The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-02-22
PHEASANTS IN OREGON.
The Numerous Progeny of Those Brough
from China a Few Years Ago.

The Numerous Progeny of Those Brought
from China Few Years Ago.
The history of this interesting and
valuable game bird on this coast has
never been written. Everyone knows
now that it was imported by Judge
o. N. Denny, and that it has spread
throughout Oregon and Washington
until it is numbered by the thousands
and probably hundreds of thousands.
Some day perhaps its history will be
traced. Meanwhile the chief incidents
in it's career are of interest, says the
Portland Oregonian.
1t was in 1880 that Judge Denny, then
United States consul at Shanghai, sent
over the first lot of Chinese or Mon
golian pheasants. There were seventy
of them, and they were sent over in
sailing vessel bound for Puget sound.
With them were sent explicit instruc-
tions as to their handling in reshipping
to Portland, as the cocks and hens
should be kept separate, and only a
certain limited number in each crate,
etc. But the reshipping was carelessly
done, SO that of the whole number only
eighteen survived, fifteen cocks and
three hens, a proportion which the
sender would have liked to see re-
versed They were very unwisely put
on Sauvic's island, the place of all
others to which sportsmen then, as
now, resorted. Yet so industriously
did they propagate that they soon
were common sights in Multnomah
county. A few went into Washington
county. Some crossed the Columbia to
the then territory of Washington.
Since then they have spread north to
the sound and in various parts of Wash
ington. All the pheasants in the state
of Washington are credited to this first
beginning, the three hens which sur
vived the first shipment of seventy
in $780,
Having heard of the bad luck which
attended the first venture, Judge Denny
in 1881 sent over twenty-eight more
eighteen hens and ten cocks. These
were sent to Portland and to the charge
of Judge Denny's- brother, who lived
at Washington Butte, Linn county. He
took proper care of them and put them
adrift near his place. From there they
have gone into southern Oregon, and,
as Judge Denny thinks, have crossed
the Cascade mountains and appeared
in Eastern Oregon, while the William
cite valley is full of them.
Judge Denny was home in 1882 and
visited the legislature in session at
Salem. His presence induced Judge
Truitt, now of Alaska, then a member
of the house, to prepare bill for the
protection of the pheasant. With such
marked favor was the project received
that the bill was advanced by unani-
nous consent through it's three read
ings and passed promptly, the same
courtesy being extended it in the senate.
This provided absolute protection for
the birds for five years. Before the
five years had expired the protection
was extended five more, making ten in
all. Then they were placed on the
same footing as the other pheasants,
though the season is a little different.
What the Denny pheasant needs now
is shorter season and a law prohibit
ing entirely hunting it for the market.
Warden Mcclure has no doubt that
thirteen thousand Mongolian pleas
ants were taken in Linn county alone
by pOt-hunters last season. There is
money in the sport, as the birds bring
dollar and a half dozen. This is not
sport. 1t is butchering as business