St. Paul daily globe., 1892-02-21
GAME IN THE OLD DAYS.
What Vandalism Has Done-Mor
Protection Should Be Had.


What Vandalism Has Done-More
Protection Should Be Had.
On my arrival at Fort Smelling in 1S49
found Lieut. Anderson d. Nelson at
the post. and being the only unmarried
officer in the garrison, he had mess of
his own, which he invited me to join. /
was glad enough to do so, for there was
no eating house nearer than st. Paul,
and the distance was too great To go for
my meals. Nelson was tond of shoot
ing, and had supplied himself with two
dogs and any number of shotgunS. He
kept the table we'll supplied with game,
which at that time could be obtained
within mile or so of the post. At the
first dinner l took with him there
were dtwo large, nicely roasted, NAL
lard ducks brought in and placed
before him and he said to me, John
son, are you fond Of duck?" l replied
YES" whereupon he placed the fork
through the breast OF one and the carv-
ing knife under it and placed the entire
bird on my plate. l confess it caused
me to open my eyes in contemplating
Northwestern hospitality. We eontin-
ued to keep house together for some
weeks. when he was ordered to st.
Louis and l was left alone. When he
was ready to leave he lett in my care
and keeping pony and two we'll
broken dogs, Crapo and Argus by name.
had never had the opportunity of bird
shooting. was without a gun, ana in fact
had little taste for field sports, but with
two good dogs and prairie chickens
everywhere. it occurred to me one day
to give the dogs exercise, so | took
a government muSket, loaded it
with shot and started out. l shall never
forget the apparent joy of the dogs as
they moved out ahead of me. | suppose
they imagined that they were followed
by man well equipped for bird shoot
ing. L noticed that after going over the
ground In front of them. when they
found themselves far in advance of me,
they would seemingly slacken their
gait until | came up to them. Soon after
crossing the creek above Minnehaha
Falls both came to a dead point. l
cooked the old musket and brought it
into position and bade the dogs ''hie
on" Two birds arose, flying about
eight feet apart. l shot at one and
killed the other, and from that day to
the present time have never practiced
at shooting Oh the wing. | bagged my
bird and returned to the garrison. but
was always particular not to tell the
and last prairie chicken.
What changes have been wrought
since then in regard to the game in the
country? AT that time prairie chickens
and even deer were found in great
abundance in the immediate vicinity of
Fort Smelling and st. Paul. The time
when buffalo were TO be found in all of
the states north and northwest of Ken
lucky. Gradually as the country
settled up and the number of hunters
increased, serious inrOadS were made
into these immense herds and in late
years they have been found only in the
Northwestern territories. To that re-
mote region they have been followed
have SLAIN them for the skins and now
the animal is practically ex-
tinct. although there is small
herd of about fifty in Manitoba,
a few In the Yellowstone Park,
where they are protected by the govern
ment, and party in Kansas owns a
few which he has domesticated. With
view to the protection of the prairie
chickens the game laws of the state
prohibit the killing of them before Aug.
20 or after Dec. l, but so eager are the
sportSmen to enter upon their destruc-
tion that several days before the day
fixed for shooting them they get their
guns and dogs and repair to the sections
of the state where birds are found, and
on the morning of the Goth they begin to
kill them as soon as it is light enough to
see. The weather is generally SO warm
about that date that the birds cannot be
shipped home, or to market, and they
are left upon the field where they have
been killed.
The cruel destruction of these fine
birds is objectionable, and ShOuldsbe
stopped before they are totally eXter-
minated. The deer and the antelope
are rapidly disappearing. and, at the
rate they are being destroyed now, in
ten years they will be rare indeed, even
if they do not wholly disappear from the
country. If the killing of game could
be prevented. say for five years, the
country would become we'll stocked, and
the present generation would leave some
for the generation to follow. 1t is an
outrage the way the game in this coun-
try has been destroyed. If all that was
killed was for the use of the people
there might be some excuse for it, but
to wage war of determination
against all the game in the coun-
try just for the sport it affords
is wicked and should be condemned
and prohibited. Until within few
years the lakes and streams in Mime
sofa have teemed with fish, but the
large army of our own people who are
fond of fishing. reinforced by countless
summer tourists. have about destroyed
the finny tribe. 1t is only a question of
a few years when the FISH will disap-
pear from our lakes and water courses.
1t seems to be III accordance with the
settled purpose of the American people
to wantOnly destroy all the fish and
game with our borders. and 1t becomes
crime when it is done, not to supply
the wants of the people, but simply as
an enjoyable pastime. The destruc-
tion of our forests is one that
interests the people of the entire
country. By careful calcula-
ton it has been ascertained that the
consumption of wood every year is
double the natural production. 1t will
thus be seen that the time will come
when there will be scarcity of wood
for building and fuel. The pine forests
are being denuded very rapidly. and as
trees of that kind are of slow growth it
will require many years for these for
eSts to renew themselves by the nat
ural way of reproduction. This is a
matter of little consequence to the
present generation, for the game and
the timber will last until all its men,
bers have passed away; but if succeed
ing generations are to have any, it will
be necessary for the present to provide
for 1t. r. w. JOHNSON,
We've Marked Off the Profits
And some of the cost on winter suits