The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-24

observer to admit of any chance of contra
diction.
1T came under my personal observation
during visit which 1 paid to Rio Vista
While there l was personally informed by
such men as Doc Stewart and James Sulli-
van, the latter being interested in the
lumber business, that the Portuguese and
Greeks in that vicinity violated the law on
all and every occasion, not only in the use
of small meshed nets which retained every
lingering that came within their bounds,
but by the taking of salmon and sturgeon
at all times and without regard to lawful
season. When threatened with the pen
atty of the law these men simply laughed
and asked, Where are the deputies who
will dare to come into this vicinity and at
tempt to arrest usP and even if they do
come all we have to do when we hear the
whistle of the steam launch is to secrete
ourselves and nets in the tules until they
pass. They never stay long and even if
we do have to lay off for few days the
proceeds obtained by furnishing fish out
OF season, when they cannot be procured
In other and protected localities. is so
great that we can easily afford to lay by
until the Fish Commissioners launch
leaves the neighborhood.' 1t is simply an
utter impossibility to prevent illegal fish
ing by any such means, as well as to OBJ
tain the arrest and conviction of the vio-
lators of the law. That there is remedy
tor this evil and that it can easily be
eradication. / DO not hesitate to affirm
There is certain sum appropriated by
law for the use of the Game and Fish
Com mission of the State, and out of this
certain sum should be set aside to be
used in paying liberal salary to response
BILE, fearless and honest men who can be
employed by the commission and placed
in certain localities, where the grossest
violations of the law are perpetrated. Let
these men collect proofs and make arrests
without an undue flourish of trumpets,
compensate them amply for the risk they
run, but get men who will act without fear
and favor, and when the Chinese and other
illegal fishers and hunters find that they
may expect no mercy, the fish and game
will receive that protection to which the
law of the State declares them to be enti-
tied. Take, for instance, the example
shown by the Sacramento County Game
Warden, Helms. That man is abroad in
of the night and day, and has become such
a terror to the violators of the law in this
vicinity that the game is far more
numerous than has been known in
years, and there has been but lit
tie violation of the law throughout
the county, while in the adjoining county
of Yolo il is a notorious fact that young
ducks have been slaughtered throughout
the entire summer. Helms life has
been threatened again and again by the
Portuguese residing throughout the tule
districts, but even this has not deferred
him from arresting all law breakers Let
the commission obtain the services of like
men, transfer them from time to time to
various portious of the State, as their
identity becomes known to law breakers,
and will guarantee that stop Is put to
these outrages.
This summer made personal trip at
my own expense into the mountains of
Lake County, where 1 had reason to be-
lleve from information received deer were
being slaughtered in great quantities and
the flesh being ierked as it is termed. Dur
ing the course Of my investigation found
enough evidence to assure me that there
was truth in what l had heard, and l so
informed the commission in San Francisco
and requested that deputy be sent to
that locality. The next morning the
papers stated that deputy so and so
would leave for Lake County in O
few days to investigate into the report
OF illegal killing of deer, and all the hunt