The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-06
PROTECTION OF ANIMALS.
Progress Of the Work in Maine for
a Year.
CRUSADE AGAINST THE PULLING
MATCHES AT THE FAIRS.

sheep ON the Islands-Catt1e on Cars
How Secretary McKecn Bothered
the Society at the Legislature.
The annual meeting of the Society fol
the Protection of Animals was held In
this city Wednesday afternoon.
In his annual report President Stanley
I. Pullen says that offcnses continue &c
lessen in those portions of the state,
more particularly within the range oil
the society's action. Most Of the cruelty
to animals results from thoughtlessness or
angry impulse. and one case of prosacu-
ton usually has bealthful influence In
q community. The report next proceeds
to deal with several interesting ques-
lions, like the treatment of sheep on the
islands, the pulling matches ut the coun-
try fairs and Secretary Mckeen's cham
pionship thereof, and the handling OF
cattle on the railroads.
Several local societies have been formed
during the past year, among which may
he mentioned those at Waldoboro and
Halloweil, which seem to be starting In
an active and hopeful way. The society
at Bangor. under the effective and ener-
getic management of President Snow, Is
of course doing good work. The other
local societies appear to be in state Of
suspended animation. We 1hope that the
humane sentiment which caused their
beginning may revive sufficiently to car
~ on their own work or at least to give
assistance to the state society, (which OF
course is always ready to cover their local
field, perhaps more thoroughly than they
could 10 for themselves.
Our attention has been again called
to the matter Of
SHEEP ON THE ISLANDS
of the Maine coast. In fact, 1 do not
think the subject will ever cease to inter-
est us as long as hooks are placed on
those islands and left to care for them
selves without the guidance and assis-
lance of man. 1t is an unnatural condi-
ton, as has been abundantly shown to the
satisfaction of this society and Of the su-
preme judicial court Of the state. rec
ent newspaper account Of the effect of
ono storm on the sheep of on island is
SO graphic that take its language bodi-
ly:
"Word has come from the sheep ranch
owned by 9. W. & l.. A. Robinson on
Foster Island, in Maohias bay, that near
" 100 sheep were lost in the blizzard of
February II. The heavy northeast gale
drove one entire flock to the west end
of the island where IT is supposed they
zha bah nd hp y,nassiyp hloCka
of ice, and were buried by huge drifts
of snow, or driven to sea on b field of
Ice and drowned.
While we have not yet had opportunity
to investigate the condition of sheep on
Foster island, and while the story may
be somewhat exaggerated-as stories are
apt to loom large in the fogs OF the
Eastern coast-the affair is SO much in the
line of our experience elsewhere that we
have little doubt that 1t has a substantial
basis of truth. The society is reluctant to
what may seem like vested interests; it
cannot however. permit the con tinuaDce
Of manifest cruelty and neglect. In the
CASE OF MONHEGAN ISLAND,
you will remember, we required the EN-
tile removal Of the sheep; which was done
by tie owners with very i'll grace, under
conditions prescribed by the supreme ju-
iioial court. The somewhat protracted
contest which obtained this result drew
much public attention and has led to a
substantial amelioration of the condi
tions of sheep on the islands Of the GEN.
trail and western parts of our coast. We
wish TO give word Of warning to sheep
owners on the more easterly islands, SO
that they may take suitable provision
during the coming summer. While
nothing is an adequate substitute for
human care, we find that the erection
and equipping OF buildings for the pro-
tt CT ion of the sheep has been very help
fuI, particularly en- the smaller islands
of this portion of the coast. The building
irescribed by our agent may bs roughly
described as follows: large wooden
structure is placed on some part of the
sland convenient of access, closed in on
three sides, with a southern exposure
entirely open. In the rear part of the
IL Sr5Cttu lOu& Thch Win
stats separat ngl. from the bottom and
widening 10 re top in V shape. This
is to be filled withshay, and admittanoe
On botn s.0es OF it given to the sheep.
AS the hay is eaten out it gradually sinks
to the bottom, thus supplying the neces-
sary food for long time, though of
course attention must be given to Its
when the supply becomes
nearly exhausted. The fault of the buili.
ing on Monheaan island, which was
srected during the preliminary stages of
the contest there, was that it was placed
IN a part of the island not easy of access;
the entrance to 1t was through a series
Of small apertures about thrse feet high
ard two feet broad, making the interior
of the building dark; and the hay was
90 disposed that the sheep could have
it with their feet and large
part of it would soon have become uneat-
able. However, as the sheep never used
the dark building, the disposition Of the
,av lie a ,uattar of coa, iectnra Onr agent