The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-05-03

Through an unfortunate mistake
some years ago German Carp were
placed in some of our waters, and
their presence therein has resulted
most disastrously. In our experience
the trout will not stay where this
mongrel is. We regard the carp as a
disgrace to the finny tribe furnishing
neither sport for the angler nor pal
liable food for the table
The habit which has heretofore
prevailed for years of floating sawdust
on the streams and depositing the
offal of mills into them, we are glad
to say, seems to be on the decline.
Numerous efforts have been made
along the line of securing an abate-
ment of this evil, which so seriously
threatens trout life, but not until the
last session of the General Assembly
has any positive prohibitory legisla-
ton been passed. We are glad to
say that our representatives in the
last Legislature procured the passage
OF an act, making it misdemeanor,
punishable severely to in any manner
pollute the waters of Castleman River
or any of its tributaries. The only
regret we have in this connection is
that the same act was not made to
embrace all of our streams through
out the county, but since a DISPOSE
ton has manifested itself, looking to
the protection of our fishing interests,
though covering only a small section
of the county, we feel encouraged to
believe that the next session will
enact such legislation as will afford
like protection to all of our streams
and their finny inhabitants.
In some of our mountain ranges a
few black bear are still to be found,
and while one is not often taken the
occasional loss of some smaller do
nestle animals by our farmers attests
his bearship's presence, and we pre-
dict that within a few years at most
this noble animal, the taking of
which was the proudest achievement
of our sturdy hunters, will have be-
come a thing of the past, and the
memory of the battles fought in cap
turing this gamey beast-this mon
arch of the Glades-will remain only
in tradition.
AS part of the Act of 1900 before
referred to, is a provision making n
closed season of five years for deer
hunting. In the opinion of the Com
mittee this is a wholesome provision,
and we believe that our law abiding
people throughout the county will
strictly observe and keep this law,
and if such be the case we have no
doubt that at the end of the prohibit
ed period numerous deer will be
found roaming through our woods
and glades, their natural haunts, and
once more afford pleasure to the
sportsman in their chase and deli
cious food for their fortunate takers
and their friends.
In Maryland the natural home of
the wild turkey, pheasant and wood
With the protection now afforded the
turkey and pheasant, they will rapid
ly increase, and the Introduction of
the Monaghan pheasant would be a
decidedly proper addition to our
native game birds. We understand
that this bird increases under favor
able conditions very rapidly, and
equals our own in size and flavor.
The legislation above spoken of was
the result of conference between
our representative in the legislature
and this committee, with one eXcep-
ton. We recommended that the open
season for shooting woodcock begin
on the 18th day of September and
close on the 18th day of November.
Instead of this the legislature in it's
wisdom saw proper to make the open
season durir G the month of Novem-
Der only, which we submit resolves
itself into closed season for the
entire year so far as Garrett county
is concerned, as the woodcock is a
migratory bird and has left the
mountains before the season under
the statute opens. We trust that
this mistake may be corrected at the
earliest possible moment. Aside from
this one error in the law we desire to
extend our thanks to our representa-
tives who willingly listened to our
suggestions, and we believe endeavor-
ed to carry them out, but in this one
particular, as we are informed, were
met with opposition from the lower
part of the State.
We would recommend that par
tridges be purchased and furnished
by the Club to those willing to buy
them at cost, and it is confidently
predicted that should this idea be
put into practice, in few years we
would have large coyeys of this fine
game bird in the county. If local
sportsmen in different parts of this
county could be interested in this
matter to the extent of purchasing a
few pairs of these game birds to be
turned loose in their own locality we
are confident that their outlay would
be more than covered by the pleasure
and profit of shooting the increase
| thereof in years to come.
So far as the rabbits are concerned
they need no protection as they rap.
| idly increase under almost any con
ditions, and we recommend that the
| legislation heretofore enacted, by
which they enjoy an immunity from
being hunted, be repealed and strick
en- out.
We cannot conscientiously close
this report without speaking a gooC
word for the insectiverous and song
birds of our county. We do not wish
to be understood as including in the
commentator the care and protec
ton of the pest known as the English
sparrow. He is an enemy to all O.
our native birds; his destruction
should be studiously pursued, and al
friends of the birds should make il
| their huSineSS TO see that not one q