The San Francisco call., 1896-01-16
Fish Commissioners Will Arrest
Those Who Transgress
the Law.
STOCK IN COLD STORAGE
A Large Consignment of Brown Trout
Eggs En- Route From the
East.

AltnOuSn Ine general game law gives
sportsmen the privilege of shooting small
game, such as wild ducks and quail from
October Is to February Is, it hampers the
dealers in game by shortening the season
for the sale of certain kinds of wild fowls.
Section 626 of the game law reads:
Every cold-storage company, and every per-
son keeping a cod-storage warehouse, tavern,
hotel restaurant or eating-house and eyery
sell, expose or offer for sale in this State any
qnall, bobwh1te, partridge, grouse, dove or
wild duck, whether taken or killed in the State
OF California or shipped into the State from
any other State, Territory foreign country,
except between the 10Th day OF November and
the 18th day of January of the following year,
shall be guilty of misdemeanor.
This law practically cuts off large slice
of the revenue which in previous years
swelled the Golfers of the game-dealers and
the men who shoot game for the markets.
The sportsmen, representing nearly
every county in this State, who met IN
convention i'll this City previous to the
meeting of the last Legislature and who
framed laws with view to checking the
rapid determination of game, concluded
that unless the market hunters were
restricted to a certain time in which 10
follow rather lazy and indolent occupa-
ton, which is that OF saughtering ducks
and qualls, this country would soon repre-
sent condition of affairs equal to some
of the Eastern States. which are now al
most barren of any kind of game because
OF wholesale and unrestricted decimation
of birds and animals by market hunters.
1t was not with the intention of giving
spOrtSmen (Which name IS applicable to
the poor as we'll as the rich) more ex-
tended latitude for the enjoyment of a
pleasure dear to all lovers of the chase
that a law restricting the sale OF game to
pnrtOH Haa mad bIT
the lawmakers TO prevent in some measure
the rapid determination of the game sup
ply of this coast.
In some of the Eastern States the sale
of game is prohibited at all seasons and
it is known fact that many Of the mar
ket hunters who were forced by the strin-
gent game laws to seek other fields more
favorable to their calling journeved to
this coast and joined the local market
hunters in their occupation of killing game
birds for the San Francisco and Sacra-
mento markets.
j. H. Babcock, chief of the fish and
game patrol of the State, said yesterday in
answer to question as TO what action the
Commissioners would take in reference to
the sale of game, that he would cause the
arrest of all persons he detected in the act
Of tranSgressing the law as it now reads.
81 understand" said Mr.. Babcock, "that
the game-dealers have instructed the
hunters to continue shipping game ana to
pay no attention to the law. Their attor-
neys contend that the law, which deprives
the market hunters of q right to sell game
and which gives sportsmen a right to kill
game until the 18th of February, is class
LEGISLATION and will not stand fire in court.
II can't say, of course, what view the
courts will take of the question at issue,
but | can assure you that | intend 10. be
guided by the law and will cause the arrest
Ey,l coll
game for sale during the closed season.
The deputies of the Fish and Game
Commission will watch the markets and
houses closely. | am inclined
to the belief that a large quantity of the
game that will be shipped from the inte-
rior to this City will be placed in cold
storage.
THE CALL has frequently suggested the
introduction of the German brown trout
in the streams of this coast. / understand
that it is a very game fish and is highly
priced for its edible qualities by anglers
and epicures.
"Well the Commissioners have acted
upon THE CALLS suggestion, and you will
note by this dispatch just received from j.
Amin of the Caledonia hatchery of New
York State that our anglers will have an
opportunity in few years hence of COM
pairing the game and edible qualities of
the brown trout with the rainbow and
other varieties of trout indigenous to this
coast"
The dispatch is as follows:
One hundred and twenty-five thousand
brown trout eggs for Sisson hatchery will start
to-day by Wells, Fargo.& Co.'s express.
The eggs will be received on their ar
rival by the superintendent of the Sisson
hatchery, and according 10 Mr.. Babcock,
the fry. when of sufficient size to look out
for themselves, will be placed in the head
waters of the Sacramento, Truckee and
American rivers, where they will not be
taken by anglers who basket small and
large fishes alike during the months of the
open season for trout-fshing.