Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-09-12
lErrIRsrrRom TINE PEOPLE.
What the Farmers Think whose
Duty is it to Work for Nothing
and Board Themselves9- Justice
for All.

EDITOR Los ANGELES DAILY HER
AID Your recent expression OF opposi
ton to the game laws, as applied e
quail, meets with unqualified approba
ton from the farmers of Los Angeles
county. About ten men, who have
offices in the city, and no lands in the
country, have besieged the Legislature
from time to prohibit the killing Of quail
through the Spring and Summer, even
to the LIST of October of each year. For
what reasons Simply that when the
weather Is cool and quail are plenty and
fat, that they may leave their comfort
able offices in town, where they have
been making money all Summer. and
come out over the farmers lands, tramp
ling his crops, setting fires in the fields
that sometimes spread and destroy
fences, barns, crops and dwellings. in
order to enjoy themselves killing quail.
while they themselves are tresspassers
on lands where they have no right,
except the right to be put in jail for
breaking the laws.
The writer has planted vineyard Of
muscat grapes and cared for it till il
began fruiting, when such grapes were
worth $40 per ton. He has seen quail
in focks OF 500 at time, eating those
grapes at the rate of 500 pounds per day,
making $40 per day the expense Of
pasturing quail during the month Of
September for the benefit of not over ten
men in the city, who were waiting for
the birds to be fat, SO they could go out
and slaughter them and reap the benefit
of the rich pasturage which the vine
yardists had finished during the Summer
and Autumn. But how will this matter
strike the poor farmer who has seen his
grapes disappear at the rate of 500
pounds per day to fatten these ravenous
birds for the benefit of the heartless
sportsman who has done nothing to sup
port the birds, but now claims all he
can kill? He has no more right to kill
these fat birds that have fattened on the
farmers crops than he has to kill the
farmers ducks and chickens
Take another case, that Of San Fer
nando Valley, with its $4,000 acres of
wheat and 100. 600 quail surrounding the
grain in circumference oil seventy five
miles. 1t is calculated that these 100, :
600 birds get away with half q cent a
day of wheat for the forty days Of har-
vesting and threshing, or 20 cents apiece
for the season. That makes the tax Of
the San Fernando farmers only $50, 900
year to support the game law and fur
nish few sportsmen some amusement.
Now, Mr.. Editor, you have hit the
nail on the head in showing the absurd
ity Of such law, which is sport to the
sportsmen but death to us. The quail
is dainty bird. with delicate appetite,
and disdains to rid the farmer OF gophers,
snakes and squirrels, preferripg to eat
strawberries and wheat rather
than work for living, like the hawk
and the eagle. The fact is the quail in
Los Angeles are nuisance and the
quail law has not been carried out and
never can be. 1t is founded on injustice
and favoritism and should be repealed
at the next session of the Legislature.
Senator Del Vale and Assemblymen
Moflitt and Head would be doing favor
to their constituents by having this un-
just law repealed. Yours.
A. VICTIM.
Pasadena, Sept. IL, 1883.