The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-31
YIaofNrA GAME LAWS.
Polk Miller Eepii-s to Charge Agsins
the Field Sports Association.

Polk Miller EepIi-s to - Charge Agsins
tn, Field Sports Association.
Richmond. March 20. 1896.
r,di,or ,rtrnoeIMr. VIM. i. Jackson, OF
.r,aIia urented TO know through your
naper OF last Sunday what mas become
| OF the Virginia Field sports Assocla-
ton. and why We are DOING nothing LOT
| the protection OF partrluses III TINS ota'e
| lie asks II we have lost our activity and
,atriotism etc. He also accuses us OF
..r,aLino game laws TO suit our conven-
ionce and Of going so far as TO incur
| tho 5tsDIeasure of farmers by prohibit
| tno, tLeir ahooting on their own lands,
| e. " Let me saw TO him in the first place
| tba+ We arc not dead, and don't intend
| 80 Sio - our country friends don't muir
| der us. They can do 1t by just such
| letters as he writes
| There is not single clause IN the
| Game Laws Of the Sld'e to-day which
was even suggested by member Of our
| association we have tried TO undo bad
| lee4sIation nv making the open season
November 1st. instead of October 18th;
offarine rewar ds for hawk scalps I'm all
the counties: prohibiting the slaughter
| of game in the snow, In or out OF season,
and forbidding the shipments of game
(except water fowl out or the State and
permitting a land owner 10 shoot on MS
own lands at any time, In or out OF sea-
con. This latter clause was objected 10
by some of the country members. who
said that many farmers would shoot
birds I'm the summer time II allowed by
the lew. and asked me TO expur ye IL
from the bill I declined to do so, wing
as a reason that did not think any man
who had sense enough TO run a farm
would be fool enough and mean enough
to do It.
Mr.. Jackson belongs TO that class who
are known as gentlemen sportsmen, and
like every other man Of his kind I'm Nir-
gira, is anxious TO see plentiful sup
ply OF game but he will never sec it
until nen OF his respectability will put
themselves TO the trouble OF coming be-
fore our legisla tive body and talk to the
country members about the necessity for
game protection.
He can't accomplish anything by sit
| ting on the banks Of Flat Creek. and
| singing his ink at rs through the news
! papers, or by doing as a thousand or
! more cOurtrymen did during the session
| Of our last General Assembly-write and
urge me to have these laws passed. Act
| ing under the instructions Of our associa-
| ton and as suggested by hundreds of
! good Ten all over the State, | had the
| best bill ever offered for game protection
| before the last Legislature.
The men who knew what was best for
| II, urged the passage of the bill which
| was unanimously recommended by the
| joint committee of the two houses, but
| unfortunately, there were some country
| members who thought as my friend Jack
| son seems to think judging from his let
| ter. that it was an - raise em and
| protect en- and you shoot 'em" scheme
/ on the part or the lot OF town people,
| Ill
| waiting on the Game Committee for two
weeks went for nousht. We have on
/ our roll a large number OF men of the
| highest intelligence and influence, who
| live in the country and II | mistake not
! Mr.. Jackson's name is among them.
Come before tho Legislature next win
| ter. gentlemen. and let US try the BLACK
| gum against thunder" experiments.
| have been wrestling with those fellows
now for gen long years, and am worn
| out. Two years ago, when the cold and
snow played havoc with the birds. I ad-
Vcrtsed that | would pay farmers %
| cents per pair tmore than the market
! price for dead birds). for all birds caught
| fed. and turned loose OH their own lands
| after the srow was gone. / paid for
| great many birds that were caught that
way and hundreds were sent by me to
| counties where they had been entirely
killed out.
| was told by Northern sportsmen who
were in the habit of coming to Virginia
| every fall, that they would back me for
| all the money | needed. Having done
| this / thought our association had a
right 10 hearing before the legislature
| Now my oil friend and countyman. if
you fellows in the country would love us
| better and give us credit for what We
| do. instead of finding fault it'll us, It
would be better for all parties.
Don't forget that all the leading sports
men in this and every other town comes
from the country. The city sportsman
| Of ,o-day IS the same boy who played
"Cat" and "Bandy" with you at the old
school house on the ridge" where the
teachers switches stood in the corner be-
| hind the girls, and / can see the smile
| of satisfaction on the countenance of
that sweetheart of mine now, as she
would hand 'em out to "Old Buff" as
| fast as they would wear out.
Don't let me think think that Frank
| SouthalTs old niger got his cue from
| his white neighbors. when he came down
to Richmond with MARS Frank" to at
| tend the sale of his crap. which he had
"prized wild his own hans"
| was taking Old Broadly and his mas
/ ter 10 the Tobacco Exchange, and know
! ing that the old darkey had never seen a
! larger place than the County Court
| House, / piloted them through the Sec
ond Market at an hour of the morning
| when it was most crowded with buyers.
| ON seeing this mass Of struggling humani-
| ~, old Broadly exclaimed, Lord. Mars
| Frank. look yarnder at the foxes! Did
! YOU think dat dere was as many people
| in DIS wcrl sab? Jes' think, all o. dem
| fole' livin' here in town. enjoyin' o. dey-
| selves, eatin' o. all o desc good things
hangn' bout here. an livin' entirely on
| de sweat o. wealls' brow!
| Come down, Jack, and let us legislate
for your benefit on the bird question.
| Let town and country pull together for
J zach others good i'm all fhfDa-s a nd dom .