The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-26
SHEEP MOUNTAIN
A GAME PRESERVE
Nevada AWakeS to Need of
Protecting Animals.
TO PASS NEW REGULATIONS
Will Ask Aid From Congress to Stock
Big Horn Region With
Original Species.
TO PASS NEW REGULATIONS

CARSON. New. June "a new ma
tional game preserve in Nevada Will be
asked for when Congress is called to
order at Washington in December.
The game laws OF Nevada have been
particularly lax. Game has been killed
in season and out Of season with i'm
punity. The result of this negligence
has ali but cleared Nevada game fields
Of herds OF deer and antelope. The big
horn of the hills have been driven from
their native haunts and are almost ex-
tinct Nature alone has protected wAh
Inaccessible peaks and isolated pastures
the few remaining herds and focks now
within the States boundaries.
The surviving game OF Nevada has
been living I'm the southern and western
sections of the State far from rail
roads The Salt Lake road has now
been extended through the heart OF tins
once isolated country. and the State
must now be looked 20 for protection.
Nevada VIII Act.
Nevada solons will be asked to pass
stringent game laws when they meet
for their biennial session the coming
winter At present Nevada gives no
protection to the mountain sheep. Laws
similar to those OF Colorado. where
heavy fine and imprisonment for each
infringement are imposed, will doubt
less be passed by the Legislature. Then
Nevada's representatives at Washing
ton. backed by game protective associa-
tons. will ask Congress 70 set apart
Sheep Mountain and the adjacent terri
tory in south central Nevada as a per-
nanent game preserve.
Sheep Mountain and neighboring peaks
are the home of the big horn. These
crags have been the home OF these
sturdy mountaineers for many genera
tiohs.
Well-Known Camp Ground.
Sheep Mountain was well known
camping ground TO Spanish explorers
and missionaries. and was one of the
guiding points to forty-niners and others
who Travelled to the Pacific. At that
time it was stocked with mountain
sheep. deer. and other game. Here were
the great hunting grounds Of the Piute
braves and other tribes.
sheep Mountain is about fifteen miles
east OF the mouth of Meadow Valley
Canyon. From here an old trail leads
up to the once famous camping grounds.
on rugged crags at the entrance Of this
canyon Indian sign writing Is found
NtlAfM gives = AAArAhi % tAaf 0lAR "a y
ped peaks. Some OF the hieroglyphics
represent a broken mountain trail, at
the end of which are cut in the stone
crude figures OF mountain sheep. Another
shows The trail and the sheep. with the
additional Indication Of mountain
stream. From this mountain flows one
OF the few mountain brooks Of the
Southwestern country.
Railroad Man interested.
J. Ross Clark. vice president Of the
Salt Lake road was one Of the first to
see the need OF protection for the bis
horn In speaking Of the matter re
Gently he said:
Il can remember the time when BIZ
horn were abundant in the hills o
Montana. and were the common articl
Of food for the early prospectors an'
miners. Now. there is hardly a flocl
OF mountain sheep within the State
Montana has ample game laws for pro
lection. but game laws alone are no
sufficient. II we wish 10 preserve on
game we must not only give them leGa
protection. but we must also retain 10
them their natural feeling and breed
ing ground. Up in Nevada we hav
probably the oldest family Of bit
horn in the United States. they havini
inhabited the same hills for many gene
rations. II Is their native home I
proper protection IS given them they wi
increase. When my attention was frs
called 20 their existence the project o
q national game preserve came TO m
mind. and I decided to- lend every effor
TO bring II about"
The district that Congress viii b
asked to set aside is situated in abou
the center OF Lincoln county New. an
contains about 625 square miles. In I'D
dition TO giving protection 10 the noun
tain sheep It will also serve as "A have
for the few remaining herds OF deer Fl
the ncfghborhood