The herald., 1897-04-05

quarters and applications for entry
blanks and information are received
daily. There seems to be no doubt bu;
what one of the largest fields seen in
Southern California will face the
starter. The greatest difficulty con-
fronting the committee just now is how
they will be able to handle them. Il
looks as though all the races would have
TO he run in numerous heats.
The messenger boys race has been
fixed at one mile and is open only to
boys on the regular forces. A 50-yards
run has been added to the program by
request of the college athletes.
The Gymhanka races are as follows,
all being run on bicycles:
100 yards potato race; so yards three
legged race; basket race 10 yards;
Bellamy race, Looking Backward" {;
Japanese race, 100 yards; blind race, so
yards; backward race, so yards, all on
wheels.
Running--Sack race; newsbays' race
one mile, open only to carriers on reg
ular routes, two from each paper.
Entries for the running races should
be made to III. L. Leland; University BIZ
cycle races to H. C. f. Smith, 11S East
Second street; Gymhanka races, Tufts
Lyon Arms company, and Ralph Ham
lin, of the South Side club.
The entrance fee to running and BIZ
cycle races is so cents each race, to be
returned to all who start in the race,
No entrance fee is charged in the Gym
hanka races.
The uncertainties of horse-racing
hot do ~
the result of the first California derby,
run at Ingleside Saturday, when the
Rio Rey colt Scarborough, rank out
slider and a 40-to-1 shot, captured the
rich purse. and incidentally proved that
the men who make business of racing
are Just as liable to fall down as out
siders-and some times little more so.
Howard s., the favorite, was not even
placed 1t is true that the race was
won by only a short nose, but this was
enough to capture the money. 1t is a
matter of pride that the first California
derby was won by California bred colt
though the owner is an eastern man.
The Chronicle. on the morning of the
race, published a derby forecast table
Of the leading favorites, placing the
horses in the following order: Howard
s. first. Good Times second, Scarf Pin
third, Candelaria fourth. The horses
came in as follows: Scarborough first,
Scarf Pln second, AlIdnlOA tHlIu.
W. W. Naughton, the pugilistic au-
thority of the San Francisco Examiner,
thinks that Corbett is making mistake
in following Fitzsimmons around the
country and trying to force fight. Mr.
Naughton is right in this instance, and
if his foresight had been so good as his
hindsight his reputation as prophet
would not have received the Knockout
blow it received at Carson.
Field Sports is doing good work in
arousing public sentiment in favor of
the better protection of the game inter-
ests of the state. In it's last issue, under
the head of ''The Game Question" it
says:
The sportsmen of the state and all
other good citizens are confronted with
the necessity of taking some decisive
action for the better preservation of our
game birds and animals. The action of
the last legislature in extending the open
season for quail and ducks to five months
and repeating the law which heretofore
had restricted the sale of game to two
months. is a blow at our game supply
which must be parried or long before
the meeting of the next Legislature there
will not be enough left to make even at
tempts at it's preservation worthy of
supply of game in California was suflic-
lent to withstand any inroads upon it
which the then limited population of the
state might reasonably make; but that
time has long ago passed. The rapid in
crease in our population and the ex-
iensive cultivation of our valleys and
foothills, coupled with the long open sea-
son which we have had up to two years
ago and. the Indifferent manner in which
our game laws have been enforced. has
so decimated our game that ii can no
longer withstand the slaughter which
has heretofore obtained.
1t is plain to any one who has any
knowledge of the state ana its resources,
and has given the subject of game pres
ervation any intelligent study, that even
the four months open season Of the law
1ust repealed, and the two months for
Its sale in the markets afforded greater
time for its destruction than was con-
eistent with a due regard for the main |
tenance of a reasonable supply for future
gears.
The feeding area of our quail has been
wonderfully curtailed during the last
decade. Hundreds of thousands OF acres
in our valleys and upon the sides of our
foothills where our quail once fed and
reared their broods have been taken
from them.
Miles upon miles of our valleys where |
the older generation of our sportsmen
once found game in abundance are now |
covered with orchards, vineyards, and |
busy little cities. But this is not ell. |
With this decrease in habitat, which Of |
itself is sufficient to have caused a |
serious diminution of the supply, has |
come vast increase in the army of its |
destroyers. as well as a most wonderful |
Improvement in the engines Of destruc- |
tion used.
The increase in our urban popula- |
tion and the rapid growth of our cities, !,
has furnished an Unsuitable market for |
our game, and sent into our fields ali |
army of market hunters equipped with |
every device for its destruction who, /
making the killing of game their means |
of livelihood, have pursued it early and ,
late in season and out, denuding every |
section of country in which they oper-
ated. Our cities furnished a ready mar
ket for all they killed and they there
fore adopted every method available to
Increase their income by increasing the
slaughter. Their desire was to kill the
last feather il possible, for event if they
were to follow the same occupation the
next year, they could seek a new local
1ty for their slaughter pens
While the area of the feeding ground
of our ducks has not been curtailed to
as great extent as that of the uplands,
yet the decrease in ii has also been very |
considerable. while at the same TIM