The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-29
The Rod and Gun.

The Rod and Gun.
A meeting for the organization of tn,
association chartered by the legislature il
1874 for the protection of fish and gam,
was held at Burlington on Thursday even
ing.
The corporators named in the act arr
Hon. John Pierpoint, Vergennes Rev
VIM. II. Lord, d. d., 9. s. Pitkin, Mont
pelier ; E. J. Phelps, Gen. w. w. Henry
B. B. SmalIey, Col. Theodore s. Peck
Burlington DR.. Middleton Goldsmith
Martin G. Everts, w. Y. w. Ripley
w. c. Clement, Albert W. Higgins, Henry
A. Sawyer, Rutland Hon. Mason s. Col.
burn, G. F. Orvis, Manchester Luman p.
Norton, II. j. Potter, Bennington NJ. S.
McCauley, Arlington r. L. Graves, Sun
derland; DR.. j. Henry Guild, Rupert; DR..
George F. Gale, Brattleboro Rev. Henry
Fairbanks, st. Johnsbury Henry N.
Newell, Shelburn Hon. George A. Bal
lard, Fairfax; Major John W. Newton, F.
Stewart Stranahan, George G. Smith, St.
Adams, and NJ. G. Edmonds, Weston.
The objects are to preserve and propo-
gate the fish and game of Vermont. A
meeting was held at Montpelier in 1874 for
a preliminary organization, at which DR..
George F. Gale of Brattleboro was elected
president, and George Gregory Smith as
secretary and other officers. A committee
was appointed at that meeting who report
ed constitution to the meeting last even
which was adopted and the organization
perfected by the election Of permanent
officers.
DR.. Middleton Goldsmith, who has just
returned from Europe, where he has given
special attention to the subject of game
laws, at the invitation of the association
delivered an address at the grand army
| hall at o'clock. The following is an alb
stract of
Nm ~orrs..,ino ADDHEos.
DR.. Goldsmith discussed first the causes
of the extinction of salmon, once abund-
ant in Vermont, and trout. The former
| he attributed to milldams which prevent
the fish ascending to their spawning
grounds, and the loss of the latter to a
| variety of causes some within control and
others not. The latter are milldams, clear
| ing of forests, fouling of streams and the
| accidental introduction of predatory fish ;
| the preventible causes are over fishing, un-
stable and Unreasonable fishing, net fish
| ing and lining brooks. Against some of
the latter causes there are at present
statutes, but measurably inefficient ones.
The protection of fish and game and the
punishment of offenders was next con-
sidered. AS the matter now stands, the
offender is not commonly supposed to
violate any right of property, and It is no
ones especial function to bring him to
punishment. We, the members of this
association, cannot form ourselves into an
ambulatory police to watch woods and
brooks, and the expense involved renders a
special police impossible, 80 that all that
remains to us is corps Of volunteer watch
men, stirred to activity by theirlove of the
rod and gun or by the sense of ownership.
We can effect much by, word of mouth and
use of pen. Taking trout upon.a spawn
ing bed is as mean an act as SANDER and
the same meanness applies to any unseas-
enable taking of fish or game. 1t is taking
that which is unfit for food and also de-
stroying future opportunity for sport, and
this no gentleman will do.
People should learn, and it is our pro-
vince to teach them, that, though techni-
cally there is no property in fish or game,
the farmer has the exclusive right to kill it
while on his premises or to rent that right
to another. venture to assert, and that
after careful examination and inquiry, that
where good trout brooks run through farms
the fishing, thoroughly protected against
| trespass, would rent for sums sufficient to
| to pay the taxes upon the entire farm. At
least, know of two streams in Rutland
county for which | am authorized to give,
on the conditions above named, in one case
a sum larger than the whole annual product
of the farm through which 1t runs. and in
the other more than enough to pay the
taxes. know of thousands of acres OF
mountain land on which l would be glad
and so would any sportsman with means &c
do it, to pay the taxes, aye, and more in
some cases, for the game that grows upor
it or would grow upon il. That sucf
brooks and mountain lands are not rented
to-day is simply because farmers do no
know their rights, or, knowing them, d.
not maintain them. The presumption il
that they do not know their rights or tn,
money value of them. The game rents Of
Scotland are estimated at 5000, 900 annu
ally. 1t is to be doubted If Scotland cal
bear as much game as Vermont, and it i
not to be doubted that If our farmers wer,
satisfied that they could get 81 900, 900 an
nually in game, they would, with fit law
to the fore, become keen scented game.
keepers as were ever found beneath Scotcl
plaid or English fustian. We can mos
further the ends of this association by edu
eating the people of the state, in regard Il
the matter, that land owners may know
their rights and defend them.
The extinction of furred and feather
ed game in Vermont with its causes wa
touched upon, with a fine description O
the genuine sportsman and his creed in OPP
position to the ''pot hunter" to whicl
nothing but verbatim report, for whicl
we lack space, could do justice.
To foster, to keep alive, TO sprca'
craftsmanship Is to redeem the callin
from pothunterdom. To show our people
among whom there fingers something o
that ascetic spirit of Puritanism whc
looks askance ON all things not none.
making or church going, that the use o
the rod and gun is becoming recreation
which all men may gracefully pursue an
be bettered by pursuing; this, gentlemen
Is part of our mission. In regard to tina
other factor of the Righteousness OF gam
"a sense of the right of propeity-we hav
in VermOnt almost all IN do The humble