Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-01-24
GREAT GAME PRESERVE.
Steps to Establish One In the
Southwest.
CONGRESS- FINANCIAL AID DESIRED

Proposed to Have National Organ
State and neutrality-suspicious. to BE
Soon Hcld-One Suitable Tract of
Land Found.
Steadily the hunting grounds of the
American sportsman are growing more
circumscribed and the game scarcer.
While this is especially true of the
eastern gunner, even the western
sportsman is finding it more and more
difficult to satisfy his desire. Fifteen
years ago the last of the immense herds
OF buffalo which roamed the western
plains practically disappeared. Today
deer are becoming scarcer, noun
tain sheep have nearly disappeared, and
only in remote localities can bears be
found in numbers.
Such is the condition that has led to
an effort to organize great associa-
ton of American sportsmen. Its pur-
poses. as proposed by its projectors in
the west, are to secure the enactment
and enforcement of laws to protect the
game animals from useless slaughter
IN season and out and to provide for
the establishment of a great preserve
where can be gathered and protected
from the pot hunter enough game
to furnish amusement for all true low
ers of sport writes the Phenix ca. T.)
correspondent of the New York Sun. To
that end Il meeting will be called at
Denver or Chicago early in the year.
1t Is proposed to have a national or
Sanization, with subleagues in each
state and territory. The chief difficulty
will be in the establishment, stocking
and protection of a preserve 1t is
hoped by the promoters Of the plan
that the financial aid of congress NAV
be secured. The selection of the site Of
the preserve will not be easy. Several
regions in the Rocky mountains offer
certain advantages for such purpose,
but probably no tract large enough
could be found there. For several
months an Investigation has been in
progress. and only one suitable tract
of land has been found. Along the
lower end of the Colorado river and
the upper part OF the gulf of California
lies long and wide strip of land, part
ly i'll Arizona and California, but large
~ III Mexico, which is admirably suited
for the purpose.
Despite its proximity TO a well set
tied region the land has only recently
been carefully explored. \ party sent
out by the promoters of the preserve
plan returned Il few days ago from
trip through that country. They say
that for 200 miles down the coast, be-
tween the lower Colorado on the
north and the settlements of Quitovac.
Nasura and Alamo on the south. lies
a strip that could easily be converted
into the finest game country in the
world. The land is fairly well watered
ana by comparatively inexpensive ir-
rlSatlon could be made productive Of
all the vegetation necessary TO the sus-
tenance of great herds of game. while
the rough nature of parts of the coun-
try would harbor mountain sheep and
goats as well as the bear species Along
the Colorado they found large numbers
Of wild pigs. a large type of the pee
cary. many deer in the hills and on
the smaller streams and ponds enor
nous hockS of ducks and geese, while
grouse and quails are very plentiful.
Only the Indians members of the
Serbs tribe. and Il few Mexican settlers
ever hunt there. while in the higher
mountains across the Arizona line an
occasional party of hunters seek the
mountain sheep. which are there to be
found in small numbers. Much of the
larger game has been driven south by
the entertainments Of the settlers.
while the great 1ocks of migratory
birds resort there on their return from
their northern haunts in the winter.
According to statements of members
OF the party there is no other place so
well adapted TO the propagation of the
game animals and birds. and their as
sertlonS are corroborated by Professor
w j. Mctiee Of the Smithsonian in
stitution, who has just returned from
a trip along the coast in an investiga
of the investigation of the game pre-
serve will be brought before the con
vention and steps taken to obtain cor
cesSlon from the Mexican government
for the use OF the strip for a term of
years ut Il nomina! rent. AT present |
Mexico is endeayoring in every way |
TO put to use her millions of acres of |
land. She is offering every |
inducement for colonization and So
tlement. and it is believed that the de- I
sired strip for the game preserve can
be obtained ut reasonable terms.
Commercialism Gains In Japan.
Japan has Il very comIlete school sys-