The record-union., 1899-02-27

dwindle away we have had the best
of opportunities to study its economic
value; first as a DEVELOPER 81 the coun-
try, and secondly as wealth ,produc
ing resource, of almost incalculable
value to these sections which preserve
it In reasonable abundance.
The subject of game protection is one
which should command the best
thought of every member of the Leg
islature and every member of the
County Board of Supervisors. He must
start with the principle, not that the
game belongs to the sportsman, but
to the sovereign people, to be used
for the general benefit of the common
wealth.
With this fixed upon his mind he
must next consider the undeniable
fact that every pound Of game con-
stunned by the people of the county
will allow that county to ship out Of
the county just so many pounds Of
some other product Of the soil, to bring
back in return their value in money
to add to the wealth Of the county.
He must remember that every sports
man who visits the county on account
of it's supply Of game will expend with
the people of the county on an average
fully 81 for every bird killed. That
he patronizes the hotels, the livery sta
bles, the saloons, the cigar stands, fruit
stands etc., who in turn buy from the
home tillers of the SOIL making home
market for the produce of the county.
He must remember that the home
sportsmen also put a vast amount OF
their money into circulation through
their patronage Of the livery stable,
outside resorts, gun and ammunition
stores and gunsrniths, thus giving en-
ployment to number Of men who
would not otherwise be employed in
the county. All off these are fed by
the farmers and the fruit raisers and
the dairymen, who are directly bene-
flied by the abundance OF the game
which the county can offer to the home
and visiting sportsmen. But he is not
yet done, by any means The travel
of the railroad is largely made up of
the sportsmen, and this travel calls
for the employment of additional men,
who have to be fed by the farmers, the
fruit raisers, the dairymen and the
stock raisers. Again, destroy the game
and the thousands of men employed
by the gundealers and ammunition
manufacturers, the powder works and
the shot towers would cease to feed
upon the products of the farms. The
hundreds of gunsmiths would be out
of employment with money to spend
with the farmers and merchants
Again, if it is desirable to preserve
the game, its sale in the markets must
be stopped. First, because of the fact
that its sale is the cause of it's great
est destruction, by giving incentive to
the market hunter to kill at all times
and in the greatest numbers possible.
Secondly, because the game killed by
the market hunter rarely brings any
thing into the county; most of the mar
ket hunters being residents of the large
cities, preying upon the sections where
game is most plentiful for their own
personal gain, and not spending
nickel where the man who shoots for
pleasure will spend dollars, and killing
more in one season than fifty sportsmen
will in the same time. Third, because
every bird sold in the market takes
from the farmer the sale Of just so
much of the poultry raised on his farm
as well as to lower the price thereof.
game protection will be met by the plea
of the farmer that the game destroys
his crops. While by the host careful
personal observation we know that the
cry of destruction has been magnified
a hundred fold, we will, for the rake of
argument, admit all the farmer claims
on this score, and we can yet demon
strate that he is the greatest gamer
by game protection.
No farmer will dispute the fact that
the best market is the home market.
Every dollar that he has to pay for
the shipment of his produce to distant
markets is just that much taken from
the net earnings of his labor. If he can
sell his hay and grain to the livery man
and his butter and cheese and chickens
and eggs and fruits and vegetables to
the hotel man, to be used at home to
feed the visiting sportsmen and the
teams they use in their sport, his profits
will be much greater than if he has to
ship the same produce to some distant
city and pay the commission men to
handle it,
If by the proper protection Of the
game and the prohibition of the sale CT
it in the markets, thel demand for ranch
poultry will be doubled, will he not find
the price correspondingly advanced and
a new field for this branch of industry?
But he will yet answer that the game
destroys his crops to an extent more
than sufficient to equaliZe this increase
in price and demand If this be true,
then he has a veritable gold mine in
the great supply of game that abounds
ON his farm. for with game in such
abundance, all he has to do is to let
it be known and he will find dozens of
sportsmen anxious to rent the shooting
privilege at a price that will pay him
better than raising grain.
That the farmer suffers more or less
from the ravages of the game. when
in abundance, nc one will deny 1t lives
upon his land and subsists upon the
fruits of his labor. For this he is en-
titled to compensation, even beyond the
benefit he receives from the home mar
ket which those who hunt it make for
him. If he receives and pastures the
stock of another, he charges him for
1T. If. he feeds the game for the benefit
OF the sportsman and allows him to
shoot over his land he is just as much
entitled to compensation, and no
sportsman worthy of the name will re-
fuse to pay for the pleasure afforded
II the farmers would protect the
game on their lands from the destruc-
ton OF the market hunter and the row.
ing hobos and gun renters, he would
readily lind abundant opportunity to
lease the shooting privilege 10 respon-
sible gentlemen at figures which would
well repay him for all the damage done