The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
TALK ON THE GAME LAW
II. It. SWEENEY, FISH AND GAME
WARDEN, IN THE CITY.
After Nov. 10 Sportsmen May Shoot
to Their Hearts Content-Work-
fngs of the New Laws.

Nov. 10 is the date of the expiration OF
the game law and after that date sports
men may shoot 10 their hearts content as
long as they keep within the regular re-
strictions governing hunting and shooting
in the State. There are more quail in the
State right now than there has been for
five years. said Il. T. Sweeney, fish and
game warden OF Indiana, who was at the
Statehouse yesterday. The Rev. Mr..
Sweeney, who finds time to preach SER
mon occasionally Notwithstanding the duties
Of his office, was on his way to North
Salem, where he will dedicate new Chris
tian Church to-day Mr.. Sweeney has re-
Gently been elected president of the Amer
lean Christian Missionary Society. which
met at Detroit This is the highest office
in the gift of his church.
81 have about seventy deputies in differ
ent parts of the State taking care of the
fish and game laws" said he, land they re-
port that the law is being better observed
than heretofore. OF course there are some
violations and men pay fines every day.
After the 10th of November anyone can
shoot quail in Indiana, subject to the gen.
eral restrictions Of the State.
1.-THE people are becoming thoroughly ed
ucated to our present laws governing fish
ing and hunting and they approve them.
The only criticism there is to offer is that
the laws are not thoroughly enforced, but
with the small appropriation l have Ii Is
impossible to enforce they ought to be.
There are more small fish in the streams at
the present time than for ten years past.
One of my deputies was SEEMING in Turkey
creek, kosciusko county, some time ago,
for the purpose Of stocking Lake Wawasee.
In that small stream he captured In one
day about 500 small bass. l am taking
vigorous efforts to rid some of the streams
of obnoxious fish, such as gar, dogftsh and
carp. We capture these fish and sell them
to the Russian Jews in Chicago, who use
them. w. G. Kunert has been superintend-
ing the work in Lake county and reports
fifty tons of such fish captured this fall. L
expect to start on this work on large
scale next year. Bass cannot live where
the water muddy that the bass cannot
capture its prey The carp simply Kill out
the bass by cutting off its food supply. In
Germany the carp is a fair fish food, but in
our warm and muddy waters 1t has degen-
Grated and is not at all like the German
carp. The United States government, in
stocking the streams Of the country with
these fish, had in mind the success of the
food fish.
ct have good reports from the Monaghan
pheasants that were put out in this State
last year. They are a most beautiful bird,
much prettier than the peacock. 1 think.
Farmers turn them out In the woods and
they are breeding. AS near as can get at
1T there are about 10000 Of these birds in
the State now and they will more than
double each year. / recently stocked
the State forest reservation with forty
birds. The superintendent reports them
doing splendidly. They are fine foragers
and can stand any amount of rough and
cold weather.
1.-The pollution OF streams is the most
difficult problem have TO deal with. Fish
are killed in large numbers. but when four
or five big factories are emptying refuse
into the streams il is difficult TO prove
which one does it. I have instituted fifteen
or twenty prosecutions along this line, but
have never been able to succeed in making
n conviction. There is plenty of general
testimony always, but nothing that fastenS
the offense on specific individual or cor
poration. The government is now making
thorough scientific Investigations with a
view to- compelling factories to purify their
refuse. Just as soon as a practical way is
found to do this 1 shall enforce it with
all the vigor L can command. The only
way TO stop this pollution now is to COM
pei factories to close down. which found
an extremely difficult job in these prosper
Gus times. l believe the factories are
willing to do what is right If they are
only shown the way"