New-York tribune., 1902-01-27
TO PRESERVE ALASKA GAME.
NATIONAL PARK PROPOSED BY DR.
HORNADAY, OF THE NEw-YORK
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
To the Editor of The Tribune.


Sir: To-day Alaska contains the finest hunting
grounds in North America. They inhabited by
the giant moose the largest antlered animal lnhab
lung the earth; the Kadiak brown bear largest Of
all flesh eating land animals. and the mountain
CARIBOU, the largest and finest of It's genus. The
snow white mountain sheep is there the mountain
goat. black and yellow bears and the and new
glacier bear as yet never seen in captivity and in
only one museum. All these fine animals are being
slaughtered by sportsmen. hide hunters head hunt
ers and Indians. who in true Indian fashion, kill
often five animals for every that they properly
consume In the United States statutes there Is not
GRE line OF law either TO protect the game OF
Alaska or restrict its slaughter in any manner.
Nature has been millions of years in developing
the wonderful animal forms now inhabiting our
arctic province. but which foolish and shortsghted
man is now thoughtlessly exterminatng. Unless
quick and effective measures taken by Congress
the next ten years OF slaughter will wipe out the
work of ages and leave Alaska only a barren life
less waste of rugged mountains and dreary tundras.
Already the western side of Alaska has been almost
cleared of large mammalian life. The favorite
haunts Of the game OF Alaska are not, and never
can be, adapted to the wants of the husbandman.
So far as known, they contain few precious metal
deposits worthy Of mention. Those rugged, rocky
crags and peaks never will know the wire fence and
the cowboy Those mosquito ridden. water soaked
tundras invite the wild goose and sandhill crane,
not tho plough and harrow.
economically there is no reason Why natures
not be f1ed and estabIisSed for al tIme '1' as
national game preserve and made heritage for
Fight either moral or legal to destroy all the ZOO
grandchildren a world destitute OF wild life. The
resources and the beauties OF nature
desfoy dssa heri'ase which II would be criminal In US to
Ar: And what is our duty in Alaska7 The answer is
very simpe-the logical sequence Of existing facts
AS II disposed by nature TO make easy the task OF
IN Southwestern Alaska. extending from the head
Of Bristol Bay around to Yakutat Bay; is to-day
ynsoa wild animals II Lying in North Amereq RI This
and Aets and few Tbie traSers and Sl bunters
Congress should pass law creating OF this terri
cve Tegala9ioh sfS on f the
found advisable ' to permit T limited a amount IN " Of
hunting under government license let the law so
served. but no Indian that ever trod moccasin or
boot leather s should ever % again be permitted to
in Western Alaska should never be repeated. The
territory should be stopped before 1t is too late
The Interior boundary of the game preserve which
Begin at. ,Nushagak. extend along the Nushagak
ao1 fa aus e bnrs shG @
meridian Of west longitude; thence in direct
Which TonR and distant
from eighty miles: thence eastward along the sixty
crosses the Copper River; thence to the sum
es S ef Whole U of tb sskan and Kens 0enn
Eulas, kadiak Island and Afognak Island. but no
There are many reasons why the boundary and
the areas included in the preserve should be as
above. and neither nor less. It is not claimed
however that the remainder OF Alaska should be
left without game laws-far from it. But that is
another matter. This is clear cut, easily pro-
tected, and yet well stocked with wild life. It
contains all large species found IN Alaska except
the polar bear. In the preservation of grand
series of North American types 1T is the line OF
least resistance and the shortest and surest road TO
a result. 1t can be made to a great reser-
voir for animal life. like the Yellowstone Park.
forever overfowing and stocking the regions around
It.
A bill providing for national game preserve in
Alaska the line proposed will Immediately be in
troduced in Congress. If 1T received sufficient In
dorsement from game preservers It be passed
at this session. All persons who are willing to aid
in securing its passage do so by writing to
their Congress representatives in behalf of the
alaskan Game Preserve BILL
WILLIAM T. HORNADAY.
New-York Jan. g. 1902.