The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-15
Sportsmen From This City
Sounded the Keynote at the
Boston Meeting Yesterday
SUGGESTIONS BY
THEM WERE ADOPTED
Resolutions Passed for Shorten
ing the Season and Restrict
ing Pot Hunters

Worcester sportsmen sounded the
keynote in a gathering of sportsmen
from all parts of the state at Boston
yesterday, and the ideas which they
had when they started for Boston We're
unanimously adopted after mature de-
liberation.
Signal honor was paid to Worcester
sportsmen. A. B. F. Kinney of this
city was honored by being the first
called on to speak and later was ap-
pointed chairman of a committee
which drafted resolutions which en-
bodied the slogan of the convention of
sportsmen.
Down with the pot hunter" was the
cry from every section. There was
noticeable unanimity on this point
When Mr.. Kinney, the first speaker of
the day, sent forth the slogan of
sportsmen, there was tremendous ap-
plause. When he followed it up with
another suggestion that the season be
shortened, there was more applause
The two main ideas which Worcester
sportsmen had decided on and which
We're announced by Mr.. Kinney We're
later adopted in a set of resolutions.
The gathering of sportsmen was in
| Copley Square Hotel under the aus
| p1ces of the Massachusetts Fish and
| Game Protective association. 1t was
| attended by SportSmen from all parts
| OF the state. There were about so
| present, among them two members of
| the state commission of inland fish
| cries and game. Later in the day a
meeting and banquet OF the Massa-
| chusetts association was had, and the
| visiting sportsmen remained as guests
! of that association
| Worcester men took prominent part
! in the deliberations and final action of
| the gathering. The decision was en-
braced in a set Of resolutions, which is
| a precursor of draft to be presented
! to the legislature.
! There were present notable soprts-
men from all parts of Massachusetts,
and among them the sportsmen from
this city stood forth prominent in adj
vice and counsel. Their recommends
tons carried great weight and the con
slderation that the other sportsmen
showed the Worcester men is a high
| TRIBUTE to the place they occupy in the
minds of Massachusetts sportsmsen.
Mr.. Kinney was the central figure of
the gathering of distinguished sports
men. He championed the cause of the
. packed
up by other Worcester n n H S
Fay of Marlboro and j. r, Reed of
Boston united with him and they made
| a great trio. L. F. Herrick was the
recipient of no little honor, being called
among the very first, and he gave a
short speech which contained whole
some advice. G. w. Walls brought home
truths forcibly and Henry A. Mower
made a telling hit in the adjourned
| meeting
The following were present from
Worcester E. D. Burlington, state
commissioner of inland fisheries and
game; A. B. F. Kinney, L. F. Herrick.
| G. w. Walls, E. F. Swan, James T.
Fuller. George S. Davis, Henry A.
| Mower. Fred A. Mann
The meeting was called at q 80
| o'clock. Hon. George w. Wiggin of
Boston, president of the Massachusetts,
Fish and Game Protective association.
/ presiding. He urged the necessity of
better laws for the protection of game.
The first man out of the distinguished
! gathering to be asked his opinion was
Mr.. Kinney of this city. Mr.. Kinney
! opened by saying he agreed with the
president in regard to the necessity of
| furnishing better protection for game.
! Il am here today" he continued. ''at
| the head of delegation from Worees-
| ter with a dozen men interested in the
| matter. Our proposition is unit 1t
| is this, that something must be done
to protect what few birds we have. and
| that something must be done speedily
| What we believe is thar the sale of
game must be prohibited (Applause).
We go still further, and believe that the
season should be shortened CAP
| plause). We believe that the month of
| December should be included in the
close season. 1t is fact that the bet
ter class of sportsmen of Massachusetts
| have been making an effort for the last
20 years to make this outdoor recreation
| of hunting popular one They have
! given their money and they have given
their time for the accomplishment of
| this end. 1t is a common thing for a
| young man to be seen with a gun dog
! and hunting suit, and society does not
| think it strange. Society recognizes the
| fact that he is out for healthy moral
recreation. Men of my age have been
| trying to make that kind of recreation
popular. Instead of young men spend
| ing their time in billiard halls and SINH
! lar places, they can go into the woods
| which they could not do if the recrea-
| ton was not popular. We have also
made it popular for young men to shoot
| at the trap We have improved their
arms and their legs and they have TAX
en- to this recreation so well that there
| is nothing more left to attract them
into the brush.
But they are not guilty of the de-
structlon that has been going on for
the last few years, and depleted the
game birds. Another class is respon-
| sible. 1t is the class that is so expert
| that it can kill more game in two days
| than a young man of the other class
| can kill in an entire season. They are
| induced to do that for the few dollars
| they can get 1t may be said that
foxes. skunks and other vermin are re-
! sponsible for the decrease of game.
That is not true. In Worcester county,
| 25 years ago, there were as many
/ skunks and foxes as there are now,
| and there was more game in the covers
| 25 years ago than there is now or has
been since I have positive knowl-
edge that there Is not one bird where
there were 20 or % that number of
years ago.
eve have simply accomplished the
almost total humiliation of the bird.
Now we should begin at the root of
! the evil instead of looping off the
branches. as we have in the past.
Many will say prohibition of the sale
| of game cannot be accomplished. L
have no sympathy with that state
ment. l know that right with right
men behind it, will prevail 1t is NOR
| fCon+inuad IN paCa Thrae