Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-10
STATE HOUSE.
The Porcupine Returns Indicate
10000 Killed.
State Board Of Pharmacy Examines
II Candidates.
National Guard School of instruction
to Be Held, Jan. 81, %.

Since the famous pOrcuplne bounty
law was passed by the last Legislature,
there has been great deal said about II
in the newspapers of the State, but the
most important chapter of the story is
yet To lie written. The porcupine year
ended with the close of November, and
the returns of the porcupines killed and
paid for by the various towns and
plantations are now coming IN TO the
state treasurer's office, and giving
every promise of swapping that de-
partment before the end of the year is
reacnct. Relatively few of the towns
have been heard from yet. and. as the
returns will continue to come in unit!
January 10, the height OF the HOOD is not
| likely to be reached for some time yC..
Nine days of December make it plain
| that more porcupines have been killed
| than any newspaper correspondent
dreamed of in his widest prophecy,
when the law was passed or while the
hunting season was on. One Of
fetal in the treasury department
ventures the prediction that
When the returns are all in,
they will show 10000 to 10000 porcu-
pines killed. AS the appropriation for
payment of the i5orcupine bounty was
| only $500, it is plain that several thou
sand dollars will have to be drawn from
| the general fund in the treasury, to
reimburse the towns and plantations
which have paid the bounties.
The greater number Of pOrcupines
killed were in Washington and Han
| cock counties. with some in Penobscot
and Aroostook, and q few scattering
| oaes in other counties. Princeton alone
reports 25oo porcupines filed and paid
for, asking to be reimbursed to the eN-
| tent Of $625 Thus this one town takes
all the money appropriated for killing
rorcupines throughout the whole state,
| and S125 besides. In East Machias. 12o2
| porcupines We're killed; in Prospect, Ze''
| in Whiting, 6i6; in Lubec, zoo; i'll
| Charlotte, &C.,: in Mattawamkeag, III.
| in Cooper $50; in Milford. 1856; in Dan
| forth, 81: in Dedham, Sl@: in Medtosd,
zoo; i'm Harrington, 1903; kingman, 10a;
in Stockton, % These include nearly
| I'LL the towns heard from up to yeStei :
| day noon. but more are coming IN III
every mail and it looks as if the greater
| part of the 40 900 blanks which were
| printed, will be returned, some repre-
senting only one hedgehoG's death ana
some representing as many as ~. AL
| ter those returns are put III order lhey
| will Dc submitted to the Governor ana
| Council. There is no doubt that that
| body will promptly order the to"NS'
which have paid the bounty, to be re-
| imbursed from out of the funds lii the
| treasury. The law says that the bouht.|
snail be paid, and, although only 500
I was apprupliate,l for this purpose. tn"
| TOWNS will have to be reimbursed even
| If it takes Il temporary loan to do 1t.
| There is another matter in this con-
| necticu which is making considerable
| comment. The town treaSurcrS nave
to certify before a justice OF the peace
| that they destroyed the nose and feet OF
the porcupine described in the returns
! and that they made payments as speci-
| fed to the claimant. OF course the
| Justice. before whom TINS certihcdle IS
| sworn TO- mas to4be paid for his services
hut the law makes no provision Tor tais'
| so it will have to come out OF the town
treasury unless the Governor and Couh-
Gil shall take action in the matter.
A few OF the towns have refused 70
raw the Eountics, one or two even hoiu-
| ing special meetings to discuss tHe
| matter claiming that they had no APP
rropriation from which to pay the
bourties. Perhaps they feared they
would not be reimbursed from the state
treasury. Many are predicting that me
rorcupine bounty law will be repealed
,arlv in the next session of the LeEi|-
luturc. However that may be. 1t IS ccr-
tain that it has brought to light Vastly
more porcupines in this State thall inc
trainers of the law ever anticipated ana
there is no doubt that much damage mas
been done by forest fires caused W
pcrcunire hunters.