Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-30
STATE HOUSE.
Pete Fontaine Again Gets Game
Commissioners Attention.
Famous Roacher Is Erecting Camps
Near Maine Borders.
No New Railroad Yet, Says Pres. Cram
of the B. G. A.

| Game WardenS who are stationed III the
| Allagash region and along the st. John
| river viii turn their eyes towards the
! Canadian border to point where
| new set of sporting camps are peHis
| erected. AS their eyes wander horlh-
ward the thought will come to their
| mind: What will the result be
| Perhaps, it seems odd to most readers
| that the erection OF new set OF sport
| ing camps should prove a cause OF
| worry for the game Wardens, especially
where it was being constructed upon
| the soil of Canada. But most people
| do not know the man who is erecting
| these camps, as do the WardenS.
| They may have heard of him, through
the medium of the newspapers, but the
average citizen has but little idea of
who and what he is.
Information has just been received
| by Chairman Carleton of the commits
| sion that Pete La Fontaine is putting
up a large and comfortable set OF
camps on the Canadian side of the st.
John river and within close proximity
to Maine.
Were it not for Pete's reputation, it
is possible that the commissioner would
give little heed to the matter, but the
mans past is against him. For years
he has been one of the most persistent
poachers in Northern Maine. At all
times he has been a dangerous man for
the authorities to contend with. Time
after time, have wardens been des-
patched after him and as often have
they returned sempty handed. Only
| once has he ever been in captivity and
then he secured his liberty because of
the humane instincts of the officer who
took him in charge.
BY those who have met him, Fontaine
is described as being a mild hammered
sort of man, who speaks in a low, pleas
ing voice, instead of one that is harsh
and loud, as would be expected. He
is said to be as kind hearted and full of
sympathy as al woman, always ready
to lend a helping hand to those in want.
People who have visited his camps in
| the wild northern country say that, so
| soon as they convinced the man that
| they We're not Wardens or officers look
| ing for him, they We're treated i'll the
most cordial manner and their enter
| tainment, while his guests, was all that
! anyone could ask for.
| But Pete has been an unmitigated
| poacher, says the commissioners. and
| has slaughtered game in manner that
| is hard to believe. Like the Indian, he
| believes that the deer and moose and
| other game, birds and fishes, were made
| for man and that they should be killed
as man wanted them; that the laws
| for their protection encroach upon the
| rights of man.
| In his trapping, Pete has used deer
and moose for bait for bear traps; has
| killed many a beaver and struggled the
| the pelt across the line into Canada,
where it was sold at a good profit. nc
tell half the things that are placed al
his door would require a volume.
Early in the year 1902. Commissioner
| Carleton dispatched Wardens Hermor
| Q. Templeton of Kineo, and George II
| Houston of Perham. to the northern
part of Maine to bring Fontaine out. if
| it was possible. The men
started for the woods and in
due course of time got upon
their mans trail. They followed
him for several days, found where he
had set traps. and secured a large
amount of evidence of his depredations
on the game. At last they located hin
in his home camp and went there tC
arrest him. They found Pete at nome
| and rushed into the cabin. AS they
entered Templeton drew his revolver
and had it in his hand, as he crossed
the threshold! Pete saw him and
reached for his rifle.
Templeton saw the movement anG
fired.
The ball struck Fontaine and inflicted
what was thought would prove Il fata
| wound.
The nearest settlement was upon the
Canadian side and the officers ut once
loaded the wounded man upon 4 sleG
and hauled him to the town. a distance
of nearly 20 miles, where he received
medical treatment and eventually re-
covered He could not be brought bach
to Maine then and so the Maine officer;
by taking him to the nearest settlement
saved his life but lost n prisoner. Since
then it has been said that Pete wa:
making short raids into Maine, but this
could never be verified. The commits.
sioners fear that he is establishing hi.
now sporting camp for the purpose o
poaching in this state. They say tina
they will arrest and prosecute him Of
any of his people whom they find OF
Maine territory.
President. Cram of the Bangor 6
Aroostook Railroad. says there i
nothing in the rumor of Il new branch
line from Squa Pan to Frenchville
y The idea Of the new road being bull
came from the fact that there have
been some excursions into that countr.
. simply to see if a road was feasible
land that at present an engineering
a Marty is bound into the territory jus
north of the Aroostook river and be
1 tween the Fish River branch and TIL,
main line. If this country has no baC
valleys and is suitable to put a roat
through, one may be run between tn
point ION the main line above Caribou
to the lower end of the Fish River road
somewhere near Ashland. The advan
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