The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-08-16
POACHERS.
Altogether Too Much of this Glass of
Work Being Done Here.

Altogether Too Much of this Glass OF
Work Being Done Here.
= That large holes are being dug into
the game laws in this vicinity every
day has been proven beyond a doubt
by the happening of several weeks.
Ihat The matter Of game wardenS for
this large country is an abominable
bunco game on the people whose
money yearly goes into state funds by
way or taxes for the protection of
game is also Il settled fact. In the
immediate vicinity of the state Cap
itol there are no less than five
Wardens, whose sole duty it seems to
be. to draw their pay and protect Il
! few suckers and pickerel in the
Mississippi river, while this section,
composed of hundreds of square
miles. one warden is all that can be
secured. One warden on the Vermil
ion range is equal to a straw stem in
a grain stack and fills just about as
much space.
AS an illustration of what is being
done in this vicinity, can be cited Il
few cases, that came under our i'm
mediate notice. Two weeks ago, a
young spaniel pup owned by Frank
Hodge. our popular blacksmith came
home dragging Il skin of Il fawn
Whlc.. had been killed only few
hours. The faWn could not have been
more Than Two months old according
TO the size and the spots thereon.
The pup had found the skin and
! brought it home. Saturday evening
the pup again came home dragging
another skin of almost the same Kind.
This hide was also from faWn of
| perhaps three months and was in IL
green state. Where the dog may
have secured the same is hard to say
but that it was in Ely is safe to con
lecture and cOnclusively proves that
poacherS are no rarity in this vicinity.
a month age cOvey Of about six
teen parLridges made their feeding
grounds about the cemetery and they
were cared for and fuStered by the
hand OF Sexton Wylie for further
reference. A week ago Sunday sever
al men with guns went out that way
and the following day Mr.. Wylie
found Il lot of feathers and that was
all, of his much cherished covey of
birds. The son of Mr.. Wylie hap
pened TO see the men get The birds
and demonstrated with them but in
language more rc;ble than polite,
he was told to go to-.
Another covey Of birds had made its
home near the western end of town
and they also were fed and fostered
by the hand of neighbors who saw
visions of cartridges stewed and fried
when the laws would allow. A man
with a gun also shattered these fond
hopes.
Every portage of any travel
throughout this northern country is
reported lined with entrails and
pieces 0fmoose and deer and part
ridge feathers in large quantities are
no rarity. A game warden has not
made his appearance here for over d
year and in consequence the business
of pOaching is at it's heighth.
Notwithstanding the fact that it is
unlawful for parties to go to the woods
with a gun it is a daily OccuranLe to
see men travel accompanied even by d
dog. That they go to get game is al
most foregone conclusion in all
cases. Now, a warden is a necessity
in each town on this and the Mesaba
range and Executive Agent Fullerton
would do well to see that protection
is given. Ii it cannot be done, we are
i'm favor, in which we will be most
emphaticallY seconded by every true
sportsman in the northwest, of abol-
ishing the game and fish commission
altogether, thus saving the taxpayers
of the state something like $4,000
annually. We cannot for the life Of,
us see where five or six wardens who
have their residence in the Twin
Cities are of any benefit to the state.
1t is true that the chickens on the
prairies must be protected. but it is
also true that very little illegal shoot
ing is being done in those sections as
the people are more Americanized.
Another phase of the question
should not be lost sight of, and that
is. pay the wardens. There is no
excuse for hiring cheap man in this
country to act as game warden. Pay
good man good wages and lie will do
good work. For the past six months
there has been no arrests made in ST.
Louis county for the violation of the
game laws. although they have been
most outrageously broken. Mr.
Tippet is warden for the Vermilion
range and in his behalf it must be
said, he cannot be in all places at the
same time. We need more wardens
and they must be had or the game
will soon be II thing of the past in
this vicinity.