The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-02
WILD ANIMALS
An Assertion that Mankind Is Benefited
by Their Disappearance
From Earth,
KopcocCit1, Cfc

'-: - Kansas City Star.
There seems. to be considerable needless
regret and unjustified lamentation over
tho destruction of wild animals. It
seems that it was not enough that the
earth should lose in its infancy the wild
!,tr11ss that are known to us only in their
fossil forms, but later the moe, the aux
and the dodO were eXterminated. Scarce
ly were these out of the way when man
turned his destructive energy against the
buffalo and the elephant, and bids fair TO
remove them from the EARTH Other
beasts are marked for the slaughter, and
now there are entire villages in India that
have not a tiger they can call their own,
While Il painful lack of bears and lions ana
panthers is perceived in regions where
ing. . ~ --'7~'. ' ...-
. Various plans are proposed for preserv-
ir, to the earth it's remaining wild beasts,
but'all the plans are impracticable because
it is not convenient to depopulate great
portions Of the EARTH and fill them with
wild buffalo and wild elephants. When
these animals are kept in small enclosures
they become tame and lose their charm.
The reason for the disappearance of
wild beasts is that the earth generally is
becoming tame and domesticated. A pas
tUre and plowed field for the use of man
cannot occupy the space of a wilderness
for the use Of wild beasts. One or the
Otlicl SlFt way. Ie IdIHlleSS dlO
necessary sheep must be given scope and
verge, even though it may be necessary
to kill to the last specimen wolves of the
vicinage.
! 1t has not been found that any loss or
suffering has been entailed on mankind
by the destruction of wild animals. The
+ buffalo went in very good season. His de-
parture was well timed with that of the
Indian, who lived on him. The money OBJ
tanned for his hide, meat and bones helped
put the white settler in the short grass
country on his feet. The same rule
probably holds true in regard to the wild
beasts of other continents. The ivory fol
which the elephants are killed has doubt
/ less been of more value than the elephants
themselves. An elephant converted into
piano keys is Of greater utility than the
same beast tramping and trumpeting ir
the forest. T."
The complaint that the work Of the pro
fessors. Of natural history demands the
preservation or restoration of wild beast:
| is quite groundless. One stuffed ele
| phant is of more value to the cause o
science than. a thousand elephants aliv,
and wild. The one bison mounted by Pro
/ fessor, Dyche answers the purposes of in
struction for the entire University o
Kansas. A tiger mounted in everlasting
| dumb show combat with another tige
| answers the purpose of science quite a
well as a live. n-ea ter lurking about tn
skirts of an Indian village to crush tn
skull and the bones of wretched Hindoo
I The earth grows better and comes near
I er to being good place to live in as will,
i and savage creatures disappear from 1t
! Long ago9t1le perfect future was depicte,
as the time when the wilderness shoul,
blossom as the rose. Man grows Infinitely
more useful and agreeable as he gets fur
ther from the original wild man. Th
survival of the fittest means the triumph
| Of dOcility.