
1018 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
e 
[DeEc. 28, 1907. 


of the chair to reopen the question was shouted 
down, and Vice-President Bowman, who had 
taken the chair after the nominating committee 
had made its report, appeared to be utterly at sea 
as to how to proceed. Mr. Forey then moved 
that the name of Dr. F. S. Honsinger be sub- 
stituted for that of J. H. Considine, and amid an 
uproar in which personalities were freely bandied 
about, the chairman declared the motion lost. 
From then on things got warmer, until finally 
when Secretary Whish stepped forward and de- 
manded that Dr. Honsinger be a man and retire 
in favor of Mr. Considine, a storm of disapproval 
broke loose. Mr, Forey, not to be diverted from 
his object, again was on his feet and called on 
the secretary to call the roll. “I have no roll,” 
shouted Mr. Whish. “Then call the club roll,” 
said Mr. Forey. “I left it over at the hotel,” 
replied the secretary. “I see on that table there 
the treasurer’s book,” replied Mr. Forey slowly. 
“That book contains the names of all the clubs 
of good standing in this League, and I demand 
that a roll call be allowed us.” 
Senator Allds, of Norwich, took the floor and 
appealed to the convention to be fair and square 
in its dealings and to allow a ballot to be taken. 
His remarks were greeted with great applause 
from all those in the house who, as true sports- 
men, desired to see a square deal. Many of the 
delegates who were for Mr. Considine were not 
aware of the motives which prompted the Albany 
element in conducting affairs as they did. They 
supposed that they were supporting Mr. Consi- 
dine as a matter of sentiment, feeling that he 
should have a second term in office, whereas the 
motive of the faction which tried to railroad Mr. 
Considine’s election through was not because 
they cared for Mr, Considine, but rather that 
they feared Dr. Honsinger’s administration would 
be too strenuous’ for them. Mr. Whish was on 
his feet again protesting that the only complete 
roster he had was over to the hotel, when several 
of the Honsinger supporters jumped to their feet 
In the 
meantime three newspaper reporters on the plat- 
form had produced a list of the clubs which had 
just been furnished them by the secretary, and 
were about to offer them for a roll call, when 
Mr. Whish again arose and declared that he had 
no roll call. Then bedlam broke loose. Person- 
alities again began to fly thick and fast, and as 
suddenly there was complete silence. Mr. Forey 
was on his feet again when one of the eastern 
delegates shouted, “I move we adjourn.” “Car- 
ried,’ shouted Vice-President Bowman amid a 
terrific din, and the delegates began to file out 
of the hall. A delegate from Oneida was on his 
feet instantly demanding a roll call on the motion 
to adjourn, but he received no recognition from 
the chair. Mr. Forey tried a number of times 
to get the game protectors to withdraw, but 
could not. There was so much apparent anxiety 
on the part of Secretary Whish and some of his 
colaborers regarding the outcome of the 
tion that everything throughout the session was 
in a muddle and none appeared to know what 
had happened or why, except those on the plat- 
form, who after the motion to adjourn had been 
carried, appeared to be satisfied with their day’s 
worl: 
and shouted in chorus, “Go and get it.” 
elec- 
At the banquet that evening Commissioner 
Whipple stated that had he been there at the 
time of the trouble in the State League meeting 
he was satisfied that he could have controlled 
the situation. The most reliable accounts at 
hand show that he was there at least until a very 
short few minutes before the scrap took place, 
and as to how he got out no one here seems to 
be able to give any information. He stated at 
the banquet that he had very positive convic- 
tions as to who should have been elected to the 
presidency of the State League. Then he pro- 
ceeded to compliment Dr. Honsinger in terms 
somewhat to this effect: “Dr. Honsinger has 
done more than any other one man whom I know 
in this State, and I might say in the United 
States, to create public sentiment in favor of 
forest, fish and game protection.” 
At a regular meeting of the Anglers’ Associa- 
tion of Onondaga, held Dec. 10, with an attend- 
ance of about three hundred enthusiastic sports- 
men, the following resolution was adopted: 
“Resolved, That it is the sense of the Anglers’ 
Association of Onondaga that charges be pre- 
ferred against John D. Whish, secretary of the 
Forest, Fish and Game Commission, for repre- 
hensible and dishonorable conduct at Syracuse, 
Dec. 4 and 5, on the occasion of the recent con- 
vention of the New York State Fish, Game and 
Forest League, and that we ask for his imme- 
diate removal from his position as secretary of 
the State Commission. Further, that a com- 
mittee of five be appointed to assist the Execu- 
tive Board in formulating charges and present- 
ing them to the proper authorities.” 
The following committee was appointed: Gen. 
Dwight H. Bruce, Hon. Wm. Kennedy, J. S. 
Ludington, Geo. H. Sears, B. E. Watson. 
JUSTICE, 

