FOREST AND STREAM 
Evolution of Sportsmanship 
UNTING and fishing sports are 
as ancient as mankind. From 
earliest history there has been 
certain ethics recognized, which 
distinguished the sportsman 
from the mere pot hunter. As 
time passed, new ideals were 
created to be adapted to chang¬ 
ed conditions. 
I think it is safe to say that the dividing line 
between sportsmen and pot hunters, from the 
very beginning, was commercialism. The sports¬ 
man has always prided himself on being a gentle- 
By E. T. Grether. 
man who hunted and fished for pleasure’s sake 
alone. 
It was therefore apparent that he would 
adopt skillful methods, and use only the devices 
requiring expertness in the pursuit of his pleas¬ 
ures. The pot hunter, being one whose only 
interest was to “fill the pot” either for himself, 
or to sell to others, has always used any method 
calculated to be the least expensive and most 
effective. 
Many of us can remember the time when 
sportsmen measured their qualifications by dem¬ 
onstrating their skill in making great scores in ' 
game killed provided, it was all killed in “a 
sportsmanlike manner,” about the only feeling of 
shame being the missed shots. 
The pot hunter was fhe fellow who sneaked 
upon a covey of quail huddled in a fence corner, 
and shot them all upon the ground a dozen in 
one shot. The sportsman with fine bird dog. 
hunted a bevy of quail and killed them all on 
the wing, a dozen birds, in twelve shots. The 
market shooter, in his punt gun, with swivel 
gun, killed several hundred ducks per day, while 
the so-called sportsman killed the same quantity, 
but with his eight or ten gauge gun, “shot them 
on the wing.” One sold his game, the other gave 
his to admiring friends. 
The sportsman hunted occasionally, but the 
market shooter was always at it. He followed 
the migratory fowl from one section to another. 
It was a business with him, and he killed every 
wild creature that he could convert into cash. 
When the game supply began to diminish, then 
sportsmanship began to mean something more 
than securing game and fish in a “sportsmanlike 
manner.” 
The few real sportsmen, who had been regard¬ 
ed previously as calamity howlers, because they 
had been bold enough to condemn excessive bags 
of game, soon began to receive more or less re¬ 
spectful attention to their arguments for con- ^ 
serving the supply of game, necessary to continue 
their sport. 
The sportsmen began to urge game and fish 
laws, and these were opposed by the commercial 
interests and the dear public which wanted to eat 
game whenever it could be secured in the mar¬ 
kets. 
The public enjoyed eating most any of the 
birds large enough for the purpose, and likewise 
desired to use bird plumage for ornamenting 
ladies’ hats. It is a long story to relate how the 
various states struggled with game legislation for 
many years. 
In every case the restrictive laws were urged 
by the sportsmen and opposed by the dealers. 
The dealers organized, and so did the sportsmen. 
Eventually the dealers became less numerous, 
with the reduction in game supply, and restric¬ 
tive laws, and the organized sportsmen outnum¬ 
bered the dealers many hundreds to one. In these 
game law legislative fights were developed much 
argument calculated to gain public sympathy, ei¬ 
ther on economic grounds or sentiment. The 
dear public, not being organized, was practically 
“neutral” in these legislative contests, with deal¬ 
ers and sportsmen, each striving for their “moral 
support.” 
Early day sportsmen’s publications were not 
numerous, and it was only the “survival of the 
fittest” that kept out of the publisher’s grave¬ 
yard. 
Forest and Stream is one of the pioneer pub¬ 
lications which has recorded most of the game 
law history ot the Nation, and its back files will 
bear out the statement that sportsmen were the 
originators of the game protection movement. 
As Others See Us 
r 
AGENT FOR 
ARTHUR JAMES 
FISH HOOKS 
JOS. GUNDRY 6. CO 
SALMON NETS &. TWINE 
SAWYER 
EXCELSIOR OILED CLOTHING 
TAYLOR 
FISHING BOOTS 
BALL BRAktilD 
RUBBER BOOTS 
FISHING SUPPLIES 
MANUFACTURER OF 
Sails.Tents, Awnings and Excelsior 
Pahalunl Wailrphooi Cloihino 
08 W.vri .K S r. 
I 
IMPORTER OF 
COTTON DUCKS AND DRILLS 
COTTON AND MANILA ROPE 
COTTON TWINE AND NETTING 
ANCHORS OAPS SLOCKS AND 
BOAT FITTINGS OF ALL KINDS 
CaBlE AocRI .i LIPSt. I l ‘ 
L B C CfiDt 'T“ SSTTEOIT ONS 
/'f /. ■ /}. ^ !■'<?b. 15, 1915 /<? 
The Asha way Line & Twine Mfg. Co., 
A3haway, R. I. 
U.S.A. 
Dear Sira: 
Replying to your favor of the 
8th. inst. I may say that since uselng your Cutty- 
hunk Lines, and I refer particularly to the Jos. 
Jefferson grade, we have had no complaint as to 
quality. Our Fishermen invariably say that these 
are equal to any on tne market. 
The same applies to your original 
Cuttyhunk as we have found these very popular 
for a cheaper grade line. 
The writer hopes to see your dis¬ 
play at San Francisco, although this ia not quite 
settled as yet. 
E.L. 
Yours truly. 
j&loruJL^ 
