The Delta independent., 1901-08-16
GAME rsEsERvIxo.

~ s"S H<btiiou sotOCToCy. ne country
squire prided himself on his thorough
bred hunters and hounds, and the care
with which his game was preserved for
the pleasure OF himself and his friends.
This tradition was handed down frem
a generation long dead. When England
WAS as yet partly unreclaimed wilder
ness, hunting was in fact sport fit for
kings; for it takes as much bravery to
risk death by the hungry iaws OF a pack
OF wolves or fierce wild boar os in the
form OF an arrow or the stroke Of a
battie-axs. But this time did not last
very long. The life OF the noble was too
precious to be risked in thi fashion; and
80, when governing power became more
valuable to the land than mere brute
strength. hunting gradually came to be
more or less OF a farce, with all the
DANCE, taken out OF il. There was just
enough risk ir riding to hounds to make
1t the most popular OF all sports; and
just enough skill was required to shoot
phesssnts or hares to make the business
little more serious than play.
As time went on, therefore. the pre-
serving OF game became serious matter
for the English aristocrat: for the land
wss becoming thickiy populated. and
msnifestly, IL everyone Was allowed TO
shoot game there would be more left to
shoot in little while ind then where
would his sport be! He still ciung TO
the ijes that there was more am usemeut
en- shooting at = live creature than 10
aiming at u mark. and that the former
occupa,io WIS more more essentially
that Of = gentleman. The feelings OF the
animal Were not considered. Compas-
sion Tor the victim was held 10 be
womsnish and upmanly. Allsuch scnii-
,nent ~ss put utterly out OF the question.
We have, therefore, two factors in the
situation; disregard Tor the suderings OF
animals and u conviction that their
slsughier was business peculiarly line
and manly. Mark the effect Of this on
the public sentiment of England. In
she hrst plsce game laws had to bepade
suaking II snlavful to kill. trap, or snare
animals a the varieties desired TO bc
preserved. This wss not all. forests had
% be kert Tor The purpose lpf .1ordiag
this gsme its natural home. in the case
a. animals such ns the deer or wild boar
Early In English history the result os
preserving can be seen. for au far back
as the time of William the Conqueror
the destruction of poor folks hu,s for the
making of the "Nes Forest" reused
anger and bitterness and anger among
the Engiish pcasantry. There was said
Go be Z curse upon the forest. Of which
the death u William Rufus while hunt.
Jog there wss alleged TO be tho result.
That vas opc Of th. 6rst effects OF the
belief that the sp,r, Of Hunting was more
valuable than the welfare OF human
beings. The poor. who kill animals for
food only, were driven from their homes
and into towns in order that nobies
might have the 'sport" of prolonging
the dcsth Of the animal by chasing II in
the orth, dox fashion.
This tradition continued unbrokcn for
almost = thousand years. Within the
memory Of many persons now living men
have b,cn imprisoned FOR shooting or
snaring hare to feed their starving
families. The iapdloed's sport was worth
80 much to him that Il was in his eyes
crime that the poor tenant should inter.
fcre with Il even 10 caec Of liie and
death.
Laws wore passed forbiddipg the FAR.
mer TO kill tho hares that ravagod his
crops; he must sit up at night after
hard days work. to scare them away.
He could not demonstrate IL q hunting
party trampled his standing grain; II
was Ia In the sacred name Of spor,.
Naturally, landlords who 30 utterly lost
sight u the rights Of human beings iu
thcir pursuit OF amusement did not take
any great pains to improve tho physical.
mental or moral condition Of those
beings. The laborcr's house was howell
and his dclds were farmed In tho most
primitive way. His nature became
degraded and he seemed even Ices In.
telligent than his masters hounds, for
the very good reason that be was less
cared for.
Tho whole business was peculiarly
strong proof II tho callousness which
overRrows tho nature Of a man who
cloecs his ears 10 the rights Of tho people.
II 10 10 bc hoped that none OF the
mobiles" or "subjects'' will cvcr get this
kind Of hold on tho game or fish
prcscrvcs OF Delta county.