of game in 
order that they may have complete control of 
it. Can a few men take possession of this thing 
which a beneficent Creator has created for the 
benefit of all? Shall private interests subordi¬ 
nate public asset? It seems to me that this is 
the very curse of our present civilization, and to 
think that selfish, private interests would at¬ 
tempt to get control of a food supply with an 
annual approximate value of $5,000,000 is al¬ 
most past belief. Is it possible that the people 
of Shreveport, that is renowned through all 
the South for its progressive spirit and wise 
intelligence, will allow a few men. who have 
the time and the opportunity to go out and kill 
the game and the fish, dictate to the other resi¬ 
dents of the city that they can never enjoy 
this food supply? I believe that the citizens of 
your city will never submit to such an injustice 
as that. I doubt whether the members of the 
General Assembly from this parish will even 
listen to such counsel as that.” 
Both Mr. Miller and Mr. Ponder are out of 
the city engaged in a speaking tour e ver several 
parishes of the State, and will be gone for about 
ten days. They are delivering addresses at 
night in most of the small towns visited ana 
use illustrations thrown on the canvas. Mr. 
Miller shows the value of the bird to the farmer 
in destroying insects and noxious weeds, while 
I\Ir. Ponder tells of the conservation of game, 
the duties of the commission, the plans to be 
carried out and what the commission has ac¬ 
complished. They will speak in every one of 
the fifty-eight parishes of the State before the 
hunting season opens on Aug. i. Reports are 
to the effect that large audiences greet the 
speakers and hear them gladly. It is known as 
a campaign of education. 
One of the record reports of the season has 
come from St. Mary Parish, which is as fol¬ 
lows: Raccoons, 100,000; opossums, 10,000; 
muskrats, 50,000; otters, 40; minks, 20,000; with 
a total value of $109,040. The raccoons alone 
were worth $60,000. Another report of con¬ 
siderable interest to hunters is that from 
Natchitoches Parish, which shows a total of 
216,000 quail killed during the season which has 
just closed. This breaks all records for a single 
parish in Louisiana. This parish also reports 
117,325 ducks, 21,600 snipe, 25,000 squirrels, 14.440 
rabbits, 9.000 raccoons, 750 minks, 41 deer. 
Cameron Parish reports 51,000 ducks and 8.000 
geese and 14,000 muskrats. 
The largest report of game killed this season 
has come to the commission from Plaquemines 
parish, which is not very far from the mouth of 
the Mississippi River. According to the report 
of Game W'arden G. T. Smith the total value of 
the game for this parish is put down at $411,- 
000 and the surprising figures are given : Ducks 
killed, 965,000; deer, 325; muskrats, 500,000; 
raccoons. 35,000; minks, 12,000; otters, 350; jack- 
snipe, 2.700; brant or geese, 1,500; doves, 300; 
quail, 500; squirrels, 500. Several other parishes 
report from 75 to 150 deer killed during the past 
season. The showing made by the parishes dur¬ 
ing the season is considered remarkable. 
The game commission has just passed a ruling 
interpreting the law in reference to hunting squir¬ 
rels and rabbits. The commission holds that no 
one can hunt either squirrels or rabbits until 
Aug. I, although both of these animals had been 
placed in the category of being proper prey for 
anyone during the entire year; in other words, 
there was no closed season for rabbits and squir¬ 
rels in Louisiana. The commission holds that 
all hunting licenses expired on May 15, and as 
no one can hunt without a license, it follows 
that neither squirrels nor rabbits can be killed 
in the woods. 
The commission has adopted a strong resolu¬ 
tion opposing the movement which has for its 
purpose the enactment by the Legislature of a 
law which will prevent the sale of game in Louis¬ 
iana. The resolutions adopted are as follows: 
Whereas, the General Assembly having declared that 
the game found in the State is the property of the 
State, to be enjoyed by every one of her children with- 
cut any distinction whatever; and 
Whereas, a small minority of the 86,000 licensed hunt¬ 
ers in the State are planning to obtain possession of 
said game by having the General Assembly enact a 
law prohibiting the sale of game, thereby preventing 
the other 1,500,000 residents of the State from enjoying 
same; and 
Whereas, said plan is utterly antagonistic to the prin¬ 
ciples of true democracy, which does not countenance 
class distinction nor the subordination of public assets 
to the use and behoof of a privileged class; be it there¬ 
fore 
Resolved, That the Board of Commissioners for the 
Protection of Birds, Game and Fish place on record 
their determination to abide by the spirit as well as 
the letter of the law enacted by the General Assembly 
and will continue to adjudicate their trust in the in- 
terest of all the people of the State. 
F. G. G. 
Manitoba Field Trials Club. 
The honorary secretary-treasurer of the M. 
F. T. C., Winnipeg, Man., has sent out the fol¬ 
lowing circular letter: 
“Should you contemplate entering dogs in the 
Manitoba Field Trials Club, 1909 events, I beg 
to call your attention to the following arrange¬ 
ments that have been made in order to prevent 
expense, trouble or delay at any of the customs 
ports of entry, viz.; Gretna, Emerson or Win¬ 
nipeg. 
“All dogs that have been duly entered in any 
of the Adanitoba Field Trials Club events are 
allowed to enter Alanitoba and remain for ninety 
days, free of duty. 
“In order to benefit by this arrangement an 
accurate description of each dog is absolutely 
necessary, giving name, breed, sex, color, event 
entered in, owner’s name, name of person hav¬ 
ing charge, and line of railway entering Mani¬ 
toba must be mailed to the undersigned one week 
previous to date of arrival at port of entry. 
Dogs unless entered in the trials will be detained 
by the customs house authorities.” 
The club provides a programme of three 
stakes, Derby, All-Aged and Championship. 
The Derby Stake is for setters and pointers 
whelped on or after Jan. i, 1908. Entries close 
July I, 1909. Purse, $400; first, $200; second, 
$125; third, $75. Five dollars forfeit. Ten dol¬ 
lars for starters. 
The All-.Age Stake is for setters and pointers 
which have not won first place at any of the 
following trials: Eastern. Continental. National 
Championship, United States and Adanitoba. 
Entries close Aug. i, 1909. Purse. $400; first, 
$200; second, $125; third, $75. Five dollars for¬ 
feit. Ten dollars for starters. 
The Champion Stake is for setters and point¬ 
ers. Open only to dogs that have won a place 
in competition in Field Trials. Nominations to 
be made at time of draw. Ten dollars forfeit. 
Fifteen dollars additional to starters. Prize, a 
gold medal presented by the club to the owner 
of winning dog and $100 to the handler. First 
heat one hour, afterward at discretion of judges. 
The trials commence on Sept.* 8. 
Rhymes of Stream and Forest. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I received a copy of “Rhymes of the Stream 
and Forest” while I was on my fishing trip and 
read it within hearing of the creek. They 
chorded beautifully. Air. Buckland has that 
quality which wears well—sincerity. In him a 
sensitive nature seems to be combined with a 
good eye. For instance: “The mystic thread 
that marks the eddy at the ripple’s head.” I 
have laid the book aside for some day when I 
am snowed in next winter. 
Winfield T. Sherwood. 