Game in Northern Pennsylvania. 
SayrE, Pa., Dec. 6.—Editor Forest and Stream: 
The close of the shooting season on ruffed 
grouse, quail, woodcock, rabbits, squirrels and 
plover, Dec. 1, discloses a number of interesting 
facts among which is the important one that so 
far as this section of the State is concerned the 
scatcity of grouse, so extensively reported over 
a large section of the East, is not general, 
Sayre gunners, who have been afield a great 
deal during the season, report that in some covers 
not far removed from town grouse have been 
found practically as plentiful as during previous 
seasons. Other covers, however, quite as well 
favored with those conditions which contribute 
to the replenishment of the annual supply, dis- 
close a great famine of birds. Southern New 
York and northern Pennsylvania sportsmen at- 
tribute the scarcity to the ravages of ticks which 
destroy the birds. The visitations of these in- 
sects are said to be periodical and are not 
marked by regularity of appearance. A good 
many of the best posted local grouse observers 
declare the last nesting season to have been quite 
as favorable, all things considered, as a number 
of immediately preceding ones, and scout the 
suggestion that the diminished supply is a re- 
sult of unfavorable nesting conditions. 
Only a week prior to the close of the season 
George Willis, of Standing Stone, told me that 
the day previous he flushed a covey of ruffed 
grouse consisting of at least a dozen fine birds, 
and in the same covér he is certain that many 
more birds could be raised. Burt Stone, of 
Sayre, who hunted in the neighborhood of 
Laceyville during ‘the last week of the season, 
reports grouse in the covers he tramped through 
fully as numerous as in former years. 
Other advices have come to me since the close 
of the season the general purport of which is 
that notwithstanding the unmistakable scarcity 
of birds in some sections there is, on the whole, 
a reasonably fair supply of birds left to per- 
petuate the species, barring, of course, unforeseen 
circumstances of an untoward nature, 
While a close season on grouse may in some 
sections of New York mean the only salvation 
possible for the birds, it scarcely appears neces- 
sary in reference to this part of Pennsylvania 
at least. 
Rabbits were fully as plentiful as during other 
recent years, but we believe fewer were killed 
than usual. The closed market against all kinds 
of game has served, and is serving, to preserve 
the game supply to an extent hardly esteemed 
at its full value as a rule. 
Beyond a few scattering bevies of quail located 
in specially favored covers, and looked after 
somewhat by residents of the neighborhood, the 
supply is insignificant. Bob White is such a 
brave little chap and so picturesque withal, that 
his extermination is a tragedy to be sincerely 
regretted. 
Woodcock were, if anything, found more plen- 
tiful than usual, and some splendid flight shoot- 
ing during late October in covers that have not 
known the longbills for some years to an extent 
worth mentioning, has been reported. It looks 
very much as if we might continue to make the 
acquaintance of woodcock for years to come. 
The abolition of July shooting has had a tremen- 
dous effect favorable to the existence of these 
noble birds. At any rate, when you bag a wood- 
cock in Pennsylvania, beginning with this present 
year, you are more than fairly sure of getting 
a bird big enough to grace a stew pan in a really 
substantial manner. 
Gray squirrels were hardly up to the standard 
in the matter of supply the past season. Here 
and there one could find a patch of timber in 
which they abounded in pretty fair numbers, 
but generally speaking, it was not easy to bag the 
limit of six per day allowed by law. 
Wildfowl shooting, locally considered, is 
hardly entitled to a word. Not a few Waverly 
gunners availed themselves of the opportunities 
offered at North Fair Haven, on Lake Ontario, 
for some blood stirring flight shooting at a 
variety of ducks. Others from the same town 
visited Cayuga Lake where at times the sport 
was reported especially good, but taking the sea- 
son entire, fewer ducks have been shot on Cayuga 
Lake, and over its north bordering marshes, than 
in preceding years, if we may accept the estimate 
of conservative and well informed gunners. 
M. Curt. 
— eee 
“My Life as an Indian.” 
CHARLES Cry, Iowa, Dec. 12—Editor Forest 
and Stream: This marvelous story by Mr. 
Schultz I read with the deepest interest, as it 
appeared as a serial in Forest aNpD STREAM under 
the title of, “In the Lodges of the Blackfeet,” 
and as it appears in book form I am reading 
it again with equal interest. In its line it is a 
classic, and richly deserves to live. Of the more 
than four thousand publications on my library 
shelves I consider this one of the most interest- 
ing. Thus far I have purchased seven copies 
of this splendid book; six copies I have distri- 
buted that they might do a greater good. It is 
a work that should be on the shelves of every 
library. No more fitting words of commenda- 
tion for this work could be offered than those 
following, which appear in its preface: “It is 
a true history and not romance, yet abounds in 
romantic incidents. In its absolute truthfulness 
lies its value. The book has extraordinary in- 
terest as a human document. It is a study of 
human nature in red. The author has penetrated 
the veil of racial indifference and misunderstand- 
ing, and has got close to the heart of the people 
about whom he writes. Such an intimate reve- 
lation of the domestic life of the Indians has 
never before been written. The Sympathetic in- 
sight everywhere evident is everywhere convine- 
ing. We feel that the men and the women por- 
trayed are men and women of actual living exist- 
ence, and while in the lodges on the Marias the 
elemental passions have fuller and franker sway, 
we recognize in the Blackfoot as here revealed 
a creature of common humanity like our own. 
His are the same loves and hates and hopes and 
fears. The motives which move him are those 
which move us. The Indian is the white man 
without the veneer of civilization.” 
CLEMENT L. Wenster. 


All the game laws of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and now in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv, 


