The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-20
BATTLE ON THE MARSHES,
SIoughs BloCkaded With Piles
and Steel Wire Cables
at SuiSun.
THE TEAL CLUB MONOPOLY.
Wealthy Men Who Made the Pre-
serve to Be Arrested In
Solano County.

A conflict OF extraordinary interest TO
sportsmen throughout California is to be
revived in the county seat of Solano be-
fore the coming season opens, and already
many votaries of the gun in San Fran
cisco, Oakland, Benicia, Suisun and Val
lejo are preparing to carry the fight to a
hasty conclusion.
Though it slum bered for several months,
while there were no ducks to be killed, in
view of the near approach of the season a
quick and decisive legal battle is to be
waged. 1t all involves the rights of citi-
zens to shoot over marsh lands, and also
the very interesting question Of whether a
few wealthy men may combine in this
State and maintain preserves. on the Eng
fish plan, with gillies and gamekeepers,
you know. on marshes which, according to
an act of the last Legislature, shall reopen
to all sportsmen.
The trouble began year ago, when kel-
logg, Whittier and some other men Of
means in San Francisco shut out sports
men from the best part OF the Sulsun
marshes. Those exclusive hunters formed
the Teal Club, which leased the Cham ber-
lain tract of 5000 acres in the overlooked
lands near Suisun Bay.
They subtet parts of the tract to the
Cordelia, Ibis and Drawbridge clubs. and
thus with their own preserve monopoliZed
the best strip of hunting land in Solano
County if not, indeed, in the State. Bat
sportsmen from around the bay of San
Francisco did not submit meekly to this
altogether foreign policy. They went in
upon the marshes as ''poachers, know
ing they would be arrested and forced to
retire, though there was land enough
there for ten times the number of shoot
ers. And beyond that the whole matter
was carried into the State Legislature.
And what has been the result? A law was
enacted declaring that marsh or overflow
land could not be reserved from all cti-
zens who wanted to shoot over it, and in
this point the exclusive gun club preserve
scheme received a bad knockout blow.
But the worst came when keeper lost
his life for leveling a shotgun at a
"poacher."
Several sportsmen of Solano County
were arrested for trespassing upon the pre-
serves, but they claimed the right OF jury
trials, and out of forty-eight men--good
cases there were only two who stood for
the principle Of aristocratic preserves, as
against the defendants, who by the way
were plain, everyday American citizens,
ia xpayers and supporters of the country in
which they could not shoot game.
After these suits went against the Teal
Club injunctions were served on twelve
sportsmen in San Francisco, Oakland and
Solano County. The Mallard Club, which
had been the chief offender, was made a
special object of attack. Vic Harrier, Dave
Beveridge, w. Mitchell and Thomas Rob-
inson of Vallejo; Lloyd Eaton, Charles
Dietz and Robert Van Norton OF San Fran
cisco, and w. J. Boyer, Will Prather, Fred
English and Alec Rosborough of Oakland
80, zE ha Tee
Clubs 5000 acres. Mr.. Harrier said yes
terday:
We propose to have these people of the Teal
Club arrested. They have gone quietly to
work and blockaded the sloughs to the Suisun
marshes. They got Contractor Davis of BENZ
cia 10 drive a row OF piles into the sloughs
near the mouths, and when the piling was
finished steel cables one and half inches in
diameter were woven in and around the berri-
cade, which stands to-day an impossible
barrier against vessels. The Frank Horn
Slough, which has an average width OF so to
40 feet, is navigable for four miles from its
mouth where it is blockaded. For that dis
lance craft carrying load of % tons has
been sailed with merchandise. We propose TO
see if these navigable waterways can be le-
gslly Instructed. We don't know what the
War Department may think OF the proposition,
but anyhow it Will be teste1 in court. Ii that
does no good we shall go up there with saws,
axes and chilled chisels and cut down the OBJ
structions.
Our plan is to arrest Messrs. Kellogg, Whit
tier and the other prominent men of the Teal
Club; also Captain Chittenden, the keeper,
and Contractor Davis OF Benlcia for hlockading
the sloughs. Life will be made miserable for
those sportsmen whenever they get into
Solano County. Warrants from every town in
the county, from Vallejo. Fairfield, the county
seat, Benicia and Susun, Will be made out,
and the Teal Club men will be taken in and
dragged all over the county.
The attorneys who have the cases in hand
have decided to start in on the first day OF the
eeason and keep up the arresting from differ
ent places in the county at intervals. So shoot
irg on the private preserve will not be so
exclusive after all this season.
When Judge Buckles returns from the East
he will hear the injunction cases that have
been pending against US. We shall attack the
iDjunctions on various grounds: That the law
allows citizens to shoot over marsh lands; that
it does not recognize preserves on marshes, and
that the title held by the Teal Club is not clear,
and, therefore, not legal title. ] Will be in
Oakland Saturday to reorganize our Mallard
Club and there meet the San Francisco mem
bers, for ii is intention to fit up our ark for
the seasons shooting ana go right in again
upon the Suisun marshes.
This season the fight will be far and
away more bitter and persistent than ever
before, and there will undoubtedly be
some startling developments in the
struggle.